Hank

He ran out of gas after being unable to execute an instrument approach at two consecutive airports . . . How many fuel stops did he pass over between Erie and Charlotte? How did he manage to run the tanks empty in just over 400 nm???

Left-Right-Nose-left-left-right-nose is what I saw. The first two were easy, the smoke puffs are very visible. It was interesting watching the nose wheel indicate your rudder corrections. Thankfully for this video, your belly strobe is turned off. On purpose? I'd give that landing more than a passing score. With significant gusts and crosswind, I'd be tempted to rank it "superior." My own landings are generally better with a little wind, I can't hardly hit the runway in a dead calm.

I like my original Parmetheus. Brighter would be even better. It's been in the plane since April '14 and only turned off twice (annual and, after the first hour, pitot static & transponder check).

Check the estimator posted in The Mooney Flyer. It's online, check the boxes and get a number. I love my C . . .

I just Google the town name + airport, then click on the Airnav link that comes up.

I've grown to like the 'wham!' in the seats s the gear comes up. The 'thunk' as they go down is also reassuring. Do the slower gears still do that? Note, too, that if you do a manual extension, the 40:1 takes twice as many turns. Standard gears take 52 turns of the crank; the 40:1 will take 100+ turns. I've done mine once for real.

Flying around Ohio, WV and eastern KY, I never had a problem with snow banks along the runway or taxiways. Some narrow taxiways with tall lights scared me during the day, passing under both wingtips . . . Having to back taxi for every takeoff and every landing, it took very little time to notice and remember that my plane turns tighter to the right than to the left. The Cessna that I trained I seemed pretty much the same both ways. Most places it's not a problem, but the turnaround area when I visit Mom and Dad is rather small, bulging out to one side of the patched 2770 x 30 runway. i gave away my home snow shovel to my moving crew in 2014, and left the other one in the hangar for the next guy.

I often fly longer XCs at 9000 or 10,000 (or 9500/10,500 if VFR). Going above that the climb rate gets pretty slow. I did cruise over the Carolinas and WV at 11,000 coming home from Sun n Fun since the winds were pretty strong out of the west; still caught some gentle mountain wave, riding up and down 300-400 feet. I'm attaching a typical panel shot, half at a time.

When do you need a Pre-Purchase Inspection? When you buy an airplane. What's involved in a Pre-Purchase Inspection? Discuss it with the A&P who will do it for you, before he starts.

I don't have a photo with my entire cowl in it, so I'll have to do it in halves. Don't know where my screws went, but they aren't missing . . . Although it has been alleged many times that some are loose.

I'm just not sure which bones I'm supposed to use, or how to shake them over the engine . . .

Looks like the base leg for 26 at KHTW . . . Except your cowling has a lot more screws in it than my C has.

Heloman, your fuel pressure should stay steady when you turn off the pump before starting. If the throttle is closed. Before I OHed my carb, and now four years later, it's confirm throttle to idle; fuel pump on until pressure stabilizes (6-6.5 psi); fuel pump off; then mixture to full rich. The fuel pressure drops a little each time I pump the throttle, ending around 4-5 psi after two pumps. Fuel pressure doesn't change until I push the throttle forward. But it sure is nice to have an engine that starts up quickly and easily!

Honest, Gus, none of those were me! I'm not even multi rated, much less turbine endorsed! Many of those looked like the other Birmingham, over there in Merry Old England. I'd rather watch those landings than be along for the ride, but either would be better than riding up front holding the yoke. That's what we have you professional types for . . .

Nah, there are many if those. There's one just a few miles west if KCRW; land toward the mountain, take off away from it. Once you turn final, there are no go arounds. Oh, it's also pretty short, with a right dogleg and a circle at the hillside to turn around after back-taxiing. People park planes between the hangars and the runway, too, and there's no room for a taxiway. I'll probably remember the name later tonight. At least it's paved . . .

My last quart before a change, going in at 40+ hours, generally lasts 5-6 hours. I refill with 7 (6 for the engine and 1 for the filter), add the first usually 10-12 hours later. Each subsequent quart goes in a little sooner, often on 1/2 qt increments. Still don't quite use a case per 50-hour cycle. Higher power and higher RPMs increase oil consumption, though. When I fly lots of long distance trips, I use more oil; as local flying increases, oil consumption goes down. Color wise, it's generally pretty good for the first two additions, and begins to darken up around 25-30 hours. By 50 hours, it looks about like my truck does around 5000 miles, when I change it. But 50 Mooney hours is over 8000 miles . . . .

Wow! Haven't heard of Shadio Rack in a long, long time.

At least Flaps are partially down . . .

If you're already at the airport, with the plane out of the hangar or untied & uncovered, sitting inside with the engine running, just taxi to the end of the runway and go around the pattern a couple of times. My occasional 3 full stops at night takes a whole half hour or so from engine on to engine off. How much time will you save on the whole trip to the airport by not flying?

Drain the tank out the bottom, and park in the sun with the cap off. Should dry pretty well inside. Of course, this works better on a sunny summer day . . . especially down South! Or in Texas.

I've had nothing but good service from Phillip and the Switchbix. Living in West-by-God, Virginny, that thing was the bee's knees! Kept me from driving through the snow to plug in the plane the night before, and several times from driving back to the airport in the morning to unplug because ceilings were down, the weather didn't clear, it was snowing again, etc. Now that I'm back where I belong, it's not as important. But we had frost this morning, and are expecting it again tomorrow . . . Then back up into the 70s for Christmas.

That's when old, degraded sealant comes apart. Mine, on the other hand, was crumbly like sand.

Don't kid yourself, it's in full effect everywhere.

I like the steel safety cage. Regarding low CFIT rates, the Vintage birds have full time PC systems, which helps a lot. Later planes tend to have nice autopilots. All Mooneys have what B & C pilots call "heavy control forces," which probably makes our planes harder to upset from the outside. So we spend less time on aircraft control, giving us more time for other things like navigation, looking out the windows where we're going, etc. That's my 2¢

Someone needs to sue to get it to a judge.