Jeff_S

Thanks Seth. Yes, my A/P did some analysis and he felt the idle mixture was set too rich as well. It's possible I suppose, since it was set in Florida (sea level) during the springtime (cooler months) compared to now being in Atlanta at 1000' elevation in the hot summer. He leaned out the idle mixture and I did notice a difference. I'm more comfortable now knowing what I need to do in these situations so I'm just going to monitor it and tweak as necessary. I did discover that the A/C loads the alternator for an effective 300-400 RPM drop at idle, which when coupled with the too-rich mixture may have increased the problems.

This technique is seemingly not different than the one Mike Busch describes for hot starting the IO-550, with one exception. Busch's article specifically states that when doing the long prime for cooling, the throttle should be wide open. And Deakin's article is a bit hard to interpret, in that he describes a process going from an attempted "cold" start technique right into his cooling technique. He does say to put the mixture at ICO, but he doesn't really mention the throttle setting. Presumably he intends for the throttle to remain in the "cracked" position. So what would be the difference to the engine between leaving the throttle just "cracked" during the cooling prime, or leaving it wide open as Busch suggests? I'm not really clear on what would be different, or anything, since the mixture is at ICO in both cases. Appreciate any insights from the more engine-knowledgeable folks. Thanks!

Hmm...that's interesting. I wonder what the point of that is. And why would it show hotter than the individual probes higher up in the stack? Maybe the combination of all gases reaching that point somehow has an additive effect? But thanks for clarifying that one. I hadn't seen it in the manuals anywhere.

Hi Folks. For those who have a G1000 system in their Mooney, a question about variance between EGT readings. I've been experimenting with different power settings, which is making me focus on the EGT/CHT gauges to see how my engine reacts. Today I noticed an interesting thing: the EGT gauge in the standard Map mode (the small sliders on the left) which shows and denotes the hottest cylinder is reading out exactly 100° hotter than the same cylinder shows when you put it on the Engine page. This is only true for the EGT reading...the CHT reading shows the same in both modes. Anybody ever see this before?

I'm just curious why you can't get your plane over to PDK. I agree with your point about Michael O'Neal because I fly with him a bit. Lately I've also been flying with a guy named Bill Rutkowski...he's a part-time instructor but full CFI-I/ATP and he has his own 231, so he's very familiar with turbo Mooneys. Drop me a PM if you're interested and I'll give you his contact info.

Thanks Paul. I may take you up on that, although it looks like we're back in a storm period this weekend. Heck, with all the weather I've flown through lately that should be no big deal! I'll talk to my A/P though, and get his thoughts about adjustments. The fact is I've flown this plane more in the last three weeks than it has flown in a year, since it was undergoing all its repairs. The engine now has about 10 hours on it since the tear-down/rebuild, so I imagine its natural for it to need some tweaking as it breaks into normal operating mode.

My confidence (hubris?) about hot starts reared up on me this afternoon. On landing I was coming in a bit fast so I had pulled the throttle all the way out to glide in. Perhaps the mixture was too lean, as on rollout the engine quit. Luckily I could roll onto the taxiway, but it took me a few minutes to get it started. Eventually had to use a flooded technique. I went up to the fuel depot and gassed her up, and then had trouble starting again with all the standard techniques, except finally using a flooded start I got it going. But on taxing back down a hill I throttled back and she quit AGAIN! This was right in front of Epps Aviation and a guy came up in a truck and asked if I needed help. I said "I'll let you know." Once more, I could get it to fire a bit and then it would die. Finally I did a flooded technique and got it started to fire, and as it seemed like it was quitting again I gave it a shot of prime and that did the trick. Before shutting down I did a run-up to test all the cylinders and they looked fine on the engine gauge, and after I got it normalized then it ran okay even at idle. My theory is that I was running so lean I got it into some type of vapor lock that took awhile to clear. Feel free to educate me if that's way off base. Oy vey!

Mooney J is your bird. I've got one for you! Check it out: http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=1329640&pcid=1300876

Was that the wing of a Mooney I saw in the attached picture? Does it have some type of winglet on the end? Interesting...

It certainly sounds conservative, in that you would probably have lots of money in your repair fund if the engine makes it to TBO. You've said this is your first airplane to own, so what you'll learn is that in the first year of ownership you'll come to know all its little quirks and idiosyncrasies, and after the first annual you'll have a sense for what the standard things cost vs. the extras that always creep up. Then you may be able to lower your hourly contribution with some comfort.

I think all else being equal, some of the Mooneys will be more stable on final approach, especially the heavier ones. The higher wing loading will stabilize some of the bumps. This may not be true of the lighter-weight short body Mooneys. And hey Yetti...if you want a J model, I've got one to sell! Check out my listing in the For Sale section.

My wife tends to sleep as well, although in part because of the Dramamine she takes to prevent motion sickness. The truth is she hasn't ever been sick in my airplane, but she takes it anyway "just in case."

I've never owned a boat. One reason is my wife has always had a motion sickness issue and her idea of fun is definitely not riding around on a boat. Of course, her idea of fun didn't include riding around in a little airplane, either, until she realized how quickly it gets her to the beach. And now I own 2 airplanes (which is hopefully a temporary condition!). Hmm...hope that doesn't mean I have to pay for a boat sometime in my future. Oh well, boys gots to have toys.

