carusoam

201er, What day were you at the Field Museum? We were there about 4 hours on that Sunday. At least 2 hours in the birds section. My kids were reading every description to the last detail. I thought the museum might close before they finished.... My son was most impressed with falcons and hummingbirds. My girl is still stuck on the paper machet Dodo as her strongest memory. What a great place. Fuel price at the Gary Jet Center was about $.75 cheaper. We filled up, filed IFR and flew home non-stop in 3.5 hrs. about 180kts. My original plan was to fly somewhere for "cheap..er" gas then fly home. Non-stop was the more simple plan. Best regards, -a-

201er. Things to consider (thinking out loud).... [1] The why anyone would want to fly oversquare....GPH. I answered my own question.... [2] It seems your lowest FF is at 2200rpm and 22.2" - admittedly, not very much over square. [3] 2200rpm is more difficult for the engine to push, Is it possible that the MP reading may not max out the same as when at 2,700rpm? [4] Small experiment: Check actual FF at three points. 2200 / 22.2, 2700 / 18, and midway 2450 / 20.1 - assuming no yellow arc for this one. (who can read to 0.1" MP anyway???) [5] Watch cyl temps don't fall out the bottom of the green arc. [6] Do this while LOP if possible. (re-lean between operating points) [7] Take note of how quiet or low vibrations are. How well does the engine run at each point? [8] Combine the idea of Carson's speed. This will get you best mpg to go along with best gph. [9] Best overall fuel use would be something like this: Carson's speed, low rpm, LOP adjust MP to maintain speed and altitude. I think you may find that the actual FF savings between each of the three operating points above does warrent operating outside of the known envelope. Best regards, -a-

For anyone considering a Chicago flight, and flying into Midway sounds too busy.... Escaping Hurricane Irene, we used Gary Indiana (KGYY), SE of Chicago. Got a rental car, drove into the city in about 45 minutes. Plenty of instrument approaches including one ILS. Stayed at a Hampton Inn hotel somewhere in between the airport and the city. Used the Gary Jet Center for our FBO needs. Lansing Municipal KIGQ turned out to be closer to our hotel, also about a 45 minute drive into the city. I liked the Idea of Midway and staying downtown without a car. The family of four, plus bags, escaping bad weather, just made a little more sense to go this way, this time. Best regards, -a-

Ross, I agree with your insight above. It seemed that somebody was interested in running WOT at 2,200 rpm at low altitude (high MP) for an extended time. I just was wondering if there is a point to running under those conditions. The Camaro would achieve it's highest mpg. The Mooney, probably not. I just got the picture in my head of Carson's speed for Camaros....It may be efficient, but so slow, most owners don't want to go there..... Best regards, -a-

Lowbid, Thanks for the explanation. It seems that you have both eyes wide open.... For panel upgrade ideas, consider a search for threads with things like: GTN (newest garmin nav radios) G500 (garmin glass cockpit) Aspen (more glass cockpit) JPI or EI (engine system monitors) (Auto Pilots) Ipad (charts and additional awareness) These are the most valuable recent additions to consider to have in your panel or for upgrades. As a single pilot - IFR operator, you will appreciate higher levels of automation and situational awareness. Best regards, -a-

"SIT DOWN, BUCKLE UP, SHUT UP & HANG ON, OH AND DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING RED. " - Ward H. or... You have the door, the only door, remember your seatbelt is fastened, get out quick or prepare to be trampled by three other people..... For your serious passenger briefing, there is a part of how to get on the wing, what not to step on, how to step in and sit down and what to hold onto to adjust the seat position. Followed by what not to lean on when getting out. Best regards, -a-

We have a TFR over NYC. We will have to wait to fly up the Hudson River Corridor. ScottFI, The first place I flew after 9/11 (about 1 week later when professional sports resumed) was to see the Chiefs play the Giants at Arrowhead. It was mighty cordial of the Chiefs to surrender... -a-

Why would anyone want to operate intentionally oversquare by lowering RPM? I understand oversquare and highest rpm available (2,500 on the O1) = best power on T/O and climb out for a relatively short period of the life of the engine. But selecting lower RPMs with a high MP sounds like unusually high and unmeasurable ICPs (internal cylinder pressure). Even when running 250 deg ROP. You can drive an LT-1 Camaro in 6th gear at 1000 rpm around the neighborhood. Just because it can be done does not mean it should be done (picture a bucking bronco when the process gets out of balance). I expect high ICPs are not good for mechanical connections or piston rings. I think the data that we are missing would be related to the prop. What rpm is most efficient/powerful for the density altitude we are flying at. Best regards, -a-

