Hank

It IS a timesaver. It ALSO reinforces how to land, as all wheels are rolling on the runway, properly aligned, and you'd better have proper crosswind correction in on final and through the flare to touchdown. TnG does not "teach" how to takeoff or land, you already know how to do that. for some students, it is a money saver, allowing the logging of XC time towards the Instrument rating. That wasn't a problem for me, I had more than enough XC time when I started training. But it is very satisfying, after flying an approach with foggles, correcting for wind, to remove the , see the (sometimes snowy) (unfamiliar) runway ahead where it belongs, and touch down. Then it's up and around again for another, different approach. It's a great timesaver when you daisy chain several airports together, either as an instrument student, recurrent practice, flight review or even IPC. It's one more thing to mix in: ILS, VOR, GPS, miss at DA, low miss, touch and go, full stop.

They really helped my CFII and I shoot multiple approaches, at one airport and at multiple airports. At controlled fields, it was easier to fit us in, "cleared for the option." Some were misses, some were touches, we only did full stop when we planned to get out of the plane. They were also what the DPE requested in my checkride: ILS with touch and go, shoot the miss to the VOR; then the VOR approach, which was called a miss at DA; then we headed out and did unusual attitudes enroute to the next approach, GPS with circle to land at the uncontrolled field where he did the paperwork and gave me my temporary cert. Is there value in touch and go? Sure. Are they so,etching that everyone must do? No. As the PIC, it's your choice to opt out. And Peter, my plane has flaps, too, and I use them in every landing. Like my Owners Manual says, "FLAPS--as required" on final approach.

Them're fun! Wheelies . . .

"Going from taxiing to flying" is unlike any touch and go I've ever done. Set the nose down, feet off the brakes, flaps up, glance at trim and adjust if ended, throttle in and rotate as normal. I rarely drop below 50 mph.

Congratulations! You may have made an uninformed purchase, but Jerry is a great Mooney instructor! I flew with him at a MAPA PPP a month after getting the Complex endorsement and finishing my insurance dual; I reached 100 hours in my logbook flying to the clinic. Eight years later, my engine still has great compression (all were 78-80 at annual last weekend, lifting the A&P's feet off the ground once or twice). Treat her nice, fly like Jerry taught you, don't get over your head and you'll be fine. Welcome to the club!

I think Mrs. Mike had the ideal job: stay warm in the car and take an occasional picture. Somebody had to keep an eye on the parrot, right?

Neither I nor my CFII had problems with touch-and-goes in my Mooney, nor were those my first ones. Just give me a mile of runway. If the landing is screwy, it becomes either a miss or a full stop. Haven't done a stop and go since I was a Student Pilot. TnG does require paying attention, but you should be alert and attentive on every landing. Once the nosewheel is down, raise the flaps all at way, glance at the trim indicator and turn it some if needed (my trim is often near the Takeoff mark when I taxi back to the hangar anyway), then power up and rotate at normal speed. its difficult to confuse reaching out with a finger to raise flaps while holding the throttle at Idle with letting go of the throttle and reaching up for the gear. Anything can happen, though, and just about everything is recorded in the annals of the NTSB. Taking off is dangerous in itself, plus it requires the additional dangers of flight, maneuvering flight to get back to the runway, then the dangerous phase of landing. Staying in your car is SO much safer.

A chunky friend took his PPL checkride in a squaretail 172, with ~50 lbs of books in the back. Lots of ways to lessen nose heaviness.

Weird how it's all on the left half of the screen. You think they'd at least be aware that millions of people are on the web every day with phones, tablets and non-desktop-PCs, and have a site that would work with them. No, I haven't checked it with my (non-i) phone.

Was this Mike headed to Florida or Texas? http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/01/28/sonic-boom-occurred-over-new-jersey-usgs.html?intcmp=hplnws

I will redo them this weekend. Should do great with a fresh annual.

Welcome back, Mike! That is what I call a motivated pilot. Hope the flight went well.

What worked for deicing my Mooney on the WV/OH border was a hangar. I've since implemented the best deicing scheme: I moved back South! Havent scraped my windshield this winter, but I probably should have twice. I just kept hitting it with windshield cleaner because it's difficult to pull a credit card out of my wallet with gloves on . . . Seriously, though, I've heard about using car windshield deicing spray to deice wings. In my seven winters on the Ohio River, I never needed it, and when I travel I cover the windshield. Don't recall ever having a problem with frosted wings, a side benefit to not departing early in the morning.

