A64Pilot

Is that what that is for? I always thought it was to block light glare

It’s an external load so I don’t think it’s legal. For example I’ve seen a small game tracking antenna antenna mounted on a Supercub strut require a field approval and of course a 337. However the camera thing is done so frequently that I doubt the FAA is going to care, unless of course it falls off and hits someone in the head. Still I’d remove the mount and don’t advertise your doing it just in case an inspector happens by. ‘I’ve used them in test flights looking for skin flexing during maneuvers and the subject of using a dummy cord came up. we decided the damage it could cause beating against the aircraft may exceed the value of the camera,but we never lost one as you say that VHB tape is tough. The stick on mounts use VHB tape and continuous pressure with a heat gun will remove the VHB tape and you can get a roll of it from Amazon to replace the tape and reuse the mount. ‘I think the physical mount via screws is safest. ‘Back before Gopro’s I used a Sony “lipstick” camera mounted on the tail of my 140, about a minute into the video is a spin, mounted to the VOR antenna mount IMG_0701.mp4

Somethings you just can’t make up, without video evidence, I wouldn’t have believed it.

I had a medical professional send me a PM basically stating exactly what you said, which is what I pretty much what I thought too, just wondered if I was right or wrong.

It’s like most things, they are actually better, but only you can decide if they are worth the increase cost, of course an airplane can work just fine with massives, just as it can without an engine monitor, been doing so forever.

Hot starts can be very much of a plug issue, I sat for hours in my Maule trying to start it in Tuktoyoktuk NWT, and there were no maintenance facilities, plugs were carbon fouled and once I got it going and back to Inuvik I got them cleaned and no more issues.

I have two URB-E’s, they are very similar to a scooter, except there is a bike seat to sit on, that makes the thing a whole lot more stable, folds in seconds. 30 ish lbs I believe and the battery is I’m nearly certain a bank of Panasonic 18650 cells. the same batteries Tesla uses. I chose an URB-E as it’s a US made vehicle, made in California. I don’t delude myself into believing the electronics are, but the frame is. https://youtu.be/jMXziu6GHCw Probably 15 years ago I motorized a Dahon Mariner, it’s actually pretty good but the motor is as loud as a weed eater of course and with Lipo batteries the day of the gas motor bike is past. Carried in in my Maule for visiting grass strips where there was no transportation. I also have two newer Dahon Mariners that I took with us on the boat cruising, scooters etc are great, but don’t do so good off of pavement, that’s where a bike comes into its own. ‘But finally a good padded cover is required, not just for keeping the aircraft clean, but to protect it and the bike, a bike will have lots of things sticking out brake levers etc and a padded bag will make sliding a bike in and out of the airplane much easier and nothing catches but also nothing digs into the interior when your flying in turbulence etc. ‘If your a cyclist like I used to be, nothing is as good as a Bike Friday, but you pay for it, Bromptoms are also good, but again not cheap. Dahon’s are a good value, if your a cyclist you’ll not like them, but for the average person they are just fine.

Any engine will operate more efficiently with increased timing lead, but too much timing results in detonation and excess heat even before detonation. ‘Any engine will tolerate a lot more timing at partial load, (manifold pressure), that is why way back maybe 60 years or so automobiles got vacuum advance, so when running around at low load, there was a LOT of advance, now of course for more than 20 years automobiles actually have”knock sensors” and electronic ignition that runs timing as high as possible at all times, right up against the detonation limit, get a load of low octane fuel and it will automatically retard timing to keep from detonating, if your engine can make use of it, higher Octane in modern cars will result in increased HP as it allows more timing, but average car can’t make use of higher octane. ‘Spark plug gap wise. more is always better if and only IF the ignition system has enough voltage and current to support it, again modern automobiles have such powerful ignitions that they run huge gaps and have incredible arcs that have enough energy to ignite very lean mixtures smoothly. Not enough energy and excess gap will cause misfires. just not enough energy to fire the plug under high pressure reliably. The limit of modern ignition systems is a spark plugs electrodes wear rate, too much energy and you burn up plugs, so you now have exotic materials in electrodes to allow high current and plugs that will last 100,000 miles or more. ‘Finally and this is a real issue, is that changing timing can often alter the vibration profile of an engine and that can cause damage to a propellor, I know some Hartzell props may have issues with that, so I’d call the prop manufacturer and make sure the prop I had is OK with whatever ignition timing or ignition system was going to use. ‘Fine wire plugs really will last longer than your engine, they are expensive but I believe they pay for themselves, my experience with them is that the engine starts easier, can run leaner more smoothly saving starter wear and fuel. Fine wire plugs made more difference on my IO-540 and an IO-520 than Gami injectors did on both engines, your mileage may vary.

