Hank

Ah, the blessings and comfort of an O-360. Also provides the magical ability to ignore the recurring and lengthy ROP v LOP debates . . . :-)

Nick-- I'm no A&P, but when you deflect the ailerons there is some rudder movement. No, not as much as in a Navion. Try some turns with your feet flat on the floor, then repeat again with rudder input. Normal in-flight turns, course corrections, etc., require very little rudder [if any] in my C. If you give manual rudder input, the total travel should be the same as in a plane without the interconnect, as it will give some input--you will just have to give it "more" for steep turns, etc. Like the PC system, this is a safety thing and a stabilization thing. Yes, I use rudder in the pattern; no, I don't hold down the PC disconnect, I just override it. The rudder inputs I give just add to the amount the plane puts in by itself.

I was stressed FLYING my story. But Plan B and Plan C were both ready. It was smooth as silk crossing the mountains at 11,000, but that ended abruptly descending through 6500. Field elevation is 567 msl, and the wings didn't stop rocking until the nosewheel hit. Immediate braking and flaps up, and the rollout was very short. I HATE gusts during flare, as I must have flared four times, adding power when the gusts hit. KHTW was just 4 nm away with over twice the runway and open approaches, but a larger crosswind component; and I actually had two downwind options with decent winds, the biggest being KPTI. Sure, it's a ways off, normally about 90 minutes but with the tailwinds well inside my available fuel. On the other hand, reading about Ken getting bounced around in his cabin stressed me out! That sounds to me like SEVERE turbulence!! Not a place I want to be, but sometimes our hands are forced. Brief beforehand so you are not surprised, know your limits, know your options, and always have Plan B thought out in advance. Fortunately that sort of turbulence is rare here, but seems to afflict our Western brethren much more often. My first bout with extended in-flight turbulence was flying across WY at 8500' and falling off of SLC's radar for about an hour. Sometimes the price you pay for going where you want to is more than the just the fuel.

Ken-- I'm glad to hear that you and your marvelous F are OK. Weather happens sometimes--I had the pleasure of 70 knot headwinds coming home last week, descending through 6000' of moderate turbulence to land on my 3000' obstructed home field, Rwy 26, with the wind 230V290 @ 20G27 in the ten minutes prior to my landing. It was not a fun ride, but my wife did not complain and my C handled it well. Congratulations on having Plan B ready to execute. Days like that require Plan B to be loaded, with Plan C in the works.

When I bought 50% of my C, I had 62 Cessna hours in my logbook, with no ratings or endorsements of any kind other than my still-damp Temporary PPL certificate. Insurance required 15 hrs with my CFII partner, including 5 hours IMC. The first year I put in 100 hours, and 2nd year insurance was much more reasonable. Several companies refused to write insurance for me, even as an owner. Work with a good broker and find the best deal.

You are right, I am looking to add wig-wag flashers to my wingtips. With the 201-style wingtips, there is only a small recess to put them in, and it will need to be a combination with the navigation light. Whelen said they will have an LED version out "soon,"once they come up with a strong enough system. You must be talking about the cover-melting recognition lights that my short-body doesn't have.

Dave-- I just inherited an original iPad, and need advice on both aviation apps [thanks for the WingX thing--I was thinking about ForeFlight] and general operation for the cockpit. Anything you can PM or email would be great! Note that I live in a high-spped-internet-challenged area. Nothing like mountains, small populations and high poverty rates to reduce availability.

While you're in Mississippi, you may want to look up the Quiet Technologies people. I bought their Halo lightweight headset at Christmas, and love it! They're on sale again now . . . 10% off. Too bad I don't have any financial interest in the good Doctor's company.

I saw some interesting options at SNF, if I flew an experimental. The Whelen guys said they are anticipating an LED that will fit the wingtip recess in another year or two. In the meantime, I don't want to put in the big, powerful blinkers with individual power supplies, since my VOR antennas are inside the tips. Too much interference. So I am trying to feel content with the LED belly strobe I've got on order since my Whelen power supply only puts out voltage on a variable, irregular pattern. I'll submit a pirep about the install when it arrives, hopefully in another week or two.

Quote: aerobat95 Today was supposed to be a nice 3 hour flight from wichita to Columbus, MS. Unfortunately there was a line of sever thunderstorms in the way. Now I am stuck on a 12 hour drive.....I really hate driving.

The easiest way to line up a 36' wingspan to fit through a 40' door is to extend a centerline outside the door roughly the length of your airplane. Paint lasts a long time; 2" yellow tape is good for a short time. My hangar floor has short pieces of tape, 18-24" long, that align approximately on each tire location, because there are two of us sharing a box hangar, parked at angles. Other than that, put into the hangar whatever you use/need to work on your plane, just nothing very tall. Maybe a tall corner cabinet for in the back. Don't forget a chair to sit in, and a stool to stand on.

