Hank

I just use my USAA Rewards Visa card, which I also used for flight training. Points add up quickly!

Planes have been ferried for decades. Can't imagine adding an old-style AOA, complete with pitot tubing and wiring, to make one flight. I'm sure the manufacturers have some information used to ferry new planes that isn't shared with the general flying public.

I'm continuing to wait for reasonable prices and an IN option not reliant upon batteries and open source, untested software. And something that will fit into my panel . . . Did I say reasonable prices?

Yep. I went straight line by dead reckoning on my student XCs, armed with 2 com, 2 nav, 2 VORs and a DME. But I had that line drawn on the sectional with way points marked and timed. That still works without timing when I take my data card home to update and forget it . . . Who flies VOR to VOR? I never have.

Seems like my worst landings are in calm condition . Gusty, twitchy, crosswind, variable, no problem. Calm is hard . . . .

Habit patterns and muscle memory are what saves all of us, and are why it is so important to establish correct habits. I scared the bejeezus out of myself Saturday, thinking in the flare that I had forgotten to put them down. A quick panic check of the green light and floor made me relax and finish the landing. I just could not remember dropping the gear, but I had done so. For winds variable at 3, it just seemed like I was floating an awful lot . . . but sometimes that happens. I ALWAYS drop gear on downwind, abeam my landing point. I ALWAYS wait for the thump and check the green light. I ALWAYS check the green light on base. I ALWAYS check the floor indicator on final. But I didn't remember doing any of that, and at 5' agl, its' a bad feeling. I may have ballooned a little bit while confirming.

Yep, that's the biggest reason I had for joining EAA, too.

I'm not brave enough to find out if I am or not . . . . The "not" part is a final decision.

Yeah, that one was difficult my first time, too. I was concentrating so hard on everything I forgot to drop gear and had a real hard time descending while maintaining my desired speed. finally realized my mistake about 1200-1300 agl, kind of late, but was able to land anyway. At least now I've been warned about these things . . .

I wasn't at SloshKosh, but we did receive a lot of rain at Tornado n Fun. Enough that I didn't leave on Saturday because the ground in GAC parking was still squishy. I heard an incoming Cessna bury it's nosewheel and have a prop strike while I was checking the ground in front of my plane. I left on Sunday, pushed the plane out of parking and turned into the taxiway before loading. Made it easier to get rolling, but still took lots of throttle. Agree with the difficulty of loading outside of CG limits, but I have to watch the forward limit with large right sweaters due to. Y 3-blade prop. Tail heavy flies a little faster, but it's hard for me to achieve. The rear limit is pretty much unreachable unless I'm carrying bricks or sets of encyclopedias (but then there's that nagging 120lb limit in the baggage area anyway). Great, versatile airplanes, and pretty frugal to operate across the line.

All of my landings are the same. I'm at pattern altitude by 3nm out, and enter downwind between 90-100 mph with Flaps out. Then drop gear near the numbers and start down. I check gear on base and the floor indicator on final.

It's clearing up down here. I'm all alone at EUF. And the restaurant opens at 5:00 Central on Saturdays. But 06A was quite busy when I came by. May go there to eat.

My venerable C has both. The original idiot lights in the stack below the gear switch, the vac gage added in above and slightly to the right. At runup of 1700, it reads well, I've not paid attention to where it cuts off. The only time it read below the green, it was stuck on "0" and my AI was doing weird things. Oh, the Low Vac light was on, too, but I didn't see it until much later.

RJ, just a little hint. Don't look only at the full-fuel payload. Look at the fuel required for your trip (including headwinds and reserves), then at how much payload is left over. The difference there between a Mooney and a Bo may surprise you. Also look at how CG shifts during flight with your 500 lbs inside as fuel burns off. In most loading configurations, a Mooney cannot be pushed out of CG limits when full or on fumes; this is not the case with many Bonanzas. Enjoy your search, learn a lot, and buy the airframe & engine that are in the best mechanical shape.

I'm in both AOPA and EAA. Both are good organizations, and political clout increases with membership numbers. It's better to multiply ourselves rather than divide our numbers.

I'll be in Eufala. Have t heard about the poker run, though. Let's talk at lunch. oops, just reread that--it's "Logan Martin" not "Lake Martin."

My only stage check was flying with another instructor to make sure I was ready for the DE. I soloed after taking the one-page written test, then flying dual until my CFI was happy with my performance level and said that I was also making all of the decisions about the flight.

I bought life insurance before I began flying. Seems they asked if I was, or would soon become, a pilot. Answered no,mad it wasn't possible at the time. However, one job change and relocation, a year to settle in, and bammo! Hello, flight lessons!

It's a nice museum, I need to visit again. Another building . . . try Greene County, it's nice and close. Over just east of Cincinnati, you can always make a tourist stop at I69 and visit Sportys. Just check their hours, I honestly can't recommend their vending machine food. Although considering the type, it's classy vending machine food, better than I used to buy for lunch at work. Better to stop at Lunkin and eat lunch out in the patio watching the planes go by.

"Is the 231 a lower tier version?" No, they are nice machines. My C, on the other hand, could credibly be described as "lower tier," all 180 hp of her. I lucked into a good one , but still, she ain't no K!

Wow, 3+ lb/min, that's 200 lb/hr. Including a tank big enough to carry it, that's a lotta fuel (or pax / cargo) to offload. Wonder what the extra fuel burn is? Should leave me about 250 pounds UL with me, it and full fuel, but I bet I won't go near 5-1/2 hours or 800 nm.

Or you forgot to hit the flip-flop button.

If the weather is good enough to reach Beaufort, I'm going to CHS. If not, there's always lunch at EUF.

There are some wood wing owners here. Look for Dave, N1960A. He should have lots of advice. Seems like he has a website, too.

Congratulations! Hope Thursday goes as nicely!