No you catch it way before engine RPM goes very high, it’s not hard to keep RPM below 1,000, if your diligent, I’d never allow an engine to go very high prior to oil flow being established so if you couldn’t control RPM this way, I wouldn’t do it. Being as it’s full lean it doesn’t rev fast, it’s a sort of stumble start, the mixture keeps it from revving up so as it starts snatch the throttle back and add mixture quickly. ‘The purpose of full throttle is believe it or not but it’s actually flooded and the full throttle allows as much air in as is as possible to clear the flooding ‘We have all heard that sizzling sound right after shutdown. that’s fuel dripping from the injectors, likely because the fuel in the lines is being boiled and pushes out any liquid fuel that’s left into the cylinder as it’s the only open end and that floods it. Continental’s of course run their injector lines under the cylinder so as they are below the heat they aren’t nearly so bad about vaporizing the fuel in the lines. I really hate calling it a “hot start” most of my time is with turbines, and I’ve thankfully never had a hot start, but just hearing the name gives me the willies

I used to run into similar problems with the FAA MIDO, the first part you quoted was the LAW, the CFR part, the second isn’t, it’s an interpretation. The FAA will waffle back and forth on that issue, you can quote an AC for example to them showing you complied with an AC that was written to clarify the FAR as many AC’s are and they won’t accept it, then on the next issue you follow the FAR to the letter, and they make you comply with an AC. So you argue they they can’t do that as an AC is not regulatory. only an FAR is. And you’ll be right, but you probably won’t win. Argue with them and you’ll lose your DER, not for arguing, but they will get tired of you and eventually they will get rid of you. Substitute DER for IA or A&P etc. I’ll concede that almost certainly your correct, that you can get away without complying with ICA’s, but unless they are exceedingly egregious I maintain that it’s best to follow them, they are in fact written to ensure that an item remains airworthy, battery for instance, if you fly IFR it’s in your best instance to ensure that if you lose the charging system that the battery can continue to operate instruments, Comm and Nav systems until you can get down. It makes one wonder how many spatial disorientation crashes may have been the result of a battery quitting. How long will the battery last? Not too hard to calculate, divide amp draw by number of amp hours the testing determined for the battery to have. Amp draw isn’t too hard to determine, with the engine off, turn everything on and see how many amps the amp meter is indicating, that will be close. In short the FAA FAR’s, policy letters. Orders AC’s etc are all shot full of errors, it’s almost comical. ‘The TCDS is and has always been considered the bible for aircraft conformity, yet read this order and see just how screwed up the FA admits TCDS’s are https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/FAA_Order_8110.121.pdf In short as a maintainer you really do have to and are actually required to exercise your best judgement and decide what is the best course of action to follow, usually that’s the most conservative and which materially increases safety. You may can get away with not changing no back clutch springs and cap checking batteries, but is that really the right thing to do? Then finally as many find out the insurence industry runs aviation as much as the FAA, how will your insurence company react when they find out that the gear up landing was caused by a overdue for replacement no back clutch spring? I honestly don’t know as I’ve not had that conversation, but suspect it may not go well. Finally as shown with the TCDS link, you’ll often run into FAA regs that are simply incorrect, that’s what the PMI is for, if you have a good one they will help. On edit, maybe a better example is an SB, do you follow Lycoming’s “Mandatory” SB on parts replacement when you do a prop strike inspection? Or do you say I’m not going to do it because they can’t make me, part 91 SB’s aren’t required? https://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/files/Mandatory Parts Replacement at Overhaul and During Repair or Maintenance.pdf In my opinion in this instance your foolish not to comply with it as it will most likely breathe years and hundreds of hours into an engine, and the cost when compared to the benefits is minimal, however I readily concede that is not always the case for all SB’s, and that’s when a maintainer should exercise his or her best judgement to guide the owner, using some common sense, for instance if the hoses are six months old, don’t replace them, but if over five years do so. The cost to cap check a battery is minimal, but the cost not to isn’t.

