Hank

Grrrrr!! Our local station here joined the race "in progress" on Lap 16 . . . . . .

It's one or the other, I've only needed one and had an IA sign off. Small fields often have limited choices, but I was happy.

I've had much higher winds in the Appalachians, but very smooth flying. Left KFAY westbound at 4000msl, making 115 knots; at KGSP i had to climb, first to 9000 then 10,000msl, where groundspeed dropped to 68 knots headed to KTYS. Ince clear, I descended to 6000 msl to KLEX, and hit about 105 knots. When I turned eastbound and descended for KHTS, speeds were awesome but I don't remember them, just the awful low speeds. Cruising at 145-148 KTAS while making 68 knots is an 80 knot headwind, over the roughest, highest terrain east of The River, but smooth. The weather you find is what's there . . . . .

It can't hurt to call the FSDO and ask. But first, find an IA (who needs to endorse the logbook for the ferry flight) and see what he thinks about it.

Good trout fishing and hiking along the Uwharrie. People out gold mining along there, too, but I won't swear they find enough to pay for the equipment. Good luck getting your wife to join you on the ramen diet . . . . Chop up some cabbage and onions and put with it, it gets much better!

Had two compliments on my paint job yesterday, starting with the guy in the FBO asking where I was going when I taxied in. The 201 windshield and wingtips help. The roofline is a straight line from nust behind the windshield to the horizontal stabilizer, and the huge bulge in the long bodies goes against this aesthetic. While I really like my C, I think the mid-body has a nicer profile.

When I land my C solo, the trim is often very near the Takeoff mark. Forgot to take pictures today, but I have posted them here before.

Your jack screw under the rear belly panel may need to have old, hard grease removed. I'd suspect that before trouble with the cabin indicator.

I'm not twelve. I text like this.

What, nobody flies F models anymore, with the one-piece back window?

I understand, I live there. Welcome! Hope all of your vehicles are soon running well. That's been my own problem lately . . . one car, one plane, both all fixed up soon.

My C performs quite well at 9500msl; with oxygen, I climbed to 15,000msl one August afternoon, but the controls were mushy. My highest sustained cruise has been 11,000msl with no oxygen, in somewhat less turbulence over the TN/NC border than lower would have been. Just plan your route carefully. ABQ will be well out of your way, but there's a Northern Route you can follow at decent altitudes (along I-90?). Just be sure to get some quality Mooney training, and get good & accurate with speed on final (an absolute requirement for good landings). Have fun, stop every 3 hours or so and take lots of pictures. The Northern Rockies are beautiful . . . . .

I pull the throttle back slightly not so much to reduce fuel flow but to create turbulence in the carb for better atomization and mixing. This apparently works, as the couple of flights that I used WOT instead of WOT- did not achieve the same fuel economy when measured at the fuel pump.

That's me, Mr. Remote Airport. I've never departed into IMC without a clearance beforehand . . . . But earned my wings and Rating in the cell phone age. Before that, I dunno.

My electric C flies very well, quick and easy. Same for my legs in a later F, I only noticed much difference in landing. How much of the difference was due to the weight, how much to that F's 3-position-only flaps vs. my infinitely-adjustable ones, I'd hate to say . . . .

Electric Cs have 120mph Vg also, but higher Flap speed than the hydraulic ones (125 mph).

The best I've seen in my C is 2000-2500 fpm, Takeoff flaps, 45° left-banking spiral descent. Don't recall gear position, probably up due to speed. No speed brakes . . . .

I've only had speed trouble twice: my first curving GPS approach into KECP for a Mooney Summit, in actual [I could stay on slope but not on speed, or on speed but kept drifting high], and once going into RDU when Tower sent me almost 20nm out before turning me final at 7500 msl. Go rid of altitude with Takeoff Flaps, but had a hard time staying inside the white stripe [125 mph] and drifting high. Caught the gear up at KECP after breaking out, and caught it up at Raleigh about 1/2nm from the numbers. Check, check and recheck, but I don't do enough straight-ins of any length [much less 20nm!] to have the locations down other than when the ground starts getting close.

Part of the problem with updating the panel is that "top of the line" becomes "standard" then "needs work" in far too short a time . . . I've had mine 12 years, and she's sliding down the equipped list. But she will carry 670 lbs. with full fuel at ~148 KTAS, so I can't complain too much, especially at 9gph ROP. Not as fast as Rob's, but I doubt he has 120 lb of bondo on his plane.

I've done that once, but more often cancelled IFR after breaking out and going a few miles home (no approaches) below the layer.

Call Whelen. They will know what you need. When I gave them the model number of my belly strobe, which was flashing on an unknown variable frequency, they said " Wow, that's old. Let me show you what you need." Which was easy, being at Sun n Fun.

Hey! What happened to the landing at Giddings?? Takeoff, land, takeoff, takeoff? @Yetti? But the runways are all nice and long, and so many hangars! Pfetty flat, but it's like that here, too. Nice sunset coming on at the end. And I turned the sound off . . . .

It's not a new video, but at my former 3000' home field, the trees on final required a level off, then idle power and glide in. Going over the trees was 150' agl after adding power to stop descent, going to idle when clear. Not sure when the brakes were last replaced, but I just did them this year, after buying the plane from another pilot based at the same field (I got 12 years out of the not-new brakes). My standard pattern is Takeoff flaps / 90 mph by downwind; drop gear abeam intended point of landing; turn base when the runway is 45° behind me, and hold 90 mph; roll wings level on final at 85 mph, slowing to 75 - 5mph per 300 lb below gross (at about where the trees are here); make the stall horn sound just before touchdown. I hold speed with the elevator, and use the throttle to manage altitude. Rough targets are base leg at 700agl and final at 500agl, but looking over my shoulder determines where to turn and I adjust throttle / altitude for that turn. Trim is adjusted for hands-off descent, and readjusted as necessary on each leg. Flaps stay at Takeoff until final, when just like throttle, elevator and trim, it's just another control to move so that I land where I want to. This is often closer to the Takeoff than to Landing marks judging from resetting them before takeoff (to Up when nit loaded heavy or at a short field and for me, 3000' isn't short. It's where I got my license, trees and all.). This is also where I had the nighttime PIO described above . . . . . . Calm winds generally call for Landing flaps, and sometimes a second attempt. I just can't land the dadgum plane when the wind ain't blowin!

That doesn't work if: You aren't instrument rated You are rated but aren't current Your destination is uncontrolled with no approaches, but is inside the Class B / C / D veil This is when Special VFR is a godsend!

Long bodies are heavier, so will fly faster, giving more rudder authority. The long body rudder may also move further each way, I'd have to check the TCDS.