cliffy

Here is a link to the best explanation of ADS-B I've found. Several short videos by Free Flight Systems If you are still in the dark after seeing this ask away here http://adsbuniversity.com/ads-b-university

Had a friend (now gone-natural causes) that did Tucson to Columbus OH in his J in 8+20 Up high and low power.

From what I understand ( I'm not an aero engineer) you are correct in that flight control surfaces all have a certain resonant frequency that is found by doing ground flutter testing. In addition any "flutter encountered with a corresponding "looseness" in the control surface linkage will exasperate the flutter as there is no dampening by the mechanism at the inception of flutter. The original flutter though ( I feel) does have to originate with the surface itself. The point of the surface CG (with respect to the hinge line) has a determinate effect on the resonant frequency and severity of the magnitude. A postulation- If balance (CG position) was not very important why is there such an import placed on surface balance on every airplane made? Why would it be required to be checked after every paint job? Bonanzas are particularly effected by a very tight balance tolerance as even one coat of paint extra while painting will throw them beyond limits. Control surface "imbalance" that effects the heavy stick forces may be caused by "aerodynamic" imbalance. Not enough area ahead of the hinge line to off set the amount of area behind the hinge line for control force or "aerodynamic" balance. Early airplanes had no surface area ahead of the hinge line and as speeds increased it was found that by extending "movable" surface area ahead of the hinge line a resultant force counter to the "heavy" stick could be achieved. Too much forward area and stick forces become non-existant- a very dangerous world indeed. Here is an abstract of a paper written for a conference on mass, vibration and flutter studies in 1999- Mass properties' engineers often are concentrating on creating and maintaining the most accurate and current weight database possible on our aircraft or system. They tend to lose sight of why accurate weight data is important. While having accurate weight data is intrinsically valuable, it can have a major impact on design decisions and even on the viability of a design. Some systems are more sensitive to changes in weight and center of gravity than others. One of the critical elements in the design of aircraft is "flutter modes". Every moving body has vibration frequencies. It is important to avoid coupling frequency modes in the airplane components. This can have catastrophic results, including loss of property and lives. Excessive vibration can result in metal fatigue, even without catastrophic failure. It is important that accurate weight and balance data be available to design engineers early in a program. Many problems can be avoided if a potential flutter situation is identified early in a program. An important way the mass properties' engineer can assist in preventing flutter is by working closely with loads and flutter engineers to optimize the control surface balance. Parametric studies are run by loads and flutter engineers to determine the optimal balance weight and location to achieve no coupling of vibration modes. The mass properties' engineer needs to assure that the mass properties' data provided for future analyses reflects this optimal value and the system balance about its hinge line is within the limits established. As can be seen, "surface balance" is concomitant with and paramount in application to avoid flutter in the surface.

Used to pull out the ol' CR-3 wiz wheel in the 757 and the F/O would say "What RU doing? Did it just to screw with him :-) After 1400 hrs in my M20D/C I'm confident in 135 kts TAS, variation due to day, weather, phase of the moon, gravitational pull of Venus, my attention span, plus or minus 4 kts at @ 8gph, usually 9500' to 12,500 MSL, FT, 2500 RPM. Now I know this is not an F BUT you guys don't have me by much. Also only 727 era steam gauges and a non-precision GPS tied to a rudimentary wing leveler. I love the two fancy panels but they're worth more than my entire airplane. But OH are they nice! Aspens remind me of the 757 panel

Folks, Flutter and flutter testing is a BIG deal! Here's a video showing flutter on a Twin Comanche. Any flight surface can flutter if not balanced correctly (balanced means the correct CG vs. the hinge line) This is why there are specialists in flutter dynamics in aviation. Mooney uses a flutter specialist on their airplanes. They start with ground flutter tests with oscillating weights to find the resonant frequencies and go from there. Flutter margins is why Mooney will not allow any repairs to a flight control surface other than complete factory designed parts being replaced. NO PATCHES. Flutter issues are why the control surfaces have to be rebalanced after ANY repaint of them. Even replacing a tail light bulb with another "FAA Approved" bulb (yes I said it has to be an FAA Approved bulb, not the original incandescent bulb but an LED one as LED bulbs are not standard parts by definition and need specific FAA approval for installation) needs a rebalance. The faster you go toward red line the closer you are to flutter. That is the purpose of the flutter margins. If the plane inadvertently exceeds Vmo you wouldn't want it to flutter apart. When doing flight testing for flutter, airspeeds are gradually increased to see if flutter is anywhere near. The mechanic is absolutely correct in requiring a rebalance check after replacing the entire tail light assembly. No honest mechanic would sign off the change without a rebalance UNLESS there was approved documentation from the manufacture specifically saying that a rebalance was not needed (as in an STC).

