Ned Gravel

OK Clarence: Somehow you have run out of things to do. I will send you my squawk list next week. Yves is flying C-FSWR in from Ottawa. And there is that beautiful doghouse to change out for a 201 style baffle kit. Will you have any use for the doghouse with its shiny black powder-coated finish? If not, someone here may need one.

I do

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and there was nothing more lovely than this bird sitting on the ramp for my first flight. When I was growing up, there was this cartoon in the papers called Buzz Sawyer and he flew Phantoms. I guess Phantom knows about the old saying that the F4 was proof positive that, with big enough engines, you could make a brick fly. But I liked it anyway. Serious lines for a serious airplane. And today, of course, the airforce is about to take away our favourite airborne tank busters, the Aardvark ("Go ugly early"). I remember sitting in my battalion command post during an exercise in 1983 with the Brigade Command Net in one earphone and the Battalion Command Net in the other when I was handed two A10s just clearing into the IP. "Where do you want it?" "On the Lawfield road (this was a long straight road radiating from their IP on their initial heading plain as day) anything north of northing 08 is a target." "Roger." And that was that. I like the look of A-10s too, but that is just me.

Byron: Me too.

John: Is it me, or do I see the edges of a wind generator bolted to the inside of your battery access panel? The BAE 14/28?

Well Yves: Looks more like your beagle is following his mistress, not his master.....

Who's the very sharp dude landing number 2 to Chris and 1.5 seconds beyond the purple dot? (Ok - couldn't help myself. I am, after all, a Mooney Pilot) So Dave: Are you going to give any presentations to the assembled forum multitude on the enjoyment, precision, and safety of participation in the Mooney Caravan? There might be Mooney Pilots present who may not have participated this year.

Erik: I feel your pain. I just never leave my Halo's in the aircraft. They travel in my Brightline along with the other bits an pieces that are carried to and from the Mooney steed before and after flight.

I am thinking they should name the next new design the "Phoenix" Sent from my iPad

John: I agree on the cost of flying versus commercial, for those destinations within one tank range. Outside of that, the curves cross. But - would rather me enjoy the flying than the two in the front office of a commercial airliner anyway.

Not Applicable with regard to the partnership question. Plane is 14 km (8.5 miles) away from the front door - about 15 minute drive depending on traffic.

+1 Sent from my iPad

Baby. My wife named her. Wasn't my idea. Sent from my iPad

In that case Clarence, please add it as this year's improvement. Although I hope the new(ish) doghouse goes to a deserving early model Mooney that needs one. It is really well made. In the meantime, I will arrange to have it ferried to CYKF in March and back. I am also arranging to get some of the instructors at the club to exercise it every now and then. I miss flying....

Clarence: Warm, but missing my girl and my airplane. There has got to be a better way...... With the doghouse you made after the overhaul, my temps are pretty darn good. Will this baffle allow me the same good air flow? Is it time to do the oil cooler change to the back of the baffles? I am here till June, so I am considering getting either Sue or Yves or one of the club instructors to ferry FSWR to the shop for its annual where these "other" things can also be done. Ideas? (And I do not mean the "million dollar corner".)

Clarence: Will they fit my E model?

Did not think of that approach. I just turn mine the other way so that the cable is plugged into the end away from me.

Or. You could fly in the Mooney Caravan. All kinds of folks in spare seats to take pictures of you from 40' away or so while in flight. Sent from my iPad

How cold is cold? Well, we are used to being outside in the winter at temperatures colder than that. It is all about how you dress and prepare. We can do things for ourselves that we cannot do for our aircraft in those temps.

Paul: I am with you on this. About the same conditions (weight-wise) as you, but without the parasite. I also pulled an old Bendix T12C (with the long wire antennae) for a KR-87 and changed out the old generator and starter for the Plane Power conversion for charging and the 149 NL SkyTec starter. Total savings there was about 13 lbs all up (but $9,000 in cost). My overseas work is in Bangladesh (and my aircraft is Canadian registered as well). You story motivates me.

Carence: Unless, in our typical humble Mooney aviator fashion, we are trying to understate our vaunted appointments to the cockpit of a Mooney and call ourselves "Mooney Drivers"..... but you and I have already had that conversation.

And this is why I am not flying my aircraft to the DC area this weekend with a continuation to Tampa for our cruise the following week.

For me it is because the loss of the big cooling fan at night in IMC may not allow me to pick (see) any place to put it down when I break out of the clag. At least that is my worry.

The second video is, if anyone doesn't remember, from the old Hong Kong airport called Kai Tak. A disaster waiting to happen with that red and white building at the top of the hill where they had to turn (although not shown in this video) even though they were already on "final". OK for a little Mooney, but scary when we are talking about 500,000 or 600,000 lbs of 747 (not MTOW). They levelled an island and built Chek Lap Kok some 14 years ago, did they not?

Is this our Darwin we are talking about? The 2013 Mooney Caravan Lead?