Amelia

I’ve done the Fisk Arrival several times. :yikes: I participated in the very early Mooney mass arrival once, (swore never again) and the Mooney formation mass arrival several years ago, and despite my lack of expertise or fighter pilot quals, found the training, support, and the seriousness of purpose to be excellent. Never did I risk bumping into anyone, mirabile dictu. My take away is that under the most carefully controlled laboratory conditions, “stuff” happens. Furthermore, nobody got hurt. Those involved probably were terribly chagrined, so why continue to rub it in? We have all had stuff happen, even our most expert, I dare say. The job now is to calmly and openly talk about how to even further minimize risks going forward.

That sounds like fun! I’d like to be there Friday and Saturday, weather and schedule permitting.

There are ways to mitigate the fixed costs, chief among them the acquisition of a very good partner. or two. I was fortunate to join wonderful partners in my first Mooney, whose kindness and expertise made the transition from my C172 much easier. They weren’t flying enough to make it worth having, and I would. Of course, there must be a written agreement about costs, payment, philosophy, scheduling, and the like. It was right there in black and white, no deferred mx, and it would be IFR current. So would all pilots. Tanks would be topped off, any squawks logged and promptly reported to the scheduler. Long trips had priority over local ones. These days, with software to track and schedule, it would be very easy. IF you found compatible and responsible partners, that is.

I’ve done the Fisk Arrival three times. One, the first time in a new-to-me Mooney, was a hoot. There was a hold over the lake, and I entered it without drama, slowed down for the 172 ahead, All was well until a Champ shoehorned in ahead of me at maybe 65mph. Maybe WOT for him, I figured, but scary slow for me. As my stall horn began to squeak, I lowered the gear. Then 10 degrees of flaps. Slower. Faster. Slower. Champ swooped up and down, s-turns. On the arrival, finally, ATC encouraged the Champ to speed it up. Up with the gear. The rest of the arrival was untraumatic, landmarks clear, ATC professional and friendly., orange dot right under my wheels. Whew. Next time it was IFR into Fond du Lac. Time after that it was back into the circus that was Fisk, comparatively orderly, but muddy grass made the trip to N40 a little tense. So, being a total neophyte to formation flying, I was worried about joining the Caravan, a previous experience having been like being the last kid in a game of crack the whip. Boy, had they upped their game in the last decade or so. Very professional, excellent safety information, and even an experienced, and courageous military pilot to ride right-seat to keep me from screwing up. It was an excellent experience, one I highly recommend. Breakfast. Tent with chargers. Such warm, friendly fellow Mooniacs. Funny people. Parties. I hope to do it again someday...portapotties notwithstanding.

Wish I could have met her. She must’ve been quite a character.

Just fwiw, I want you all to know, Amelia doesn't sleep while flying, even when somebody else has the controls. She also doesn’t snore... What a beautiful airplane!

Obviously, with a Bravo at the end, something with a B might work. It was The Beast, for a while, as I tried to learn how to tame it.. Now I’m leaning toward The Broomstick. The last, an M20K, was named by my children, after their favorite Dr. Seuss book for toddlers. Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please GO Now.

2 altimeters... Segal’s Law:... “the man with one watch knows what time it is. The man with two watches is never sure.”

What's the post-hurricane housing situation this year? Nearest hotels, condos, President's Club, etc..? Thanks!

Harrumph... I logged 40+ years and several thousand Mooney hours without an AoA indicator, and Cessnas before that. Raced sailboats for years. Have flown gliders. Who, me? Need a silly crutch like that? I’m no Chuck Yeager, but there ain’t nothin’ wrong with the seat of MY pants... Except, I now have an AoA with the Aspen FD, and I like it! A lot. Mostly, it confirms what I already thought, but really does help with precision.. I still don’t measure when I cook, but admit that flying with some attention to the numbers makes me look smarter. .

Sigh...apparently not. A used 55x would be enough of an improvement over the 30 that I’ve asked my favorite Avionics wizard to find me one while the sale lasts...quick.

No, the way I understand it, there is no 3100 STC being sought for Mooney install. The G1000 compatibility problem, i think, was the reason there wasn’t enough interest. Sounded good for mine.. So now back to shopping. Sigh.

so, apparently the 3100 rug has been pulled out from under us. Not enough of us jumped on the band wagon to bother with the STC. So, should I upgrade my 30 to a 55x or go see what Garmin has to offer?

So, now that the S-tec 3100 for Mooney is no longer an option, what are my options? I am not happy with my S-tec 30. And I have all this set-aside $$$$$ burning a hole in my pocket.