Well I always liked the 308 but it was a little beyond my means then. Paying to have the lobster shop open up at midnight in Bangor Maine and boiling a dozen of the critters on the way across the USA- priceless!

Movable flight surfaces are very sensitive to weight as far as their specified balance goes. The actual removal and replacement of your rudder is not too difficult or time consuming. There is a certain part of the Maintenance Manual for your airplane that shows the specific procedure for checking its balance. It must be followed to the letter. This is something you do not want to short cut. I had a talk with Bill Wheat this summer and he noted that when he did flight testing for flutter, when he hit a spot where flutter started it was sudden and dramatic. On some airplanes even one extra coat of paint can put the surface out of balance. A quarter pound of weight at the far end of the rudder arm is a LOT of weight out there. The difference between what is removed and what is installed will determine if you can stay in balance. It must be checked and not just calculated.

Balogna Italy to Van Nuys CA 1 stop/1 day 22hrs duty time Pt 91 B727 w/ 9.5 hrs range :-) KLAS to KMKC 1 stop 1 day M20D/C longest leg 5.3 hrs. Longest Mooney day 9.5 hrs in 1 day 3 legs. Longest flight ever KATL to JNB South Africa 17 hrs nonstop as passenger only :-) :-)

GSX- How come you weren't on the runway center line when you touched down? :-) :-) :-)

Were you in altitude hold on autopilot when this happened? If so you could have been in a down draft and the nose was pulled up to maintain altitude losing airspeed. Not knowing all your conditions at the time makes diagnosis difficult.

Most FBOs order their refill tanks from the same gas plants that the welding shops do, no difference in the order. The trouble comes when you want the gas plant to fill a medical or aviation cylinder. So do, some don't for liability reasons. If you empty a gas cylinder to "0" pressure you have the chance of inducing water vapor into the cylinder. That is why you never should drain one completely. In the airline business if a cylinder comes out completely empty it gets pulled and sent to the shop to be baked making sure it is dry inside. I can see no way that acetylene would ever get into an O2 cylinder. Acetylene cylinders have a filler inside with acetone impregnated into it to avoid explosion when filled to high pressure. Acetylene is never put in large O2 cylinders. That is why they look different and are made different than O2 cylinders. They are also filled to a much lower pressure than O2 cylinders. Setting up to refill your a/c O2 tanks is not too difficult but requires the correct equipment and a little training. Rule # 1- Never have any oil products (petroleum) in, around or near your oxygen set up. Oil and grease will spontaneously catch fire in the presence of O2. All of your tools for servicing need to be dedicated to only that job and no other. Never lubricate anything that near to or uses oxygen, even your dedicated tools. Rule #2- NO SMOKING while refilling O2. Should be self explanatory but it does happen. Rule #3- Fill slowly so as to not build up high temperatures in the filling tank. Fill fast the tank warms up giving a higher reading than when cold. As soon as it cools you have a lower pressure than you thought for use. Rule #4- Keep your O2 cylinders chained to the wall and not standing loose or build a rack to lay them down on their sides. You don't want them to fall over an knock the valve off! In reality you will need at least 2 big cylinders of O2. One to bring the a/c tank up to say 1500 psi and the second to top it off. They usually come filled to about 2000-2200 psi. Your a/c tank uses 1800 psi. So after about 2 fills the first tank will be below 1800 and not able to top off the a/c tank. This is where the second tank comes in. Use the lower pressure tank for the initial filling and the second high pressure one for the top off to 1800-1850 psi. You have to have a pressure gauge to measure the filling cylinder pressure. Never just fill from a big tank to an a/c cylinder without a pressure gauge. Get a little training on how tight to secure the various fittings. A small fill "B" nut can be broker off or stripped very easily by tightening too tight. The bigger nuts can leak if not tightened correctly. When you are done- ALWAYS-ALWAYS-ALWAYS- turn off the big tank valve before you try to disconnect any lines. I've seen it tried otherwise and it ain't pretty. Hope this helps.

