Jeff_S

Folks, this is still firmly on the agenda for the SE Mooniacs to have a fly-in, visit with Joey Cole, etc. I've tried contacting the show organizer twice via email, as per their directions on the website, to see what we need to do to have an organized Fly In during the event. Haven't heard back from him yet, but it's only May and since this isn't until October he's probably prioritizing. I'll keep everyone posted through this forum, our mailing list, and our Facebook page. Cheers!

Robert, I'm assuming here that you do want legitimate advice and help. I slogged through the last thread, and it got hairy for sure. I'll reserve judgment on that. But here is a weather site that I've found which makes it VERY EASY to gauge where the ceilings and precipitation will be out for three days. Of course, it's still just a forecast and these can change, but I've found it to be one of the most reliable sources I use for long range planning. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/forecast/graphics/MAV/ According to this, if you look at both ceilings and precipitation out through Sunday, it seems to me the Memphis-Baton Rouge trip is a no-brainer for a VFR pilot. But you have to make whatever call you feel most comfortable with.

There is information about this on the Mooney website. It only applies to certain J models manufactured after a certain date, but the info spells out the serial numbers that can do this. As I remember, there is a change to the markings on the airspeed indicator that is required, and certain placarding has to be put in place. It's a few thousand dollars once all is said and done.

Chuck, my A/P was just finishing up an oil change so I mentioned your needs. He says it is a long way but he's willing to discuss it. I gave you his name and number in a PM so feel free to call him if you like. He does top-notch work.

My guy at PDK, Mark Clowdus, does his work out of a big old truck and he certainly COULD do it, but whether or not he'd be willing to drive to Villa Rica is a different question. He's got plenty of work as it is, so it would only be if he had a soft spot in his schedule. But if you want his number send me a PM and I'll give it to you...don't want to brandish it on the Interweb.

Triple LLL, this one thread seems to have bumped you all the way to Advanced Member. I think Craig has it rigged like American karate schools...it's pretty easy to get those first few colored belts, but after the mid-point it gets harder to advance!

No fair, though, because you've got your parrots helping out.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." (Plato, or Socrates, depenidng on which version of Wikipedia you want to use.) "It's my wife and kid, sir. I almost orphaned him today....I'm holding on too tight." (Cougar) Yes, think about and learn from your experiences, but don't throw your wings on the table and drop out. Notice that I said "experiences" and not "mistakes" because I don't think you made a mistake. I think YOU think you made a mistake, but that's just because you haven't gained enough distance from it yet. In time you will realize that this is one of the best things that can happen in your flying career. You got into a situation, you handled it, and you lived to fly another day. Now just go flying!

Great music, too. It seems like airplane footage just belongs with "anthem" style music like you find in a good WWII pic. I think also of the theme music from "1-6 Right" which always sends a chill down my spine no matter how often I've heard it.

Nothing like finally getting into your own hangar. Any bets on how long it will take to get it filled up with all the necessary hangar "junk" (I mean, "mementos")?

You didn't fail your family. You utilized your training exactly as you were taught. Nothing to beat yourself up over, but realize that you will learn from this, and yes, it will probably give you the impetus to go get your instrument ticket. That will be the best training you can ever get, in my book. We've all had hairy moments, but that's where experience comes from. Way to go.

Vinton, welcome to the club. You'll love your Mooney. While it may seem a bit cramped at first, it's really not. When I had my Piper Warrior, I always bumped shoulders with a passenger. In the Mooney we never touch. But what will really get you is the sports car feel...once you get comfortable and familiar with it, you'll feel like you're slipping into a glove when you climb in the cockpit. Also, since you're in Atlanta, please register your email at the Southeast Mooney users group, here: http://www.southeastmooney.org/mailman/listinfo/se-mooney We're an informal group, but I generally try to organize one or two fly-in events per year. This year we are going to go en-masse to the Rome GA airshow in October, and I keep threatening to arrange a flying sometime this spring to the Tuskegee Airman museum in Tuskegee AL (Moton Field). Add your email to the list and you'll get my mailings. Jeff

When I went to the wireless trackpad device for my new iMac I also decided to try the rechargeable batteries from Apple. My experience mimics those of other posters. Even when fully charged coming out of the charger, when you put them in the device they register with only about 60% of power left, and they wear down much more quickly. The regular batteries lasted about 4 months, the rechargeables less than 2. But I do FEEL greener!

