cliffy

We all forget- Congress doesn't appoint, they only approve funding and "appointed" people. "The Great Wiz" appoints and unless "The Great Wiz" wants it, it won't be done! Like I said, don't hold your breath 'cause it ain't gonna happen!

I know I'm going to get flamed for this but I think it's important enough to say it. For those of you who fly in the low 20s without pressurization, it's doubly important to PLAN on having an O2 failure and know what you are going to do because you have no "LOW CABIN PRESSURE" light to warn you. If your O2 bottle system slowly fails it will sneak up on you and you won't know it. You are betting your life on your O2 system. I'm not saying not to do it. Just be real aware of the consequences and plan ahead. Don't get caught by thinking "it'll never happen to me". Complacency kills in airplanes. Here is what I sent to a young friend who is just starting out as a corporate pilot in an MU2. XXXXX, I'm going to preach here so bear with me. In my career I've seen too many instances of pilots not "telling" ATC what they needed to do but just timidly asking to do something in a real emergency. It has cost them dearly. Here is a link to a current problem- 2 pressurization failures in 2 different airplanes recently that cost the lives of all on board. If you haven't heard of it or remember it, Google up "Payne Stewart Learjet Crash". The same scenario. http://mooneyspace.com/topic/13023-tbm-700-unrensposive/ I have two issues here to pontificate on- Hypoxia- You, I don't believe, have ever been through an altitude chamber ride to see how your body reacts to hypoxia. You need to do it. Until you experience it you really don't know how your body reacts to hypoxia. Hypoxia is insidious, it sneaks up on you, you feel like you are doing just fine and the next instant you are totally gone and don't even realize it happened, and now you can not do anything about it. It will kill you and all who fly with you. Serious Emergencies- As can be seen in the TBM crash, the pilot knew he had a problem but didn't "fly the airplane first" he didn't TELL ATC what he was going to do in a serious emergency. He was timid and it killed two people. I've have had 3 rapid decompressions in my career. 1 in the MU at 23000', 2 in jets up high. In all three as soon as I knew I saw a pressurization failure that could not be controlled I called ATC, declared an emergency and told them I was going down to 14000 (some training says to go to 10000' We can't do that out here in the west with the mountains. 14000 or 15000 gives you ground clearance and you can breathe there good enough for a few minutes to figure where you are and get lower)) I didn't ask for lower, I didn't ask "permission" to do something I just "did it" and at 4 to 6000' feet per minute. I wasted no time getting down. In the jets from up high as soon as a pressurization problem was noted the O2 mask went on. First item, no delay, get the F&^&)@# mask on now. You can't do that in the MU as they are not quick donning masks like in jets. In the MU if you ever dump the pressurization (say a window breaks as it did with me in the MU, the window that is in the hangar) GET LOWER NOW AND THEN WORK OUT THE PROBLEM. Call ATC and YOU tell them what YOU are going to do and do it. NEVER ASK FOR PERMISSION IN A REAL EMERGENCY, JUST DECLARE AND DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. LET THEM SORT OUT THE TRAFFIC ISSUES. Don't delay getting down in the MU while you dick around with the stupid O2 masks in the MU. If you can't control the pressurization get your butt down. AT 25000' you have maybe 3 minutes of useful consciousness,(the charts say 3 to 5, don't count on 5 it'll kill you) it will take you 2-3 mins to get down to 14 or 15000' by the time you diagnose the issue and get down there. So don't delay by playing with the pressurization problem. If it's on both bleeds open and setting the controller to a way lower altitude doesn't stop the pressure loss, GET DOWN NOW. I'm off my soap box now. Hope you have a good day. As I said above, any delay in getting down fast can and will kill you. Delaying by "asking for lower" etc only leaves you up there longer. Time that you don't have. I stand by what I said, "NEVER ASK FOR PERMISSION IN A REAL EMERGENCY, DECLARE THE EMERGENCY AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. LET THEM SORT OUT THE TRAFFIC ISSUES" OK let the arrows fly. I can weave and duck. Just remember- "You're not a safe pilot until you have been tempered and you're not tempered until you do something in an airplane that scares the living crap out of you and YOU know that YOU did it!"

I've got some carbon offsets to sell Where's Al Gore

It's not going to make any difference. They won't make the deadline. It's just another "independent" Federal department that will do what it wants to do and Congress be damned. We'll all be too old to fly before this Pt 23 issue ever gets done. I'm taking 2 to 1 odds on that bet right now! Don't hold your breath on this one.

My 64 C has a regular roller bearing with an inner race that is basically a bushing longer than the width of the bearing for the hinge "ears" to squeeze onto as the bolt is tightened. Had my tail controls off, slid the bushings out, cleaned the roller bearings with sprayed WD40 while I spun a brass gun brush in the bearing to force out decades of old dried oil and such. Then squeezed new lube into the rollers with a dowel and reassembled. The bushings rotated MUCH smoother and easier after that treatment. Prior to cleaning the bushings would hardly turn. Contrary to popular belief, WD40 is not a good lubricant. It's a great degreaser. It was designed as a "WATER DISPLACING " fluid (hence 'WD" in the name). It was the 40th formulation of the chemist and was designed to displace water in electrical controls on missiles. It is a penetrating fluid NOT a lubricating fluid. Not really a good choice or "technically" legal to use on our rod ends for lubrication. Tri-flow or other 100% silicone fluids are much better.

