Amelia

I jumped through the silly fake-security FRZ hoops many years ago, when this feel-good foolishness was first invented. Since then I‘ve flown into Hyde Field and College Park many times. These days I indulge myself with GAI’s extra 1400 feet of runway, or so, but CGS is ever so much better...except for its shortness. An easy walk to the Metro, good folk, and no busy ESL flight schools to work around. And it seems the best use of an instrument rating I know of, with pleasant ATC handholding the whole way. Thus satisfied, I haven’t bothered to figure out what this week’s latest missive is all about, but if you plan to fly vfr into the SFRA, it might be worth studying.

My favorite passenger is generally sound asleep before I finish the run up. He insists it is his reaction to being terrified. Yet he keeps claiming the right seat, even when there is no vacation at the other end.

A previous owner of my 20S installed a dock for a Garmin 796 on the right side of the panel. It is bright and easy to see, and the right-seater is welcome to pinch, zoom, pan, and play to his heart’s content. It is slaved to the panel-installed Garmin 650, so the flight plan is displayed. But I am entirely happy with the AspenPro in front of me, and the iPad mini on my yoke running FlyQ. Hardly ever feel the need for the copilot’s screen. I would use the Garmin 796 more, perhaps, if it received ADSB info from Stratus3, but when I learned how much big G wanted to even look at its own inop receiver, I gave up on the 796 for much more than passenger amusement.

Well, thank you all!! My face is red, and my problem is solved. Yes, I do, in fact have a checklist. I even used it, seems to me. But somehow, somewhen, grabbed a bag out of the back seat, and it never dawned on me to check on that switch. Dang.But at least I don’t have to send for a new motor. Now I know a new thing!! So, thank you all very, very much. (Now MImi slinks away in mortification.)

On our way to Thanksgiving holidays with our favorite granddaughter and her family. Airspeed’s alive. Gear up. Flaps up. Climbing to 6000. IFR plan activated. Level off. Hm. Slowwwww. Oh. Why’s the gear down? Gear up again? Not happening. Push circuit breaker and try again? Nope. So it was a leisurely flight to GAI , pulling power to keep the temps down. So, a golf cart full of mechanics met me.. promised to put the plane on jacks and see what can be done. A short conversation with my fine go-to-guy back home resulted in the prediction of a shot gear motor, can’t get one on short notice, bring it on home this weekend, and we’ll get to it next week. So, the mechanic at GAI will call me in the morning, presumably to say she can’t fix it, and we will go home at C172 speeds. Oof.

I watched a corporate entity restructuring, a relatively small healthcare group. The amount of secrecy, paranoia, outright lies on all sides was astonishing. Much firepower aimed at own feet. I was doing communications, writing news releases, and the like, and got stares of shocked disbelief when I asked if straightforward truth might serve them better. Everybody seemed so busy whispering, looking over shoulders to see who might be gaining on them, they couldn’t imagine just laying it all out there. As a result, morale was very low, and the mostly-false rumors made things, including patient care, much worse. Sigh. And these suits and bean counters were US. How much more corporate intrigue and circumlocution must there be in a Chinese-run organization, with cultural, political and language differences? boggle.

What a timely topic. As of last week, I now have 2.5 static wicks on my vertical stab. The top one just spontaneously broke in half. It is too tight to unscrew, even with vise grips. I might be able to convince it with enough WD-40 or something. All the others seem ok. I am half inclined to feign surprise. Oh, that’s not how the top one is supposed to look? I, um, didn’t notice it. The radios seem fine.

Welcome, You’ll love it! Fear not. You will get the hang of it. Ask your instructor to go over the numbers with you, so you will know how to fly a good, reliable traffic pattern, and get used to flying those numbers every.time. My transition instructor told me what setting to fly, when, and sure enough, it worked. If I fly like I cook, though, a little imprecise, I embarrass myself every time. And if you’re on short final high and fast, ain’t no shame in goin’ around. At least that’s how I heard it..

i decided I was done flying a few years back. Then had four or five successive hellish domestic airline flights. Molested by TSA, tiny multitool stolen by same, seated between two very obese armrest hogs, luggage rifled, flights delayed for hours. A flight I could have completed door to door by Mooney in five hours took 17 on United. Arggh. So I went and bought the Beastie, a Screaming Eagle, for my 70th birthday. Still loving it, marveling at its comfort, speed, stability, and all, but I’m fully aware that it isn’t my long-term travel solution. Sigh... As for running, I didn’t willingly do that when I was a teenager.. Nowadays, if you ever see me running, please shoot the guy behind me.

