Hank

Thanks for the heads up on Titusville. All I'm looking for is easy in and out, good fuel prices and Mooney parking. Then an Uber to Port Canaveral and back. We will have time to tour the Titusville museum, now that I know it's there. Thanks for the tip!

I.agree with your first paragraph. But I find most risk assessment tools penalize me for having a single engine and being single pilot. That pretty much rules out half of my flights with any other single risk, like landing after dark . . . So I ignore these things and decide for myself. There's no "risk" to flying my wife somewhere in my Mooney rather than being in a King Air (which is an order of magnitude out of my budget).

Ouch! My backup plan is an 8 hour drive . . .

I'm an engineer, fiddling with tools is second nature. I can reach into the pocket on the front of my seat and pull out a tool without looking, and only reaching with one hand (either one). I've done the emergency gear extension for real once (electrical failure, not a broken switch). It's not big deal; neither would be grabbing a broken switch with a Leatherman--and it would be quicker. Emergency Extension would make a good Plan B. Ever how you get the gear down other than just flipping the switch, do it in level flight away from anything and everyone. I leveled off above MDA and headed away from the hilltops.

Thanks, @Bartman and @Paul Thomas! I'll check with KTIX and see what their deal is now. Let's see what info comes in about Melbourne for you, @Mcstealth. Unless you're in a hurry? Weren't flying there this weekend, were you?

I keep a swiss army knife in the seat pocket behind my knees. Maybe i should trade it for the Leatherman in the baggage toolbox.

They're the same in my C, except for length. Don't drop the bearing . . . .

My cabin door hold open arm is the same, just longer. Periodically i remove it to straighten and lubricate it. Be VERY CAREFUL to not lose the roller bearing from between the two long pieces!

Doesn't it just screw in? I've not removed mine, but the one on the door comes off easily. Just be careful to not lose the little bearing!

@1980Mooney, here in Sweet Home at 1030 the temp was 81° with 80% humidity for a "feels like" temperature of 89°. Right now at 1500, the temp is only 89° because it's pretty cloudy with thunderstorms moving around, and humidity is 60% for a "feels like" temp of 98°. Summer is almost here! Just as "hot summer weather" varies around the country, so does "staying cool." I saw an Irish newspaper once with 4" tall headlines for a heatwave that was killing people--converting from Celsius, it was 81° . . . So, @Beaker, take the advice here and use whatever you need until you are comfortable. I departed Indianapolis one hot summer evening, ATIS was calling 96° but my OAT on the runway was 110+; when I leveled off at 9500 msl for my short 1-hour-plus flight (just to stop sweating), it was a nice 59°, roof vent was open, vent below the throttle was open, Vent knob on the panel was fully open and both knee vents were wide open. After about 15 minutes, I was starting to feel pretty good. Descending to land, I got pretty warm again, but had a very short taxi (less than 1/2 mile). And as always, fly safe! P.S.--having lived in both climates, I'll take 100° anyway rather than 0°!!

Fly in the winter?

On the ground, I open the storm window and sometimes push the door open a couple of inches. Some people use Kool Scoop, I've seen a thread about different modifications rather than sticking it to the window. In the air, the best cooling is altitude.

Back when I was a Manufacturing Engineer on the plant floor every day; writing and updating procedures and work instructions; keeping an eye on equipment; and supervising my guys who took care of it, i kept this taped to my monitor for constant reminding when I was writing anything for the operators: Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool. Like the operator running a machine with two working positions--both hands were on the two joysticks to move from one to the other. I had to redesign the station so that the operator could.hold the joysticks in position while turned around backwards to talk to someone, because an operator did that and the table hit her elbow due to the unnatural arm position and lack of attention. Same thing applies to the landing gear switch. If the operator doesn't try to force it, but instead pulls it out before moving, it's not a problem. How much force do you think the new all-metal switch should withstand before bending or breaking?

I don't dress up for anything anymore. Wedding invitations now specify business casual or even beach attire (yes, I went to a beach-themed wedding in Ohio, in shorts!). Even the last several funerals I've attended, no one but the preacher and some of the family were dressed up. Dress up to ride in the airline cattle car? No thanks . . . .

Them fancy G5s and Aspens ain't much bigger than a regular ASI, but they cram lots of tiny information onto the screen. Ain't no room for two speeds . . . . (So says this proud owner-operator of a full steam gauge panel! )