Ned Gravel

I just tried it and it is waaaay too slow. Foreflight on my iPad is much faster and easier to use.

It is at http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20150722X51858&key=1 Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yves: Will do.

I just got the photo taken by Mooney International staff following our debrief. I am attaching it here. It is much lower resolution than the folks at Mooney sent me, but the site would not allow me to upload even the half size (resolution) one. Keep in mind that this photo is Copyright Mooney International, 2015. All rights reserved.

Yah. Leave the man alone. We want our vintage cowls brought into this century. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Nice report, Striptease. I may not have been completely aware of my surroundings when you were handed your callsign (maybe Cowboy neither), but it was very nice to meet someone from South Africa. Welcome to the Caravan.

Wow!! It looks like I am not the one with the least experience in a Mooney. Closing in on 900 hours with almost 740 in my own E model. Maybe hit the 1,000 hour mark in the next year or so.

Yup. Very true Hank. Wish I could remember where I saw the other one. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Oh my very good friend Houman: Someday you will be in the Caravan and possibly even an element Lead. And I would be proud to be your wingman. Then you could see how my nimble little E would jump off the runway some 300 feet before your Rocket and perhaps understand more of my situation. There was a video of a Bonanza (6 cylinders) filming an E model takeoff and the E model pilot could not keep his on the runway beyond a certain speed, while the Bo was not getting airborne yet. Can't find it now, but here is another one. See https://youtu.be/dACFIVHW_uA Your heavier Rocket is like the Bo. Faster at climbing and at altitude. Go for it. I like my E.

Clarence: I drove the car. Isn't that enough? I will even let you take the picture, but PLEASE!!! No more cylinders!! I am having enough trouble looking after these four.

End of Saga: First the trip from Detroit to Madison was interesting. Squall line (well maybe exaggerating a little) was crossing Lake Michigan from the other direction - so we planned to go south of it and Chicago. Chicago had similar ideas and was constantly modifying my flight plan (as accepted by them and given to me in the Clearance) to keep me more and more south of their airspace. As you can see from the recorded flight track below, I was pretty close to it at one point (about 10 miles I think) and we could see the mountain of cloud off our right wing climbing to over 30,000'. Madison was a fun approach into a soft layer (altostratus) and landed behind two "company" a/c also headed for our line up. Practice that afternoon before Pedro's had me worried a little about getting sucked while outside in the turns. The next day was fun and the flying was challenging and enjoyable. See the Foreflight track and this landing video where Mark Stefanov (K3) and I (K2) put our wheels on the runway within 1 second of Sandman's. Purple dot is at 11 seconds. My wheels touch down at 13 seconds and Sandman's at 14 seconds. Mark is somewhere between the two. As wingmen, it is our responsibility to make our lead look good. We're done here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBMj4q1elM0&feature=youtu.be Getting home was easy, once the air traffic system was onside. See the homeward bound flightaware tracks below. Before we got home, Clarence had adjusted my governor to give me a full 2700 rpm on demand. We have our mojo back. Thank you to everyone we met and flew with and helped make this the most enjoyable Caravan for us. See you next year.

Sedona is a lovely place with a challenging approach for those who are not used to a tabletop mountain runway. I bounced twice. But I bought the hat. "USS Sedona SEZ CV 3-21" Two days later I heard the story of the Mooney crew that bounced off the end of the runway over the bluff a few years ago. The story was related to me by the owner of that J model. Today, he is still looking for another Mooney. Enjoy your time in Sedona. Try and be proficient catching the No. 1 wire. The world (in that restaurant) is watching every time someone lands there.

I remember my first FISK arrival. It was also on 27. Two go-rounds. The first because I could not safely make the turn from downwind to final in the space they gave me (I was way wide) and the second was because of a 177 correcting his turn off the runway to go to the other side (as originally instructed, but not as originally executed). Ed Ferguson's wife recorded it all and have yet to see the tape, but "Mooney, go round!" happened twice to me that day - on the 27 FISK arrival.

For me, this is the very reason why I switched to flying in the Caravan. The FISK arrival scares the living daylights out of me.