Quote: Also looking to put on the fiberglass flat lower gear doors, like Testwest and KSMooniac. Where do these come from? Having just spent WAY too much money with LASAR to replace both inner gear doors with their refurb units, hopefully my problem is solved for awhile. But just in case, I'm always looking for other options. (BTW, this is not a knock on LASAR. They provided good service and their refurb models seem reasonably priced. But once you factor in the cost to paint and pay the A/P to re-install (once for each side!) it got to be close to $1AU per door...ouch.)

Huh? I'm usually pretty good at figuring out what people meant to write vs. what actually came out, but this one has me stumped.

Looks too pretty to fly! Don't let it become a hangar queen.

I ran the firmware update for my Stratus 1 and flew with it last weekend, all around the metro Atlanta area which has good ADS-B coverage. I was especially keen to see how the traffic would work, knowing that since I don't have ADS-B out in my plane it would be hit or miss. One one leg, I saw absolutely no traffic anywhere on the device. But on another leg, as I was returning to the city, I saw about a half-dozen traffic hits, including one that also corresponded fairly well with my PCAS device. So clearly, on the second leg someone else in my vicinity had ADS-B Out and I was benefiting from that. Either way, even if I had ADS-B Out in my plane, I can't see using the ForeFlight/Stratus traffic information unless I had the iPad mounted somewhere and part of my regular scan. Since that isn't going to happen, I see traffic as a novelty item at best.

Yeah, I think he tried to split the middle between the two terms! But glad to know the first post-50 review was a success. I won't have mine for another couple of years.

I think it's fun to read about things like the TBM 850, even some of the corporate jets. Yes, I may never own one...but I might! Also, I learned awhile back that there are actually two versions of the AOPA Pilot magazine, one that does cater to the turbine pilots with specialized articles. Somehow I had gotten on that list, but I simply asked to be switched back to the regular list so now I don't see those articles.

Very nice...allows me to be at least a bit more intellignet when talking to my A/P about things. Although I still get all confused by push-rods and other things. My A/P has gotten very used to me talking about that "doohickey"!

I think you need to cut them some slack regarding all the special offers. Having that revenue stream is exactly what helps keep the annual costs down. Clearly there must be some people who are taking advantage of these offers, as they ARE making money with them, which you can see in their annual report. So if it doesn't apply to you, throw it away. I count myself in that camp, but I don't begrudge the Association from trying to find every reasonable way to make some money and support their membership while keeping the general cost of membership to a reasonable amount.

I fired up one time with the cowl plugs still in. As I recall, I was still parked outside at the time and it was a cold day, so I had plugged the Tanis system into my generator and was working on de-icing the wings with a little portable propane heater. I then did the rest of the pre-flight but left the cowl plugs in as I was still preheating the engine. Of course, once I unplugged everything and got in to start, I had forgotten to remove the cowl plugs. I saw the flags immediately after the engine caught and shut it down. No harm no foul.

Dress code at Elevation Chop House is...you have to be dressed. That's true pretty much anywhere in Atlanta. It's a nice place but not in any way "elegant." Think more like a pub-type atmosphere. Whatever your piloting clothes are will be fine...they are more interested in your money than your threads!

Ah, the "Spruce Run" as we like to call it locally. A perfect excuse to burn $100 in AvGas when shipping and taxes would only cost $15, give or take. Of course, if you're going to pick up a case or two of oil, then things might start to even out a bit. The others have already told you the ropes. I generally walk from the FBO to the store just to get some exercise, but then take the shuttle back because I'm carrying something! Kurt, not sure why you were so surprised about the sales tax. If you pick something up in the store, they are required to collect it no matter how you placed the order. That's standard retail practice all over. But still, you had the fun of flying there, didn't you? Lastly, if you are coming from north of Atlanta, it's really fun to get a VFR Bravo clearance "over the top" which they usually will give out on a Saturday. This routes you right over the top of Hartsfield so you get to watch all the traffic coming and going below you. Pretty cool.

There are many threads on this topic so you would do well to search some of them out, as they contain good advice. My only advice from experience is to prepare for it like you would a flight, and expect to behave like you would on a real flight. And if you get flustered, as can often happen in the air, ask your "ATC" examiner for a vector and altitude that you can fly while you sort things out in your head. This is exactly what you would do in a real instrument condition, so they should accept that. I didn't do this when I got flustered trying to fly back toward a VOR on missed approach holding pattern, so after 10 minutes of winding my way around the county he graciously decided to terminate the exam (yes, I got the pink slip) and then taught me stuff my instructor hadn't. It was humiliating but a good learning experience, and I went back the next week and passed with no problem.