Hank

Great pictures! And I love your wide, wide runway, too. My wife fully supports my flying habit, and she's quite a photo bug, but I don't know if I could make a low pass over her head . . .

OK. We have a Pilot's Assn. meeting tomorrow evening, I'll take some pictures. IIRC, it's possible to see out the vent around the eyeball, at least on the right side. I'll take pictures of both, and get them up on Wednesday. The joys of life in the country, peace, quiet and dial-up internet. Thankfully we have a T1 connection at work! Yesterday was awesome flying weather, but I didn't drive out on Saturday to shovel snow and plug in the oil heater. At breakfast time, it was 4ºF, so climb rate would have been absolutely nuts! More is coming tonight through Wednesday, so I'm parked for a while. It will be nice to at least visit her with the camera . . . Maybe next weekend (??) I can climb out in sub-freezing temps . . . Depends on how much shoveling is required from the hangar to the taxiway.

I have the airline eyeball-style vents on both sides up front, and the flat ceiling vents. Should I take some pictures??

But my 430W is placarded for IFR approaches, and the Brittain is coupled to it. It will fly a beautiful ILS, VOR or GPS approach, as long as I supply the vertical component. Otherwise, my beautiful approach pattern will be at whatever altitude I enter the approach at.

Mitch and Jolie-- I trained in my electric-gear C model, with a functioning PC system. A couple of times my CFII allowed me to use the Brittain heading bug, until she figured out it was controlling the direction of flight and not just a colored pointer on the DG. After that, I hand-flew everything in training, but never disabled the PC. I don't like pulling the button out of the yoke, and don't carry rubber bands, empty film cans, etc. DO keep some binder clips for holding the approach plates open, but keep them off the yoke. Neither CFII or DE complained that the plane trimmed up and flew straight and level . . . as long as I had the Accu-Trak and Accu-Flight turned off. The DE didn't ask me to demonstrate them coupled to the 430 for an approach, either, since he said it's "not a real auto pilot." [No altitude hold, no "approach" mode, no climb/descent rates, etc.] FYI, my checkride was last April. As an aside, I usually ignore the yoke button anyway. I don't make a whole lot of turns in cruise, and they're generally pretty shallow, often just a tweak of the heading bug. Around the VFR pattern, the resistance keeps me from overbanking, and since I'm used to flying that way, it's not much of a problem in holds, procedure turns, etc. Override is easy and natural, relax pressure and we level off, and I don't have to move my thumb. Can't press the override button and the push-to-talk at the same time, anyway . . .

Yep, that's them. I like to put them in the corners first, but on the six-foot-long belly pan, that's not enough of a start to hold the durn thing up. And with lots and lots of screws, I'd hate to have just one out of 52 not start and require a finger to wiggle something--that means removing several already-done screws, much easier with dzus. Both forearms are always sore after removing/installing the belly.

If I recall correctly, Bill Wheat's $4000 belly pan is carbon fiber [expensive material], and it attaches with those wonderful quarter-turn fasteners like hold on the cowl. My fiberglass belly pan is held on by 52 screws that have to be laboriously lined up and installed every annual. I have to support the belly pan, start a couple of screws at one end, a couple in the middle and a couple at the other end. Then I have to start the remaining screws, then go around again and tighten them up. That makes it easier to pull off and fix if one won't start . . . The voice of experience. Just remember to hook up the antenna wire first, as pulling the durn thing off to hook it up is discouraging. Having the quick fasteners sure would be nice. Now if I could just remember what they're called?

I have NO idea what just happened . . .

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our planes sure do look better than the funky white beast you're parked beside, too.

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our planes sure do look better than the

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our planes sure do look better than t

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our planes sure do look better t

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our planes sure do look

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our planes sure do

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our planes sure

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our planes s

Only 9 more gallons for an hour's flight? I could have made the round-trip for those 9 extra gallons. But then, my seats don't adjust up and down, either--I provide cushions for those desiring to adjust "up," and remove said cushions for those desiring to adjust "down." Our

Quote: RJBrown After owning a car who would prefer to ride the bus.

Much of Mooney's problems have come from the circus-train of owners over the past couple of decades. Mooneys used to be fast, efficient transportation. My elderly C can fly 300+ nm to the beach faster than most 182's on a third less fuel. I can beat a 172 to the beach by 15-20%, AND burn 10% less fuel. At some point, a non-aviation Mooney Corp. owner decided to toss it all, and chase speed at any cost, and they did it the same way that everyone else was doing it--put in the biggest engine that will fit on the airframe, with whatever extra support is required. Look at new planes: all of Mooney's competitors use the same engine [Cont IO-540/Io550's], roughly the same fuel flow [20-24 gph!], and roughly the same speed below the flight levels. what is left to differentiate them? The name plate; cool, modern composite design [that spreads itself out over a football field or two in an accident]; and man, this here parachute will get you out of trouble [sometimes]. This, combined with pre-modern-era assembly techniques, spells doom. If your only product differentiation is a 50+ year old design, all-metal construction and a funny tail, how many non-hardcore aviators are you going to attract? And no, that's not the demographic that's buying new Diamonds, Cirri and the used-to-be Columbias . . . Getting out of this bind will take management with experience in running modern manufacturing operations, dedicated engineers and a boatload of cash. With any luck, the new owners [wherever they may call home] will have enough of the latter to procure the former, and get things going again.

I bet those bare spots were a lot of fun . . .

Quote: fantom It's going to take deep spending cuts, higher taxes for all, and true self sacrifice to dig out of this hole we've dug for ourselves.

A friend has the 480/530 combo in a 75 F. Not sure what's behind the panel or how different it is from a J. It's a wonder to behold, and he loves it.

Reminds me of the Japanese buying the country up in the 90's, a situation that has since partially corrected itself.

It's amazing what flying a common roadtrip will do for the spouse. We took a Skyhawk to see my parents in less than a third of the driving time, and she was hooked. Then I let it be known that I was looking to buy a truck . . . The next thing I know she was encouraging me to buy the Mooney, because as she said, "she will get more use out of the plane than a truck." It helps that we can fly to her folks in 2-2½ versus 8-9 on the road . . . She is almost as ardent of a flier as I am, but much too intimidated by the studying to work on a PPL. And I'm content to keep putting around town in the old Honda, but sometimes a truck would be soooooo handy to have! Maybe in another three years . . .

I have a hard time getting the seat close enough to buckle the seatbelt around the yoke per my Owner's Manual, much less interfere.