Pinecone

Hmm, my local flight school is adding a plane and instructors to keep with the number of students. Doesn't sound like no one can afford to fly. And in the late 70s through the early 90s, there was 1 - 2 planes and 1 - 2 instructors. One of the really big things that killed GA aircraft sales was the removal of the Investment Tax Credit. That was a 10% tax CREDIT on a business purchase. So buy $100,000 airplane, get a tax CREDIT of $10,000. Also changes in Sub S corp rules that meant there had to be the possibility of a profit and showing a profit every so many years.

Long term, about the same price, assuming your 750 can be sold for near what you paid for it.

I HIGHLY recommend doing it the other way around. Disconnect antenna and then transmit on the HANDHELD and see which one receives. Or just listen on a busy frequency. Radios do NOT like being keyed on with no antenna.

Somewhere recently is a video of an RV on takeoff that hits a deer. Not a nice sound

Xi has faster processor and higher resolution screen. They start up faster and rewrite the screen faster. They store all the database info internally due to greater memory. Non-Xi are older products, the Xi is only a couple of years old. The nice thing is, if you put in a non-Xi now, swapping to the Xi later is about 20 minute job. Last fall I had Sarasota swap in a 650Xi for my 650. I felt that long term it was a good idea. And, at the time, the market for non-Xi was pretty good, so the swap was not outrageous. And they handled dealing with my old unit. I just paid the difference.

I would like a shark fin one, but it is $1600, versus $600 for the round one. Crazy

Another recommendation for Byron. He arranged and remote supervised my prebuy (couldn't get it to him). He also did the first annual, with no surprises. He also consulted on picking the plane to make an offer on. He found issues in the logs of several before we found the ONE.

Mooney Flyer online magazine has a page of Mooney instructors. I found my transition instructor from that list. https://themooneyflyer.com/cfi.html

So, fly solo, give yourself the dual and sign your own log book. I actually had a situation that a regulation was passed that I needed certain training and certification to do a task. Based on the same regulation, due to my professional certification, I could teach the class and certify people. I called, mainly to see why I needed to take the class if I could give the class. After a run around, I asked the person if I could give myself the class and sign my own certificate, and they said, Yes, you can do that.

Pictures and measurements would be appreciated.

There ARE good shops and companies. Our own Byron (JetDriven) is one. My local FBO is another, but not Mooney centric.

That's impressive. My 2552/Encore does 174 KTAS in the mid teens on 10.3 GPH. But I am up higher so get a nice TAS boost.

His dual could be his complex checkout. No retract time, they will probably want MORE that enough dual to get the complex endorsement. And if he gets a K or later, High Performance also.

You can do what works for you and the transition instructor. My plan was in the Houston area for the pre-buy. I met the instructor there and we knocked out the required 5 hours dual in one day, with some ground time the night before and after. I flew my 5 hours required solo getting the plane back to MD. I just couldn't take any passengers until I had both the 5 hour dual and 5 hours solo. I had zero time in type, but a lot of retract time.

Transferring database is not native to Garmin devices. You need an FS210 (installed unit) or FS510 (special SD card) to use Database Concierge to transfer database updates. Otherwise, you have to write the update to an SD card and stick it in your device.

252, so 28 volts. Not really a flush mount patch, it looks like they just laid a piece of aluminum on the inside and riveted it. I will get pics later.

Talk to me about the options for a beacon. I have the hole (with a cover inside) without the beacon. What are the options? And how much drag are the round ones. Also, I see Whelan makes a "Ground Recognition Beacon." It seems it is like a beacon, but maybe not bright enough to be a legal beacon (I have strobes), but would act as a warning on the ramp that the aircraft is about to start or is running and also as a quick check walking away that the master is off. It is a LOT cheaper.

In some aircraft, the checklist has you start the engine, then turn on the alternator. Other have you turn them on before start. My 252 POH calls for only the Master on for start, then turn on the alternators. Agreed, but the Battery Minder tells you which charge phase it is in, even if there is no switching of operation. My point was, the little icon showing a batter with a level inside is NOT telling you the state of charge of the battery.

Interesting, it is a manual version of what VOR and TACAN would be.

Nope, square function. Basically, you need 4 times the power to double the speed as a start. This is why drag reduction is a much easier way to go fast.

If you are going to Lititz, I would fly the extra 30 minutes or so and go to Byron at KGAI.

Low fuel light is adjustable, so you need to do your own and do both sides. SEPARATELY.

Yeah, I did some looking and it says you have to use the anti collision system if one is installed. It can be either beacon or strobes. Using both is acceptable. The recog I was talking about looks like a beacon, but lower light output. Whelan calls is a Ground Recognition Light.

The split master switch is/was to start the engine without the alternator being on. The Battery Minder display is sort of odd. It shows what looks like levels, but it really just telling which mode it is using. The one that looks like like the battery is under 1/2 is not saying it, it is saying the unit is in Constant Current charge mode, which is where it starts to see if the battery needs a bulk charge. Bulk charge is used to get the battery up to about 80% charged In many cases, it switches quickly to Constant Voltage mode (logo looks like about 2/3 full), that is used to top up the battery to about 95% charged. And then full looking indicator is really about full, as it means over 95% charged and in maintenance/float mode that takes it up to the 100% level. I plugged mine in today, and it started in Constant Current and quickly cycled to Maintenance/Float. So the battery was over 95%, but the unit still started with the Bulk Mode, with the logo that looks like the battery is very low. IMO, they should take off those logos.

Hmm, did not realize that is you have a beacon, it is part of the anti collision system and required. What reg is this? True, just pulsing the recog lights may be enough. And then I could repurpose the switch for the ground recog light.