HopePilot

Interesting idea. Someone should try it up to 10,000 feet.

Well, because there is basically only one employee left at Mooney (sic), I was told to expect a lead time of 90 days! Maybe I should start predicting what else I'll need 90 days from now so it'll be ready for me when the time comes. If I was rebuilding the panel from scratch, I would probably do this: http://www.aveoengineering.com/Aviation/Airplane_Accessories/rocker_switches/RockRackClassic/index.php

Okay, guess how long Mooney told me today I'll be waiting (minimum lead time) to get a new elevator trim rocker switch?

How many pounds of useful load do you lose?

I tried a pair on yesterday, at Aircraft Spruce's sale. They had less side pressure than my set of Zulus, but if you can't stream music, that makes it hard to justify the price increase over the Zulus; which can.

This thread is useless without pics!

Be safe Mitch.

Here's a video of the flight. Please select 720p when watching. Thanks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRUKy6vVsSU

My current plan is to buy a Sunspot 36 and hook it up to wig/wag, when my current light dies.

In search of flying something that floats more than my Mooney, I went to Crystalaire Airport with my CFI Tim McCarren, who some of you might have met at Mooney Ambassador events at KSMX and KSEE (he used to own an M20E). He's, also, a glider CFI and has been pressing me to take some lessons to improve my skills (and become the single greatest Mooney pilot of all time [sic]). Anyhoo, we rented the DG-1000, which is a very modern, comfortable, glider with retractable gear. Tim did the takeoff and I took over shortly thereafter. I thought it was pretty fun trying to keep the Pawnee, pulling us, in the right spot. There's a real sense of drama trying to figure out where and when you are going to release the line. Once you release, it's a fight to buy altitude. We were sinking fast when we found a very tight thermal that we could circle to gain a bit of altitude. We fought for about forty-five minutes until we had gained enough to make a play for the mountains. Once we did, the mountains pushed us higher and we were able to start circling Mt. Baden-Powell; having reached over 10,000 feet. It was pretty cool to look up and see a hawk using the same thermal we were following. Not so cool was going in tight circles, just above stall, for over an hour with a greasy hamburger in my stomach (fortunately, I didn't hurl). In all, I found it easier than I had expected, but I enjoyed my morning flight in the Mooney a bit more. Freedom to me is having an engine to go where you want to go, and see what is over the next horizon, but I have no doubt that new experiences in different categories of planes, makes for a better pilot.

I use both Kennon Sun Shields and a cover. I wouldn't think enough heat could get past the cover to cause a problem (with heat getting trapped against the windows), but I could be wrong. All I know is that the combination keeps the interior very cool.

But is it better than the new Teledyne Alphabeam that Aircraft Spuce is selling? I'd really like a solution that can then be set up to flash for anti-collision avoidance.

Whoops, I meant I was full trim up (I was thinking back to my Cessna days).

I would go, but it's so far away...NOT! I'll be there.

I went to check out a small fuel leak (another thread) and was surprised to find my elevator pointing down (it was only pointing down a little the night before. I hadn't realized it, but my electric trim wasn't working and I was still trimmed full nose up from landing. I reset my speed brake circuit which had popped out, and I was able to get my electric trim working and trim the elevator back to looking normal. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but shouldn't my elevator look "flat/horizontal" to the horizontal stabilizer even if I'm trimmed all the way nose down? Last question. When you are trimmed all the way nose down, and you pull the yoke back, will the elevator pull up much beyond level with the horizontal stabilizer? Mine didn't (well, just a little) and now I can't remember if it did previously.

Went to the Tehachapi event and had an amazing time. Austin Kalb was an awesome host and we felt like they really rolled out the red carpet for us Mooney folk. Let it be clear to everyone...Tehachapi is now Mooney country. I didn't realize they had camping, but I'll be back there to enjoy those facilities and the warm hospitality of everyone there as soon as possible.

I'm reviving this thread because I need a mobile Mooney mechanic to come to KBUR. Any thoughts? I'm thinking of trying Kevin Schiff at KWHP and Mike Passwater at KEMT, but I'm not sure if they travel.

I use a Duo, and find the software to be amazing. I loved using the geo-referenced charts, long before Garmin made them accessible (at a fraction of the price). That said, the monitor for the Duo stinks and I can't wait to upgrade to an HP Slate, but I'm keeping my Anywhere Map software. I use a blutooth gps, not the one that it comes with.

Full flaps or partial/takeoff flaps?

I've wondered about this, also, and how much it costs?

Nice choice!

Quote: FlyDave I like the speed of my Mooney and run 2500/WOT burning 10.8 gph/157KTAS at altitude. But I was talking to my mechanic yesterday and he said that my Mooney is such a fast airplane that I now need to subtract the time out of my log books when I fly . Dave PS - If Brandon gets that missile he won't have any log book time left in a year and will probably have to budget a few AMU's a year speeding tickets!!

Maggie's speed mod is a set of flap gap seals (made from real doe-eyed seals that Jolie personally skinned...much to the chagrin of Green Peace).

I like square.

Cool. Let's do a hostile takeover of Mooney Aircraft.