I'm not real sure where you would put it. There's not a ton of panel space left over. I think the more obvious solution, if ADS-B is the real goal, is to adapt the GDL-88 to integrate into the system, since there is a version of that which has the WAAS GPS receiver and it is designed to work totally in the background. But this doesn't solve the problem of the auto pilot and LPV approaches, which is what the pilots really want.

Thanks! I did find that already when Googling "IO 550 Hot Starts" so I've been going over it. Seems like it was written before he found the gospel on LOP operations in cruise, but otherwise a solid piece of work. I used his hot start technique just the other day for my first-ever attempt at it. Aside from learning that you do have to crack the throttle a bit and not leave it all the way out, the engine started up just fine. Weird as it sounds, with everything I've heard about the difficulty hot-starting these engines, that has been one of my biggest anxieties. But now I know the technique...knock on wood!

I'm curious, are they really called "nose breeders" or is that just the way you pronounce them when they're stuck up in your nose and you sound like you have a cold?!

Thanks Guys. I'm having fun getting to know the new bird...its especially interesting how much difference in energy there is with the extra weight and power compared to my J. While the target airspeed numbers are pretty much the same, getting to those numbers is the learning experience. I'll use these data points when I fly some practice approaches this weekend. Even just getting around on the ground takes some getting used-to. I find I have to be more active on/off the throttle while taxiing to get started moving but then to keep it down to manageable speeds. Lots to learn again, but that's the fun part.

As I work to get more intuitive on flying the O3, I'd appreciate others' feedback on the power settings for different regimes of flight. I did a search and there's plenty of threads on climb and cruise. I'm more interested in the power settings people use for approaches, both instrument approaches and regular VFR landing patterns. I didn't find any discussions on those. Thanks in advance for your advice! Jeff

Augusta is two miles from the farm on which I grew up. I used to ride horses down there all the time and watch planes. This was back in the heyday when Wichita truly was the Air Capitol of the World. It's gotten a lot more developed in that area since I left but it's good to see that airport doing well. Sorry, I don't have much to add about facilities since I haven't lived there in decades, but this thread brought back some great memories. Good luck with your travels.

Thanks all. Yes, the J is back on the ramp and if I were to personify an airplane (and who among us doesn't do that?!) I would say she's a bit pissed off, especially with the "For Sale" banner sleeved onto two prop blades. But it's for a good cause...I'm hoping a new owner will come along quickly and treat her with the same respect I have. There are a few people taking a look now so we shall see.

Hey all, I've dropped subtle hints lately about my move from the J to an Ovation. Last weekend was the closing, and since a couple of folks have asked, here's the big reveal. I brought the plane home from Florida on Friday, and of course we had a crappy weather weekend in Atlanta so there it has stayed but I'm looking forward to getting it out this week some more. Details are that it's an Ovation 3 GX...with a bit of a history! Anybody who was patrolling Controller undoubtedly saw her sitting there forlornly but in full splendor, waiting for somebody to come along who could accept that her prior owner never really got the hang of flying her. After two prop dings and a gear-up he called it quits. But the damage repair has been fully vetted and is rock solid, and with only 390 hours she's practically brand new. And at a price that couldn't be beat. So, now I REALLY have to sell the J...any takers!?

I just picked up my new O3 from Florida on Friday and flew it home to Atlanta. Had the A/C on the whole way and it worked fine. We had it on the "low" setting which kept us plenty cool. You do see a "low amps" warning when you're running it on the ground at low RPMs but as long as you know that's the cause it's not a bother. It goes away as soon as you rev up the engine. Can't vouch for air speed or fuel flow. I can't imagine it would impact either since it's totally electric. All it's doing is placing a load on your alternator. But I've had it all of three days now so I won't claim to be an expert there.

Ha, you're not wrong about that. It only gets worse from here on out, my friend. Not because your plane will necessarily need a lot of maintenance or chew into your wallet too much. You'll spend a bit more than you budgeted for in the first year, getting things to work just right, but then if you maintain it properly and don't let the squawks aggregate there shouldn't be too much of an issue. The money comes in because you'll always be trying to add more things, improve the panel, give it a nicer paint job, etc etc etc. But it's a labor of love and from my experience you'll enjoy spending every penny. If the time comes when you don't enjoy spending it, then you should get out, because that's when you might be tempted to skimp on something that could compromise safety. Have fun! And if your wife/partner every wonders how much you're spending, just announce everything in terms of an "aviation unit" which is a cool $1000. Seems like anything you do to an airplane costs at least $1AU, so it lessens the blow of thinking about it.

Here's a general rule of thumb I read from Mike Busch which seems to hold true. Trouble cold starting: not enough fuel. Trouble hot starting: too much fuel. It seems to me the video in the OP was a hot start...the behavior of that plane was more consistent with a hot start. I do just like everyone else in the J and it generally fires up in just a second or two. I'll have to relearn how all this works with a big-bore Continental...subtle announcement about a new piece of rolling stock in my inventory!

The more common vernacular in French, when crying for help, is "au secour!" The English word, although seldom used, is similar: succor. But nobody wants to yell "Sucker Sucker Sucker" on the radio waves...that could be open to MUCH misinterpretation!