Tonight is the BBQ at 5:00 pm. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Sabremech showed up at the Mooneyspace get together today and showed off the work. We talked about how it works for a C (such as his own) and the potential for using on an E model (like mine). Sounds pretty good in that the cowl inlet holes are really good for cooling. Here are some of the considerations. First, the new cowl does not have the bump at the top such as on mine and any Mooney manufactured in 1965. David says he might have to do some magic in the design of the top cowl for us in that year. Second, there is no ram air vent (too much trouble in moulding and getting FAA approval for the STC). However, the relocated air filter (below the port inlet and in front of No 2 Cylinder) will apparently allow for an increase by about 1" in manifold pressure, without the need for the ram air (enhancing the not-very-good air intake system on our Lycomings). Fourth - the doghouse is gone. This concerns me a little because I now get no more than 350-360 deg F as CHT on the very hottest departures because of the efficient cooling of my current doghouse. If I am to now make use of a J-type baffling system, I want it to be very good too. Lastly, I will need the J spinner because this new cowling is a bit further forward than my current one. I want one, but Clarence is my expert and we will need to talk. Well done David (Sabermech). Very good looking result of your work. We are pulling for you, because it will affect us too (hopefully).

Lance: At the Mooney caravan tent. Same as last year. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I am here in Madison. Tomorrow we fly the Caravan. 41 Mooneys. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Tankinbarber: Have you considered practicing for the Caravan? Most of our Caravan safety pilots and instructors will be in Madison, WI, tonight and tomorrow, practicing for the actual Caravan on Sunday.

I just talked to the FSS guys and they are saying that tomorrow morning the route to KANJ (Sault Ste Marie) has higher ceilings from Ottawa than the route to Michigan. I am not fussed with ceilings because I will be filing IFR. Ute and I will lift off at 06:00 local and go direct Wayne County (Detroit International) because their customs operates 24/7 and all I need to do is file the eAPIS without having to phone them for permission to land. Once in Michigan, it is forecast good for the two hours to Madison. If it all works out, we are in Madison by 2:00 pm at the latest. Hoo yah!

Good work Yves.

My purchase in 2004/5 caused 8 aircraft to be considered and 5 of them had pre-buys. One mechanic from Charlotte, NC wrote me back: "She's been rode hard and put away wet." The guy from Mizou Aviation identified rust on one of the longerons (part of the steel cage). The mechanic from Baton Rouge told me about their evidence of a gear up not properly fixed. The one at Rockcliffe did not go farther than the examination of the logs (two propstrikes in the previous five years - only the first of which was handled properly. Cavalier Aviation did one from Edmonton and that one showed an a/c without the upgraded ailerons and aileron links. Clarence did the last one. A hockey sock full of airworthiness issues that the seller did not believe. He came to the hanger and Clarence showed him physically. He finally agreed and modified his price for the cost of those repairs. Today, he uses Clarence for his Bravo. Total cost of pre-buy's (minus the one Clarence did that included a part 2) was $2000.00 for the first four. Those four Mooney's came off the market when those pre-buys were done. Each $500.00 spent saved me $50,000 in heartache. Worth the effort. I never met any of the mechanics, except through reputation (not all were MSCs) and I never saw any of the aircraft, except the first and the last ones. Here is what I learned from the process that took approximately 9 months. Take nothing personally. Keep the ball in the seller's court. Negotiation is about finding a solution that both are happy with. If that is not going to happen, at least make sure your own needs are met. Always be prepared to walk away. Always do the doc examination and open her up with a pre-buy (using a mechanic you can trust). Just my 0.02.

I am totally pooched getting out of Eastern Ontario towards Madison today because of weather. Stuff happens. Looks like a sparrow fart departure tomorrow may be possible getting into Detroit near 10:00 am and then into Madison near noon. Plan C is a Fisk arrival into KOSH at the same time as the Caravan (11:00 am) so I can at least park with the others. Oh well. Stuff happens.

I have flown over Lake Michigan three times now. Not less than 11,000' and always over the narrowest part (Yves flew over that part today). 44 miles across that point. I had calculated 24 miles gliding distance (approx) from that altitude to the surface and I did not feel out of gliding distance of land. The halfway point was determined from the wind direction and speed. I needed to know what it was from winds aloft before launch.

Yves is on his way!! http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFQKM/history/20150716/1310Z/CYND/KPHN