A64Pilot

What IS new is that it’s not a Sat phone it’s a cell phone and I assume will operate just like a cell as the frequency is the same. When I was ferrying aircraft I would carry a Sat Phone with me. There were two Sat types, one was crap the other better, one I would carry was better. Iridium I think? But a Sat phone isn’t like a cell phone at all really, first you must have a clear view of the sky, even foliage would block the signal forget being indoors and it’s in and out as one Sat comes and goes, it’s not seamless like a Cell. So dropped calls were common, then price wise Sat phone calls are orders of magnitude more expensive you didn’t call just to chat unless you had money to burn, just as there have been data terminals at least since 1990 when I was in the Desert, the Civilian tech reps carried them, but they were slow and stupid expensive to use. Again Iridium, looked like a brief case. Just as there has been Internet on Yachts and private Jets for years, have you looked at the price? It was in the thousands per month for a boat I assume the same for Jets. Just like there has been Hughes Net for decades, compared to Hughes Net Starlink is a complete game changer, and I expect once it gets ironed out and the price comes down Starlink direct to cell will be like comparing Hughes Net to Starlink. Time will tell, if it’s like just about everything else Musk does being an early adopter will come at a premium, but in a year or two mere mortals like me might can afford it. Even light foliage will block a Starlink signal, I’m surprised that it will work through a plexiglass window, doubt it would work thru composite airframes. Cell frequencies even penetrate buildings though of course.

It could in my opinion be revolutionary for some, not most though, most I think live their lives in Cities and are never without fast cellar coverage. When we were Cruising our sailboat only real communication was High Freq (essentially short wave) radio and it was a pain and hit and miss depending on Sun spots etc and data was a real pain, expensive and very slow, when you could get it to work. We also had a Garmin Inreach but it was limited in its usefulness. A cell phone that could work no matter where you are would be revolutionary, being able to download Grib files and Wx data in the middle of the Ocean plus never being out of contact with Family etc would really change things. Game changer for anyone off grid

That’s Musk’s mode of operation, he even spoke about it in his Master Plan #1. Idea is you start out high priced, because the tech does cost a lot and there are only a few sold, but as economy of scale kicks in it drives prices down and instead of getting greedy you can if you choose sell at a lower price and sell lots more. (I think of it as the Henry Ford model of business) but I’m no businessman. Musk has always lost money on Starlink equipment, but the money of course is in the subscription, Starlink anyway, and I think he’s making a killing with his Superchargers for example, more cars you sell, the more you make with the chargers. Anyway look at the car prices now etc. I pay $100 a month for full self driving now for example, it wasn’t worth the initial expense to me, plus it didn’t work then, but when the price came down to $100 a month, and it works I bought in.

Apparently Starlink “Direct to Cell” is a thing now. Think that just maybe there is money in that? https://www.starlink.com/business/direct-to-cell

That would I think be the flat panel high performance. I think $2,500 for equipment, I don’t know how much per month. I’m considering one for the Motorhome, IF the price comes down and IF we start using the thing often enough to justify it

As I understand it Starlinks nex gen Satellites that have already been built and tested will have the ability to communicate directly to a cell phone. I assume a new device, I would think frequency would be different? Elon has already signed an agreement with T-mobile, T-mobile has been the carrier for all Tesla’s for years. Elon is waiting on Starship to come online before he starts launching the new Sats. This is just from reading, is it true? I can’t say really.

I’ve been living with Verizon home internet for years, plus side it’s only $40 a month, downside is where I am it barely works and outages are frequent. Where I live is at the fringe of reception, as we are pretty close to the “The Villages” in Fl. I kept waiting for Verizon to put up another tower, but it’s not happened yet, starting to think it won’t. 4G only, no 5G. When we lived on the boat we used a phone for a Hot Spot, nothing else was available, even sometimes ran a phone up the mast when reception was poor, it helped some. US Government is spending HUGE amounts of money bringing in high speed to Rural areas for some reason? I’m talking Billions with a B. But I haven’t seen it, I suspect a few are getting Rich off of this subsidy. https://www.usda.gov/broadband#:~:text=USDA is Investing in Rural Broadband&text=In 2018%2C USDA introduced the,rural areas and tribal lands. Anyway Starlink exists, is the Killer for high speed. So why should the Taxpayer pay for high speed for those in the Country? Right now I speed test at over 200 Meg 300 isn’t at all unusual. Nothing I have can come close to using that much data.

Becoming tail wheel proficient whether you get the endorsement or not will make you a better pilot, because as silly as this sounds you will learn to use your feet where you most likely don’t now. You think you do, but none of us did before T/W. It’s not just during ground maneuvering either, once we start using our feet trim becomes more instinctive. The most difficult people to learn T/W that I have seen were Military Fighter pilots.

A way to do that maybe by AMOC or Alternate Method of Compliance. They are often not all that hard to get through. This kind of thing is where Type Clubs come into their own, believe it or not but the FAA listens to Type Clubs, they carry a lot of weight. Maybe Mooney’s need a Type Club like the C-120/140 Assn or the Bonanza Society etc. If we ever get a bad AD we may wish we had one.

