flight2000

FlyQ by far. I didn't see anything that I was missing by not going with FF and or GP. Yes - you can load the trial with no impact to other apps. Only limiting factor is storage capacity on your iPad. Eats up space if you download a lot of the data. You can select only the states you want to save space. Yes - Stratux will work with FlyQ but AHRS is not supported. Longevity - Seattle Avionics does a lot more than just FlyQ. I have no worries about them going under anytime soon. They are the number 3 app out there and gaining. FlyQ will not connect with Garmin, well, because Garmin is being that 800 pound gorilla and will not allow them to connect. The Stratus 2S systems are the same way. Here's the ADSB devices that are supported: https://seattleavionics.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/230164448-FlyQ-EFB-Supported-Devices I also like Aerovie and FltPln Go, but FlyQ is still my #1 app because I bought the lifetime subscription about 4 years ago. No more price increases unlike some others that continue to raise their prices almost yearly.... I went with the Lynx NGT-9000 transponder because they played nice with all brands. Cheers, Brian

Correct, KSVN is Hunter Army Airfield which is home to the 3rd Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade and 3rd Battalion - 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Not getting in there unless you have prior approval. Not sure when they opened KLHW (Wright Army Airfield/MidCoast Regional) to GA, but my guess is it was after the OH58D's were removed. When I was stationed there from 2001-2004, it was military only. Looks like a nice facility and they have new hangars there. Cheap fuel too! Cheers, Brian

Everyone freaked out in Richmond, VA as usual. Run on grocery stores yesterday left most of the shelves bare. I never understand why they do that - like some apocalyptic event is about to happen. Roads are clear this morning since it wasn't cold enough to stick....the yard on the other hand.... Brian

Joe, agree with the others. You need to have the entire wiring system checked. I had a 430W in my Mooney for+ 8 years and a GTN750 in my Beech for 18 months and never had a drop or loss of signal. I used to fly in your area a lot two years ago when I lived on the other side of the mountains from you (Reno). Has to be a gremlin or two in there. Brian

Agree. I might just get the Merlin as a back-up. Sold my Stratus 2 (v.1 software) when the NGT-9000 went in, but now I'm thinking I still want some other insurance handy. It is nice seeing an expiration date of 2097 on the subscription page when I go to settings though.... Cheers, Brian

I flew Friday morning from South Bend, IN to Richmond, VA and the weather was perfect along the entire route. Nice tailwind, but nothing out of the ordinary. Lot's of traffic out there that morning too. I don't see any cause for concern with your route. BUT....just have a back-up plan in case the weather isn't what's reported or expected. There was no forecast for rain (or snow) along our route when we left early Thursday morning for KSBN, but sure enough, we ended up between layers and it rained a little just north of Fort Wayne, IN. We were IFR so it was a non-issue for us, but could have been if I hadn't been through that many times before and was current. Popped out the other side and it was clear at South Bend. Not going to give any family advice since everyone is different. Lot's of other solid advice has already been given IMHO... Cheers and good luck! Brian

Seattle is getting ready to release a full feature FlyQ EFB for the iPhone in the next couple of weeks. Been waiting for that for awhile. That was their big announcement last week along with some upgrades to FlyQ overall. Garmin doesn't play well with anyone except Garmin. Seattle is the #3 EFB app and provides support to a lot of other companies (besides Garmin) out there, so I'm not too worried about them going out of business anytime soon. I put in the Lynx NGT-9000 for this reason versus the Garmin GTX series. Won't connect to FlyQ or any other brand that I'm aware of except Garmin Pilot. It isn't for a lack of trying on Seattle's part, they keep reaching out to Garmin, but.... Cheers, Brian

I have the FlyQ lifetime IFR subscription that is paying for itself now (bought mine in 2013). With certain apps constantly raising the prices for their subscriptions, it was a no brainer for me. I got an email from Seattle Avionics this morning basically saying that the lifetime subscriptions are capped at a certain amount and once its reached, no more will be offered. Makes sense from a business perspective. I've had zero issues with mine and they are continually upgrading just like the other apps. Cheers, Brian

Yea, I hated those missions. I was one of the meat bombs in the back with the 82nd Airborne from 93-95.... Brian

Does it look like these? http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/clite.php Otherwise, Lowe's sells plexiglass in different thickness so you can roll your own. Cheers, Brian

That's no longer the case. I usually file in the FBO through fltplan.com before heading to the plane and it's always been there when I call CD - sometimes as fast as 10 minutes later. Never had an issue in the last 2 years using this method. I don't use FF and never will unless they happen to be the last app standing. Cheers, Brian

I've been burning mine for 300+ hours now and still going. I've heard the Whelen's are good for 1,000 hours, so we'll see. Never found any documentation to back it up, but the old GE bulb would have needed replaced at least 6-7 times by now if left on continuously. Cheers, Brian

Be honest with yourself and assess the most common mission you will have is the best advice I could give. I went from an E model to a BE33 with the biggest reason being comfort for my 4 and the extra baggage capacity. All Mooney's are limited to 120 lbs in the baggage area - that's it. So I traded a little more fuel burn for more legroom in the back and tons of space for baggage (270 lbs capacity). I've never had an issue with CG either. Run the numbers on any plane you are interested in to see if it works for your common flights and then the max effort flights. I agree with Immelman - if you have a $150K budget between you and your partner - I'd be looking for 6 seats with the A36/Lance/Saratoga lines and go with six seats. I always prefer to be under gross then always be on the fence at max gross weight for performance reasons. Just my opinion on that of course. Cheers, Brian

