Hank

I try to maintain a focus on safety. I do realize, however, that the checklist is a "check" list and not a "do" list. The Pre-Landing and Landing checklists are the same whether I'm going into my non-towered, 3000' home field over the trees, or if I'm cleared for a visual approach following the RJ on downwind 4 miles out from the 10,000 Class C field like last weekend. What I have to do is different in each case. But my checklist lives on my kneeboard, strapped to my left leg, and I almost always have the destination airport diagram on the kneeboard too. I even use both of them. [Note: when you are vectored downwind 4 nm out and cleared to follow the jet ahead of you, B727s and MD11s are much easier to see than RJs!] I have not made this type of approach often enough to have an SOP about when to turn base, when to slow to flap speed, when to drop gear. If memory serves, the 2-minute wake turbulence waiting period ended when I was 2.0 nm out on final, approach flaps, gear down, 100 mph indicated, 2 red/2 white VASI. I still landed long on purpose, because I'd rather cover that first 1000-1500' at 70 mph than at taxi speed. Weather forecasts are what cause me the most grief, debating fly/drive/cancel. Last weekend the forecasts for both ways [southeast on Saturday, return on Sunday] was for moderate turbulence below 10,000; going down was freezing level 6000 with clouds and precip, MEAs 6800 and up; coming back was 4500 broken with southerly winds gusting into the mid-20's [runway at home is 8/26, with optional 12/30 nearby]. NOAA radar looked good, so I had a smooth ride through 48ºF clear blue skies with a screaming tailwind [~25 knots] going out, and a smooth ride through clear blue skies with ground speed = book speed coming home, landing in calm winds under a scattered layer much higher than my 8000 msl cruising altitude. Since FSS added the details that there were no relevant PIREPS along my route, I gave one just past the midpoint going each direction to help other pilots make their own decisions. After all, "clear, smooth and warm" were unforecast conditions! I do not plan to fly hard IFR, but I recognize that forecasts are wrong, and can be better or worse than actual. So I try to stay proficient enough to take actual conditions, and exceed the minimum legal requirements for currency. Just before this trip, not having flown in actual since October, I grabbed an instrument-rated safety pilot and flew some maneuvers and one approach under the hood, because I would rather mess up with him in VFR conditions than with my non-anything-rated wife beside me in the clouds.

I'm not sure I've ever noticed a twitch in the rudder upon retraction, as I'm rather busy then confirming rate of climb, airspeed and watching the trees come at me. I do like feeling the nice "thud" as the wheels come up, though, it's positive reinforcement that they're up. As far as disengaging the steering, since our gear goes up and down together with steel rods driving everything, I don't think the steering can disengage prior to retraction. A kick to the left and release would make sense, because we're holding right rudder on takeoff so straightening it would require left then a release back to whatever you're holding to the right. Squat-switch-equipped Mooneys have the switch atop one of the main gear legs, don't they?

The Lasar tiedowns are not eyebolts, and carry no load rating on the side. Perhaps they can tell you.

When the layer was broken, I started looking to either get under it or land. Only got stuck once, found a hole above forgiving terrain in Lynchburg, VA, spiraled down and very happily landed short in Roanoke. Went back to fetch the plane the next weekend when weather was better. Landed short on two long XC trips, had an unexpected early lunch at a neat restaurant; turning final watching people go in/out of Walmart before touching down below the tops of the corn was different, too. Taking off into yuck when I didn't know it was getting better ahead, and I could safely fly below it until then? Nope. I'm a coward, and I like my life too much. It's not much, but it's the only one I have . . . . .

I preheat for anything below 40F. Lucky me, I hit a cold spell in south Georgia in October, ~25F, so I took my extension cord.

I do my maneuvers at or below Va. Pick something comfortable in that range. What do you use for an approach? Try that as a starter. For my C, it's typically 2300 and 20" or less when playing at 3000' msl; yours will be different. For instance, top of the white arc is 2300/19" clean, and I reduce to about 16" to slow to 90 knots; drop Approach flaps and I'm back to 19"; drop gear and I'm descending in a very ILS-like manner.

I have a lightweight, 100' extension cord that I carry traveling in the winter. Call the FBO and ask if you can park near an outlet. Seems like I got mine from MSC [www.mscdirect.com] but it was several years ago, all I can say is that it's yellow, the ends light up when plugged in, and it was advertised as a cold-weather cold that weighs ~1/3 less than typical cords. Three-prong, 12 or 14 Ga, I don't recall. All my little oil pan heater needs is an hour anyway, but overnight works well, too.

Amigo, My headsets live in the plane in the hangar. The silicone inserts warm up simply by rolling them in my fingers before insertion. My wife complains about the cold gel seals on her DC set all the time. As far as sweaty ears, mine used to be too warm when shooting approaches [typically under 3000' msl], whether practice or real. Same for occasional maneuver practice, flightseeing, taking friends to ride, and especially when headed south to visit family and ATC gives me step-down descents 50-60 nm out. As others have said, headsets are a very personal choice. Whatever works for you is the best; for me, that is my Halo set. And yes, I sometimes try to get out of the plane without taking it off . . . .