The easiest way to line up a 36' wingspan to fit through a 40' door is to extend a centerline outside the door roughly the length of your airplane. Paint lasts a long time; 2" yellow tape is good for a short time. My hangar floor has short pieces of tape, 18-24" long, that align approximately on each tire location, because there are two of us sharing a box hangar, parked at angles. Other than that, put into the hangar whatever you use/need to work on your plane, just nothing very tall. Maybe a tall corner cabinet for in the back.

I have no dog in this fight, but I also don't see the need for VGs on my Mooney. It's taken the wife and I, with full fuel, in and out of a nearby 2000' grass strip without a problem. It's a C-model, too. Any short-body should be able to do this, and probably most of the mid-bodies, just watch out for the heavy noses and high gross weights on some. And no, I won't go there heavy, or even with 4 people and half tanks.

Scott-- My cheapies were from Harbor Freight, I believe $1.99 each. The good, sturdy looking set without leash-attaching rings was purchases from the trailer at Aircraft Camping Registration for $25, which is also their [refundable] rental fee for Sun-n-Fun. But they looked so good, and came with both rope and a piece of PVC pipe to screw them into the ground, that I rounded up to $30 and still feel I came out ahead. Yes, Scott, you just bought what I am disposing of . . .

Quote: DaV8or The only thing that seems to teach people sometimes is to hit them in the pocketbook.

Seems like the bad weather is following me! Got home from SNF on Sunday, and had rain on Monday so hard that I couldn't see across the river while driving home from work. Winds were much milder, though, just in the 30s. At SNF, I tied down with my travel buddy's screw-in tie down set that he had bought at Oshkosh a couple of years ago. Seems his cheap dog-style tie downs broke while screwing them into the ground. The break was right where the 4-way-crimp is put on the shaft to keep the ring from sliding off. We decided to use his good ones instead of my cheap ones, and it proved fortuitous. The plane stayed put! All the other planes at GAC camping at the approach end of Rwy 9 did not; some of the loose planes used Claws, some used screw-ins. Makes me think it was a function of aircraft design [more high wings blew away, but so did some low-wings], possibly how tight the ropes were [slack would let the aircraft bounce up and down, putting extra stress on the soil] and how saturated the soil was where the tie downs were. There was significant pooling all over the field, but of course not uniform flooding. Before we left, I ran over and bought a set. See the photos for comparison. The dog tie-out is longer, the material is thinner, and there is a stress concentration put on the shaft where it was crimped to hold the ring for the dog's lead. The EAA set on the left is much thicker [see Photo #2], has a tighter spiral for better grip, and a shorter non-spiral section to minimize pulling [torque = force x distance]. My old set is now leaving the hangar. Anybody have a big dog? My 8-pounder is far too small to use these on.

I've had great luck with Mother's Aluminum Polish from the nearest auto parts store, big-box retailer, etc. Small jar [~3 or 4 oz], and from the little I've used the last four years, it's a lifetime supply if only polishing the spinner. Just have some good soap handy, and lots of clean cloths--polishing any metal with any decent polish will quickly turn the rags and your fingers black.

See the attached photo for a quick shot of the air camping lot at the approach end of Rwy 9. Several high wings blew around, and the Bo that is turned sideways had two tail tiedowns, one Claw and one screw-type. Both tail tiedowns and the left wing came out, turning the plane just over 90º to the right. Not sure what the high-wing planes that did 180º turns were using. Many display aircraft at center field had Claws on Wednesday, as a storm was predicted for the afternoon that never really materialized. But then again, nothing is tornado-proof . . .

I'll take some comparative photos tonight of my new EAA and old dog-style screw-ins.

The Instrument Rating will significantly improve two things: the number of planned flights that you complete, and your overall flying ability. I shot an ILS approach going to SNF last Tuesday at a towered field, but Jax Center wouldn't turn me over to the tower until I was nearly at the FAF inbound. Could not understand it . . . until talking to the Airport Manager on the ground. He came out to over-ride the pump for a 50¢ per gallon discount for SNF attendees. The tower is part of the nearby Aviation College [Middle Georgia College], is part-time and does not have radar. So expect the unexpected. I entered the clouds at 5500 msl, went through several thin layers, and flew most of the approach in IMC, breaking out at 1200 msl [900 agl], my lowest approach so far. So practice, practice, practice! My buddy travelling with me is not rated, and it was his first-ever approach in actual [though he has many as safety pilot]. Having your passengers' trust, and their lives in your hands, is an awesome responsibility, so study hard, develop a good scan and stay current! That last part, I'm finding out, is not so easy . . .

