danb35

Just an FYI--on the trial of Foreflight, you aren't able to download charts for use in the air (at least, not when you don't have an internet connection--if you're flying low enough to be in 3G coverage you could get them while airborne). Once you buy a subscription, though, you can download whatever you want. The iPad makes a great platform for charts, though, and the whole country (sectionals, IFR enroutes, and approach plates) takes about 9GB of storage, so you can fit it all on even the smallest iPad (though more storage is always better).

If you're looking for something you can buy today, Garmin is it. There's the 430/530, the 650/750, and the now-discontinued 480 (which was an Apollo unit before Garmin bought them). The King 770 is still vaporware, though Aspen getting involved gives me some hope that it will eventually see the light of day. Avidyne has also announced a 530 replacement (tray- and pin-compatible with the 530 so it can just slide in to replace an existing unit), but again, it isn't in production yet.

Quote: rbridges

What's wrong with the two cylinders?

...and, to add to what the AC says, part 91 operations in light aircraft don't have any legal requirement for charts onboard the aircraft. That is, you can have old charts, unofficial charts (e.g., state-published charts), hand-drawn charts, or no charts at all, and you're perfectly legal (with the exception of the Los Angeles SFRA, and possibly others). Of course, if you have something other than a current FAA (or Jepp) chart and, as a result, do something stupid/dangerous/illegal, you'll get busted under 91.103 in addition to whatever else they might get. I have Foreflight on my iPad, but haven't had a chance to fly with it yet. It's great to have the whole country on a magazine-sized device, though.

Or just use a PMA'd dimmer like the MaxDim (http://www.maxpulsemaxdim.com/maxdimmini.htm).

Maybe a dumb question, but do you have a 3G model? The WiFi-only models don't have a GPS chip.

Quote: Ashe you get drawings and it falls under Owner Produced Parts, which I guess is allowed for truly orphaned, certified aircraft.

Quote: scottfromiowa HMMMmmm. I guess I need to mess with the i-pad (my wifes) as it said "Not connected to the network) and wouldn't load the maps.

Maybe a dumb question, but have you already tried setting it to VOR Radial?

Quote: 201er So in other words, the HSI would be completely unaffected by a vacuum failure but completely inop in an electrical failure?

The DC means that it's electric, not vacuum. It's not completely self-contained, though--it's also connected to (and requires) a directional gyro in the tailcone, and a fluxgate mounted in the wing. All of those, though, are electric, not vacuum.

I agree that the PPP is great training, but don't expect a break on your insurance--mine, at least, didn't budge.

Before getting into the rigging, make sure the turn coordinator is level with respect to the plane--if it isn't, the ball will be misleading.

Quote: allsmiles All GPSS does is fly holds and PT's.

I decided to take my own suggestion and e-mail ForeFlight about this. Here's what they said: From our ForeFlight newsletter released August 10: We are hard at work on ForeFlight Mobile 4.2, which will include support for in-flight weather and a good number of oft-requested enhancements. The first in-flight weather hardware we are supporting is the Baron Mobile Link (XM). Mobile Link is available for purchase now, and will be supported in ForeFlight Mobile 4.2 as part of your existing subscription. We've been test-flying with it this past month and are excited to get this release out as soon as it's ready. After 4.2 is released, we'll look at other in-flight weather hardware to support. We're very interested in ADS-B and are evaluating devices in our lab. Stay tuned!

Quote: Mazerbase It depends on the Mooney. An F is 1,000# less than a Rocket. It makes a big difference.

All the nav data for the panel-mount units comes from Jepp. For the GTN 750, you have the option of getting actual Jepp charts to show on the screen or not; if you do there's a significant extra charge. Without the Jepp charts, a bundle including nav data, taxi diagrams, terrain, and obstacles for the 650/750 is $760/year for the full US. The nav data alone is $420/year. The bundle with the Jepp charts is $1500/year. With either bundle, a second device is free--so if you have a 650 and a 750, you pay for one bundle and it covers both devices. In my experience, most owners of the 430/530 only update the nav data, not the terrain or obstacle databases; I'd presume you could do the same with the GTN series. The nav data has to be current for IFR operations; the others don't. That will run you in the neighborhood of $400/year (more or less, depending on the GPS) for the whole US. If you have a second GPS, Jepp will significantly discount the second subscription (it will cost around 40% of what the first one costs).

Another vote for the ACK--it's the cheapest unit that will broadcast GPS data by about half (i.e., the next cheapest unit I'm aware of costs 2x as much).

Rather than positing untoward motives, consider the comparative market penetration of XM vs. skyradar--XM WX is what everybody knows for WX, it works nationwide down to the ground, and it includes more WX information than ADS-B. I can't address why Foreflight has made their decision, but it doesn't necessarily seem nefarious to me. Why don't you ask them? team@foreflight.com.

First, your information is incorrect--the Jepp data subscription for the 430W/530W is $385/year, not $600+/year, for the entire U.S. Second, at this point, I doubt anybody is going to say that the x30W is the best available; that's now likely to be the GTN series (which of course is a bit more expensive). The ideal would be a WAAS GPS for its superior approach capability--you have access to LPV approaches (with ILS-like minimums) as well as a glideslope indication on other GPS approaches. Very nice. For this, you need a GTN, a 430W/530W, or a Garmin/Apollo 480/CNX80. The latter is long discontinued, but there are still many who swear by them. Avidyne has announced a new model that's supposed to be a drop-in replacement for the 530W, and currently has what sounds like a very attractive introductory price, but it's not due to be released until next year. Aspen/King are working on the KSN770, which if it ever gets released may be a worthy competitor, but it's not out yet. Failing that, you'll be looking at a legacy non-WAAS GPS. The King 89B, 90B, and 94 can all be certified for IFR approaches. They're all (much) cheaper than a x30 would be, but the 89B and 90B have only a monochrome, low-resolution moving map display. The 94 is color, but still pretty small. None of them, of course, include the NAV/COM/GS of the x30 series. The 89B and 90B are long out of production, but still available used. The 94 is still in production, but if you're going to buy new, you might as well buy an x30. You'll still need database updates, but I haven't seen how expensive they are--I'd be surprised if they're much less than for the Garmin, but I could be wrong. Another option is the Apollo GX60 GPS/Comm, also long discontinued. It also has a monochrome moving map that was, no doubt, the shizzle when it was released (at least that's what it sounds like from the reviews), but looks terribly antiquated now. Still IFR enroute and approach certifiable. The database is still from Jeppesen, so I'd expect similar pricing. Finally, there are the older Garmins--the GPS155/155XL and GNC300/300XL. IIRC, the 155/300 didn't have a moving map at all, while the 155XL/300XL had a monochrome moving map. The 300/300XL added a Comm radio. I believe they're all certifiable for IFR approaches, but not positive. Again, the nav data is from Jepp, so expect about the same pricing. In all cases, you'll want to check on installation costs. To be IFR-legal, you need to have a CDI connected to GPS, as well as an annunciator panel and possibly switching relay, all of which can add considerable expense (both for the hardware as well as installation).

An engine monitor would make it a lot easier to find out what's going on...

It's around $500 for the pair to leather wrap the yokes--I had it done last year. Very nice.

Shouldn't have a doghouse on any F; the F was introduced after Mooney changed to a baffle design.

Quote: jetdriven