I’m impatient. I have an appointment with my lovely Avionics shop for late August for the biennial static check. So, why don’t y’all just ship my 3100 then, and we’ll stencil “experimental” on the side until you decide to do the paperwork?

I’m obviously no expert, have much to learn about best use of the fancy panel which beckons my eyes downward,, but I find my Aspen AoA to be most useful as reassurance in turns, especially to base and final,. Over the fence, I’m looking at the runway, not at the Aspen. Rolling out on final, flaps where I want them, final GUMPS check,, airspeed right, heels on the floor,, hand on throttle, heads UP., eyes outside! No coyotes, buzzards or competing aircraft in my way. I honestly can’t say what the pretty little ribbon looks like at that point. I’ll try to remember to look next time.

I like the AoA software-driven one added to my Aspen PFD. Accurate, unobtrusive, easy to see at a glance, and no holes or things hanging off the airplane.

Very much in favor of husbands. Mine is just great. Never competes with me for the left seat, or borrows my clothes, either.

Owned by Lucy Buffett of Mobile. You may have heard of her brother, Jimmy. actually, it isn’t as far out of the way as I thought. And they have fish pellets to feed the very enthusiastic finny ones in the canal. Not a quick stop, if you have a kid with you. And maybe hard to get any food in him, what with the ropes course, sand toys, and more.

Probably too much of a dip south, but JKA, AL is a short walk to Lulu’s, very good seafood, open air, overhanging the ICW, gift shop and a huge playground/sandbox. Live music often. Very touristy, but a 5.5 year old would be a happy fellow, indeed.

I’m weighing in to encourage you to sign up for the Caravan. I’ve flown the Fisk Arrival several times. Talk about hair-raising... the challenge for me was the mix of 65 mph Cubs and my slick Mooney with gear and flaps dangling so as not to run over them or fall out of the sky. And the guys who were oblivious to where the queue started. Yikes! Field was already at capacity once, so I was diverted into Fond du Lac , which was fine, but much time spent on buses, commuting. The Caravan formation was amazing. So professional and organized. My new Mooney friends tried hard to get me comfortable, and bless them, one even volunteered to ride shotgun with me on that glorious day. Understand, this isn’t Blue Angels standards. Precise, but not 6” between wing tips, inverted. The camaraderie, the cooking, (don’t miss breakfast,) the stories, the great advice, the chance to see other schnazzy panels..were just great. Dear Grandmama and Grandpa were comfortable enough in their way-old sleeping bags on Thermarest mattresses, and grateful not to be in those buses lined up and waiting for access to the drop-off gate. We came and went as we pleased. Whatever you choose, you’ll have a fine time. Very comfortable shoes and socks are a must.

We were young, semi-comfortably settled in a small northern Ohio town, with two children under two, a tiny old house, a thriving and 24/7 country-doctor practice, and papa was quite satisfied with his lot in life. Mama not so much, maybe. Wee town, cold, cold, cold, snow, gray, lonely Southern girl, very demanding babies, not cut out, it seemed, for housewifery. The women I knew were much into canning, quilting, daily vacuuming, and comparing pregnancies. Arggghhh! Our Hero suggested (in the course of a lengthy one-way gripe-fest) I consider signing up for flying lessons. Um, sayWHAT? “Cheaper than psychiatry,” he shrugged. Not true, I suspect, but who, me? Argue with male logic? He still happily occupies the right seat, now in a lovely Screaming Eagle, snoozing contentedly, on his way to see the world’s finest grandchildren.

I love my AspenPro1000. Best thing:it isn’t Garmin. (I dislike the way Garmin only plays nice with Garmin. If I strike oil in the back yard, I’m upgrading that Aspen.

Boats: I LOVE time spent in, on, and under water. But a stroll past our local marina is discouraging. So many, a vast majority, of nice trawlers and once-loved sailboats haven’t been out of the slip in a decade or more. Covered with mildew and barnacles,, tied with frayed lines, brightwork unvarnished in maybe ever. Airplanes: At least a higher percentage of our local airport’s planes seem to be flown, inspected, and washed from time to time, than those bedraggled yachts.. Many of them actually leave the pattern, if only for pancakes or barbecue somewhere nearby.

“If you have to ask, darling, you can’t afford it.” And wrt Bob Belville’s analogy, thing one: I like it! And thing two, Exciting women are expensive. And thing three, we are so worth it. That goes double for beautiful airplanes.