My Halos don't freeze my ears in winter, or make them sweat in summer. I can wear any hat, the sound is clear and I forget they are on.

Nah, some of us are tall . . . .

Good point, Bob. I lean my O-360-A1D when on the ground and off the runway. Halfway or more, never watched for an RPM rise, and I generally prefer 1000 RPM.

My window beading is chromed. I'll see if I can find out where it came from, but the man who knows for sure just left town for a week.

I know where Troy is; I had friends from Opp and Enterprise. If I recall, Troy is on the highway to Panama City, which has cleaned up its act and is no longer "the Redneck Riviera."

Delta and Jet make pretty good benchtop lathes. Just get one with a #2 Morse taper on the head and tail stocks.

War Eagle!! I used to sit in the stands and chant, "GO, BO, GO!!" I just followed jobs, slowly moving north . . . . but the benefits were worth it [including PPL and Mooney].

That's because Cessna gear is mounted to the fuselage, and the wings and tail feathers are individually removeable. Mooney gear is mounted to the wing, so two cradles are needed: one to support the fuselage, and one to stand the entire wing on the leading edge [the whole thing is one big piece]. Tail feathers are removed by drilling out the rivets just behind the baggage door, removing a couple of tiny bolts and disconnecting the trim jack screw. That also takes some sort of cradle for support, to say nothing of a huge crate if that is your option. Lots of things to do removing a wing--power to the lights/strobes in the wingtips, fuel lines, disconnect the gear mechanism, aileron control rods, flaps, static lines to the pitot, my VOR antennas are also in the wingtips. Lots of things to check a donor wing for besides corrosion: proper wingtips; lighting and strobes; antennas; condition of fuel tanks & sealant; condition of landing gear, actuation mechanisms, wheel bearings, Heim bearings; condition of flaps and ailerons, control rods, linkages, bearings; condition of the static lines and pitot tube; etc., etc. Good luck with your C! They are really great planes.

I generally pull the red lever at least halfway back. Long as I can taxi without stumbling, it's good. Rarely have a fouled plug anymore, even last weekend at RDU with extended-range taxiing and one set of progressive instructions [i'd guess 10 minutes from engine start to run up]. Run up reminds you quickly that the mixture isn't in.

That's been going on for a long time. The Navy contributed to the film because it would be good for recruiting. Much as my father was influenced by Flying Leathernecks and Sergeant York. I don't think the actual Corps matched his initial expectations . . . . .

I found one of mine loose, in the hangar, one time. Would it have fallen out if I hadn't noticed it? The wing vibrates pretty good sometimes going through the bumps. MAC was just trying to protect themselves. I fly with both installed all the time.

I'm in technology from the Mechanical Engineering side, now working in my fourth manufacturing plant. Finally made it from Production Support to R&D, developing fun new stuff. I selected "Other" since Technology sounded like electrical engineering/computer science.

3D printers just don't make durable, functional items. Mills and lathes do. Wood lathes do too, but do it differently--I never measure anything, the chisels & gouges are all hand held, and it can be therapeutic watching the shavings fly over your shoulder. Pens, boxes, bowls, goblets, etc., can be decorative and/or functional as well. I find it much more relaxing than any metalwork, but then again, I've never worked with sheet metal.

Times have changed since my dad went through Pensacola. Top man in the class was given free choice of any open billet; the rest of the class from #2 on down were assigned according to the needs of the service. Fighters came first, transports came last, everything else in-between. At the time, three went to fighters then bunches including him to helicopters, with a few at the end to transports. Seems like the divvying up came after the Advanced course, but I hadn't been born yet so I can't vouch with any certainty. Pretty sure things have changed in the intervening decades, especially now that recruiting is more difficult. It's less of a "screen out the undesireables" as it is "bring in the ones we want."

I think the whole "remove before flight" thing is more recent than our vintage birds, and was put in to protect Mooney from lawsuits involving the very rare occurence of a tie down falling off in flight . . . . I've never seen any mention of this in my delicate, browning Owner's Manual.

In my plane, horizontal ASI needle is 80 mph [see photos on p.3]. I typically roll wings level on final at 85, and decelerate to 70-75 mph over the numbers, depending on weight. So 80 is in the right range, but a tad slow. It works, though, I've done it.

I bought my lathe to specifically do things as in the photos. It being on sale was a bonus--the mall was closing and Sears didn't want to move heavy stuff to their other stores. Small lathes are very compact, easy to move, don't require lots of shop space initially, and good wood is often available free. Check your neighbors' firewood piles . . . Trim a branch from your own tree . . . They are great fun to play with, even if you only make shavings on the floor. Having something useful is a bonus!