Hank

So there I was, coming down towards the ILS on my Instrument checkride, by the book at 90 knots, when a Lear is cleared behind me as #2. Then ATC asked him to slow down 50 knots. He queried with disbelief in his voice, Tower said he was behind a Mooney making 80 knots over the ground. I looked at the DPE and said, "Should I speed up for him?" We were still 8-10 miles out. He said, "Let's see what you can do." So I raised the flaps, fed in some throttle and came down the glideslope at 130 mph instead of 105, reduced throttle just before the FAF, added flaps, dropped gear when I could and had a nice touch-and-go for the miss and off to the final Circle to Land at an outlying field where my Temporary Certificate was filled out and printed off. We do what we can, but we also expect similar cooperation from the other guys. Recently, I was flying into Auburn [KAUO] and a twin was inbound also. I was going for 11, he wanted 36. Judging by his tone of voice, he was frustrated that I didn't veer off and give him the whole airport. But I was on downwind by the time he was less than 5 miles out, and he didn't have to do anything to avoid me. I also followed a jet there once, he beat me easily, and once again I didn't do anything different [other than watch him make a continuous turn from midfield-crosswind entry to downwind to base to final. He even stopped on the taxiway to watch my landing. Much nicer guy that the twin driver . . .

That's the way to do it! Were your old pucks white? Painted when the plane was redone . . .

Well said, Bob! I started with a partner, bought half the plane from him with the option to buy the rest when he was ready [which came a little sooner than I had expected, but it has worked out very well]. Flexibility in timing, distance, destination, duration and frequency of trips, grass strips, etc., are all unlimited with ownership, and usually only slightly restricted with good partner(s). It can be difficult to find good partner(s), though. Good luck! Have fun and fly safe/

Don't forget to paint the top of the cowling! Assuming that you want to be able to look out the windshield . . .

But I really like the look of my polished spinner . . . Are they available in a J version for less than the price of the cowl mod itself?

My wife has commented twice that she was glad we weren't in a Cessna. I forget exactly the first time, but the second time we were crossing the mountains west towards Knoxville, at sundown, dodging build ups at 10,000 msl / 28°F OAT, making 68 knots groundspeed while indicating ~135 mph. Headwinds are no fun no matter what you're flying . . .

We're working this weekend. Had some equipment break down last week, playing catchup.

What breakers are right beside it, running in the air that weren't turned on in your ground test? You could simply be picking up heat from the next switch over and tripping the small Nav Light breaker

Gus, I just don't see you being that kind of grumpy old captain. This must be a tale of when you were a young shavetail!

With the current load of VW diesels, there is more to it than the position and force of your right foot: "The company has acknowledged that managers, struggling to meet U.S. sales targets, masked the emissions of new-car engines to sell so-called clean diesel technology to skeptical American consumers. The car maker said as many as 11 million vehicles carried a "defeat device," software that reduces tailpipe emissions only when the car is being tested, not on the road." So as I said above, they were discovered to be cheating when a portable emissions test unit was put in the trunk while the car was driven down the road, instead of being stationary in a test cell. Emissions were clean when the vehicles were not moving; this is a poor use of a car, to sit in with a running engine and go nowhere. And this: "Our company was dishonest with the EPA, and the California Air Resources Board, and with all of you," Michael Horn, head of Volkswagen of America, told dealers last month in New York City. "We've totally screwed up."

Not too shabby, especially when the Owners Manual shows TAS = 163 MPH at 10,000 msl with this power setting (20"/2500). My last annual fixed some things that needed fixin, added about 10-12 mph to what I was used to. Lovin it!! She's just a C, which everyone tells me should be slow because of the 3-blade prop . . .

I was waiting to depart Panama City after lunch today. First a Piper came in, and I was expecting clearance next. Nope. Saw about 8 landing lights coming in, some on wig wag and some steady. Decided it had to be one of the airliners that the runway was stretched to 150' x 10,000' to handle. When it went by, it was a very dark (black? navy?) TBM. Once he turned off a taxiway sooner than the Piper, I was cleared to depart. Absolutely amazing airplane! Now I'm feeling the need to add wigwag strobes halfway out each wing, and lights on each gear leg. Maybe some wingtip strobes, too.

Apparently when driven on the road, emissions are forty times allowable limits. When operated on a test stand, emissions are below limits. WVU out a test unit in the trunk and drove around, finding the difference. Oops!

And here I thought the wood wing was a wooden spar! The craftsmanship in these wings is beautiful!! Sand it smooth and coat it with polyurethane, let the grain show.

My floor indicator lights up with the panel lights. My panel lights are buried in the panel and do not twist for brightness control.