How does this compare to the early-60s Cs? My electric C has the higher speeds: Va 132 mph Vne 200 mph Vfe 125 mph Vg 120 mph [obviously not available for Fixed Gear D models] Yellow Line = 175 mph

Nothing wrong with a 3-bladed C, mine runs great. I've been told to expect being 3-5 knots slow, but I also have the 201 windshield. I've always made book speed, then last year did lots of work on the doghouse and carb heat box, and picked up 10 mph or more. Now I indicate ~143 mph at 9-10K, which is 170-172 mph true. Not bad when book speed at 10K/2500 is 164.

Oh no! Marauder, please send pics by PM!! I was at Tornado n Fun (2010?). Other than thinking that Hangar E was going to fall on me, and my worry about the tent and my plane as I dodged downed trees and smashed tents, had no problems. I did stay one more night due to the softness in the parking area at the approach end of 9, and heard a Cessna strike it's prop taxiing in on Saturday, which confirmed my decision to not leave yet. Taxiing on Sunday was a. Kemal grass field experience (slow and full up yoke). When you do leave, pull the plane out into the aisle first. This is not only nice to those parked behind you by aiming your prop blast away from them, but gets your tires out of the ruts they develop from sitting for several days. May have to go again soon, it was fun!

I took my checkride in a 172 at 52 hours. At 62 hours, I bought my Mooney, and had to do 15 hours dual for insurance. Part of that was the Complex Endorsement (it was my first Complex flight). So the fact that it will take you longer to solo doesn't matter, even with your license it will be a while before you solo in your Mooney. If it's your goal, go ahead and learn in a Mooney. But for God's sake, get good at landing before going out in your Mooney, and get an instructor who knows Mooneys! Do not do this with just any instructor. Good Mooney instructors can be found through the Mooney Aircraft Pilots Assn (www.mooneypilots.org), the back of the Mooney Flier (www.mooneyflier.com), by recommendations here and from MAPA, etc. Good luck with your training, and your eventual purchase!

Well, whaddaya expect? It probably rained three or four times on the towels you left outside . . . That's what, a year's worth in Arizona?

Edison is great. Seven year warranty, no issues. He even drove me to the other airport to catch the airliner home when I dropped mine off. He was done on time, too. Join MAPA, he gives a member discount (plus you'll get the magazine, access to the mailing lists and to the PPPs).

Aircraft maintenance, ADs, etc., are on tach time. Everything else is "real" time.mmymplane doesn't have a Hoons, so my logbook has actual time from the yoke clock for every flight. This should be the same as a Hobbs meter records. Isn't it? I've not used a Hobbs since I was a student pilot.

That's true, Jose. My worst headwind added just over two hours to a two and a half hour flight--2:20 out, 4:45 back, straight-and-level groundspeeds as low as 68 knots. But Peter asked for calculations. Now that he's been playing with Perf Tables, paper, pencil and calculator, we tell him that the effect is nearly negligible, unless he reads Anthony's post and goes easy on the brakes and rolls out longer when heavy. But realisticly, the max landing fuel in my plane shouldn't vary more than 40 gals, or 240 lbs. A J, with 64 gal tanks, may vary 50-55 gals. or up to 330 lbs. Both compare to landing with minimum reserve fuel, so usually much less. I learned something here. Full fuel is like adding my CFI on top of minimum fuel! Still leaves almost half of my useful load available. The control feel is definitely lighter, and landing is can be a more ethereal experience when light.

The many make up for the few. One folded dollar at a time . . .

Start with your performance charts. Find speed at your desired altitude and power. Interpolate between the weights shown. if your luck runs like mine, you'll have to interpolate for altitude, do it again for power setting and a third time for weight.

P.S.--why would a repaint increase empty weight? A good paint job starts with stripping the old paint off, right? Or are you saying that my five color paint job weighs more than what was probably a factory 2-tone paint scheme?

War Eagle! I have NO plans to reweigh my C. Between the one piece belly and 3-blade prop, I'm happy with the listed 969 lbs.