You know I said that FAR 23 would only apply to FAR 23 aircraft, which we aren’t. I suspect the requirement for a yearly cap check is in the ICA of each battery. My take and the take of the PMI’s that I’ve had is that ICA’s are mandatory, A whole lot of Aircraft Maintenance is actually up to opinion, just better be able to defend your opinion when things go bad, Look at Mike’s article you linked to, is he saying it’s a fact, or his opinion? Life limited parts, even if the life limits not established by AD are also mandatory, wing spar life limit of a CAR 3 Certified S2R-T34 is 29,000 hours, that a limit, exceed that life limit and the aircraft is no longer airworthy. TBO’s are not life limits. Life limited parts will be found I believe in the Airworthiness section of the aircraft Maintenance Manual.

Which Dr? the one who signed the basic med, or the Orthopedic Surgeon? Pain med wise anything exceeding Tylenol is I assume very much grounding all by itself, the label says don’t operate machinery In Truth if you can get into a Mooney knee replacement wise, you can fly it. Getting in and out is way more difficult than flying. I was curious as to what the text book answer is. Military anything exceeding 2 aspirin or any kind of injury or any visit to a Dr., required clearance by a flight Surgeon, but of course this isn’t the Military.

Question is under basic med if you have surgery, in my case a total knee replacement, at what point are you no longer grounded? Onviously off of pain meds, but do you make the determination that your good enough to fly?

While I know nothing about a Columbia, if it’s one of the nose wheels that aren’t steerable like a Cirrus or a Tiger etc, they often have a friction adjustment, if the friction is too lose, they will shimmy. Van’s RV “A” model aircraft can wheel shimmy so bad that it collapses and has killed people, so treat nose wheel shimmy seriously.

Is this a combo gauge where MP is on one side and the other side FF? If so then the FF side is really a pressure gauge and ought to be readily available and or repairable. ‘However there are several standalone FF options available, I personally like Electronics International “stuff” due to their outstanding customer support. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pnpages/10-25304.php?gclid=CjwKCAjw4qCKBhAVEiwAkTYsPHFL4SEqiOSvX5yq-E2NGnQgNWSVUDfSRQZaZ7WPk_wLl760Q-A2mRoCG3cQAvD_BwE but it’s only a fuel flow meter with pressure, for additional money of course you can get a whole lot more. That’s always the case isn’t it?

I can’t quote chapter and verse, but the annual requirement for battery capacity testing does exist but as I said it’s not often done. 80% of rated capacity is the min acceptable, I know this is in Concorde’s component maintenance manual, but as I’ve not used other batteries I can’t say for sure if it’s in all manuals or not. An annual capacity test assuming the battery is immediately recharged isn’t hard on the battery. Lead acid batteries primarily die from sulphation, sulphation occurs most often from sitting at a discharged state. Actually if it’s an AGM battery and charged at a high rate, that can to some extent reverse sulphation, and recover capacity Ome of the myths about battery charging is don’t charge them at a high rate, if the voltage is correct you can’t charge a battery too fast, the battery will only accept the rate it can, as it charges the current will slowly drop. If your curious this manual is full of information, Lifeline is Concorde’s non aviation batteries but they are essentially identical. I am not saying use this manual for aircraft batteries, but as for example it’s not uncommon for deep cycle banks to be very large and expensive, they are usually maintained better so they manual contains a lot of additional information. https://lifelinebatteries.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/6-0101F-Lifeline-Technical-Manual-Final-5-06-19.pdf The capacity check time is different on these batteries as they are used as deep cycle batteries and due to Peukert’s law that basically says if you discharge a battery slowly you can get more amp hours than a quick discharge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peukert's_law

That is what I was thinking as well, but reading the page PT20J posted it seems I was incorrect, it seems to me to plainly state heat treated to increase strength. They must be awfully thick tubes as I would think going to thicker tubes would be preferable to heat treating. Stress relieving tubing is common especially on parts with a history of cracking, we stress relieved many tube assemblies, but the only actual heat treating of 4130 we did was the main spar caps, (we didn’t heat treat, we had it done) later the spar caps were changed to 4340 as it heat treats thick parts much more evenly than 4130

That’s not too bad really, it could be a whole lot worse, I assume your saying LASAR will repair and return the part in a month or less? If Mooney can supply a new part, armed with the MM page PT20J posted, that’s what I would expect the FBO to pay for.