Having flown an iFly 700 for a couple of years I tend to like it and it does what I need. With the data base up for renewal (subscription $109/yr for all the charts) I'm torn between it and getting a Nexus7 with Avare (my wife has that and it works just as good a the iFly). Avare is a free app and no charge for charts and updates (contributions are accepted) Hmmm, I'm still debating.

How did Lindberg ever do it without all the gadgets we have today? OH he had 1 flashlight

It also tends to suck the window seal out into to space. Don't ask me how I know.

Take a good look at the IFR MEAs where you are going and see then if you need a turbo. I suspect you will want one as you will want the capability of being 3000 to 5000 above the MEA for performance in down drafts even at the MEA. You're now in tall mountains and you will have winds and down drafts. You will more than need a good oxygen system. Plenty of threads here in this forum on O2. The suggestion of a turbo normalized Mooney is more than good. Make sure what ever you do, get a good MSC prebuy done. Many threads on prebuys here. Now, my mantra- ICE KILLS and you'll see it in the NW in the fall and winter. Get the IR and practice in "better" weather (2000' ceilings) and then do a few lower near mins approaches to get your feet wet). If you do single pilot IFR make sure you get a very good autopilot and learn how to use it but don't become an A/P cripple. Hand fly an approach in IMC once in a while (1 out of 3)to stay in the game.

A new report from the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General says the FAA’s implementation of ADS-B continues to suffer from delays, cost overruns, and technical problems that make it difficult for the FAA to fully justify investments in the system. The report findings echo concerns raised by AOPA and others about the need to manage costs and provide clearly defined benefits for end users. ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, is a cornerstone of NextGen air traffic modernization, and the FAA has mandated that aircraft operating in airspace that now requires a Mode C transponder must be equipped with ADS-B Out by Jan. 1, 2020. ADS-B Out provides position and altitude information to help controllers better manage traffic while ADS-B In, which is not included in the mandate, delivers weather and traffic information to the cockpit. “The inspector general’s report highlights the profound problems associated with the 2020 mandate and the FAA’s modernization program, which has seen repeated delays and cost overruns over a period of years,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “The inspector general’s findings raise significant questions about whether the system will be ready by 2020, adding to the aviation community’s confusion about when and how to equip. We look forward to working with the FAA and the aviation community to develop solutions that are cost effective and offer greater flexibility in addressing ADS-B equipage issues.” The FAA has invited industry organizations, including AOPA, to take part in an Oct. 28 summit to address the challenges and barriers around ADS-B implementation. Despite the mandate, the inspector general’s report reveals that technical problems, training delays, and other issues are preventing ADS-B technology from living up to its promise. While taxpayers already have spent $6.5 billion on ADS-B, the inspector general valued the program’s current benefit at just $5.9 billion. And, the report, released Sept. 24, suggests the FAA’s lack of advanced technical capabilities may prevent the technology from ever producing sufficient benefits to justify the costs. The FAA estimates only about 3 percent of major air carriers and 10 percent of the general aviation fleet will be equipped for ADS-B Out by the end of the 2014 fiscal year. Those low numbers are a result of factors that include the FAA’s inability to provide advanced services and the cost to equip aircraft, the report suggests. “Equipping for ADS-B simply allows pilots to continue flying in the same airspace they use today at an added cost of at least $5,000 to $6,000 to install the required equipment,” said Baker. “We need to look seriously at how the system can be made to deliver on its promises while considering issues like cost and portability.” According to the report, the FAA has made progress with ADS-B but remains years away from full implementation. Although the FAA has deployed 634 ground-based radio stations in support of ADS-B, the agency has identified coverage gaps that could require an additional 200 radio stations. And the FAA continues to experience technical glitches and hazards that were previously identified but have yet to be resolved. In addition, the FAA must upgrade automation systems at more than 230 air traffic control facilities nationwide before the ADS-B ground infrastructure will provide benefits. Those upgrades will not be completed before 2019 at the earliest, according to the report. In the meantime ADS-B In, the element of the system with the potential to offer significant direct benefits to pilots, can be used for “advisory purposes only,” severely limiting its usefulness for traffic and weather avoidance. To compound the problems, there have been issues with the integrity of ADS-B In data collection, including at least one incident reported by AOPA that led to a pilot being cited for airspace violations. The association has expressed serious concerns about the safety problems that could result from inaccurate data, a fact noted in the inspector general’s report. In its own investigation, the inspector general’s office identified eight reports of problems with the accuracy of ADS-B In data. The inspector general made a series of recommendations, which the FAA has largely accepted, according to the report. These include resolving performance problems and conducting “end-to-end” testing of the ADS-B system to determine how it can be used to control traffic; expediting development of a monitoring system to assess the performance and integrity of the ADS-B system; improving communication with the aviation community; determining when and how ADS-B In capabilities can be used at busy airports; and moving quickly to a clearly defined “end state” for the ADS-B program. The FAA now has 30 days to formally respond to the report.

