Hank

Why use the pump when changing tanks? It only takes a couple of seconds to move the switch. Never ran the pump, never thought about it, never had a burble or cough.

Takeoff speed doesn't change with flaps unless you like to takeoff at stall speed. My Owners Manual says rotate at 65-75 mph, with flaps at Takeoff or as desired. Stall speed varies from 54-64 mph depending on weight, configuration, etc. Flaps up, rotate ~70 mph, positive rate gear up, accelerate to Vx, climb over the trees, accelerate to Vy. Hold that to cruise altitude, CHT permitting. One change to make after throttle forward: gear up. Pitch for speed & trim as desired. Much less pitch change than taking off with flaps. Works well at my 3000' long home field.

828 is a North Carolina phone number.

My home field is 3000' with trees at both ends. My normal takeoff is Flaps UP, unless I'm heavy. Sometimes I still use Takeoff Flaps when leaving long [5000 or more] runways when heavy just from habit. "Heavy" meaning 4 adults, or loaded with the wife for vacation, not just an overnight trip. When I visit a nearby 2000' grass strip, I never go in or out heavy, and I use Takeoff Flaps. As noted above, the transition from ground to air is pretty seamless, smooth, with good authority.

But what about when coming in to land with high DA? Surely I don't need to try to find peak EGT in the pattern and richen up 150º or so? P.S.--my mixture, like prop and throttle, are levers on a quadrant, they don't turn. I already keep MP and EGT near cruise settings during descent. The day I went to KRAP I flew at 8500 msl; KRAP is ~3800 msl, calling DA of 6800'. Where do I put the mixture to land? No injectors, either--just an O-360 that I taxi leaned 50-60% back.

The "Target EGT" method uses EGT in flight, so do the pre-departure leaning at full throttle. Then occasionally lean it back during climb, to maintain your target value. The target value for your plane may or may not match that of any other plane. To determine your target EGT value, depart close to sea level on a day very close to ISO standard, and observe your EGT on initial climbout. THAT is your target value. At least this is my understanding of the process. So I guess I answered my own question--when landing with high DA, lean for my target EGT and I'll be go-around-ready if needed.

Where do you put the mixture for a go-around at altitude? I've never done one, but was startled into thinking about it flying into Rapid City when they were calling DA of 6800'. Seems the ATIS broadcast said something about leaning for maximum performance according to your POH, too. But it made me wonder--as I'm flying in, how do I do that? I know how to do it on the ground before departure. Departing the next morning, DA was not an issue, and I don't remember how I leaned; probably for max RPM while standing on the brakes.

Congratulations, Rob! AVL is beautiful when you can see it. Don't be intimidated coming down through the clouds and seeing hilltops poking up. My parents live near there, and my wife has some great shots of Biltmore House as we've gone past on nice days. Don't worry about hours, get the procedures down pat! It's a sobering thought the first time you enter a cloud by yourself--can't just take off the foggles for VFR conditions, and there's no instructor to help or remind you if you're forgetting something.

I've been wearing brown sunglasses ever since I stumbled onto Ray Ban driving glasses! Wonderful! Brown polarized is even better. Never had a problem seeing anything in the car or in the plane, but I have steam gages. There was a digital clock I recently could see better without them, but I was at a pretty shallow angle--it was way off to the right but only a little ahead. So in twenty years, there has been one LCD clock that was a problem. Don't need to worry about how thick the arms are anymore, since I now wear a Halo headset. Wear what is comfortable, get driving glasses, polarized or not. I swear by polarized brown, some people sweat at them.