CRCTE, Some things to consider while you are getting pictures this weekend... tilted inward sounds less like "over-center". As George points out, Down and locked, over center, no big deal. Not over center indicates not locked, need to verify. Visual cues on the MLG are challenging to discern. The angles of the wing make the MLG look like they are 15 deg off. Look to see if anything has changed. visual inspection around the gear support and retract mechanism that you can see. look for any bends, scratches, missing paint etc... Landing on one MLG first does not present a problem in itself, unless that one MLG always gets a burst of side loading, such as landing in the crab... or high speed turns off the runway. Best regards, -a-

It looks like "lowbid" and "pristine" are opposites. I am starting to think that "lowbid" might be a misnomer if you are seriously considering selecting an airframe and having someone restore / upgrade it. Selecting a "functional panel" requires some thought from the user. It is hard to define over-the top without knowing how you intend to use the plane. Do you consider yourself a serious IFR pilot that appreciates redundant systems? Or so you only fly VFR during the day? Are you the oldschool steam gauge guy (like me)? Or are you an electronics whiz who likes the latest completely integrated digital display (like who I want to be). Do you intend to use the plane professionally every day or sport around in it once a month? Take a look at the following link that discusses panel upgrades. It is a recent polling of the audience on what should be included or considered in another pilot's upgrade decision... ( use the search function at the top of the page) http://www.mooneyspace.com/index.cfm?mainaction=posts&forumid=3&threadid=3278 Answering the question of which airframe to upgrade. Take the most recent one you can find that is in need of the upgrades that you intend install. There are no M20Js to avoid, but each year they got slightly more refined. It sounds like you will be spending large sums of money to have a better than new M20J (an engine rebuilt, interior replaced, avioinics installed, new paint etc.). It would make sense to select a low time, undamaged air frame to go with that investment. there are at least two similar projects, in mooneyspace, that have recently been finished that you can also look to for ideas. Vref (in Belgium) and Jezzie (in Canada). See their photo galleries. Best regards, -a-

Fantom, Nice job. This thread needs some creep.... Congrats Parker. Best regards, -a-

Fly or die, It seems that you already know the answer. Are you seeking justification? Best regards, -a-

Mike, On the O1, you will feel the distinct click of a magnet on the Alt air door. Do you have the magnetic closure on the O3? I was wondering why MAC used a magnet in the design, now I think we have some insight... Best regards, -a-

If possible.... Seek out the oct 1977 version of the POH. It covers S/N 20-1186 and on. It was recommended to me by Bill Wheat in 2000 when I first bought a 1965 M20C. More data than an owners manual, more accurate as well. Best regards, -a-

Jason, Welcome back to Mooney ownership. Your yellow arc sounds like you need to avoid glider ops with your mooney, extremely low power settings and low rpm may also result in some really cool cylinder temps. Best regards, -a-

Back in the day, outdated charts were a violation. People were afraid to have them in the plane. Overall a silly idea to throw away plan B. FAA has a history of being slow, but sometimes moves in the right direction. Best regards, -a-

DC Mooniac, Consider my favorite hike....26N Ocean City, NJ (not MD). The hike is a flat board walk about three miles long, six to go back and forth. The beach is about four blocks from the airport, the boardwalk starts a little further up. If you are going to hike six miles, you can easily eat the indigenous foods..pizza, hot dogs, french fries, ice cream etc.... OCNJ is a kid friendly, dry town. There is a missing demographic. 18 to 28 year olds go to the more hip places....(aka Jersey Shore - Seaside Heights) It costs less to park your plane than it does to park your car... 26N is close enough to PA, so bring your Phillies or Flyers t-shirt. If you don't have one, one will be supplied for you at the many shops along the boardwalk. Enjoy. Best regards, -a-

