Jeff_S

Me want one! I especially liked the bungee-catapult shot or whatever that was. Who says naval aviators have all the fun?!

To answer this from a different perspective, I would question the assumption that non-paved runways are actually harder and more stressful at all, whether or not this would contribute to leaky tanks. Every turf runway I've ever landed on absorbed more stress and shock through the grass and softer dirt that it made all my landings seem even smoother. Now, I suppose if you landed on a dirt washboard runway in the desert this might be different, but the average turf runway here in the Easter US is pretty darned inviting. Unpaved runways have different hazards which I do think make them a bit more dicey, especially for long-body Mooneys. Namely, they can undulate which reduces ground clearance and could be a hazard for a prop strike. I think anything from a J or older (and not including the nose-heavy 231/252s) shouldn't really consider this a risk. Finally, there's the question of the inner gear doors snagging debris. But we have at least one Forum member who treats his Mooney like an Aviat Husky. If only he could get the oversized tires into the wheel wells!

TeethDoc, I'm curious why you are shopping for an engine at all. I went back to your first thread on this, and all you say is that you are nearing TBO. Admittedly, if it truly is the original engine from a 1977 J and it is just now hitting 2000 hours, that's not a lot of use. But what is it about the engine that is failing? What specifically are you addressing by looking at new/reman/overhaul opportunities? The only reason I ask is just to make sure you've considered the concept of reliability-centered-maintenance rather than just pure TBO. If you read the literature (lots from Mike Busch, John Deakin and others) there is a strong argument for ignoring TBO and only dealing with engine issues as they arise. So if your engine is otherwise doing fine but just has some years on it, that's no reason to swap it out. Of course, if you ARE seeing maintenance problems and have determined that a new engine is the best solution, fine...it's just that you never mentioned them so I wanted to at least get this thought out there for you.

I can't believe that no one else has commented on this. We all have come to associate Garmin with all things GPS, but the unit in question here is actually a Bendix/King unit, not a Garmin. I know because i have one in my plane that acts as a worthy backup to my GNS 480.

Count me in on the low and slow crowd, from time to time. Those of us who don't get to use our airplanes for regular productive activities (like work!) often need to just get a flying fix. There's no reason to burn 10gph when your goal is basic sight seeing. Besides, then you can say you practiced slow flight in the log entry and it will make you feel like you really did accomplish something besides burning up dinosaur juice.

I haven't carried anything too exotic, but the funny thing was that I read your original post twice, and both times I thought I read that you'd loaded a "Rottweiler" into your Rocket for a trip in the morning. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why you wanted a Rottweiler in your plane all night. By the third time through, I finally got it right. Yes, my certificate says I need to carry reading glasses in the cockpit. Yes, I have them. No, I don't put them on often enough it would seem!

I am really trying to make it this year. I've booked a hotel room in Winter Haven for Friday night in case I can get away for more than a day, otherwise I may just make it a day trip from Atlanta either Fri or Sat.

Don't you think they would have noticed that the swells were coming in right in their take-off path? I mean, how lame can you get? I suspect that with such incontrovertible video evidence, if that happened in the US that pilot certificate would be revoked in a heartbeat. I wonder if the New Zealand authority has similar zeal.

Ah, well, in your first post you said "visibility and/or ceilings" so that was the source of my confusion.

The engine manufacturers (Cont vs Lyc) have slightly different recommendations, but at freezing temperatures you definitely need to let an aircraft engine warm up before apply any major degree of power. This is primarily due to the different metals used in the cylinder assembly. The tolerances between cylinder and cylinder walls of an aircraft engine are much tighter than an automobile engine, and since they are made of different metals they do not contract equally in cold temps. The cylinder walls contract more, to be precise, so you risk scuffing the interior of the cylinder if you try to apply too much power before it's warmed up. Also, the oil needs to warm up and so it can be sloshed around to all the internal parts and provide coverage. I do think modern automobile engines require less warm up than they used to, owing to advances in design that have occurred over the last twenty years. Remember that airplane engines are fundamentally 50+ year old designs with only minor advances in modern technology.

I don't understand your point. If the station isn't reporting visibility then why did it show up in the METAR. I agree that it's bad to show data that doesn't reflect reality, but I wonder if you have exactly the right cause. I have also seen FF occasionally show the flight rules status color for a nearby airport, when the airport being selected doesn't have an automatic reporting capability. There's clearly a bug somewhere. Best thing to do is use common sense and assume that if all else is red, a green island in the middle is probably an anomaly.

I have a Tanis system in my J. Since it's not often that cold here in Atlanta, I'll just plug it in if I know it's going to be freezing overnight and I'm flying the next morning. But when I get out to the plane, while the engine is warm to the touch, I wouldn't call it a "sauna" by any stretch. It doesn't seem to get the engine warmer than about 50-60 degrees, based on the readings on my JPI 700 when I start it up. And since the oil and the engine block are all the same temperature, I don't think this would cause any real condensation problem. But perhaps this is of more critical consideration in colder climates where the temperature differential is greater.

That's twice in a few months...remember Wichita late last year? I thought all scheduled airliners flew the ILS even if they were doing visual, if for no other reason than to avoid this kind of thing.

