Hank

I've got to figure out this video up-loading stuff soon . . .

Wheeee!!! Can we all quit trying to p!ss in each other's cereal, and talk about Garmin's new box? My big question is pricing. If it ain't a whole lot cheaper than Aspen's, then neither will be in my panel for a while. Meanwhile, my 430W and I will keep going where we go, backed up on VOR #2 to find myself on the highlighted line on my paper sectional. The current unavailability of high-speed internet is keeping me paper, and no thank you, Light Squared, I'd rather have the pink line. That box gives so much more information than just where I happen to be right now, which I keep up with pretty well when I can see the ground without even using the other Nav unit. But then again, having learned to fly just 4 years ago, I must be too old-school. Why, I even reset my DG to the wet-compass more often than I switch tanks . . . sometimes that even takes out a chunk of my "crosswind correction" heading adjustment. Are there any new whiz-bang gizmos to get weather without going the 496/Aera route? Most other devices require wires for power and/or GPS antenna plus ANOTHER BOX with MORE wires to get the weather, and try to do everything the 430 does, too. All I want is weather, and a backup panel in case everything goes away in the soup.

I see the ringed shadow often making Sunday morning breakfast runs at 3000 msl. The shadow is somewhat blurry over fields, and can't be seen on trees, but the ring is there. Pretty cool, and never as clear as Gary's airliner--but still definitely an airplane. Really gives a good impression of speed, especially when it starts to grow during descent. Oh, yeah, breakfast is served to the northwest, so it's visible on my side, and the circle seems sharper when the sun is lower in the sky. It's always cool to see! Isn't this a great country?

Quote: jelswick In reading NTSB reports, I see a lot of 500-1500 hour pilots making me think this might be our greatest risk period of complacency. I'm at almost 800 and I try to remind myself of this fact in the stats all of the time. I love flight and that privelege and hope I'm never in those stats. At least in analyzing my own history, I get comfortable that I'm very comfortable in flying now and try to remind myself every pre-flight that not sumping tanks is not an option because it takes something as simple as that to bring down a great pilot and maybe even his/her family.

This is a less-than-perfect photo of the copilot ball vent in my C; yours should mount similarly. I can take better/more photos if you want.

My C-model with 201-windshield and Hartzell 3-blade runs pretty close to 140 knots, and I'm typically 7500 and up. Fuel flow is around 9 gph based on fillups, as I don't have fuel flow. This photo was at 10,000 msl to get out of the storms below; tops were at about 9000 that day with more turbulence that I liked. 2500 RPM, throttle was wide open then pulled back just enough to move the needle. I'm experimenting running just richer than rough instead of 50 ROP at altitude, so speed may be down just a little. Groundspeed, of course, is dependent upon wind aloft--I've maintained anywhere from 104 knots to 183 knots, pretty well centered on 140. Fuel injection and 20 additional HP make a difference with E, F and J models. Oops--useful load is 969 lbs; 52 gallons fuel [i fill to 50 gal = 300 lbs, to leave expansion room and easy math]. Full-fuel payload is 669 lbs. Typical departure at my 3000' home field is rotate at 70 MPH, get over the trees and climb at 900-1000fpm as I come up to 100 MPH. Heavy departures, flaps to TO, rotate at 75 MPH, the trees are still well below me; this is infrequent enough that I don't remember height or climb rates, but we're headed to the beach next week--I'll watch and report back if you are curious. She lands well at 85 MPH final, 80 over the trees at 150 agl, pull the throttle when clear and touch down around Stripe #3. Minimal braking leads to back-taxiing from 2000-2200' to our only entrance about 1000' from the approach end.

When my left [cranking] mag was dying, it took forever and several attempts to crank her up. Don't recall having sore fingers, hot or cold weather, from the little filing-cabinet-sized key. Maybe the little 50¢ colored rubber thingy helps with more than putting the correct key in the ignition? Mine are coded Blue for bags, Green for go [the door], and Red for fire [ignition]; should be available anywhere that makes keys.