I loved my 1980 231’s eager climb from sea level right on up to the high teens, which made climbing over weather, bumps, and mountains very quick. Liked built-in O2, but refills were a pita. The turbo took management, easing the throttle in on takeoff, messing with cowl flaps, watching CHTs, and so forth. I live at 7 feet MSL, and it turned out that taking headwinds into account, most of my flying over the years didn’t take advantage of the turbocharger’s skills. I now have a 1999 M20S Screaming Eagle, and like the long body very much. Lots of leg room, baggage space, plenty of useful load, and 7+ hours of fuel. Found I really didn’t much miss the turbo on a recent trip from NC’s Atlantic Ocean to Oregon’s Pacific, as lower routes were fine even through the Rockies and Cascades. The plane seems very happy at 12,500’.. Book says it’ll go to 20K, though. Haven’t tried that.There’s plenty of power for high DAs, though, and the simplicity of flying this poor girl’s Ovation is astonishing. Just firewall the throttle and aim the pointy end up. No cowl flaps, no temperature worries, decent panel. I happy!

I bet Dan is the most popular pilot at the airport, the most sought-after guest at every dinner party, and a real.credit to his community, so generous is he with wise counsel and kind thoughts. We Southerners have a sentiment that fits:” Bless his heart.”

“As for meeting people I'm always for it. All they have to do is send an invitation and after speaking on the phone and finding common grounds I make my mind up.” Yeah...Whatever. :sigh:

Dan, I hope you’ll venture across those bridges into the wilds of NJ and meet Anthony. He is a totally great guy, with a wealth of Mooney knowledge. Your life will be enriched simply by shaking the man’s hand. I believe the proper term is “mensch.” Most of the barbs you’ll find here and on other forums are just for fun, not meant as personal attacks. Of course, my visits to NYC, while interesting and entertaining, have been notable for the cultural differences. The one time all hostility and rudeness seemed to vanish was the week we spent deployed with the South Carolina State Guard in November, 2001, to St. Paul’s Chapel. We served hot meals 24/7 to workers at Ground Zero, and NYC was transformed into a place of welcome and decency.. The whole city. No vulgarity other than the still-smoking pit behind us. Just gratitude and welcome. I’ve been back since. It didn’t last, but that image of a people shocked into a common humanity is the one I hold onto.

I actually replied to your kind invitation to fly to New York so you could peer at my airplane. , (see far, far above). Didn’t realize it was a summons. Our calendar is fairly booked for a couple of very old people, but I’ll keep it in mind, in case life in our beautiful, peaceful and genteel, but backwards little swamp gets boring.

You can always tell a New Yorker, but you can’t tell him much! Or something like that.

What a nice offer! I've never been to FRG, and any excuse to turn dinosaurs into noise is tempting. Likewise, lovely little Edenton KEDE is right on your way to south FL. Feel free to stop for fuel, lunch, and a peek inside my hangar if you like. I just mentioned it to perhaps broaden your type search. My Beastie doesnt have near as many bells and whistles as you want, but I've found there are enough to keep this dear ol' bat challenged learning/remembering how to use them all. Every long flight reveals new tricks, it seems. And I'd transitioned from a fairly well equipped Mooney I'd owned for decades. Years ago, I asked a sharp CEO how long it took her, a very competent instrument pilot, how long it took her to transition from her round-gauge C182RG to her brand new Mooney Ovation, I think it was. She underwent the week-long new-Mooney course, and recalled coming home physically exhausted and mentally shattered the first three days with that snazzy glass panel, stuffed with information, and feared it would never become second nature. Then the fourth intense morning she woke up to realize it all had snapped together overnight like magic. There's a surprising amount to soak up. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

You’re right, Dan. Finding one already equipped the way you want it is a huge time and money saver. Just don’t waste too much of the flying time you have left waiting until the time, the money, and every aspect of the ideal airplane to line up exactly right! Also, you might consider beginning the bookwork now for your instrument rating, so that you can have the test and the rudiments already out of the way when you’re ready to buy that perfect Ovation. An IFR clearance sure does grease the skids flying through big city airspace, even if there’s not a cloud within 500 miles.

