mooneygirl

June 17-19 Mooney Ambassador, Columbia CA, O22 Annual Father’s Day Fly-In and Camp out. From June 17th to 19th Columbia Airport will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee, the 50th annual Father’s Day Fly-In. The Columbia Father’s Day Fly-In attracts thousands of spectators from near and far and most importantly draws the community together in support of aviation and the area at large. The Fathers Day Fly-In weekend delights both the young and old, brings inspiration to all and sparks memories in those who have attended the fly-in over the years as well as those who served our country. Pilots look forward to bringing their beautiful, historic aircraft to our friendly and fun airport. Families look forward to attending a family friendly event complete with children’s activities and live music. The event will host plane demonstrations, static displays, plane/car races, and much more! Sponsored by the Columbia Airport. Point Person: Jolie Lucas. The Moo Pool will be out. I would like one more airplane on display with Maggie, and the rest of the Mooneys can park in the campground. We will have a Mooney camp in the Fly-In campground.. Come and enjoy the fun.

Well I am home from Texas where MooneyMax and Right Seat Ready! Were a bit hit. As many of you have seen, DMax did a fabulous job with the 27plus pilots. On the right seat side we had 12 registered and 8 actually attend. What I love about teaching this safety seminar with Jan Maxwell is that our attendees usually have a "deer in the headlights" look at the beginning of our time together, and by the end they are much more confident and prepared. An addition to this Right Seat Ready! was that each participant got a 5-7 minute hands-on demo with an ATC controller. Later we got the 231 down from the lift and all got to sit inside to quiz them about instruments, flight controls etc. A trip to Mooney was a blast too. It was fun to see old friends, and many of the stars of Boots on the Ground: the Men & Women who made Mooney. Seeing the Ultra on the line was fabulous. Right Seat Ready! will be offered in California's Orange County Airport September 10th. We will be back in Texas for MAPA in October. In October our RSRs will have a four hour seminar: two hours of instruction and two hours in the Red Bird Sim with an instructor. DMax will offer another MooneyMax and we are also considering an East Coast appearance.

Let's hope you can make it. Oceano is a great airport and we will have lots of fun with our airport day. Depending on when you arrive just get off at the mid-field taxi exit and one of our ground crew will direct you to Mooney Row. If it is later in the morning you will probably go on the back side of Mooney Row, as the front-side is a Non-movement area. But we will see when you get here.

Calling all Mooneys! Park on Mooney Row! Come join us at L52 Oceano, CA for our annual Celebration: Salute to Veterans. Friday night: Burger Fry and Dance 5:30-10 p.m. $10. The Oceano Elks are cooking our burger dinner and then dance under the stars to Leo and the Boyz. We are collecting items for military care packages for our front line troops. Saturday May 14th is Airport Celebration starting off with the Santa Maria Girls Softball team pancake breakfast $7. Free admission, Aircraft displays, Emergency responder displays: CHP, CalStar, Five Cities Fire, CAP, and Sheriff’s Aero Squadron, live music featuring the Morgan Leatherwood Duo. 12:00 noon is our Salute to Veterans including the Honor Roll Call. Military vehicle display. BBQ Gypsies lunch. Free children’s activities. Family-friendly. Pacific Plaza Resort: lodging discount. Oceano Fuel: Wheel of Fortune discounts, fuel by truck. Fun raffle for some great prizes. Come spend the weekend at the beach and support our 8th annual event. Mooney Ambassadors will have a booth with a children's activity as well.

What a super fun day at the airport. It was nice to see so many Mooney friends. We were quite overwhelmed with the amount of folks coming by the Ambassador tent. I did re-work my competition paper airplane so we will see how I do next Saturday at Oceano Celebration for my grudge match with Ron Blum the Chief Engineer at Mooney-Chino [M10]

I am ready to get my Mooney Ambassador on! Watch out Fullerton Airport we are headed your way! ‪#‎MooneyZoom‬ If you are coming to airport day tomorrow make sure to come see us at the Mooney Ambassador booth, we will have the airplane open and free children's activities. For pilot types come check out the Lightspeed Tango Wireless Headset! I also hope to have a paper airplane contest re-match with Ron Blum [Chief Engineer, Mooney Chino] as he destroyed me in Chino. ‪#‎Lightspeed‬

Flying with the California Highway Patrol was a great honor, and I learned so much about this valuable part of General Aviation. Here is my latest installment of AOPA Opinion Leaders. Hope you enjoy it. http://blog.aopa.org/opinionleaders/?p=3114 I especially loved that Demian "tooted the horn" when I asked him to in the video! LOL. IMG_2759.MOV

Hello all We have a Mooney Ambassador point person determined for all AOPA Regional Fly-Ins except Bremerton WA on Saturday August 20th. Here is the commitment needed: Arrival to event on Friday the 19th before noon. Coordinate the booth and activities Have your airplane open for visitors with you or another pilot with the guest Tear down and leave after event ends We have an absolute blast and you will have support from me [through phone and email] and other volunteers who will be going. Sound like fun? Let me know so I can get us registered for Bremerton, WA on August 20th. Jolie Lucas Mooney Ambassadors Share the Passion http:///www.mooneyambassadors.com N6619U 1965 M20E

Hello all We have a Mooney Ambassador point person determined for all AOPA Regional Fly-Ins except Bremerton WA on Saturday August 20th. Here is the commitment needed: Arrival to event on Friday the 19th before noon. Coordinate the booth and activities Have your airplane open for visitors with you or another pilot with the guest Tear down and leave after event ends We have an absolute blast and you will have support from me [through phone and email] and other volunteers who will be going. Sound like fun? Let me know so I can get us registered for Bremerton, WA on August 20th. Jolie Lucas Mooney Ambassadors Share the Passion http:///www.mooneyambassadors.com N6619U 1965 M20E

Here is the In Memoriam video I made for Bill Wheat. It was so fun to look through all the footage I have from Bill. I included a few scenes have not been released. We lost a great guy. When I talked with his daughter Linda tonight she said that Bill was very fond of me and enjoyed my phone calls. I was lucky to have known him, he is missed.

