A64Pilot

I think as automation and modern “glass” gets better and better there is a tendency to over rely on them, and to not question that maybe it’s doing something you didn’t want it too. Yes I understand these events were most likely human factors failures and the automation was doing exactly what it was told, the human mis-programmed it, but I think pilots are more and more becoming systems managers and less and less pilots and becoming more and more reliant on automation and more accept its infallibility. They are much less likely to back up the systems and monitor MDA etc. I bet there is more chatter in the cockpit on approach and not the level of seriousness there was back when approaches were hand flown. Yes I know automation is safer etc., just think we should have an inherent mis trust of it, the same as I do when someone else is flying, no different. I used to do a LOT of cave diving, of course I used a deco computer for deco stops etc. It was a Shearwater Predator, probably the best there was. The attached photo is from the beginning of its manual, I remember it evertime for instance I let Elon drive our Tesla, sure it’s been perfect so far, but I’m sure one day it will try to pull out in front of a train or something, so I use it, but don’t really trust it.

Not at all. I was passed over for promotion and “Retired”. It was however self inflicted as I wanted to Retire at 20 the whole time, that gives you enough time to build a second Career. You can’t really live on Military Retirement, not very well anyway. I was forced into the Longbow transition and that incurred a service obligation of several years, for those familiar with the Military Promotion process I did not take a DA photo, nor did I review my records for promotion so no way was I going to be promoted, you get looked at twice, then processed out, but as I was over 20 I Retired, more than you would think get passed over and get nothing. Seeing as how the Army passed me over that negated the obligation for Longbow.

I have one on my J, to me it’s a beautiful solution, cheap, lightweight, reliable, easy install, requires no attention, just forget it’s there. Leaving the Nav lights on all of the time isn’t an issue to me. I do not believe the requirement is for 360 degrees of coverage but I’m no Aviation Lawyer either. I know my Factory wing tip strobes do not provide 360 coverage. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/25.1401

Many shops will “repair” exhaust systems, in truth if it’s bad you get a new system, but as they don’t have PMA they have to call it a repair. Sometimes when a part like a muffler cracks it’s due to the material getting thin and just welding the crack won’t last, but of course that’s not always the case.

There are many current and some Retired Airline guys in my neighborhood, according to them it’s pretty bad as in pax behavior, much worse than even just before the “Pandemic”. I think Society in general took a huge dive then for whatever reason.

Yes I would, but I just don’t anymore. Being Retired I’d likely take the Motorhome, which costs more than the Mooney and would likely take three days, but as I’m Retired what does time matter? For me the Journey is part of the point, it’s not just getting there. For instance 20 years or so ago I flew the family in our Maule up to Tuktoyoktuk to dip our toes in the Arctic Ocean, and stopped many places along the way and saw and did things you just can’t flying Commercial. Took a month there and back I think. In truth I have little to no interest going where Commercial flights are cheaper. But then I HATE crowds, it’s not a phobia or anything but I can’t imagine being on a cruise ship for example. I live within four miles or so of “The Villages” most that live there I think like it, I wouldn’t be able to tolerate it as everything about it is crowded. I’m the type that has to live in the Country to be happy

What is 1 GR? IFR? I tell people the day they get their PVT start instrument training, the insurence break pays for the training and of course makes you much safer and makes the aircraft a whole lot more usable. Having said that I don’t fly IFR anymore since retirement.

I would venture that the Thunderstorms without hail are quite damaging too. When we lived in West Tx circa 1981 there was a hail storm so bad that it killed several cows. ‘It looked like the end of the Earth, coming from Ga I had never seen a sky like that.

A few weeks ago at Crystal river where we go to eat every Sun Wx permitting of course.

I used to fly a lot for Business and I won’t fly Commercial anymore unless there is no other way. I haven’t since I retired. The airplane is just part of it, sure maybe the seats aren’t much smaller but back in the 70’s only half the seats were filled on average, now they overbook so most often it’s packed. Trailways, Greyhound etc have gone out of business pretty much and those people now fly is one part of the issue. Today on the news apparently one aircraft had an emergency landing from a Pax urinating in the aisle https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-flight-diverted-man-exposed-himself-urinated-aisle-2024-7#:~:text=A 25-year-old man exposed himself and peed in,incidents on board commercial flights. That kind of nonsense is common today, and unheard of a couple of decades ago. Yes that’s society not the airlines, but I choose I guess to avoid 21st Century society because I’m not impressed. Fat old, ugly “cabin crew” is part of it just as Transvestites or whatever they are called today as crew is another part But the airplane is just part, the airport and security etc is a huge part of it. moving through huge lines like cattle in a slaughter house, walking in your socks on a nasty floor, is carpet strips too much to ask for? Finally being told to arrive at the airport five hours before departure is icing on the cake. I choose not to be treated that way and to not associate myself with the kind of people that fly today.

Yes I was asking that, I’ve never heard if being hangared reduced rates. It would seem it should as aircraft tied down are subjected to greater loss it would seem , even from other aircraft etc.

That’s very close to what I pay, I’m over 10,000 TT, Commercial / Instrument etc, etc. But I’m based on grass and I’ve been told that severely limits companies that will write a policy. I’m 66. How does being hangers figure into it?

Don’t get too wrapped up on the numbers because a lot has to do with load and where it’s measured, but most often a 12V battery should be at 14V plus or minus .2V after being fully charged after starting. A 24V battery is of course exactly twice the voltage, that’s why for example you hear that you have a 28V electrical system, but a 24V battery, because that’s actually correct. Fully charged but engine off your battery should be approx 26V, 12V battery of course 13. At 24V resting your battery is on average about 50% charged.

Unless you have lots of money burning a hole in your pocket I’d strongly suggest you don’t buy anything for awhile beyond nickel and dime stuff. Two things, it’s not uncommon at all for the first annual to be way more expensive than expected no matter how clean the pre-buy was. Secondly it’s not at all uncommon for the first six months or so for a lot of things to break as it’s most probable that your use rate will be higher than it’s last couple of years

Yes, many, actually most Crop Dusters have an AD for cracking wing spars, most often it’s the wing opposite to the usual turn direction that cracks because at the end of the spray run most pilots pitch up and turn at the same time, if you pitch up first, then turn it’s surprising how much less stress / fatigue there is on the ascending wing spar. Remember by turning your unloading one wing and adding significant load to the opposite side. We instrumented an aircraft with strain gauges in a flight test program that extended the wing spar life limit from 23,000 hours to I think it was 40,000 hours so I got to see what maneuvers etc caused the greatest stress. Older gen aircraft had a wing spar life limit of 5,400 hours as an example.