Hey, guys. Last week at Rain-N-Fun was exciting. I watched from inside a hangar as the sky turned black, rain turned to hail, all precipitation and some vendor tents blew sideways. Could not get to my plane tied down at the approach end of Rwy 9 due to trees down on power lines right at the gate. Much water fell the rest of the day. Many trees, branches and tents were down. What amazed me was how quickly the show got put back together. Being my first ever big fly-in, I have nothing to compare it to. The weather going down was poor, with widespread low IFR from the mountains in western NC all the way to south of Ocala, FL, with a break about 60 miles wide roughly around Atlanta. My fuel stop at Heart of Georgia airport south of Dublin had 900' ceilings when I landed just after lunch on Tuesday, so many VFR pilots could not attend prior to the storm. Friday, Sat & Sunday were beautiful! My plane and tent survived unscathed, and a half-full plastic water bottle on a folding table nearby did not even blow over. But the Skyhawk parked on my right wingtip pivoted about its right tiedown and landed upside down and backwards on the beautiful V-tailed Bonanza parked to its right, with the leading edge through the windshield. All I had was water deep enough to get on top of the groundcloth of the tent and make things damp, but some rope and a few trees let things get dry. Damage was widespread in the central part of the airport, and many display aircraft are gone. I only saw limited damage in aircraft parking areas. The entire Zenith Air display [6 aircraft] were totalled, and a Husky on floats ended up on its side, with the down wing bent in two places. I tied down using my fellow travellers screw-in tiedowns purchased at Oshkosh a couple of years ago. The one on the tail leaned forward about 2" due to saturated soil and westerly winds hitting the plane, which faced east. Many "Claw" tiedowns pulled loose from the saturated sand; this is what many of the display aircraft used. I now own a set of the fine EAA screw-ins myself, and my dog-style screws are reverting to pet use only. At least two planes had prop strikes in my parking/camping area: a 182 taxied in Friday morning, buried the nosewheel and stopped with a thud and much flying mud--I saw and heard it. Disheartening is not the right word, these people were arriving for the show and following ground crew instructions. I missed a wedding Saturday evening because the ground around my plane was still squishy, with visible water appearing at each step; I heard on Sunday that a fellow Mooniac two rows away tried to taxi out and depart on Saturday and also had a prop strike. My Sunday 1030 departure was uneventful, other than passing a biplane on initial climb <500' then being passed by a Pitts at 1500'. One never knows what will happen, and staying in bed will not eliminate risk from your life. My heart goes out to those whose planes, cars, tents, trailers, booths, equipment and merchandise were damaged or destroyed, but thankfully there were only a handful of minor injuries. Two funnel clouds came through a crowded airport with hundreds of planes and thousands of people, thousands of tents and campers, and no one was killed. That alone is enough to be thankful for.

Getting a case of spatial disorientation during training is a good thing! Now you know what it feels like, and what to watch for. It happened to me with my CFII in actual, rolling outbound into the procedure turn for a VOR approach. Silly me, I forgot to slow down, hit the turn still at cruise, felt all kinds of funny, and fell out the bottom of the clouds. Recovered, climbed back in, slowed down and completed an otherwise acceptable approach. "Learning moments" must be accepted when they happen. You had yours, now hold on to the lesson. Mitch's turn will come soon enough.

Here's a shot of my ASI in level cruise at 10,000 msl. It's a 1970 C-model, mph in big numbers and knots in little numbers on the inner ring. I'd have to look close to compare against your chart, but that's not possible while writing a reply.

Quote: N601RX My brother and I both got our licesne in a cessnal 150 that we owned. After getting our license we sold it and got our money back, actually all of it. We then brought a Mooney as low time private pilots. The insurance company made us both get 15 more hrs of dual time with a CFI who had at least 30 hrs of Mooney time. The also made us fly 10 additional hours Solo before taking passengers up. The insurance company only said we have to have 15hrs of dual, so most of those 15 hrs can be geared toward IFR time. The Mooney is going to have a higher operating cost (fuel, annual, insurance) that a small cessna or cherokee, so one thought would be find a good deal on a Cessna or Cherokee that is in good condition and is not going to need any work in the next couple of years. Buy it, get your license and sell it. It beats renting and may make more financial sense also.

I am part of the many pilots with a 430 and no "touch screen need" but a strong weather display desire. Yes, I have a stormscope but would like better. Thus, I "need" the $1799 + shipping + tax Aera, or a used-but-bulky 396/496 or something else. As I understand it, the Aera does not have all of the extra wires, antenna, etc., that the x96 and competition have. Is there anything else compact and neat?