bigmo

This is all correct info. I had a buddy that was going to offer me his takeout 55X to replace my 30 w/ alt hold. Servos are the same, so in theory it COULD have been a nice upgrade. It was pulling teeth to even get info from Genesys - I was just looking for a number. I finally go "Plan on at least $5000"... Hard pass.

I recall filling out my personal minimums sheet when I got my instrument. And I do the same if teaching a newly minted instrument pilot - but it's really as a reminder for them to always be thinking about managing risk. IMO there are far too many overlapping factors to just apply a quantitative risk assessment to dispatch. It's really a qualitative process and takes years to find the right solution. I have one rule - always have an out. That can manifest in a number of ways (ie - never taking off at an airport I cannot land at). I'm ok pushing an approach down to mins if I know I have several options 30-45 mins away.

It was lovely weather today and I had no honey do's - so I did some local flying. This thread made me really take note of my settings. I did two RNAV approaches today - ran the full approach with PT. I stuck with my standard two miles pre-FAF get configured routine (gear down and 1/2 flaps). Today, I left the AP's altitude hold on beyond the FAF and waited for the vertical guidance to come to me. When that happened, I chopped power to 14", trimmed for 90-95. Perfectly steady 500fpm descent and it put me right on the 1K footers and I was essentially hands off. Winds were 5-10 knots on my nose.. I always land 1/2 flaps, so as I got to mins, I just chopped the power and bled my speed closer to 80 for two greaser landings. These are seriously easily airplanes to land if you do what it wants.

Good golly this is crazy cool. Agree this could rescue all the light twins rotting away as noone wants to feed those beasts. Jet-A is in the $3's here (I saw $3.55 today). Jeeeze this would be nice.

13 year bump might set a Mooneyspace record...

This was a bit more than a bad taxi. Cat A's could have gone either way and that SWA crew could have easily not seen them during their approach (I mean they have a plane to land). Had they selected thrust reversers,, they'd have met that Challenger at 100 knots. I'm not God's gift to flying by any means. I am a pilot by trade and treat every airfield as if it's the first time I'm there no matter how familiar. Likening this to a bad lane change is a bit of a silly argument as a lane change won't result in the deaths of 200 people. These guys were confused from the start. Time to stop, clarify, and focus on the task at hand. At least look at the darn signage - all those words and numbers have meaning. Not sure if their ticket should be pulled - but I'd sure not fly with them. Ever. We (as a community) have been very lucky for far too long. Last year, the FedEx-SWA near miss was just as bad. If I recall that was controller error. I'm a big fan of a technology mitigation solution for 121. Fund it through a buck or two per pax.

They must have decided that it's ok for experimental versions but not certified - or certified is several iterations behind. I recall that build update in 2024, so maybe it's coming to certified soon-ish. I did find it pretty distracting trying to turn my head to read things lol.

@Pinecone assuming you are talking G3X Touch? My old plane had twin G3X and I could do enroute (IFR or sectional) track up…but it’s kind of hard to mentally process (and I’m a track up kind of guy). The experimental G3X might be a few updates ahead of certified, however. I tried it once and was like, nope! FWIW I love my iPad Mini on my yoke. It makes my somewhat dated panel feel very capable. I also like the yoke as I’m not swinging my head around all over. I owned a full size iPad when I bought the Mooney and it was just too big no matter west I tried. The Mini really is a great device and is the perfect size for the yoke. I only have to zoom in when I’m briefing myself an approach. Other than that, portrait mode has all the detail I need and it never gets I’m the way.

Yours (OP) and the others are all pretty great starting points to learn how your a/ c behaves. I generally fly RNAVs vice ILS. I keep speeds up and stay clean through the procedure turn. Once inbound, and 2 miles from the FAF, I go full prop and 17” MP, at a mile before, drop my gear, 1/2 flaps, and MP about 15” and trim for 90. At the FAF, I nose over, another inch off MP and it follows vertical guidance in a nice predictable manner about 85+. When I’m 5ish feet off the runway, I chop the power, hold the nose up a bit and just let it settle down on its own. I usually am a few hundred feet long, but can put it down if runways length is a concern (rarely is). This works to the point I never get off my vertical guidance and the plane feels stable at 85ish all the way in. Ive made it a habit to check my gear light and floor indicator three more times inside the FAF. It’s just habbit.

That's a killer deal. I would not be surprised if that brings in offers over asking.

I’d be glad to help out, but it only takes me an hour if you have everything organized in a Word doc and I’d be glad to build you one.

I have a concentrator that doesn't get used (permanent loan from my mom). My Mooney does have built-in O2, but like the OP posted, filling it is becoming a royal PITA and my local FBO has a $75 fill fee as they are catering to the "money no object" crowd. My primary doc is a pilot and has a Cirrus (of course). He was like, let me give you a script for O2. I carried that into my local home health store. They gave me an M9 tank, regulator and nose plugs for nothing. Refills are $6 and change. I have a splitter that feeds my wife and I and this has been a no brainer solution that's borderline free to use. I loved the idea of the concentrator; it was easy to power off the cigarette adapter, but above 14K it was not keeping up. I rarely cruise above 12K, but if the winds are good, or we're heading over the Rockies, I need the room to go up high. One thing that does not get talked about a ton is Boost cans. We did use them a few times to supplement the concentrator and 3-4 quick hits gets the O2 saturation WAY up. If I were using the concetrator as my sole source of O2, I'd add some Boost cans as a quick fix. My wife stole my cans of Boost as she likes to use them when she writes...like a super power.

I understand a sense of sarcasm, but that video will most certainly become a training video.

After watching that excellent video, I have to suspect the right gear collapsed. Based upon the winds, the approach looked pretty appropriate from the perspective of that camera. If the right gear collapsed, what we know occurred seems pretty plausible/likeky. Nonetheless, incredible design and even more amazing job by the crew to get 80 people hanging from the ceiling out in under 2 mins.

I’d look strongly at a Cherokee 6. Yea, they drink like a sailor, but you’ve got the capacity to bring the whole family on some great adventures. Relatively cheap to acquire and maintain. I love my Mooney. It’s a fabulous plane for my wife & I (we’re empty nesters), or the occasional kid or grandkid. It’s kind of like driving a Honda Prelude… If I still was raising kids, I’d own a minivan. And without a doubt, the Cherokee 6 is the Town & Country of the sky.