Ned Gravel

Naw. I have flown in his Commanche (he will often fly an owner who has dropped off their aircraft) but it is not that big in his cabin. Somewhat more space than my E model, but not as much as the dreamworld of the add.

Tom is a fellow who works for the BRS chute company. We had a similar discussion over on the Facebook mooney driver's forum.

Good one George. Very useful. Confirms some things and refreshes others not used in a while.

DXB: Don't know about vents warming the mags. Clarence would know. I am in Myanmar right now and I can't open up the cowl to look. Here is what it looked like during my pre-purchase inspection. Can you guess who did that too?

I am a little different than the rest of you here. Clarence rebuilt my doghouse when I did the engine overhaul in 2009. He powder coated it shiny black and it has absolutely zero leaks in it. Before this was done, there were times when I would see my JPI top 390 for one or two of the CHTs. After it was done, the hottest I would see on a hot summer day was around 365. Mostly my CHTs are between 320 and 350. Nice and cool. I like the idea and look of Sabremech's new cowl and I certainly want one too, but I am a little scared of giving away the great cooling of my current doghouse. He promised me (at Oshkosh last year) that his new cowl will provide just as good cooling air as my doghouse. I remain hopeful.

+1 I did exactly the same. Use of the aircraft for "personal travel for business purposes" has to be documented. In 2012, I got 80% of all aircraft expenses written off. In 2013, it was 94%. In 2014, it was 66%. For 2015, it will depend on the amount of hours flown using the aircraft for "personal travel for business purposes" versus other uses. Determine this ratio, then you can calculate the amount of annual, oil, parking, flying club membership fees, flight instruction, gas, insurance, Nav Canada fees, AOPA/COPA/EAA membership fees, maintenance, and improvement that can be allocated as personal (not deductible from your business revenues) and business related. I haven't done the numbers yet, but I think 2015 will be better than 2014. What is the easiest document to produce when someone asks about the ratio? My aircraft journey log, one reason it is designated as a legal record. All I have to do is show a relationship between some business activity in a city or town and the airport code associated with that travel, in my Mooney's journey log. For example, work in Pittsburgh, PA and the airport used was Allegheny County Airport (KAGC). When all the hours are added up, those that took us to and from those business destinations (using our Mooney for personal transport) are the portion of total costs that I can deduct from our business revenues. Note that I am not talking about the capital cost of the aircraft here. I am not an accountant and I have been told that capital costs, depreciation and capital cost allowances are far more complex than what we do for operating costs. Not my expertise. For that, I would suggest you ask an accountant. Just my 0.02.

Nemesis: It is an early Mooney anomaly. Later models switched them to what we are all used to in other brands. But my E model is the same way with the prop governor control at the far right.

I do not know long bodies (or the F and J medium bodies), but I absolutely love the way my short body lands. It is nimble, responsive, and predictable, if not always forgiving. Flying the numbers is always the first thing to learn. See Don Kaye's video. When you get comfortable with it, you can do wonderful things: rescue overshoots to final, go arounds in very quick order, stable approaches in the soup, formation training, catch the number 3 wire on the USS Sedona (no one catches the number 1 wire the first time), etc. I guess I am a little biased.

Ah yes..... The old "computer is not listening to me" trick. Know it well.

Writer's remorse?

Don't have inner gear doors, but we do have winter. II think I am going to have to stay in a holiday inn tomorrow on my way to Myanmar.

Don't have inner gear doors, but we do have winter. II think I am going to have to stay in a holiday inn tomorrow on my way to Myanmar.

My brother-in-law sent this link to me. Blue Angels from within the cockpit of number 4(?), the slot team member. Use your mouse to rotate the views in azimuth and elevation during playback. Totally cool. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/11/12/experience-the-blue-angels-in-360-degree-video/75044212/ I know we can't do things to such fine tolerances in our Caravan flying because we just do not have the time for the practice. (150 practice runs before their first public appearance??). Just not us. But we do know our limitations and since we are not doing the 18 inch separation formations, I think we do very well indeed. Do we have any ex military jocks on the forum now? And I mean more than Darwin. One of you convince George Perry that what we do in the Caravan does not need a lifetime of close tactical formation training - but enough to keep us safe and prepared for whatever should be expected. I am looking forward to the Caravan again this year. Yves and I will be practicing in Feb (hopefully) and April before I finally back on the continent in June.

Someone just sent me this link. Got to me. Sort of describes why I fly - even if I don't come from Colorado (or any of the Rocky Mountain states). https://vimeo.com/41425441

Me too. The only reason I would keep the vacuum pump is to power the retracting step.

Swiss airforce. Alternate uses for many of the tunnels in the Alps.

I have used Forefilght in the triple-tap night mode and it works fine.

Foreflight. 3 years now and I love it.

This was last year, at a time when my Mooney was disguised as a snowbank. This year is way better. I feel for you folks (almost).

Yeah, well we did not have any snow for Christmas in Ottawa, Canada either this year. Very strange. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Baby. But my wife named her, not me. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for the recommendations. I like the cheap car rental option.

Especially out to 1,000 yds. Parker-Hale (C3).

Deb: Well done!! I was obviously confusing KISM with KLAL. Thanks for that. Now that you have given me some information, I am leaning to KISM. I like their prices and their apparent ease of getting a rental car and the access to Disney world and our condo. Very much appreciated. It also takes away the guilt I was feeling for going to Disney World instead of Sun'n'fun. Lakeland Regional is 52 nm from the Disney World and Kissimmee is 10 nm. So going to a different airport at a different time makes it all OK. Whew!!

Clarence: I should'a known you'd be at work already. Mustang ride yah!!!! But how is the airport for just parking C-FSWR for the week, and perhaps using it to take friends for local rides when I can do that instead of banging around Disney World?