You’re right, Dan. Finding one already equipped the way you want it is a huge time and money saver. Just don’t waste too much of the flying time you have left waiting until the time, the money, and every aspect of the ideal airplane to line up exactly right! Also, you might consider beginning the bookwork now for your instrument rating, so that you can have the test and the rudiments already out of the way when you’re ready to buy that perfect Ovation. An IFR clearance sure does grease the skids flying through big city airspace, even if there’s not a cloud within 500 miles.

My wee town makes a fine XC destination, and there’s a beautiful J in the hangar right next to my S. If you decide to take aim for KEDE some glorious weekend, holler, and I’ll ask its owner to show it off.

Hi, Dan, You might want to add a Mooney20S to your list. I was in the market to replace the beloved 20K that broke. Kissed a lot of flying frogs, as it were. Then I met this charming Screaming Eagle, and fell in love at first sight. Oh, that WOT roar of power, that astonishing climb rate! It occurred to me that living at FL0.0, I really didn’t need the turbo very often, anyway. So, long-body story short,, I bought it as grandmama’s 70th birthday present to herself, learned to appreciate its relative simplicity, stability, interior space, useful load,and capability. Speed? Yep, it’ll do that, but I’m usually content at 9 gph and 168 kts LOP.. Some previous owners with exquisite taste had already upgraded the interior, panel, engine rating and prop, so all I had to do was fly! It has whisked us all over the country so far, from coastal Carolina to Oregon and Calif, over Rockies and all. The instrument rating has been a huge blessing, as thick smoke from widespread western wildfires was as much a non-issue as our east coast low thin overcasts and bumpy cu are. It’s so nice, smooth and cool on top. Of course I have a wish list, but FIKI really isn’t on it. I promised my Creator solemnly years ago I’d never ever get myself in ice again... twice. Fortunately, these are extraordinary airplanes. Enjoy your shopping.

I spent some of the best years, and now summer weeks, in Pensacola. Prettiest beaches anywhere, lovely rivers for kayaking and canoeing, fine sailing, excellent restaurants, fun nightlife, good wreck diving, outstanding deep sea fishing, and so much more. I’ve lived in a number of places all around the US, and Pensacola remains in my top two. My brother, a C182 driver who lives just one county west of Pensacola, likes Mapoles Aviation, on a nice grass strip near Pace, north of Pensacola. He just had his prop balanced and ADS -b installed there for a reasonable price. 850-994-7729. He and I both think very well of Don Ford, at Aerohead Aviation, KMOB. He is meticulous, straightforward to the point of brutal honesty. 251-604-7804. He has dug me, a transient visiting family, out of several tight spots with good cheer and kindness. “He won’t be the cheapest annual, because he won’t let things slide,” says my brother.. Good luck! Hope you have as good a time in Pensacola as I always have.

Hi, Sheree, my seat on the Eagle was all the way forward. I’m not sure, tbh, that it wasn’t one notch forward of the real track holes. All the way, in any case. I flew it like that for two years, and had no trouble reaching the fuel selector like that. Same with my old 20K, fuel selector was reachable from full forward seat position. I installed the 1.5” pedals on the 231, and when I got the Eagle, I thought those lovely articulating seats would do the job without help. Then decided at this annual to go ahead and splurge on the 3” ones. Much more comfortable a notch or two aft, but have now felt the need to drag out my old Oregon Aero 2” seat cushion for better over-the-nose visibility. Between the two, life is good. I can now both see over the glare shield and flare without running the yoke into my tummy. But dang, I’m still annoyed at the price.For that, it should have come assembled.

I’m very pleased with the 3” pedal extensions in my 20S. Brand new, way overpriced from the factory for $10 worth of bolts and miscellany, not including the fiddly install learning curve, but so nice to sit back a couple of notches from the panel like an actual grown-up.. Haven’t noticed the brake problem, but having flat-spotted a tire in the past, I’m pretty ginger using them anyway.

Such fine offers of hospitality. Tempting!.I do so love a party. Trying to persuade Our Hero that standing on the end of the dock with arms outstretched commandingly to the southeast may not have the hoped-for effect. ScottD, keep those words of wisdom coming. Thanks!

I’d offer bedrooms and hangar space in lovely little Edenton, NC, but now Scott D has me worried. Maybe I’ll need to double the docklines and look for a hidey hole to fly out to myself. Offer of coastal B&B stands, whether we chicken out or not.