You could of course get a DER, that would make it slam dunk as being a Designee, their data is approved. However I would sign a 337 without a DER once the heat treat level was confirmed, as PT20J said, it’s not difficult to do. Everything that we heat treated at the plant, we also had coupons that were in every heat threat batch, those coupons were tested to confirm that the heat treat was correct, so it’s not difficult. I want to think it was done with what looked like a drill press that had a point on it and it measured amount fo force required to sink the point a specific depth. We could easily determine what type of aluminum with a device that measured electrical conductivity, apparently each alloy has a different resistance. I woud have bet money that the gear wasn’t heat treated, I guess I would have lost that bet

You won’t either, possibly now that the FAA is requiring renewal,but before that it was a mess. I tried as a manufacturer to contact owners ref an upcoming AD, and well less than maybe half of the registered owners still owned the airplane. that was Ag and GA is surely better, but still it wasn’t even close. I also gathered accident data and in truth there was no way to determine actual fleet size either. ‘Total accident rate isn’t really very informative, you need accident rate per 100,000 hours etc, but how do you determine that? I don’t think we are much safer, just less of us flying fewer hours. I believe and may be wrong but it’s my opinion that the wing leveler on all Mooney’s probably did more to save more people than any other safety enhancement. At least I think the wing leveler was standard for several years?

Often times the cable itself can be completely removed from its sheath by pulling it out, usually from the engine side, it can be then cleaned off with mineral spirits and relubricated. Lithium should be fine in my opinion. ‘I see that I am a slow typer. ‘Oh, and on edit, jumpy readings at slow speed is actually very commonly the cable needing lubricating. Used to be very common on older cars that had cables for their speedometers

I know, I’ve run into a few of those, like pressure transducers etc. Sometimes you can find something that will work,and sometimes you have to replace the whole system. For example my landing gear relays don’t exist anymore, I found a source or two from a junkyard for $1,000 but how do you ensure the airworthiness of a part that you can’t inspect that comes from a junkyard? Howevef the part number cross matched (thankfully Mooney hadn’t assigned their own part number) andI chose to go that route, as i my opinion new relay’s with the identical form, fit and function are better than unknown parts from a junkyard. It’s not just Mooney of course, Mooney’s aren’t orphaned, but many aircraft are. Thankfully many FAA inspectors are realistic, not all, but many are. There is even an AC that addresses parts substitution for older aircraft that parts don’t exist anymore, I have a copy somewhere, I’ll try to find it. That was easy, in my opinion my J model falls into this. It was manufactured after 1980,but the TC was before 1980. https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_23-27.pdf

It’s just as the supply for parts dries up, we really don’t have much choice. Honestly I’d prefer to buy a repaired one from LASAR, it supports a parts supply and hopefully they are very experienced with the repair and of course have learned to do it better than most. I’m a new Mooney owner, but it seems that many parts, like limit switches and others we are going to develop our own sources of supply, and others be owner produced parts, and of course repair sometimes when replacement isn’t a option. Univair and others make parts for my 1946 Cessna, so parts for it are easier and much cheaper than Mooney parts, maybe one day some one like Univair will start producing Mooney parts?

It’s likely good that your being conservative, but as an instrument rated 250 hour pilot with multiple aircraft experience, I wouldn’t consider you a new pilot. I cringe often when I read in this site where people tell others that are newly minted private pilots with only 172 time that they will be fine in a Mooney, but 250 hours and instrument rated is for most people years of experience. I know military training is different but average number of hours in WWII for a German fighter pilot when he entered combat was 240 hours, Brits 200 hours Insurence is in my estimation one of the better ways to determine if your ready or not, if it’s tough to get insurence, maybe your not ready yet. ‘I expect you’ll have no difficulty in obtaining insurence

LASAR repairs these things don’t they? Call them and ask. Assuming it’s 4130, I’d be very, very surprised if it’s heat treated as 4130 has very low hardenability meaning it doesn’t heat treat well. Then add in that it has dent tolerances makes me really sure it’s not heat treated. But a simple call should confirm.