Quote: dtcom It seems that the bulb has a shield inside the lens. If the GE logo is right side up, the shield is on the right side of the bulb, looking at it head on, or towards the pilot's side. Does anyone know what this is for? I've been told that it keeps the light off of the propeller. Any thoughts on that?

Quote: sleepingsquirrel The way I heard it , accelerate to 65 MPH ,pull back on the stick and get hit by lightening. You guys crack me up. Do you really come up with this stuff yourselves, or pay someone to write it. Don

Quote: OR75 it is connected to the outside not to the "icebox" cooling box. I need to check if it is pointing to the flux capacitor.

My C has a push-to-start. Turn it to start and push in simultaneously. If I do it wrong, I have to release it, then turn-and-push again; holding it turned and trying to push it in does nothing.

My light shows some of the ground when taxiing, but illuminates the hangars all the way to the roof. On final, though, with T/O or more flaps, it seems to shine right on the numbers or just past. Seems like there is some alignment on the bulb--but you have to drop the lower cowl to reach it. Haven't changed mine in a while, though, so my memory isn't the best. Check your maintenance manual to confirm.

Quote: rturbett Was hoping each of you could comment on what your first experience with a Mooney was like. I just took my first flight in a C and it was everything I had hoped for. Rob

Great article. Thanks, Mitch!

How about, "None, because I haven't gotten around to buying oen [expensive aircraft model] yet."

The joys of owner maintenance! If you have the old one, trace around it [or hold the pieces together and trace around them] on a scrap of plexiglas, cut it out, file it smooth. Drill the hole before you cut it out, it will be much easier to hold on to.

Quote: Mitch Why do you desire flaps UP for a normal departure?

Quote: N9937c If you REALLY want to be amazed that something costs as it does, What about noise cancelling headsets? TOTAL BULLSHIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't agree more with this statement. That's why I bought a set of Halo's from Quiet Technologies for 1/3 the price of Bose's. No more clamped headaches, no more hat buttons pressed into my head, no more sweaty ears . . . But it's not really something you want to share. That's what the old clamp-ons are for! Seriously, though, as an iPad newbie, I don't want to mount that large, heavy thing on my yoke, I wouldn't be able to see the panel and it will cover up my clock. Sliding around in my lap, all loose, is also undesirable. But for it to be useful in the air, it needs three things: 1) the ability to display sectionals with my desired route marked on it [like I still highlight on paper charts]; 2) weather display [i know, Sky Radar, ADS-B, etc.; but they are almost as expensive as XM, lots of wires to trip over, etc.]; 3) some way to keep it handy, in view, and not in the way of taking notes while talking to ATC enroute.

Wow, you guys with your modern, information-filled POH's! My Owner's Manual does not have any information on balked landing, missed approaches or go-arounds. It does have the following information under "Flight Operations--TAKEOFF" As speed increases during the takeoff roll, apply back pressure on the control wheel at about 65 to 75 MPH . . . Keep the nose on the horizon just after the aircraft breaks ground to allow smooth flight from the runway without an abrupt change in pitch attitude. Retract the landing gear only when safely airborne and in good control. Retract the flaps when the aircraft has cleared all obstacles and has gained an indicated airspeed of about 80-90 MPH. The "Before-Takeoff Check" includes Trim Indicator--TAKEOFF Flap Indicator--TAKEOFF or as desired and I usually desire Flaps UP for normal departures, Trim slightly above TAKEOFF; when flying heavy or departing at high DA, Trim at TAKEOFF, Flaps at TAKEOFF. As for going from hydraulic to electric, I would guess that it was customer-driven although it may well have been a Marketing-driven change. ["Don't buy the cheap Brand X, our fine aircraft all have electric flaps!"] Having the little three-way switch on the console beside the mixture lever is easy to reach, and it only moves when I hold it up or down--no presets, no detents, and it stops when I let go. Very easy to set exactly the amount of flaps that I want, and on a go-around/miss, it's establish positive rate of climb, gear up, clear obstacles, flaps up [may delay slightly for poor climb rate from weather, but never to 500 agl unless there is something really tall that I can't go around].

