natdm

I think I’m making the switch. Only thing I see missing is the camera feeds that FF has. Those would be great for places like the coasts and Alaska.

The iPad is great for planning and viewing plates. If I’m routing as planned, it’s usually tucked away. The moment I need to look elsewhere for fuel or a reroute, I break out the iPad. I could use the 760 for it but that’s really just a cheap way to have a backup of a lot of things that won’t overheat. The wife uses that more than I do. For plates, I have used the G500 before but it really isn’t terrific, lots of zooming in to see things. Also I’m switching to Garmin so I’ll be able to update databases and view EIS in realtime. That’ll be fun. Plus SmartCharts don’t suck, that’s for sure. I’ll miss Jepp probably. I do tend to have it out for no reason, out of habit.

Correct. Just the two units do. The g500 is a receiver only for that.

For that K (or any of them), the metal ends that go over the door straps, if you see any of those available, I could use some. Mine are all chewed up and I have no idea why.

No reason to post other than I'm just excited it's "done". It's been a MUCH longer and more expensive journey than I expected and if we're being honest, I'm not totally sure it's been worth it, but I'm glad I don't have to touch it again. Before/After pictures below (how I bought it and how it is now). The previous owner (well the one that actually cared about the plane) is @rainman and he did a beautiful job with the initial upgrade. First iteration: When I first got the plane, I wanted to upgrade the GPS units. I ended up going with a 650/355 combo. In hindsight, I should have done a 750/215 or something similar. I don't use the second GPS other than for the Connext, and at times I just always have it on the "nearest" page. This upgrade wasn't done right. As a matter of fact, it was done so terribly wrong, and went so far over time, that the shop that did it didn't charge me. They didn't even really make eye contact, they just handed me the keys and the logs. The biggest red-flag was when they said the GPS was flakey and they didn't know why, but it didn't dawn on them that it's hard to get a GPS signal from inside the hangar. Ghost traffic, comm 2 didn't work, transponder was flakey, etc. Second iteration: After noticing all of the glaring issues, I had another mechanic look at it, and he fixed all the wiring, installed a 345R, Aera 760 (awesome unit, my wife loves it) and a handful of other things I can't even remember. Third iteration: Once that was done, just before headed home (MN -> AZ), the AI took a spill. My mechanic sent me a G5 and I decided to install that and nix the vac system as well. Fourth and final iteration: Mechanic back home took the plane in for an oil change and a few other things. He noticed some glaring airworthiness issues that were ignored by the recent overhaul and annual. While fixing those, he noticed the JPI was illegally wired (showing proof) and stating I should just upgrade it. The fastest upgrade was a 275, which was fine since I have all Garmin anyways. He also threw in the "I mean... while you're doing it.. just move to a 275AI, too... right? And SmartGlide?..". Some other upgrades would be some LED strobes, LEMO plugs, complete rewiring in the engine bay (mangled from the overhaul shop), new engine frame, fixed cowl flaps, new brakes, overhauled autopilot, etc etc etc. The most hilarious part is my audio panel is horrendous still. I feel like I'm flying with a Tom Ford suit but NewBalance shoes. I can't talk to my passengers unless I yell, and if I have a mask on for FL180+, I can't talk at all. It's gotten so bad, I actually would switch over to 123.45 to hot-mic and talk to my passengers if I needed to. So, that's the last and hopefully final upgrade, which I'll probably throw in a PMA 450B. I've already got way way too much in this panel for a 1979 M20K.

There's no way to carry over aircraft and performance settings, correct? You have to redo it by hand? EDIT: Looks like when you import your logbook, it'll also import profiles.

What else do you have on your dash? If you have more Garmin, a GI275 allows wireless database updates (and other features), since it has Connext. I've had a G5 and a 275 in the plane and both are nice. The G5 is 10 years old (almost) and the 275 is half that. My mechanic actually sold and shipped me a G5 when my AI died and I was out of town, which I had installed. Then when he got the plane to work on it for other squawks, noticed the JPI secondary EIS was hooked up incorrectly and had to redo or remove it. He pitched selling the G5 and getting a 275 AI and EIS, and I love both. The 275 does make you look ever so slightly harder to see the same information that the G5 shows since it shows more, but it also has a better screen with more pixels. Other than spending the money to install the G5 then installing the 275 a few months after (ouch), I don't regret it.

Is it possible that Garmin is releasing something new at Oshkosh that you may want to wait for?

Sounds like you mean vinwiki but for planes. There'd be zero money in it but the kind of idea I'd help support.

My instructor and I flew from Phoenix to California to try an approach in real IMC for the first time (for me), and when we got there weather was far worse than expected/what was shown and briefed. Shot a LOC (where I learned the importance of making sure I brief the glide slope angle) and had to go missed. We shot the approach, went missed, did a hold where we briefed the surrounding airports and our fuel (which I had taken off with appropriate IFR fuel plus some), and realized Yuma was probably the best place to go, the weather was so bad -- definite VFR. When we got there, they kept asking us to hold, giving us vectors to wait for the F38's to land, etc. I was about to declare minimum fuel at one quarter tank and one 1/8 tank. They gave us the runway just before that. After that, I learned the importance of how planning can be real. Plan the departure, the en route, approach, the hold (x2), and a viable alternate far away from the weather (for my skillset). It's made my M20K range a lot shorter, sadly, but I've never been frightened again. All that to say, good point and @201er could add another poll question here about what are your personal minimums for an alternate. Mine is "two alternates, far away from weather, virtually guaranteed to land at". edit: The flight was KIWA A39 KSEE KNYL, shooting the LOC-D which is a 6.88 descent. Whew.

Did you know you got it when you received the mail? That’s it?

Anyone know what the turnaround time is on a CANPASS application? Just submitted them for my wife and I a week and a half ago (maybe two?) and waiting to hear back. I've heard it could be up to 5 weeks, but does anyone know if it's typically sooner or later than that? Is there a page where you can check the status? I can't seem to find anything like that.

Depends on what you're doing. I'm a software engineer specializing in distributed applications, and it's a little sketchy. I can say for sure that a LOT of user-interface jobs are going away. I just made an account on a site called Vercel, where it writes and deploys web applications for you. The idea is that you *always* write it through chat, and the chat history duration just goes on for as long as your account is there. It's really good. Which is terrifying.

With ForeFlight being bought out by a private equity firm, this stuff couldn't have come at a better time.

Woops. Thanks. I looked but missed it.