I second the dual lock fastener, mostly because it provides a good, solid hold as opposed to the rather loose hold of velcro. As far as better adhesive I’ve found 3M VHB tape to be very good, it’s the stuff that’s been used to attach automotive body trim for decades, but it’s usually easily removable by rolling it with your thumb, where fuel tank sealer and contact cement may be very difficult to completely clean off. The VHB stands for Very High Bond and while I don’t know hot hot it can handle, it holds trim on black cars in Arizona etc so I assume at least 200F?

There are many AD’s that even an IA can’t sign off, the specific one that comes to mind is Eddy current inspection of a Main Spar cap, unless of course the IA has the credentials But again the body of the AD states who can perform the AD.

Shock cooling isn't a Myth, but it’s not normally an issue at the temps we fly at assuming we don’t get stupid and fly at 500F cyl head temp because the book says we can. It’s not so much the temps but the contraction of the metal from being rapidly cooled, it’s at high temps, and very cold air. It was much more of an issue for highly Supercharged round motors at very high altitudes and very cold temps. It’s not going to seize a motor but if operated that way repeatedly it will increase cylinder wear. As far as rain cooling, watch your cyl head temp as you enter rain, I’ve watched and seen very little difference, but I’ve not gotten into torrential rain for years, perhaps in true torrential rain I would. I did my Commercial in M20AT’s back in 89, I don’t remember engine temps being an issue, surely we get hotter in a normal climb?

A few generalizations on stall Firstly almost always the more “high performance” an aircraft is, the more you should be wary about stalls, especially accelerated ones. Secondly almost all of us, CFI’s included practice stalls with pretty far fwd CG’s, usually empty aircraft except two pilots. Stalls at a much further aft CG as in people in back seat and baggage can be a whole different animal, so don’t be lulled into complacency by your gentle stalling airplane because it might not be when heavy and aft CG.

Welding spinners is controversial just like chroming them is.

Many manufacturers like Hartzell don’t allow weld repairs. But spinners have been weld repaired successfully forever. Sometimes the FAA will take the position that a repair can’t be made unless the repair is specifically called out in the manufacturers manual. So as usual along with everything else it’s not real clear and is subject to interpretation. I’ve only glanced at the attached Doc not read it but think I know how it’s going to end

Usually most first run cylinders can be overhauled, and cranks turned if necessary, but my limited experience with 540’s is if the engine isn’t well past TBO the crank will mike out fine. At least give Carlus a call, in my opinion his overhauls are better than the factory. Ask about a “performance” overhaul https://www.gannaviation.com/engine-overhauls

I think it predates ADSB, but your talking tower controlled where I’m talking uncontrolled. I dont know what the breakdown is but I’m pretty sure there are far more uncontrolled airports than controlled. What are you doing up this time of night? I’ve got Covid and am sick as a dog myself and can’t sleep

Yes I know, and I believe I know why. With a tail number they can come after you for a violation etc, blue and white Mooney doesn’t give them enough data for them too. They have a different agenda, Besides an AC, is Advisory, not regulatory. Where I’m at you hear everything as Central Fl must be the home for every puppy mill flight school, you hear calls 20 miles out to overfly the field at 2800, and of course every five miles coming and going. You never know what these guys are going to do, the other day two Embry Riddle aircraft on final to Deland (uncontrolled) realized the were way too high to make the approach, so did the go-around? Nope these geniuses did a 180 on final and started flying back up the approach path, they wouldn’t respond to the radio of course but did turn left and left the pattern

One of the reasons I bought my airplane was it has bladders. I really think that they are pretty much a permeant fix for me. At my age it’s not likely I’ll be flying this aircraft when they age out. I’ve seen many over 40 year old bladders that weren’t leaking, yet. Keeping a bladder airplane in a hangar really seems to increase their life, the theory is the heat from the sun over years degrades the bladders, they often fail on the top.

By all means, don’t run that risk again.

Push the nose down, I promise you will see 196 kts. 1989 I think it was I was getting my fixed wing Commercial / Instrument. I was just getting into their M20AT’s. The procedure in the other aircraft when in cruise was to leave throttle in, but to trim for a 500 FPM rate of descent at twice the number of minutes per thousand feet you had to lose, meaning if you had to lose 5,000 ft, start descent a little more than 10 min from destination. We always flew ROP as it was 1989 and that’s what the school wanted. Anyway first time I was by myself and did this in the Mooney I noticed after a few minutes that I was creeping past VNE, which hadn’t been an issue in the Pipers or 152’s etc.

When in a pattern, or entering one etc. I say Blue and White Mooney, then they know what to look for, tail number tells them nothing, they could look up, see a 172 and think I have the traffic, but don’t of course. Central Fl is full of students and it’s best to be obvious with them 99% of the time I fly into uncontrolled fields too though. Tower I give type and tail number. IFR of course it’s Mike 20 Juliet, color would be silly.

21.6 MPG at 150 kts? No I can’t even come close to that, For me to get 20 NMPG I have to be around 120 indicated and of course LOP and RPM pulled way back. Been awhile but I think I was 21 squared. Or said another way I can’t true out at 150 Kts at 8 GPH, can you? Even if he was using Statue Miles it’s tough to get his numbers. I can give you a video of 196 kts indicated at 23 squared, doesn’t mean I can cruise that.

Are you really, really sure it can’t be repaired? Replacing the wings on a Mooney is not like it is on most other aircraft.

Some numbers I see on the internet I’ve come to think that IAS must mean Internet Airspeed, because my J can’t get there.