Yes, I would say you are hyperbolizing a bit. Apparently SOME people hold that opinion about AOPA and they are not shy about voicing their opinion. Others feel strongly positive about the association and they also are not afraid to voice that opinion. Then there is the silent middle, but the fact that AOPA membership hasn't dropped any more than the general pilot population would be at least one indicator that they are general positive about the association.

I'm surprised no one else has commented on this weeks blog from Mac McClellan: http://macsblog.com/2014/01/the-mooney-barometer/ He writes that he sees the restarting of the Mooney manufacturing line as being a historical barometer for the health of the piston airplane market. As someone who has lived through more ups and downs in this industry than most, he should have a good read on it. Let's hope!

Okay, perhaps I misunderstood the intent of this sentence: "Please, AOPA headquarters is 1h drive from downtown DC they are 10 minutes from a MARC station the will deliver them to Union Station on Capital Hill." I understand your point now is that they don't need a private jet to get to DC since they are practically there already. Can't argue with that. As to the 3 months of flights on Flight Aware, that's how much I could get easily and without paying for it. But even in those three months, it did seem like the jet was getting used to go to destinations that made sense from an aviation standpoint, especially Wichita and Osh. Of course, their scheduled trip to Key West this morning was a question mark! As to 7% of membership not renewing over the last three years, it's questionable how much of that is due to dissatisfaction with the organization vs. the declining population of pilots in general. I pulled the chart below directly off the FAA website, showing the decline in Airmen certificates from 2010 to 2012. Looking at just the Private and Commercial categories, as those are the ones most likely to be predominantly GA pilots, the decline in Airmen is almost exactly 7%. So those two things have to be related. AOPA has certainly been promoting "growing the base of pilots" as one of their key drivers ever since I've been involved (admittedly just 8 years now) so we shall see if the new approach to grass roots efforts does a better job. I sure hope so. Of course, we are finally coming out of the worst economic environment in two generations, so perhaps that rising tide will lift all boats (or should I say, that thermal will lift all aircraft?). Interesting to note also in the chart is that the number of Student Pilots remains constant every year. People are poking their head in the door...the challenge is keeping them.

Sorry, I can't answer your question, but I think it's pretty wild that someone equipped an M20J with radar. They were serious about getting maximum utility out of the plane I suppose. I'll be curious what others have to say.

Again, I can't believe the fuss over AOPA using a Cessna Citation to conduct business. There's a little thing called "walking the talk" and if the primary GA users and lobbying association can't do this without getting critiqued by its members then there's something seriously wrong. Incidentally, wherever did anyone get the notion that the jet is used to fly from HQ into DC? Has anyone actually witnessed this? I just checked out the last three months' flights on Flight Aware and it seems to me that plane is getting used on all the right trips to Wichita, Orlando, Atlanta, and other places that the execs need to get to. This stuff is easily seen online...how about some fact checking before the diatribe?

I voted for both Branson and Roanoke because it's too early to say which will fit my schedule but either would be interesting to me.

What I don't get is why anyone in General Aviation complains about AOPA. As others have noted, many times it's not the legislation that gets passed, but that which gets defeated, which matters. User Fees are probably my number one pet peeve on this point and AOPA has staunchly fought against it. They also took a strong stand on the sequester tower closures. And all you have to do is actually read the monthly magazine to see all the grass roots and local activities they are involved in. Criminy, people, for less than the cost of half-a-tank of Avgas (per member) the AOPA is out there fighting for our freedom to pursue this beautiful activity. The other member benefits are the cream on top, in my view, but they also have strong value. I used their standard forms as the basis for the aircraft purchase and sale agreement that I use. I check the drug registry to know which ones are frowned on by the FAA. I've used the legal service to get consultation on each of my aircraft purchases. All that stuff provides way more value than the membership fee. And I use the AOPA credit card and through their points system I got two cases of absolutely delicious Kansas City half-pound beef hamburgers which lasted my wife and I more than a year. Now THAT'S a value!

Got my BFR on Friday the 3rd. That was as close to New Years Day as the weather would allow. But the BFR was uneventful, except the instructor criticized my first attempt at steep turns by saying "you've been flying too much IFR; we need to get that bank angle above 30 degrees!" So I did another set approaching 60 degrees and he was happier.

And people wonder why the CBP has started interdicting planes. They were just getting a head start on Kerry!

Sad to say, 2013 is my lowest year on record since I got my license. Lots of crappy weather in Atlanta, one big trip that got canceled because of a bad alternator and another because of weather, and fewer available Angel Flights and pet rescues than in years past all contributed. One resolution for 2014 is to do something about this...I'm thinking about going for my Commercial just for fun. I would like to learn and practice the commercial maneuvers, although in reality, I could care less about taking the written and actually getting my certificate. We shall see.

Doc, I'm guessing by your questions that you are also knew to Mooney ownership. I've sent you a note to your email address about how to subscribe to the Southeast Mooney mailing list so you can stay up to date on various events. I do my best to schedule a few things per year...the last one was a fly-in at Rome for the big Air Show, and Joey hosted us with free food and a fun discussion and demonstration in his hangar. Cheers. Jeff