Dan, Dad retired effective 10 November 78, with 23 years in. Started in the reserves to earn college money, talked his way into Pensacola as an Officer Cadet. Came out flying transport helicopters, through several non-pilot-preventable accidents (the last one, the tail rotor fell off at 500 feet) that made him turn in his wings. I think the worst part for him was after his return from Vietnam the second time, just before I started first grade, so I was blissfully unaware. He has talked a little lately about bad treatment from strangers on the street, diving out of bed after loud noises at night, etc. He's doing pretty well now, though, with new knees and hearing aids. I've taken him to ride in the Mooney a couple of times, but it's hard for him to get in. I do use it to visit him, although getting around Atlanta is a pain. They don't let ANYBODY through the Bravo! Those nice T-routes were made just to clutter up the low enroutes and not to be used to expedite traffic across the Bravo. Guess I got a good launch in life, well grounded in practicality and responsibility, so unlike what I see happening around me every day now. The world never has been and never will be black and white, but it always has been quite hard and it will remain that way, no matter how rapidly or closely helicopter parents orbit their kids and clamor for everyone to get awards and trophies, to say nothing of the dumbing down of our classrooms.

YOU ROCK, Mike! You set it it all up and coordinated everything. Thank you so much for everything! It was a wonderful weekend. Can't wait for next year.

Just flew back from Panama City. Almost 30 minutes actual, but smooth. Didn't see ground from 1200' on departure until just past IAF at home. Between layers is so simple. Great weekend!!

because although both are tasty, some people only like one of them. My wife avoids pie. . . Yeah, strange, but that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes. Just make sure you hear "NXXX cleared into the Bravo" and you're good to go. If that's your final destination, it shouldn't be a problem.

Blistering performance, short thin wing. Really fast enroute, in the pattern and at touchdown. There was one based at my former home field in WV, he usually went into beta thrust in the rollout to get stopped (3000' field). Really cool sound taxiing in, exercising the prop and cooling things off. Just be careful, wing loading is high and so is stall speed.

Love the presentations. It's good to meet people I've known online for a long time. My wife went to the Right Seat Ready presentation and came back excited and asking questions! Life is good. This was the ramp yesterday.

Question, Chimp: how much oil do you try to keep? I fill up to just over 6 qts (I put in 7 when I change it), and will add when the level approaches 5 on the dipstick. Pour in 7, fly once around the pattern, it will fall almost 1quart on the stick due to oil getting into the (dry) filter. For a long trip, I'll add a half quart if I'm below 6, or a whole quart if I'm down to 5-1/2 or so. I also keep a full quart in the baggage area. Anything much over six quarts just goes rapidly onto the belly. I generally get ~12 hours after oil change before I have to add anything; the last quart seems to last 6-8 hours. I change it every 50 tach hours.

Plugs fouled with oil have to be removed. Plead fouling can be cleared at the hold short line during runup. My runup,is 1700 and Full Rich. Rough mag drops are often fouled plugs, so I advance to 2000 and lean some, watching EGT. I keep it 100-150° Rich of Peak, which usually means lean until EGT rises at least 100°. I hold it there for 60 seconds by my yoke clock, back to Full Rich, back to 1700 and check the mags again. when I recently had mag trouble, with ~200 RPM drop on the Left mag and 75 on the right; I tried to burn off the plugs as above, but at 2000 RPM she was shaking, spitting and coughing, so I taxied slowly back to the hangar. fouling can be greatly reduced by leaning a lot while on the ground. I generally pull the mixture lever ~3/4 to Idle Cutoff; once I parked on the grass, and on departure I had to give it more power to get back onto the asphalt taxiway, and the engine almost died from being too lean. Pushed the mixture forward some, smoothed out, pulled onto the asphalt, reduced throttle and leaned back out. This will keep you from accidentally taking off too lean, as the engine won't run with more throttle.

My dad was a Marine. (He retired when I was in 10th grade.) The rules were simple: don't get in trouble at school, on base or off base. Don't get picked up by the MPs, or expect to stay at least overnight. No beatings necessary. Spankings at home when appropriate, but very few "wait til your father gets home" events, as they were unpleasant. never got paddled in school, as it would have paled in comparison to Dad's follow up event. now schools teach kids to report spankings at home to the police, so they can go live in foster care instead of at home. Society is doomed . . .

There were never trim tabs there. Maybe they were "adjusted" badly and the damage was repaired. Or hangar rash. does your plane have a PC system? If so, look for a roll trim knob on the turn coordinator. Adjust in flight, turn it slightly counterclockwise to adjust balance to the left.