Ned Gravel

+1 for the same ones referred to by Lee above.  After 10 years, however, the little suction cups do not work very well and the shades need to be replaced.  But hey, for $7.00, I got nothing to complain about.

When I had to replace my AI on my E model in 2007, it was measured to be 8 degrees, but it was not the split panel that existed in others of the same vintage.  

Foreflight. 

8 hours ago, EricJ said:

Nicely done.    There are a variety of mods to accomplish this and yours looks pretty nice.

I just ran a cable to the latch and made a pull handle.   Yours is less suscepitble to getting yanked inadvertently, but is a little more complicated to operate.

About ten tears ago or so, Clarence walked me through building something like yours during an owner-assisted annual.  Nice and simple. Then, four years later, while on a MAPA Pilot Proficiency Program course, the instructor I was flying with indicated I really needed to lock the baggage door to prevent its opening in flight.

He, apparently, had this happen to him.  However, since it never happened to me, I declined.  Doing so negated the utility of the new egress safety device on the door.

9 hours ago, Aerodon said:

Here's a mockup of what the stack would look like.  Might be too tall for a single stack in a Mooney.  Height can be reduced buy using an SL30 navcom isn SL70 transponder.

GNS530 Stack.pdf 759.47 kB · 18 downloads

Just finished something similar. My GPS is a 480 and my NAV/COM is an SL30.  Same order top to bottom - PS 8000, GNS 480, SL 30, GTX 330D-ES.

3 hours ago, Pinecone said:

One BIG thing is, NO ONE is saying to switch tanks just before take off.

I start and taxi on the lowest tank.  Then switch tanks BEFORE the run up.

+1

9 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

Don’t know about no Cherokee.

Both Mooneys I’ve owned flew straight regardless of passengers or unbalanced fuel.  Didn’t matter.

+1.
Owned mine for nearly 20 years and it doesn’t get unbalanced at all - left or right.   

Or, when you need it to enter rule airspace so they will actually clear you into the zone of one of the large number of US airports with Class C.  Not a requirement in Canada yet, but it is coming.  I don't need the hassle and normally flying IFR allows for a couple of other sets of eyes to watch what is happening in my vicinity.  So for IFR flying, it is clear to me that ADSB out is required.

ADSB in?  Depends.

That is what it cost me to replace the outer port wingtip and first skin inboard of that. 

Or you can ask someone who has no bias at all, and they will tell you to get a 65 E.  

OK maybe a little bias.

I find the 700 to be "good enough."  I would prefer a 900, but I am not there yet. 

Got enough issues with having to replace my Narco Mk 12D with an SL 30 (and the associated resolver), and installing a GTX 330 DES to cover all of North American ADSB transponder out requirements.  

1 hour ago, JohnnyM said:

21 hours ago, Ned Gravel said:

Still works good. Don’t use it much, but it is there if I need it

Thanks for the response. I was mostly wondering about the fit since the spruce speaker appears to be slightly larger than OEM.

Mine fit fine. 

10 hours ago, JohnnyM said:

Ned,
I am necroing this thread to ask how that 6" speaker fit in your 65 M20E. I know it's been 12 years, but perhaps you will remember it with how much fun you were claiming to have!

I have the interior of a 66 M20E and the speaker has to be original if not 40+ years old. I am upgrading avionics as well and was looking for a speaker to swap in, but the original appears to be a 4" model, so I was wondering how much coercing you had to do to get it to fit, or if it was pretty straight forward. 
 

Still works good. Don’t use it much, but it is there if I need it

I use the screwdriver bit on the end of my fuel tester. 

It is like the one shown here but mine has a metal probe for the drain valve.  It appears it is not sold anymore with the metal probe.

12 hours ago, amillet said:

One of the Comanches in the Caravan is “Gizmo” who has joined the Caravan for several years 

Alan:  Did Brenda go with you this year?  If so, tell her Ute and I miss her.

We saw the landing on youtube yesterday.  It was in two separate videos.  Well done.  Predator looks good in A element.  Was Hoser the lead this year as designated from last year?

If so, good job Hoser.

1 hour ago, RobertGary1 said:

One of the benefits of being outside for 20 years. No rodents. 

+1

The only benefit.  Ok, also no hangar fees.  But on the days when my bird is disguised as a snowbank, I would give all those up.  Just sayin’.   

I had no name for mine for the first ten years of ownership.  Then my wife started calling her “Baby.”  
Ok - but she picked it. For me, the girl is Baby, not the airplane, but I will not argue with her on this.  

