cliffy

Generally speaking ramp checks are no big deal. Just go with the flow, fix anything that is mentioned and go on with life. It's not worth getting upset about. Attitude plays a big part in what they write down. They don't want issues and you don't want issues. Yes, they have a quota to do.Just like line checks on airlines. I've had them in 121, 135 and 91. Although sometimes the Inspectors are wrong on what they think is incorrect on the plane. I've found that on at least 3 occasions. One notable one in KMDW under the wing of a 737 in a shouting match toe to toe with an idiot FAA guy. I do not recommend that attitude though, I won only because I knew without a doubt I was correct. You'll get a "fix it" ticket probably, get it done and nothing more will be said. As my Chief Pilot once said, "go home, drink some wine, relax, it ain't worth gettin up set over".

Without guns the Air Force is just another expensive flying club!

When do you guys have time to look out the window? :-) :-) I count 6 navigation presentations and 3 horizon presentations, am I wrong? :-) Flight plan at home? All we ever did on the airline was get the clearance and input it into the FMC once. Line item changes after that. I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night but I did fly a Low Frequency LF approach once! Dee Dah -Dee Dah -Dee Dah Yes I'm jealous, but I'd have more in avionics than airframe.

My first instructor was an old DC-3 driver and found himself in a wave over the Sierras with gear and flaps down, power off and going up at 2000 fpm passing 14,000' in the DC-3! Many years ago I flew a corporate trip to the Trona Airport (can't tell you why we went there or I'd have to kill ya ) and sat on the ramp for an hour watching the Air Force dog fight overhead. Great air show. Your pick of route was the correct choice that day. Don't second guess yourself!

Here's some info from info from Continental Replacement engine data plates may be obtained from Teledyne Continental Motors by following the procedure provide below. 1. Request for replacement data plates must be made in writing. 2. Contact your local FAA office and obtain written approval from them as specified in 14 CFR 45.13 paragraph ( and (d). 3. If the engine data plate has been lost or stolen, or if the removed data plate is being retained by the FAA, you must obtain written certification from the FAA on official FAA letterhead verifying the engine model and serial number for which the data plate is being requested. 4. The old, removed data plate, unless it is being retained by the FAA as noted in step 3 above, must be returned to TCM with your written request for a replacement data plate and the above documentation. 5. Enclose a check or money order made payable to Teledyne Continental Motors, in US funds, in the amount of $100.00. Here's the link http://www.tcmlink.com/pdf2/SIL00-9A.pdf

Well let's see- sea level airport, B757, ferry flight LAX to LAS, 2 pilots, no crew, 24L. Out of 12,000' at 2 minutes 50 seconds from throttles forward on the runway. Next best thing to flying my Mooney!

On your way back instead of KSGU go a little east to KPGA Page AZ. Lots better views out the window both in and out to the north. Stop by the Jet Center, get some fuel, use the crew car and have a nice meal a couple of blocks in town. Good BBQ at 2 places.

If you want right in the SLC valley South Town is the best bet but IFR into and out of there can be a bear with the KSLC traffic. Long delays. Spanish Fork south of the SLC valley has a good gas price but no IFR into. All depends on what you want and the weather. Provo has a high gas price. Be very aware of the restricted area south of South Town if you are VFR. That's where the NSA computer facility is. It's right in the gap of the hills going south if you're trying to scud run out of the valley. In San Diego Montgomery Airport is a good one. All the services you want and a very good restaurant on the airport. Good ILS also and SoCal App. is one of the best with GA traffic. Easy in easy out there.

I'm willing to bet that if you present the curtis valve idea to the local FSDO Maint guy telling him you'd like to do it as a minor alteration he'll go along with it. Have pictures or something to support your idea. Tell him also that it is an improvement in the design because NOW you will be able to see if there is any water in the gascolator instead of it just draining on the ground where you can't see it. Also include a comment about installing a placard or POH revision sheet to tell pilots of the change, I've done this before and had good results on other ideas.

Thanks jetdriven! I haven't seen that manual yet. I've seen 3 older ones. As a J it "should" be similar setting. I'll give it a try and see how it works when I get off the jacks,

BTW didn't Bill Wheat pass away a while back?

Now this is some real good info. I appreciate it. I didn't think of Dugosh in my calling around but I will try them. All I can say of is- Why didn't I think of that? Crap. Brain fart time. I think I remember that he did do the test flight on my 64 D but I'll look it up to make sure. I agree that it might be set by using the outer limits as a start point and do a fly off to reset for best spot but I'm concerned many are not as capable as you and some others are on this board. I just had a C model in here with gear troubles and they have been flying it for a year with the gear not going up all the way. They didn't feel there was any problem. BTW, the owner had had 3, yes 3, gear ups in this airplane. I mentioned the Lears as I used to fly and fix them in a life far behind now. Spring bungees! My favorite subject right now. My manual and all the TCDS sheets say for the Cs to set them at 19 degrees up at 3 1/2 degrees a/c nose up on the stab. My manual also has a hand written note (its a copy of someone elses that I bought when I bought the airplane) that says 9 degrees for Cs and 10 degrees for Fs. In checking mine I found it at 12 degrees, I suspect because it is a D model converted and no one ever reset the bungee after the conversion in 1965! D models are set at 12 degrees. I reset mine to 9 degrees (like the manual notes) and then test flew and gained 5 to 6 kts true A/S. I have previously set my flaps and ailerons for a perfect fit in flight, everything lines up perfect with no roll to speak of. Has anyone ever tried to set 19 degrees on the bungees? I tried but couldn't get more than 1 1/2 threads into the rod end. I'm going to try again just to verify. As far as the stab trim goes, I am anal about such things I admit, It comes from many years in the 121 and 135 field and the fact that I know of 2 Mooneys that have "driven" off the end of the runway in Stockton, never having gotten airborne, because the trim was set wrong. It does happen. I guess the older I get (50+ yrs flying) the more anal I get as I see more and more stupid mistakes and just I don't want to see others make stupid ones if I can help it. Again, thanks for the info. I honestly do appreciate it.

