Nick Pilotte

I was looking at this thinking there was a recent discussion about it and realized you started it. My personal opinion, you are that far into it, if it’s less than 4AMU I’d do it. It may not be necessary but if it’s in the jets I’ve ridden up front in, then it can’t hurt to have.

Wow! Something I can usefully contribute to! i have a Halo, and purchased it in May. I have worn it in the cockpit with a mask (homemade) successfully. My usual mask is the type that is double layered and folded in a pleated pattern before stitching. It does bow out just a bit but my mask does fit pretty good over the boom. I had a Litespeed before and the mask did not fit well with it.

I’d say there’s two FBOs and a Signature as well...... My friend keeps his plane at Atlantic. He’s very happy and I’ve always had good treatment there. I’d call for their rates. I’d guess Atlantic is somewhat reasonable for that field. Where are you going in the area, DPA is further from there but a nice place too.

It took 25 years for my wife to let me follow my dream. I grew up in small GA but her dad died when we were in High School. For my 40th birthday I started flight lessons. It took a lot of patience for me get to where I am and she’s still reluctant (I can’t blame her).

Try having a wife who lost her father in a plane crash.... I’m far from an expert but my first thoughts are: Clear and open communication - What are her concerns? Don’t interrupt her and say what you think will fix them. Let her speak her mind. Take each concern and do your homework on each one. Study them and discuss any deficiencies you feel may be with your abilities with your CFI. For concerns with small aircraft, you have to ensure you are showing her/flying in nice looking aircraft. Appearances are everything to the non-flyer. Crusty weatherstripping and smelly carpet, oil stains on the floor, and fuel smells may be ok for us, but not for them. I’m not going to lie, my wife is fond of a Citation (twin engines) and Cirrus(chute). She isn’t sold on an Ovation yet. For flying in different weather, you have to pick the days carefully and don’t head off to Catalina for the very first time with a nervous flier. Once you understand all her concerns and have trained to address things (you should NEVER say “Hmm, is that right?” out loud when in the cockpit), you can try a short flight for breakfast. Even if it’s 15 minutes, that’s enough. Walk through your preflight checks like weather, radio frequency ID for the destination, etc. but don’t involve her in the oil checks or updating databases. Hopefully she sees the benefit of an airplane as a traveling tool eventually.

I’ll leave this here for @carusoam and @MIm20c to review. Not far (2 miles) from my wife’s office. https://www.8300kearney.com/

Not going to lie, I’m kinda envious. That’s an amazingly cool plane. Congratulations on acquiring it. Does it drain oil when sitting? My family friends flew radial AgCats when I was little and they always kept a drip tray under them. Nothing like the Skyraiders I’ve seen at GKT in TN but I’m betting the crop dusters were used more frequently too.

Please detail a little how you use/plan to use the 195, radial care and feeding, general nuances. Inquiring minds and mindless(me) want to know!

That is a huge plane. I saw the AN225 somewhere on my business travels a couple years ago (couldn’t get my phone out quick enough to snap a pic) while my commercial plane was taxiing. It dwarfed the 747 that was taxiing by as well. I wish I could remember where I was......

Wow. You did a day trip like that? I’m impressed. That’s a worthy sunset too.

Sorry Andrew. It was a silly Yankee joke. The first round of beers is on me if you guys ever come to the Chicagoland to make up for it(though I wouldn’t blame you if you politely decline due to the current violence....). That is a gorgeous Mooney you just added too. Even with the curtains.

I know you didn’t ask for advice on this, but I’d like to recommend your friend discuss this with an AME that specializes in difficult cases. I wouldn’t recommend going for the exam at this point but rather a consult. I would like to recommend your friend reach out to a local (To me) AME named Dr Bruce Chien. He has a website www.aeromedicaldoc.com that advises he is not taking patients but he does do some consult/guidance if you fill out the contact form on his site. Id like to see your friend obtain a medical, even if it’s with an SI or SODA if it is at all possible. Full disclosure, I did see Dr Bruce due to a diagnosis I had many years ago that I needed to address to truthfully answer my IACRA form. Feel free to PM me if you would like to discuss this further with me.

Andrew, looks like you are in for a nice upgrade. Quick question for you. Why are your primary instruments on the left side? Shouldn’t they be on the right over there?

I had to look up what that Skybolt was. Looks fun. Actually, every one of those planes looks fun. I’m impressed! I also like the blue ceiling....like looking up in the sky even indoors.

That appears to be it..... under F’N Little Plane. Which also looks like boatloads of fun? Clarence, it looks like you have plenty of toys in there. What is that biplane thingy on the upper right?

Beautiful plane. 195s are gorgeous and there is something intoxicating about a radial. It almost compels you dress up a little to go flying like days of long ago.

I totally forgot you have different nomenclature for job titles. I thought I was just making a funny acronym. Do you have to have a different qualification for powerplant or not? I’d assume not if you said our equivalent is A&P/IA.

Yep. There’s a forum for that. Homebrewtalk. I brew myself.

Congratulations! Please post pictures!! You and I are in a similar boat (proverbially). The differences I know of are you have more hours than I do and I married a CPA (who also runs an IT department now) so she sees my plane shopping as well as runs ALL the numbers. Shaving soap eh? Badger and Blade or what?

Does that make you an Aircraft Medical Expert?

I’ve used it in cars for better part of a decade and I’m happy with it. It is NOT a quick process though. Don’t start and expect to fly that night. It isn’t a restoration process, rather a deep conditioning and cleaning. If I were to guess, your leather is not vat dyed but has a sprayed finish. A quick way to tell, does a drop of water bead or soak into a smooth leather surface? If not, it’s got a sprayed finish. If it soaks in, then your odds of rejuvenation looking good go up. Leatherique will help that type but it will never look brand new if the sprayed finish is worn/cracked. There are videos on YouTube and reviews on a site called DetailedImage.com.

I’ve been anticipating this with my breath held. I will obviously need a new PC to run this as my current 12 year old model won’t run much now. Any place online that actually outlines specs to run this program properly? I’d prefer not buying/building a $3k machine and then monitors....... Actually, I don’t need perfect graphics and emulation, I’ll jump in the real thing, maybe I need the last version of MS FS.

Now you need a garage floor befitting the German vehicles you have. I’m thinking nice black quartz in a polished/rough checkerboard pattern.

PM sent. Just kidding. On a side note, you could buy a lot of Bravos with just the fuel costs and maintenance reserve for a 3 hour flight in that 748.

@exM20K Dan is in that general area and perhaps he would know. There is also an MSC up in Schaumburg but I don’t know any pireps about them.