Ned Gravel

+1 for Tri Flow

We just got word from COPA that they found the aircraft and the folks that were in it. So young. https://copanational.org/en/2018/09/13/wreckage-of-lost-mooney-found/

2. Looks like my own avatar.

Brian: I did not want to pronounce on the differences in the approaches available until I had the correct plates, but have a look at these. You can see the Allentown one is much more forgiving. I actually landed in 1000' ceiling, but with 700' scattered and I went through the scattered layer to actually see the runway. So while the METAR was 1000', to me it was more like 700'. But the minima on that approach are lower than the ones in Quakertown.

Brian: My experience is that the only Enterprise/NationalAlamo counters that are open on a Sunday are airport ones. Yours may be different, but I did not want to chance it.

Brian: I needed access to car rental agencies on the field, in case I would have to drive. I don't think KUKT has any.

Dan: When I had engine probs in Manchester last time, it was only for the manifold pressure line, so not as serious as yours, but still had to take the plane to Concord to their local shop. Took two hours to get it replaced. In Manchester, there is an itinerant mechanic that comes in to Signature on request, but he was not available for me two years ago. You may wish to ask Signature if their guy is still doing this or phone the shop in Concord to see if they know someone local. It was nice meeting you and I hope you get going OK. Personally, I had a great flight into demanding conditions when I flew out of Manchester, and I did not make it to my desired destination because of minima there. But I made it to the flight planned destination. I had to leave the plane in Allentown, PA, but I know it is OK. Hope yours gets to be OK soon. Good luck.

Training in DC was cancelled so going to Gaithersburg got binned. But the Mooney PPP in Manchester was great. Different focus this year. Allowed all to see how rusty my instrument performance is. OK so getting only 35 hours last year and buying a new GPS did not help, but no excuse. Fewer "scare the bejees out of me stalls" but still some. Haven't figured out how to have the autopilot take the info from the 480 through my G5 on ILS approaches - so I blew both of those. The RNAV was a piece of cake. However the weather over New England messed up all the plans and I did not make it to Frederick from Manchester today. I only made it as far as Allentown. Frederick was below minima for quite a bit of today. Here is a snapshot of vectors to SHAGY on the RNAV 06 approach to KABE, 5.1 nm from the threshold. It felt good to nail this one, but I am going to have to practice the ILS ones. Where we live, there are only two ILS left on 5 airports with a total of seven runways, so I will have to ask nicely. Advantage to RNAV approaches for me? GPS does all the work with the G5. All I have to do is the vertical guidance. So the rest of my journey is by rented car, until I get back to Allentown and pick up my bird up at the end of this week to fly home. Oh well......

I remember coming into Wichita from St. Louis (travelling west) in 2015 at 8000' and when I looked out the pilot side window, I saw four (if not five) airfields with N/S runways facing me. Fortunately I was IFR and the instruments were pointing to the correct set of runways. Ok - no real problem, but I could imaging where it might actually happen. Then, last year, on my way to Oshkosh, Detroit Approach had me come around from the east to line up on 03R following a 737, which I had in sight. The controller had me confirm (twice) that I was looking at 03R. Remember that I was on a "visual approach" so they may not have expected me to confirm direction using cockpit needles. I am not certain if he knew I had the ILS for 03R dialled in on NAV1 and DXO (for the missed approach) on NAV2. They were worried about both my seeing which of these four runways was mine and when they could see me on the ground and out of their hair. I landed waaaay long to stay out of the "flare turbulence" of the 737.

OK. Sounds good. I don't have any pockets in my E model, although I suspect a Jaeger spacious re-do of the interior is in my five year plan and there will be a pocket then. In the meantime, my document bag in the baggage compartment has a pocket for things like this. That is where it will go. ANNOUNCEMENT!!! PTT is withdrawn from this ad. Howzat?

Now that I have integral PTT to the co-pilot yoke, I have these two for shipping to a good home. The PTT is a TELEX with a velcro strap to tie it to the yoke. The splitter was new this year to allow for an audio connection and record audio while using the iPhone that records our flights. I am not looking for cash or a sale, just shipping costs. First come, first served.

Here are the promised pics. Installation of these K model yokes required the very slight modification of the old shafts at the area where they meet. Also, the tapered pin used on the old connection between the old yokes and the old shafts was replaced by a nut/bolt combo oriented perpendicular to the old tapered pin holes. I had already felt some slight play in the old combo, but there is none now. The old setup had replaced the PC switch with a PTT, the autopilot diseng, and the A/P alt eng/diseng buttons. The PTT remained on the left side, but the other two were moved to the right of the pilot yoke. A PTT was added to the right of the co-pilot yoke. In flight, I have found that I have to be careful using the controls on the G5 or I may disengage the A/P. I may actually move those two buttons back to the left side of the pilot yoke. Pics are arranged in order of modification to the panel. As purchased. Modified to put the STEC into the panel, instead of into my knee. And added a JPI Added BK AV8OR and timer for situational awareness iPad on the yoke and Trimble TNL 1000 replaced with TNL 2000 Approach (not a real IFR setup). Sirs compass replacing the vibrating Whiskey compass. PS 8000 to replace the Sigtroics Intercom and the Narco Audio Panel. Replaced the Bendix T12C with a KR 87. New smaller vacuum gauge and the ELT replaced with a 406 MHz model. First the G5 and the 480, with the loss of the Narco 810, the Trimble TNL 2000 A, and the DG. Then the new yokes. EI tach on the right (replacing a wildly vibrating mechanical tach) followed by the Sensorcon CO detector and finally, the new yokes. S'all for now.

@aeromancfi New yokes were in great shape. Clarence played with the shafts (my old ones) to get them to fit the newer yokes. Could not use the new shafts. These yokes are not held on by a taper pin, but by a screw. Before we installed the new yokes there was a very small amount of play between the old shafts and yokes. Not anymore. I know I promised pics but it will have to wait till Monday. I promise.

I have been having such good luck doing this for future trips, I thought I would try it for something nearer in time. I have to be in Washington for the 4th and 5th of September to deliver conformity assessment training. If I can avoid the aluminum tube (ie: WX cooperates) I will probably land in Gaithersburg and take the metro to downtown DC on the 3rd. On the 6th, I am wheels up (WX permitting) to go to Manchester, NH for the Mooney PPP, from the 6th to the 9th. Then it is off to Frederick, MD to deliver more conformity assessment training (10-11 Sep) and then back to Gaithersburg late in the afternoon of the 11th to then rent a car and deliver more training in Silver Spring, MD for the 12th and 13th. Wheels up out of Gaithersburg at around 10:00 on the 14th and back to Ute. C-FSWR will in these places on the following dates: 3-6 Sep - KGAI 6-9 Sep - KMHT 9-11 Sep - KFDK 11-14 Sep - KGAI For those going to the Mooney PPP, we will obviously have a bit of time to socialise. My time in Gaithersburg is fairly restricted because I am not staying anywhere near the airport, but my time in Frederick should allow some time for something other than work. Suggestions, given these parameters?

PM'd you with the details.