In my C, I push everything forward for takeoff, and leave it there as I climb unless going above ~7500; then I will lean a little in the climb, watching EGT. If I forget to lean, it will be about 1100º at ~9000 msl, so I'll pull it back a little [target 1200-1250]. "Climb power" is max power, anything less and I won't climb near as well. If high, I generally run 2500 RPM; if low, 2300; in between, 2400; I use the charts in my Owner's Manual to determine the changeover. Generally 4000-6000/6500 is 2400 RPM. I pull the power back [MP + RPM = 47 or less] accordingly. When nice and high and OK to run WOT, I still pull back enough to make the MP needle move then set 2500 and lean away. My wife can spot "rough" before I notice the needle is peaking, and push it forward a little bit. My goal is to create non-laminar flow in the carb for better atomization and mixing; turbulent flow is even better, but WOT will not do either. When descending, I establish 500 fpm, trim down, and as MP and EGT increase in the descent I periodically pull them back to whatever my cruise settings were. For step-downs, after leveling off I will reset as above and maintain those values for the next "down" portion. So far, it's been five very good years.

Amazing! I run up to the FAF at 90 knots with takeoff flaps already down, and dropping my gear 1½ dots high will send me down the glideslope still at 90 knots without touching anything else. I can't imagine losing 30 knots just from the gear, there's just not that much drag. Then you have to initiate a descent, too. Oh, wait, you have an extra door on each wheel . . . I'm a firm believer in the KISS principle. Establish desired speed [90 knots at the FAF, or a little less to drop your flaps at 100 mph], drop gear to start descent. Maybe you can do it the other way around, establish level flight with your gear down and use flaps to control descent? Talk through it with your II, go fly some to see how it handles and what it feels like, find something that works for you and your plane, and write it down! That way you won't forget, and you can look at it if you don't do it for a while. For my C: 90 knots clean, ~16"/2300 90 knots, approach flaps ~18"/2300 drop gear, descend glideslope at 90 knots I forget the rest, it's on my kneeboard.

It goes with the homemade bat laying across the engine mount!

Guess flap speed changed between 65 and 70! My Vfe is 125 mph, gear is 120. She handles pretty well at 90 knots/105 mph with approach flaps down, ~18"/2300 to stay level, drop the gear 1½ dots high and be on-slope by the time it centers. 105 with flaps up is a little less comfortable for me, but you are probably there in the pattern when VFR. The day ATC asks me to maintain 160 knots is the day I will have no choice but answer "unable!" I have, though, been asked to reduce speed for traffic; more often, going into Class C, they will ask me to keep my speed up. That happened on my Instrument checkride as I was coming in on ILS, 8-9 miles out at 90 knots. I asked the DPE if I should speed up, he said something like "Sure, let's see what you can do." Flaps up, throttle forward, and down the glideslope at 140 mph; the difficult part was slowing back down to Vfe and not blowing the approach, but managed a nice touch-n-go, shot the missed and started on the next approach.

Gary-- In my C, I flew with someone to take notes, and wrote down MP/RPM combinations for the following: 90 knots, clean [mushy, I don't like it] 90 knots, Takeoff flaps, gear up, level 90 knots, Takeoff flaps, gear up, 500 fpm descent 90 knots, Takeoff flaps, gear down, level 90 knots, Takeoff flaps, gear down, 500 fpm descent These formed my starting point, and 90 knots was a good training speed for me. It is not one that I get to fly real approaches at very often, at least outside the FAF. I'm also a big fan of the MAPA PPP numbers approach. I like to be right at the top of the white arc by the IAF, and most approach altitudes around here are low [3000-4000 msl], so I generally reduce prop to 2300 RPM and set speed with throttle. Coming out of a power-on descent, it takes a couple or three miles to slow down; I often indicate 160+ mph at 500 fpm maintaining cruise MP and EGT during descent. 120-125 flaps up is a good speed for procedure turns, 6-mile legs on GPS T-patterns, etc. It will also help fit in with other traffic. But I learned at 105 mph [=90 knots], which helped my head not get left too far behind. Somewhere before the IAF, set power for 90 knots and drop approach flaps. This may be two steps depending on your speed--reduce power, decelerate, drop flaps, add power to hold altitude. You will need to do more experimenting to determine exactly when to drop the gear. For me, inbound at 105 mph with approach flaps, speed constant, altitude level, I have to drop the gear 1½ dots high to descend on the glide slope without touching anything else. Most airports with approaches are long enough that approach flaps are all I need to land. At home, 3000' long with trees at the end, I set approach flaps on downwind and adjust as needed on final, so it's a normal attitude and view when I break out of the clouds/foggles and can see the runway. At that point, it's just a normal, everyday, VFR landing. Note that with our vintage birds, you will become fluent in mph/knots [90 knots = 105 mph; 105 knots = 120 mph]. I also use "approach" flaps and "takeoff" flaps interchangeably, although the indicator is labeled "Up," "Takeoff" and "Down." Learn the procedures at 90 knots for timing. Once you have the procedures down and can keep both needles centered, try flying a little faster, but be down to 90 knots by the FAF. Learn your power settings for clean, flaps only and flaps/gear for straight-and-level and for 500 fpm descent. Then you will be armed to really start learning! Yes, I still keep those power setting notes on my kneeboard, and look at them every now and then.