Kirk:  last I saw of them, they were in Clarence’s hanger. @M20Doc.  Don’t believe he will have kept them for so long, but it never hurts to ask. 

2 hours ago, Igor_U said:

Any reason going to Dorval (Trudeau) airport? I would suggest St. Hubert (CYHU) on the South shore for better prices. I haven't been there in ages but I remember CYUL being pricey with fuel and service as it's being intended for BizJets.

 

Good luck

Don’t recall if St. Hubert is a port of entry. They are still not all back after COVID.  You may be required to use Dorval because it has an on-airfield customs post with CBSA folks for clearing international flights. 

7 hours ago, ilovecornfields said:

@Parker_Woodruff, thank you. That was very thoughtfully written and informative.

I’ve unfortunately been in the position to “take someone’s license away” after an event occurs for which I am a mandatory reporter. The person is usually very upset with me but at least one family member usually thanks me. It seems pilots could do a better job of owning their responsibilities - to themselves, their passengers and the public. When we don’t police ourselves, we compel the government, private businesses and courts to do it for us.

The I'M SAFE mnemonic used to be almost a perfunctory exercise in flight planning for me.  When was I ever not ready to fly?  Hmm...?

Now it is not so perfunctory.  Since last summer (I am now 70), I have scrubbed two sorties because I knew I was just too tired to really stay ahead of the airplane.  It may cut back my flying hours on those days when I have set aside the time because the weather is cooperating, but better that than the alternative. 

I really do not want to be "that guy."  In the pattern, talking to no one and oblivious to a lot of the situation around me.  I have seen it in others and read more than one resulting accident report.  Even a fixed gear aircraft will not solve that problem.

I think we have to be willing to tell ourselves when it is not a good day to fly because of how we feel.  Pisses me off that age is creeping up and may be doing this to me.  I was a warrior and we are indestructible!!!!!  Then, but maybe not so much today.  Still instrument current and still Class 1 medical.

But I am ready to determine when my A game is no longer good enough.  Then it will be time to hang up the spurs.  But not today and not while I have the tools and QC checks to help me make good decisions.  BTW:  tomorrow is four practice approaches to local airports.

3 hours ago, Niko182 said:

I'd play a game of chicken with one of those. How else am I supposed to prove my masculinity as a pilot?

Ever heard of cow tipping?  Time spent playing football as a defensive back or rugby as a prop (preferably at varsity level) helps. Signs of a misspent youth.  
 

Otherwise best to leave them to the farm (or ranch) hands.  

Yup.  Our guys can be unprofessional too.  Customs clearance going in either direction across our "longest undefended border" is still a crap shoot.  In most instances both CBSA and US CBP officers are good and professional.   They have a job to do, but are not acting stupid about it.  As of today, my instances of running into martinets is about even for y'alls and ours.

Once had a CBSA supervisor officer tell the new person to settle down and let my wife go to the washroom.  Once had a CBP guy tell me to make sure I trained enough US folks to be able to replace me so I did not have to cross the border so often.  Once had a CBSA officer try and tell me that I was 15 minutes early (instead of them being 15 minutes late) when I showed him the time on my iPhone synced to the iridium clocks on the GPS satellites and asked to see his watch for comparison.  Once had a CBP officer start going through the baggage compartment because he said he had to make the trip from the border control point on the bridge to the airport worthwhile.

Today, I only fly into airports that have permanent CBP Customs posts or CBSA Customs posts.  Don't need the agro.

When deviating, I change my heading bug to the course deviation assigned by ATC and set George to follow that.  HSI and compass both have centered needles at that point. I am good. 
 

NORDO or loss of comms procedure is a separate issue.  Made easier by their knowing I have wx on board (albeit 6 to 12 minutes behind). They will expect me to turn to the last expected waypoint when I feel it is safe, if I am squawking 7600.  I can do that. 

And here I thought my own 20G30 with an 18 Kt direct crosswind was something to crow about.  My POH says 11 mph is the max demonstrated crosswind.  I guess Kerrville was not as windy as Tucumcari that day. 

I knew I was a test pilot that day on a 3800’ X 150’ runway.  My out was our local international airport with 4 runways so it was going to be a relatively safe learning experience.  Worked out good. Upwind wheel down first. Then the other side followed very quickly by the nose wheel.  This 12 years ago.  Never had to try it since.  
 

Crosswind landings in my 65 E model are pretty non eventful.