Hank

Mine has factory shades. What year is yours? On the other hand, maybe they were replaced. They are heavily-crazed smoked plexi. Some early Cs don't have the mounting bracket welded to the frame above the headliner, not sure what year that began. Search for sum visors, there's a recent thread about someone making a center post mount, with a parts list. Seems it was large ubolts to attach a center block to the post, and some small ubolts to attach the smoked plexi visors to the arms. Don't recall what he used as arms.

It's certainly impressive . . . What's she fly? Be careful, also, of the other "recommended" videos when watching hers . . .

Flying a Bravo will be lots of fun! Good thing you're already exercising your smile muscles. I bought my Mooney (much less machine than a Bravo) right after getting my PPL. Insurance required 15 hours transition training including 5 hours IMC, from an instruct they approved, or 25 hours dual plus 10 hours solo. I opted for the first. Five weeks after that training ended, I was at a MAPA PPP and flew with a CFII in my plane. We did strictly VFR training, and I learned a lot about how to properly operate my Mooney. Many friends and instructors advised that I fly the plane for a year, just to get comfortable in it, learn it's systems and habits, before starting IFR training, (This was prior to MooneySpace, but not by very much.) I then took a second year before getting fed up enough to dive in head first. With your experience, you may get there faster, but do take some time to figure out the Bravo, learn the avionics, know your power settings, performance, landings, etc. Congratulations, and enjoy your new plane!

That's a super-sized surface plate! I've used many, from 12" x 18" up to 3' x 5', and have seen one, once, about 5' x 10' x 2-3' thick. Hate to think what that thing cost . . .

Are those installed in airliner cockpits? I don't think so . . . Just upgrade your sunglasses and wear a good hat. I find the visors to be relatively useless on the side, they are so short.

It's just a horizontal windmill. Blow air across it, it turns. There are no gears to jam, no power to lose, no fuel to exhaust (for the rotor).

Please post a pirep and pictures so we can all live vicariously through you!

Don Kaye is the long body Mooney instructor of choice. All American should have his contact information,and some others if your schedules don't mesh. @donkaye Maybe this call out will work. New features can be fun!

Glad you're back at it again, Dr. Bill. We missed you while you were gone! keep flyin her per the book and break the engine in nicely.

Gyrocopters are not helicopters, the engine doesn't turn the rotor. Some have an engine assist to start them turning. Takeoff is done using the airplane propellor to accelerate down the runway. Airflow through the rotor makes it turn; having it turning before starting the roll just makes for a faster, easier takeoff. The spinning rotor creates lift, as there are just enough of wing stubs to provide roll stability. And forward motion from the propellor keeps the rotor turning. Stopping the rotor would be quite difficult . . . They look like lots of fun to me. Then I see what they cost, and decide that I'll pass.

1 liter = 33.8 oz; 1 gallon = 3.8 liters. Either way, $3/liter is pricey! Come on down, the last I saw at 06A was $3.35 several weeks ago. And it will be 70°F/21C tomorrow.

I timed mine during annual, ~5 seconds up and 3 seconds down, while jacked up in the hangar. Wheeee!!

Be careful with the moly grease! I got some on a pair of jeans once; three years later it was still there, visibly gray . . .

No, my phone number used to be 867-8078! You typed it wrong.

But if you get the -AXC, you will need to update the W&B. I think it's an entire pound heavier than the regular one.

I sump my tanks after pulling out of the hangar . . . It makes great weed killer.

Waot a minute! Why is "redraider" flying a blue airplane???

More than "the right software" is needed for autoland. There are already good autopilots that can fly you to any airport, tell you the nearest airport, etc. But autoland will require also require automated control of: flaps, gear, throttle, mixture and prop. We are a long way from that, although someone is working on the automixture [at least for leaning; not sure about richening up on descent].

Nah, he'll be fine. He just won't get to fly lead. Tail-end Charlie won't accidentally blind his fellow pilots. Did I mention in the last group, too?

I'll bet on a sunny day, you have the most visible plane at the airport!

Dad used to fly Navy SNBs and C-54s (?); he thinks it's one converted to nose wheel.

I was at Tornado n Fun, with screw-in tie downs. Walked around afterwards looking at the tie downs that held and the ones that didn't, like the Cessna on my right wing that ended upside down, windshield to windshield with the Bonanza to this right. So I bought a screw-in set that EAA was selling, and threw away the cheap poly ropes and kept my good endspliced ropes. Lots of yellow Claws pulled out of the sandy ground, the big nails don't go in as far as the screwin things, and the EAA model is very heavy duty. The yokes were secured with bungees, two holding the yokes to each other, and two more from the right seat front bar to the right yoke. My left wheel rolled forward three inches, the right one didn't move. Lots of stuff blew onto my plane, and I have a very small dent on the rudder that now three IAS have said is fine.

I used to back taxi, make a hard right turn and pause briefly to check the DG and passengers, glance at the radio/GPS, hit the mic and go.

The PO of my plane went into Sun n Fun, was cut off on the ground and ATC had him make right traffic and land on the wide runway. On final he was instructed to keep his speed up, which only happens with the gear up. Then he forgot to put it down . . . He bought prop and parts, had it inspected and flew home gear up on a ferry permit. Not sure how his two pax made it back to WV. I can check the logbooks to see what the final dates are, but not for a few days.

My wife enjoys going places in the plane with me. Now, after eight years, she's beginning to show interest in the Right Seat classes, but still has no desire for a PPL. When fighting a headwind over the TN/NC line at 68 knot groundspeed, she piped up "good thing we're not in a Cessna." She looks out the window and takes lots of pictures,but sleeps after a few minutes in IMC.