Hank

On the other hand, if my Mooney was plastic that shredded during ground impact instead of having a strong steel roll cage around me with decorative aluminum sheet metal, I might have to think hard about spending the Big Buck$ for an airframe parachute. There's more than one side to the safety story.

I got my Instrument ticket using my steam gauge C. It's not too terribly difficult to fly, the hard part for me was the written test with questions about flight directors, caged AIs, ADFs and all the other instruments I've never flown with. And just like your primary CFI liked pulling the throttle for you, your CFII will enjoy failing instruments and making you do partial panel work. That's a good thing, you want to be able to do it. Be sure to crosscheck during your normal scan, too. I really like instrument flying, especially at the top of the clouds with some in-and-out going on, it really gives you an impression of speed that you don't get on a CAVU day a mile and a half above the ground.

No way in hell . . . Why put a horribly expensive chute, with a horribly expensive periodic repack, on what's already one step from a motor glider? Then there's the useful load penalty. And where would it go in a short body Mooney anyway?

I believe the correct word is "Mooniac," and it fits many of us here . . . .

You know what? It's your plane and your money, spend it the way that makes you happy. Just save some to buy avgas!

If it's like brand new, why not leave it in the plane????

My A&P has a sign: Inexpensive, Correct and Quick. Pick any two . . .

Prayers for you, Tom! Glad everything worked well getting on the ground.

How could someone named "par" not know this??? http://www.lightopedia.com/lamp-size-reference You'll like an LED landing light. I really liked mine . . .

Oh! Almost forgot . . . are we doing to Columbus? There are eating places nearby, but I'm barely familiar.

Your C will take the PAR46. Going by memory, the number is the diameter of the bulb in 1/8s of an inch. 36/8 = 4-1/2", the small bulb in the J cowl, I think, and in wing installations; 48/8 = 6", which is in my cowl. This weekend I begin my Parmetheus investigation: why did my light not work the other night? It was installed in April 2014, approx. 90-100 flight hours ago. Changing jobs and moving twice really ate into my flight time . . .

I replaced my ashtray with Spruce's Ash Light, 4 red LEDs that run on 2 AAA batteries.

Somebody's been to the Philippines! Or scrounging online photos . . .

I haven't flown with a Cherokee much (but I have walked away from a Cherokee 6). My C is both faster and more fuel efficient than a 172. Yes, the hourly fuel burn is higher, but so is the speed resulting in less fuel used for the same trip.

Heard one of those talking to Atlanta Approach last weekend. The controller didn't know what it was, had to ask for his type. Twice! Cool planes, imtink.

Check the oil filter safety wire. Mine wraps around the oil temp sensor; if I'm not careful while wrapping it there (a loop at the beginning to anchor before going down to the filter), the wire will come loose and ground out the Oil Temp and peg the gauge.

I flew 11.5 hours between 19-29 November. My oil change isn't due for a while yet.

Do curtains do that? You've got to keep the front ones open to see, right?

You should hear Mom fuss, all these years later, about the first new car Dad bought just before they got married. It only had one arm rest and one sun visor, both for the left seat. and yes, my prescription sunglasses work well, but even better with visors (in my truck and in my plane).

I guess I've been spoiled by my IVSI, no lag. It shows positive rate, I confirm out the windshield, gear goes up. Sometimes there's a slight tendency to settle a little bit, that's why I confirm out the windshield. It's probably either gusty outside, or I lifted off a smidgen early . . .

I like my Galaxy, and don't' use ForeFlight. But for those who do, my wife's iPhone 6 [new in April] is for sale. We just switched from AT&T to Verizon.

Go for the one in the best mechanical condition. Judge as well as you can, have a friendly A&P review the top candidates. Negotiate and schedule an Inspection with someone who knows Mooneys well. Personally, I love my C. My wife even likes it, more as a timesaver and lifestyle enhancer than as a way to fly. I like both!

It's an F with 201-windshield and cowl closure. I have both on my C. BUT this one does not have any kind of sunvisors, nor GPS. The first makes it unattractive to me [I use my visors flying towards the sun a lot], and the second reduces the price. Cosmetics appear good. One thing to remember: no matter how much you spend, no matter how many mods you do, an F will always be an F, it will never become a J. It should be priced as a modded F. In any event, regardless of model or modifications, get a good Pre Purchase Inspection from someone who is familiar with the quirks of Mooneys. Happy shopping!

As a newbie owner, I put a couple of oil changes in the Airframe logbook . . . Check to see what's there, too. Very little goes into my Prop logbook other than annuals.

Try this on takeoff: as soon as you're in the air, verify positive rate on VSI, glance out front to make sure, then raise the gear. Accelerate using the yoke and trim the forces off. I make my initial climb at Vx = 85 to clear all obstacles and get some initial altitude, then relax back to Vy = 100 mph and start getting real altitude and slowly letting IAS drop off. This will work in OH about 10 months of the year; since moving down here, I have to start giving up climb speed for 3-4 months to keep temps looking acceptable. With no trees at the end of the runway here, I could go straight to 100, but it's a good habit to have.