Well for one you have to remove it to remove the Johnson bar which I did and found the roller bearings frozen with dried grease. Number 2 I took the jack screw out to replace the bushing and shackle and bolts to eliminate some play. Number 3 this is the only plane I've ever worked on that didn't have a reference in the MM on how to set the trim indicator for the take off position. Obviously there is one setting (or span of setting for CG span) that equates to the correct position for the stabilizer for take off. If set wrong it could be dangerous. Number 4 I've called 4 MSCs and no one knows how to set the indicator. That's why I posted here to see if anyone else had an idea on how to do it correctly. I can understand your suggestion of flying it and setting it to some convenient position but that is not any "approved" way of doing it, if there is one. I wouldn't set a King Air or Lear Jet that way, would you? Number 5 I am doing research on the Mooney elevator system and the history seems lost in space. I have been trying to work with the factory but so far they have not responded. One question that has come about is why the elevator deflection angles were changed from the early to later models according to the TCDS sheets. Early one have a 24 up/10 down setting and later have 22 each way. Why did it change? What changed on the airplane? Another question is what is the difference between the two spring assist bungees? Anyone know?

WOT, 2500, sometimes peak, sometimes 50-100 ROP always try for 9000-12000' in my M20D/C.139 kts TAS. 8.2 GPH It's a no brainer. Sit back. relax and enjoy the land as it slides by. I'm on the ground every 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hrs just because I want to stretch and enjoy new airports if I can. The journey is as much fun as the destination.

Anyone have a reference to how to set the trim indicator on early Mooney? Can't find any SBs, Sis, Maint manual reference or anything else. The question is where to set the stabilizer to set the take off range on the indicator Any good ideas out there?

As usual a 10+ again!

Levers and steam guages Can anyone say B727-100, -200, 737-200, -300, DC-9-10, LR23, 24, 25 :-) :-) Vectors all the time, didn't know from GPS, we don't need no stinkin GPS HAW HAW HAW

Flip a coin! Impuses have an AD and Shower of Sparks sometimes fails (vary rarely)

There was an article many years ago showing that problems with 200 APs may be caused by bad grounding wires at the servos and all other boxes. You might just remove clean and re-tighten all the grounds and re-seat the computer and control head connectors.

Chock the airplane and have it tied down. Make sure the mags are OFF- NO KEY IN THE IGNITION! Go pull the prop through a few blades. If you hear clicking every time you pull it through you have impulse mags- A1A engine. If you don't hear the clicking- A1D Shower of Sparks. Looking at the data plate on the side of the oil sump is the final determinant.

Yes make sure your needle is centered before engaging the Accutrak- by resetting your GPS. I have the Accutrak only coupled to a Garmin GPS155 TSO. It works great. If you look you will read in the Brittian book that it is not certified for approaches. At least my book says that. Will it track them, in a word YES, is it legal? In a word NO, I wouldn't do it with a Fed on board. Now, that being said, mine will land on the painted center line of the runway from a GPS appraoch at my home airport.

A VFR installation of any panel mount GPS can be done as a "minor alteration" log book sign off. When you want to go IFR with it, it then becomes a big deal paper work wise. You can fly VFR all day long without any of the IFR paperwork issues with a VFR installation, just don't FILE IFR with it as a GPS IFR flight. .

It can be done. It will require a fly off to check accuracy BTW, did you connect it to your autopilot? If so you have complicated things as far as compatibility with the A/P is concerned. The paper work is quite detailed in what is required to be submitted for IFR approval. There are copies of other applications for approval that can be cloned available on the internet but it takes a lot of digging. I saw several awhile back but did not save the URL. You might be able to purchase a clonable set of paper work from a quality radio shop that has done this install. I got one a while back that way for a Garmin 155 TSO install. Do pull up a copt of the 129 TSO for reference. You do need that.

Nobody is biding Hmmmm

The short and long answer is NO, you can't use car seats anywhere in a certified airplane as a replacement seat (unless it has an STC or other approval). Seats meet certain certification criteria and are approved by the FAA upon certification of the airplane they go in. Rebuilding your seat is the best answer as long as you stay within the guidelines (read rules) for fire treatment of all the materials involved (foam, cloth and coverings). You can have an auto upholstery shop do the sewing if you want, Make sure you have the correct burn certificates for all the materials for the log book entry.