Today I had the great honor of flying with the California Highway Patrol in their newest helicopter [Airbus H125]. What a remarkable use of General Aviation to support our communities through search and rescue, accident response, med evac, and law enforcement. Thank you to Joe Kingman and Demian Abel. Joe owned a Mooney Ranger and flew it for many years. He said that if he were to ever go back to a fixed wing aircraft, he would buy a Mooney again. The technology on board is literally breathtaking. Joe was said to the flight engineer, “Hey let’s see if there are any horses up there” about three miles or more up there... and they turned on the infra red camera and boom-they were as clear as day. We were flying near Bishop's Peak outside of San Luis Obispo, and I asked if they would "toot the horn", you will see what happened on the video! Look for the full story in AOPA Opinion Leaders early next month. The CHP helicopter will be at Oceano Airport on May 14th for Oceano Airport Celebration: Salute to Veterans. IMG_2759.MOV

Yes for any who can commit, please shoot me an email: MooneyAmbassadors@charter.net so I can add you to the list for the point person. I need a point person for Bremerton, WA in August just in case there are so Northwest Mooneys available. Thanks to all, it will be so much fun.

Hey John, There isn't an AOPA fly-in in MA this year. Not sure how your wires got crossed. This year is: May 21st in Beaufort, NC August 20th in Bremerton, WA September 17th in Battle Creek, MI October 1st in Prescott AZ

Hey Eddie, Thank you so much for the offer. We are in need of a table and about four chairs. We also need something to weigh down the canopy. If you could do that, that would be great!! Jolie

Mooney Ambassadors at AOPA Regional May 21st in Beaufort, NC is a go. We have a point person and a secondary display plane if needed. We also have some booth volunteers. BUT if you can help in Beaufort on May 21st, Bremerton, WA August 20th, Battle Ground MI, on September 17th, or Prescott, AZ on September 1st. Please let me know! We have so much fun, and are many times the only booth with free kid's activities and have airplanes open for visitors.

Mooney Ambassadors at AOPA Regional in Beaufort, NC is a go. We have a point person and a secondary display plane if needed. We also have some booth volunteers. BUT if you can help in Beaufort on May 21st, Bremerton, WA August 20th, Battle Ground MI, on September 17th, or Prescott, AZ on September 1st. Please let me know! We have so much fun, and are many times the only booth with free kid's activities and have airplanes open for visitors.

I wholeheartedly agree with briefing yourself on every take off. Robb said on Facebook that he had engine trouble on take off. Like me, he resisted the urge to turn back to the airport and "landed" straight ahead. Our "after" photos are remarkably similar. We are all fortunate to be flying one of the safest airplanes in GA, with probably the strongest wing as well. It will be interesting to get more details from Robb as available. For me, I started impacting trees as the ASI fell through 55 mph. I think that led to a pretty good outcome in my accident. Falling backwards into the trees and landing upside down is something I still keenly remember even today some 12 years later. The other accident with the fatality was on a pretty short strip. Under 2000 feet doesn't give you so many options. While we have the best airplanes in the world, we also need to have the best maintenance, and recurrent training. My sincere prayers and thoughts are with all involved. I know that in the immediate aftermath of my accident I felt so ashamed and embarrassed and rather worthless. I had guilt even when the FAA told me that it was mechanical not pilot error. So let's continue to tread lightly and offer our Mooney Family all the support we can.

We will have a Mooney Ambassador display and hopefully have a few folks to help the point person in the booth. If anyone else can help shoot me an email : MooneyAmbassadors@charter.net

Bill was such an incredible person, test-pilot, engineer and Mooney Guru. My thoughts and prayers are with his daughter Linda and the rest of the family. He is probably in Heaven as we mourn, trying to figure out how to get a few more knots out of his new wings. He had so much fun with the clapper when we filmed Boots on the Ground https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6s_ZvnHYdo

Hello All, If you are interested in having your Mooney on display for one of the AOPA Regional Events in 2016, drop me an email. AOPA has asked that we participate again this year, and it is loads of fun. There is a commitment to be at the site the day before, which is a Friday, by noon. You would be displaying your plane, talking with the public, and perhaps having one of our free kid’s activities. I can get you the Ambassador banner and other materials by mail. First up this year is May 21st in Beaufort, North Carolina. In addition to the display plane, we need volunteers to help in the “booth”. Let me know, it is a ton of fun. #MooneyZoom Jolie Lucas http://www.MooneyAmbassadors.com

So very sad. My thoughts and prayers are with the families.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families. That turn back to the airport is so tempting. So very sad to see.

Where is everyone flying this weekend? Jan Maxwell and I will be zooming around today for a photo shoot, then down to Camarillo CA for Right Seat Ready! Where are you flying??? My Neurologist called... they now have definitive evidence I am a Mooniac.

Here is my latest installment of AOPA Opinion Leaders featuring aviation safety educator, Mark Grady. We should all be lifetime learners! http://blog.aopa.org/opinionleaders/?p=3054