I presume it's a vernier style Did you try twisting it out by turning the knob? I have seen stuck ones that were pushed in hard and wouldn't release until they were turned out by rotating then they released the button.

Gemini is doing a DBA as "Dugosh" Was by there a couple of months ago and had a walk through with the new owner and a couple others. Wrote about it in an article in "The Mooney Flyer" emagazine. They were busy in the shop when I was there. Never having been there before, they treated me well.

AHH Yes, Jumpseating, trying to get home. Seems I remember something about that from years ago when I had to do it :-) :-) Actually flew a lot with the guy that signed the first jumpseat agreement in the industry at Eastern Airlines decades ago. If the power grid ever goes down, everything will stop.

Even though this is from 1997 and pointed toward airline flying the underlying issue of becoming an "autopilot cripple" is just as applicable to our Mooneys. One only has to look as far as some Cirrus IMC accidents to see where the edge was lost in hand flying skills by relying too much on autopilots. http://vimeo.com/64502012 "Children of the Magenta" refers to the magenta line drawn on a screen by the FMC when a course or path is typed in.

Now I have a headache This is why my phone only has 10 keys and no data!

Best article I have ever read! Hits the nail on the head as far as all the automation goes.

I was just in Payson AZ KPAN What a great city run airport! Fuel less than $6, clean ramps and good tie downs, tent camping area with FREE firewood for the camp fire. Jet A at $4.35/gal. It can be done. Bigger cities see the $$$$$ of the big jets and the BIG 3 build operations for them. We all pay for it. Most airline airports have SIDA requirements for access that requires locked gates and escorts if not a certified airport employee. There are new security requirements for maintenance facilities also (even when they are not located on the airport). These all cost money. Small GA is getting squeezed out slowly. Where does a kid from school go to look at airplanes anymore? He can't get on the airport like I did in the early 60s. I'd ride my bike to KVNY every day after school to wash airplanes for flight time. Can't be done today. In fact, at some airports you can't even wash an airplane. YA you touched a nerve. Rant over.

Resealing a wet compass has been one item that the FAA removed specifically from the abilities of A&Ps to do in the field (as we did for decades)and reserved for instrument shops only. I'm willing to bet that the number of compass repairs by instrument shops never went up after the FAA got involved as it is such a simple job (it actually falls as a maintenance function and should be signed off) and I guess they NEVER fail anymore. I doubt 1 in 20 ever sees an entry in a log book. :-) It makes for interesting reading when one goes to 43.13-1B Sec. 3 Chap 12-37 and reads about wet compasses. Anytime one is removed and re-installed a compass swing is required. Passing through a sever electrical storm (?), a hard landing, after any change to the electrical system, after being parked on one heading for over a year all require a compass swing. Interesting, very interesting.

Congrats! The best rating you will ever get. Don't go 90 days without practice (with a hood) or actual conditions with good ceilings. Get your feet wet slowly. If you do get a chance at an ILS with 500 foot ceilings practice staying on the gauges until mins anyway. Don't just give up when you go visual. HAND FLY a lot on ILS apps to keep sharp. Don't become an autopilot cripple. We had many of them at the airlines. I hand flew every third approach in the Boeing just to stay in the game. If you use your head and stay in practice you'll do fine and enjoy the learning experience. Remember 2 things- ICE KILLS YOU AND ALL ON YOUR AIRPLANE and as Dirty Harry said, " a mans got to know hislimitations!".