Yes, I round out before I flare. No, leveling off 100' agl is NOT a round out! The round-out is a transition between descent and the flare, where you bleed off speed several feet above the runway. Shouldn't last but a second or two, then bring the nose up [flare] for aerodynamic braking, which starts the descent to touch the mains. Rounding out is done only a few feet agl; 100' agl levelling off is due to poor glideslope control, correcting for a poor descent.

All I can say is, if you're trying to land at 78 KIAS per your calculations, and you're floating across town while doing so, try coming in slower. Get some slow flight practice, then come in 3 knots slower; if you keep on floating, knock off another 3 knots, until you are making good landings. Write that number down, figure your weight, and repeat it in the future. A good rule of thumb is +5 knots for every 300 lbs. heavier, and -5 for every 300 lbs lighter. Sounds to me like you are landing light, but using max gross speeds. My Owner's Manual gives landing performance numbers based on two gross weights, and states "Full Flaps, 80 MPH, Power OFF, NO WIND." The longest number shown is 1795 feet, at max gross, 7500 msl elevation, obstacle clearance + ground roll. You are heavier, so yours will be longer, and is written in KIAS, so expect different numbers but not hugely different speeds.

Quote: M016576 an AOA indicator gives you a piece of the puzzle that you are inferring through your airspeed charts. you may find yourself flying more like a Naval Aviator at that point: using your attitude to control speed(AOA, really), and power to control altitude (sink rate)....

So in other words, the same wing has prevailed in the entire Mooney M20 line since it was designed in wood in 1955? Did they hit the perfect wing design from the start or were they too lazy to retool and focused on improving other areas instead? Also is the span the same across all Mooneys? Despite different weights? 201er-- I prefer to think that in his many previous designs [our planes were Al Mooney's 20th type design] that Al learned a lot, and threw all of his knowledge and experience into this design. It's not perfect, and no one has been lazy--it's a pretty good wing, does many things well, and is a good compromise of cross-country speed, lift, induced drag and low-speed handling. Thus was also born our famous tail design. As far as I have been able to tell, the only difference in wings across all models is replacing the wooden spar in the original with a nice, one-piece aluminum spar [yes, there are multiple pieces welded and riveted together, but you cannot remove the left wing like on a Slowhawk], the short-lived "twist," the temporary loss of some flush rivets, the addition of cosmetic wing tips [added to my plane--they look good, and hide the VOR antennas for less drag], fuel tank capacity increase and sealant technology improvement, the additional lower gear doors and relocation of landing lights from the cowl to the wing. So yes, we all have the same wing. Some have more horsepower to accomodate increase weight due to longer fuselages, bigger engines, more fuel to haul around, additional insulation and leather panels, cupholders, etc., that are not on my 1970 bird. I carry 52 gallons [312 lbs] when filled to the caps, which will fly me more hours than I want to sit still for, and a whole lot further than the all-day car trips I used to make. Ovations can carry 130 gallons [780 lbs!] and fly further, but not a whole lot longer [they go a whole lot faster, at double my 9 gph]. Handling is similar across the line, except the long-bodies [your J is a mid-body] are significantly different at low speeds like takeoff and landing. There are two huge differences between my C and your J: you have fuel injection, which gives you 20 extra hp [more speed at a higher burn rate]; you have a longer fuselage with improved aerodynamics, which gives you extra speed from reduced drag. But I also have your sloped windshield and wingtips, just not the other aerodynamic improvements that Roy LoPresti made, some of which Mooney has never revealed. It's all about which airplane fits your mission. Yes, 20 knots more would be nice, and you can match my burn at LOP and probably still beat me somewhere; your back seat passengers have more legroom [i don't often put anyone back there]; it costs you more to fill up; you can carry bulkier items, and more of them, with your 5" back seat stretch; your back seat may fold down for bulky cargo. My full-fuel useful load is 658 lbs, or me, the wife and over 350 lbs of "stuff". I've packed the cargo and back seat to the roof and don't think I've ever come close to 350 lbs . . . . .

Thanks for reporting back on the cause of your problem and its solution!

He called "Aircraft on final, do you have your transponder on, we don't see you on our active TCAS" After landing, transmit "I have the Cirrus on my eyeball. Aren't you using yours?"