I've had 3 RDs (rapid decompressions) in my career. In all 3 I told ATC what I had and that I was vacating my altitude for 12000' Decompressions get my attention like right now. Use the "E" word, it's no big deal. Only some paper work if they ask for it. That's why an O2 meter is very valuable in Mooneys as hypoxia is insidious and can sneak up on you and you will never know it happened. I won't fly above 16000' without one even with a good O2 system in a non-pressurized airplane. Have been through the chamber, what an education. I am so sorry to hear that this has happened to an otherwise very competent pilot. I would have liked to have flown with him in that airplane.

The jackscrew has been properly cleaned and lubed after dis-assembly. I can unload it in air and release lots of resistance to turning, hence my postulation about the "rough" screwthreads. Still scratching my head.

When I was based in DEN with Frontier I told my friends that the DEN weather sucked! It still does! It always will ! :-) :-) Go south to Lake Powell. It's a lot better here :-)

I can disconnect from the jackscrew and the trim system force is much better. Connected, while on the ground, the trim force is OK but airborne it gets stiff so, that is to my thinking of the jackscrew when loaded with air loads. Ideas?

Has anyone ever changed out the tail jackscrew for a new one and found the trim wheel force went way down in flight? I know its been discussed before (I've seen some threads), I know all about proper lube of the system and adjustment of the chain drive on the wheel. My trim wheel force still seems "stiff" to me. I'm thinking that after 50 years the jackscrew has enough pits in it from years (previous to my ownership) of poor lube that there is a drag on the nut especially at high loadings on the screw in flight. On the ground it is a lot easier to turn but not what I think it should be. Have had the jackscrew out, disassembled, cleaned and relubed to no avail.

Over gross and out of CG in it is cured by diet :-) Have had Corvettes, Porsches, Cadillacs, 4X4s, but nothing compares speed wise to flying. Have flown jets, big and small, .88 Mach is nice (fuel burn at 12,000#/hr isn't) but Mooney speeds suffice for now. Cars only allow me to get to the airport. My pickup works fine for that job now. "Never buy depreciating assets"

Heretic! :-)

Get two pieces of 1/8 inch welding rod (welding shop) have them weld them together end to end and cut to length.

Could it be 1 of the air diaphragms in the fuel servo sensing the higher MP with the door open and compensating by increasing fuel flow for the added air available.

I weighed my Mooney and found it was listed as 90 lbs heavier than it really was. I GAINED 90 lbs of useful load. Turned out to be a mistake on the original W&B from the factory. Who would have thunk!

You should have a small rubber pad in the top of your wheel well The gear should just touch this pad when retracted. Put the bird on jacks, raise the gear and then go push up on the wheel to see how much "play" you have between hanging and up against the pad. With the gear partly retracted disconnect the two retract rods for the main gear at the johnson bar (retract handle) and then push the gear down and locked. Check for wear in the down lock links by trying to move the wheel toward and away from the wing tip. If you have play find the offending bolts, bushings or rod ends. One last item. Has the plane ever been landed gear up or collapsed? If it has and the link rods from the johnson bar to the bellcrank may have been changed and the wrong ones installed. I ran into this on a shop bird not too long ago. BTW, I have friends up near Warmbath SA.Limpopo area.

They might have a much better tax situation if it is leased

Can't pull negative Gs with a diagonal harness. :-)

Agreed, apples to oranges and I still feel the "non-installed" design has merit. I would want to make sure the stitching met TSO standards but other than that it ain't a bad idea at all. I did like 5 points in Boeings! :-)

I once flew as 737 FO for a past leader of the Thunderbirds We left KDEN and were given a "cleared direct to xyzab intersection". As we only had 2 VORs and nothing else this caused me some concern and as I was contemplating my next ATC call I saw he was counting on his fingers. I said, "what are you doing, some of that Air Force radian sxxt?" He said yes and turned about 15 degrees right. I said, "well, just don't get me busted". We hit it right on the head about 30 miles later. I'm still at a loss as to how he did it.

You need your K factor correct to show not only fuel used but fuel flow correctly. As was mentioned, a wheel spins and "cllicks" as fuel moves past it into the engine. Let's say that 100 clicks of the wheel actually equals 1 gallon of flow. You tell your FF gauge that 100 clicks (the K factor) equals 1 gallon. Then your fuel flow and your gallons used will be correct. If your K factor is set to say 110 "clicks" per gallon then more fuel will have to pass the wheel (10% more) for the gauge to show 1 gallon BUT you will have actually used 1.1 gallons so when you refill your tank you will need to add 10% more fuel than your FF gauge showed. Just the opposite if your K factor is set low, your gauge will show more used than you put in your tank. Check your manual and reset your K factor. It may take a few flights to get it accurate. In 30 gallons mine shows only .1 or .2 (tenths) of a gallon off actual burn.

Waiting to hear back from the "old timer" but this is something I want to learn about. Lost my MP once due to broken 1/8" line Makes no difference to as I'm full throttle or pulling back for landing :-) I may also have a contact for the drawing on the line but it might take a while to get it.

BTW you did a damn good job of diagnosing the situation and getting on the ground safely. Congrats!

Directly from an FAA FAAST team meeting He did comment that not all the mid-airs were fatals and he was from the PHX area. Not all mid-airs result in crashes with fatalities. I know of one where a 180 main wheel bounced off the wing of a Bonanza and both landed safely. A good friend of mine was involved in it. He commented specifically on owner induced accidents due to owner (not A&P) maintenance. And he specifically said it pertained to AZ only.

By washer I was referring to the clamps. My boo boo. Some mags have very thick washers and some have stepped clamps. jetdriven does it again :-) Cad plated star washers as shown.