Good point! Unless the N-number has been changed, you can verify this by searching both the NTSB Accident database, and the FAA Incident database. The gear up my plane experienced was an incident, it took me a while to find it because I didn't know they were recorded separately from Accidents. The difference is spelled out in the FARs, and a simple gear up on asphalt/concrete without hitting anything else is an incident. Yes, I knew it had happened but wanted to read about it anyway, and I still bought the plane. Flies great!

Lots of different thoughts about DH, repairs vs. replacement, pricing and desirability. Old gear-ups should not be an issue; more recent may decrease pricing; either should be acceptable with proper repairs [recorded in the logbook, and inspected during Pre-Purchase]. Finding evidence of work on the airframe and not in the logs would make me run away, after beating whatever deposits I had paid out of the seller if necessary.

You'll need to saw off the door to get out of mine in the air, assuming you can't fit through a 2" wide gap. . . .

Yours certainly sounds slow. People ask if my 3-blade recovers slow, but I have nothing to compare it against. Other pilots have told me from the right seat that it responds about the same. Maybe your governor filter screen is clogged? Check it at annual?

Search for George Perry's excellent thread on what to look for before purchasing a Vintage Mooney. Lots and lots of detail. Personally, a properly-repaired gear up wouldn't scare me away. My plane had one 4 years before I bought it. Visit Jimmy Garrison's site for a valuation app, or look for the Mooney Newsletter that has a link to it. There's nothing like a low-time engine, new prop, one-piece belly, etc. Condition is everything! Maintenance history and status. You don't want a hangar queen, 40 years old with 2000 TTAF as that would be 50 hours a year. Guaranteed that in the 60s and 70s it flew twice that or more, so there are lots of years with no flying. The immediate three-year use and maintenance history is the most important to me, as that will give you a good idea of how well everything should work. Ten hours a year and one-day annuals are really bad for good airplanes.

The first-time delay on mine is usually just a second or two. If she has sat a long time in the winter, or if it is really cold, it may extend 3-5 seconds. The second time is usually normal. If it is still slow [usually only in the winter], I will cycle it again to achieve a normal response. My Owner's Manual says: 9. Propeller--CYCLE and CHECK at 1700 RPM. 10. Magnetos--CHECK at 1700 RPM.

Gotta love a Mooney! The site is having picture problems, Craig will be moving to a new host with plenty of space soon. We're all waiting to see your new ride!

I frequently get an error on my phone, but can scroll down and click on a recent topic. From there, the Forum button works. Unless you're having a different problem?

Hey, wait a minute! I got my wings before I got my Halo. Does that mean anything? Hope everyone has a great Summit. My baby is in annual right now, plus new tires, tubes and carb OH. With any luck, nothing else will turn up.

Cris, Where did you read the crosswind limit? There's no mention in my Owner's Manual of things like demonstrated crosswind, ceilings, etc., and I don't recall reading them in the Type Cert.

I thought J's were acceptable on grass if you took off the lower gear door. My C doesn't have a problem with grass fields if they are maintained half decent. I just avoid wet turf fields because it's so difficult to remove grass and mud from the belly and wheel wells, unlike high-wing planes. Wiping the green stain off the prop isn't much of a problem either.