Ron, As you would guess, the drains are a simple spring loaded valve. You can remove and clean them quite easily. They have a rubber seal, so don't over torque when replacing them. You can also buy a new one if that makes you feel better. Be careful when working with fuel, it spreads everywhere and can be ignited. The usual case of some junk stuck in the valve seat can sometimes be alleviated just by draining, open and close the valve many many times. It helps to have somebody available to pour the fuel back into the tank when this happens. Look for what is causing the valve to stick open, sealant, rust and paint chips often are found in M20C sumps, (experience).... I would not expect your magnet trick to hold back the drip at flying speeds. Nor would you know if it is still there. This is an easy A&P fix if you are not comfortable with the work. It's not even Mooney specific. Best regards, -a-

Scott, When you get a chance, watch the Hilton videos on you tube. They are short and to the point. They really show how the features of WingX can work. Bet regards, -a-

Flame suit on....check. "A lady Mooney pilot happy hour (after the seminars are over)? I am always up for some appletinis, red wine, no men, AND talking about my airplane all in one event!" - Becca You wouldn't let non-flying ladies hang with your crowd? Men are specifically disinvited? Is there an age limit for this appletini party too? Certainly nobody under the age of 21.... Insert smiley here..... Best regards, -a-

EB, I have an M20R. and like JasonW points out above, there are some great places that are covered in grass. My insurance company allows for it. I think it might be a good idea to try a lightly loaded grass take off first. Find airpoirt with both paved and grass strip. This will allow for ground level inspection, a quick taxi on the grass and a decent set of Plan Bs. Just thinking out loud without commiting to anything.... Best regards, -a-

Scott, I am coming up on my annual renewal for WingX. I use it for IFR and VFR flight. It has gotten much better over the last few months and is a completely usable tool. When I first bought it, there were missing details such as minimum enroute altitudes and published holds that were important to me. This left me purchasing charts still. (I asked WingX for my money back at the time.....) There have been significant updates about every three months. WingX has gotten ahead of their original promise in some respects...pinch zoom, poke and add a waypoint, poke and delete one too. Add way points the old fashioned way JFK02035. SIDS, STARS, IAPs, VFR, Low enroute, everything accept maybe TACs (can't seem to find them, maybe they are imbedded) What's missing: Additional subscription required for geo synched approach plates. Nice IFR tool. What's extra: no additional subscription required for geo synched airport diagrams for towered airports. I know you will like this feature. Should help keep you from turning........ I like three screens up at the same time, route and airport data (freqs), current chart, approach plate or airport diagram. Charts are always current....frequencies, always the newest.... My favorite new add to WingX - a game called "what waypoint do you think ATC said?" ATC while vectoring you around Chicago is trying to be helpful and has just cleared you to "gipper" is that an intersection or is that a VOR? type in your best guess and WingX gives back options..... As JimR pointed out, I am looking for the one box for ADS-B and AHRS. You get weather and SV that way. What is still missing is traffic. ADS-B traffic is not complete, and WingX is not importing the data either, just the weather. We need a Monroy (Jose?) box - Reliable Traffic, Weather and AHRS for our IPads... With all this stuff going on at Mooney speeds, you may want some help in the cockpit....Get the WingX, but remember GPMS is not included. Unfortunately, I can't say much about the other products. When I used them last they were truely in their infancy. Best regards, -a-

You-do-it is great. Bought a build it yourself Ham radio receiver and other science projects there back in the mid 70's... Thanks for the reminder John. Best regaahds, -a-

Fuel has such low viscosity, if it is seeping, it will be going away by the gallon. Often fuel seeps will be above the fuel level at the top of the tank. During your pre-buy, you would want to fill'er up and see what happens. The mooney maintenance manuals give guidelines on what an acceptable seep is for safety purposes. Basically if they are damp (leak) while you are looking at them, that is bad. often the leak can be attributed to a specific point, screw or rivet. Sometimes the seals for the fuel levels can give out. These leaks are not the bad ones. Leaky fuel tanks are a big pain. Just my thoughts on a tough topic.... -a-

Thoughts on Grass and long bodies.... [1] My insurance company will allow for it as long as it is an actual airport (not bryan's family ranch). [2] At full power I was still unable to taxi out of my parking space at KOSH last year. Once freed, Taxiing was quite a chore to maintain proper speed - throttle jockey. up an down small hills.... [3] I think it needs to be dry (er) and hard (er) to not get stuck. Remember your training, use power, elevator up, and keep it moving...... - throttle jockey I have not tried landing on anything that isn't paved. Maybe with enough friends available to get unstuck..... Best regards, -a-