The LASAR tips go on the outside of the skins. Cheers, Brian

Picture in the article makes it look like the prop departed the plane after it hit trees (or upon impact) on the approach end of the runway. Glad everyone walked away, but me thinks this might be another candidate for the chop shop. http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/door-co/news/2017/07/15/plane-crashes-during-washington-island-fly-fish-boil/481958001/ Brian

Hell, for that I'll buy the after hours beer too.... Brian

Still on the west coast. Definitely watching for the next one. Brian

Going east or west, I followed V6. Stayed at 11.5 for the RNO-RKS segment with it being severe clear. The RKS-OMA IFR leg was KRKS-Arute-V6-Yutan-KOMA. Used O2 for the first hour at 13K then dropped down to 11K when the MEA allowed us to. That was the only time we went on O2 the entire trip. Going west, you could run the entire route lower, but the bumps tend to get worse down low the later in the day it gets. If it's clear out, you can follow I-80 through NV and stay as low as 8.5K. I did follow V6 from FMG to LCU and then went direct KRKS. Kept me out of the SLC Bravo airspace to the North and the controllers had no issue with me being at 11.5K. Cheers, Brian

Cool, thanks Seth. I "officially" arrive on the 24th of July in Richmond. Plane is going into annual before I get here, so that'll be done for another year. Had a headwind on most of the route. Cheers, Brian P.S. I hate the humidity here....

Let me say, I'm wore out after spending two days moving the plane from Reno, NV to Richmond, VA this weekend. ATC was fantastic the entire way and we didn't have to dodge all that much weather. There was a pretty big storm over Omaha that thankfully cleared out to the east before we arrived - we did get to see all the fireworks going off across the city which was pretty cool. Was not a bad ride overall once we got out of the NV/UT/WY areas, which had the typical annoying speed bumps along the route due to the heat - even at 11.5K and 13K feet MSL. Pretty smooth from about Grand Island, NE all the way to Richmond at 9,000 feet. Recap of the move: Friday: 1,116 nm's / Saturday: 913 nm's Total: 2,029 nautical miles.... KRNO -> KRKS (Sweetwater, WY): 3.1 hours, 510 nm (VFR w/flight following/radar advisories) Used Sweetwater Aviation - Nice facility, but nothing to write home about. Prompt service and they had us on our way in under 30 minutes. Fuel was $4.64 a gallon. KRKS -> KOMA (Omaha, NE): 3.7 hours, 606 nm (IFR) Parked at TACAir for the night. Rental car waiting for us and we had them park the plane in their hangar ($115 a night but I felt better knowing she was indoors and not outside with the thunderstorms in the area). Plane was fueled and waiting for us on the ramp at 0830 when we arrived. Only extra charge besides fuel and hangar was the airports $5 infrastructure fee. Normal handling fee was waived since I took on almost 50 gallons of fuel. Fuel price was $5.31 a gallon - $.07 cheaper than Signature. TACAir has a really nice facility. KOMA -> KBMG (Bloomington, IN): 2.5 hours, 456 nm (IFR) Used Cook Aviation for the quick stop. Nice facility, complimentary sodas, water, and cookies. Very nice for a small airport that is only really busy during NCAA sporting events being held over at Indiana University. Fuel was $4.60 a gallon. KBMG -> KFCI (Richmond Executive): 2.5 hours, 457 nm (IFR) Dominion Aviation will be my new FBO heading into the future. Already have my annual scheduled with them starting next week. Good time to do it since we'll be packing out the house in Reno and driving across the country later this month. Gas was the highest at $5.65 a gallon. Nothing like a really long x-country to see this great nation, but I'm done with the super long trips for now.... Some pictures from the trip are below. Cheers, Brian

Nope, you're fine. When I repainted my 67E back in 2010, I went with 3" N Numbers and they are authorized under 14 CFR 45.22. Basically, any certified aircraft over 30 years old (measured from today's date) may retain 2" numbers (or larger) as the minimum size. The date the aircraft was/is painted is irrelevant in any discussion as an argument for saying only 12" numbers are legal. Cheers, Brian

All I have to say is protect your radios that have any type of bezel/knob from loose iPads in the cockpit. Had a buddy that was cruising along in smooth air and hit a spot of CAT and the iPad went up off the co-pilots seat and karate chopped the entire lower knob off his 430W. That was an expensive trip to the shop... I've had no issues with the touch screens in flight on my GTN750, but it can be a little frustrating if the turbulence goes on long enough and you're making a lot of changes. Just takes a little patience and a steady hold on the lower support ledge that is built into the unit. Cheers, Brian

Don't they waive that if the plane is out of California for the first 6 months? I can't make heads or tails of their laws sometimes.... Brian

Virginia has a 2% sales and use tax of the "fair market value" of the plane if you move the plane into VA for more than 60 days (even if you are a non-resident ). I have no idea what source they use, but I'm not arguing with the tax department gal that gave me the FVM number to use... It's $5 a year after that for the registration. Brian

Yes. Only gained a couple pounds of useful load back since not a lot of wiring was removed - just reorganized, had poor/questionable connections repaired, and all wiring labeled better for future upgrades. Cheers, Brian