Jeff_S

Is that regulation issue for frightening the enemy? Can you imagine if Maverick had that on during his upside-down "keeping up foreign relations" routine?

Quote: Becca This actually leads me to another question - how do you get your two sets of golf clubs in the plane? Do you put them in the baggage compartment and have them overhang the passenger back seats or in the back seats?

As others have noted, your decision will depend on your unique circumstances. I had a Warrior that lived outside in Atlanta with a good Bruce's cover and it did fine. My 201 had the same treatment for a year, until I lucked into a hangar through some connections. For me the price difference was from $95 to $350/month, so not quite as substantial an increase, and I do like the peace of mind the hangar provides. I think you can still maintain your investment, even in south Florida, with an appropriate cover and anti corrosion treatments. Fuel cap o-rings are a lot less than $600 month!

I ran into this when I was approached by a fellow member here on Mooneyspace to pick him up at an airport where he was getting some work done on his Bravo. Being a pilot himself he was very open about his weight, which was over 300. I knew that total W&B wasn't a problem but my J seems to be nose-heavy to begin with so I was concerned about having both of us in the front seats. I ran through several different W&B calculations at different fuel levels, and having him in the back seat instead of the front. No matter how much fuel I had, the calculations showed that with both of us in front we'd be forward of the CG envelope, but with him in the back seat we were well within limits. I sweated about this overnight because I didn't want to offend, and frankly didn't think the back seat would be too comfy. Then it hit me...with the front passenger seat kept all the way at its aft position that was practically the same as having him sit in the back, and I reasoned this would be satisfactory. So that's what we did, and frankly, in my J I don't think he would have been able to move the seat forward at all anyway. The flight was uneventful.

The problem is you don't know who to believe...and the reality is that there are undoubtedly personality disorders on both sides. When I was young and naive (and before really entering the corporate world) I thought most of these issues were just fabricated. But I have seen my fair share of executives that clearly exhibit the narcissism and egotism that are depicted in these stories, and then I realized that there really are dudes and dudettes out there like that. It's amazing to me how they get so far. But then again, one need only look to a Gadaffi, or a Chavez, or any number of maniacal leaders to realize that the phenomonen is real.

By "Slocitation" does that mean you can get sloshed in the bar? ;-)

I ran across a web ad from Aircraft Spruce, touting a fuel additive called Aerofusion that promises miraculous results with cleaner engines, greater fuel efficiency and water-scrubbing properties. I'd never heard of it before so I went to the website: http://www.aerofusion.com What I saw was some hyped up marketing speak, and the usual testimonials by people who wouldn't give their last name but clearly think this product is the answer to all their problems. What I didn't see was any real test results with adequate documentation, or any mention that this had been approved or at least acknowledged as "not harmful" by a reputable source. Has anybody out there actually tried it? Any experiences or thoughts to share? Man, if this stuff works as advertised, I can add it to my fuel tank, coupled with the AvBlend I put in the oil and I may never need to buy a spark plug again! (Truth in advertising: I do use AvBlend based on the recommendation of Jerry Manthey...can't tell for sure if I've seen any benefits, but I do know that I went 23 hours on my last oil change before adding just one quart to get it back to 7 quarts on the stick.)

Although I will admit that at Rome the cost of AvGas is not so shocking as at PDK!

When I had the tanks drained on my Cherokee for an SB inspection, my A/P was also reticent about putting the fuel back in. So I paid $7.20/gallon or somesuch for him to put enough in from Signature to test the work, but I provided some 10 gallon jugs for him to use to catch the fuel he drained. I then promptly poured that fuel right back into the tanks myself, albeit through a two-screen system comprised of a fuel-tester screen inside a screen funnel...it wasn't elegant but it worked fine. I would just burn off as much fuel as you can and give Joey some empty jugs to catch what he drains.

Well, my first post showed up now...never mind!

Quote: rbridges another point. 900 miles is huge. Going VFR would be very tricky. You're more than likely going to become instrument rated to fly that distance on a regular basis.

Having just been to Kill Devil Hills and getting a good reminder of everything the Wright Brothers went through to make that first flight, it was clearly pointed out there that the concept of an "air screw" as ported over from the maritime experience clearly would NOT work for an airplane propellor, and it had to be considered much more of a wing. And can I say how cool it was to fly into First Flight Airport and walk those 40 paces that represented the first flight? 120 feet doesn't sound like much, and let me tell you, it's not. But cool to stand in that exact same spot (more or less) and imagine what it would have been like.

I'm in agreement with the general posts about getting your feathers in something less challenging than a Mooney. We're all assuming that you have little flying experience, based on your post...I presume that's the case. I'll take another angle as well, and ask if the 900 mile trip is a routine trip for you or longer than normal. In the kind of plane it sounds like you're considering, even a 900 mile trip is going to take about 6 hours to complete on average (remember, headwinds two-thirds of the time) so you have to ask if you are willing to take on the responsibilities of a PIC for that length of time after a regular day dealing with business issues. I can tell you that for me personally, the idea of strapping on all the responsibilities of PIC for six hours in a Mooney after a generally rugged business day is a non-starter. We know nothing of your situation of course. If your travel is flexible or generally shorter then my points may be meaningless. But while I love flying my J, I wouldn't consider trying to regularly use it for business trips longer than about 3 hours, just to manage the fatigue etc. That's just me.

I've been absent on vacation for the last week. Imagine my surprise to check into Mooneyspace and see a thread that had 133 new posts! "That's gone politics" I said to myself...wish I hadn't been right. When I was over on the Piper forum they created a whole section just for politics. Problem was, once that section was there, no one went. Seems we pilots don't like to INITIATE threads on politics, but we sure do like to HIJACK them! I haven't read through all 133 posts, but did someone at least mention their preference for LOP?

I have done several dog missions through Pilots n' Paws, including a fun one where a big, boisterous chocolate lab chewed right through his harness leash and decided to crawl up toward the cockpit to see what was going on. I was in-flight at the time so the safest thing was to just keep flying the airplane and adjust for his occasional movements around the cabin. He was sweet and friendly, just wanted to be involved! Lately we've been taking our little Yorkie on trips, and he has become quite the hangar dog. As much as I was always a Lab (big dog!) guy, my Labs have all died off and we're left with my wife's little Yorkie and he has grown on me. He has plenty of personality, and he's a lot easier to get in and out of the plane. He just sleeps on the back seat. I think the drone of the engine puts them to sleep, unless they get really excitable.

There are too many variables to have just one answer. All else being equal...meaning that each option presents itself in its best possible condition...I'd take a major road or highway as having the best option for a safe landing that also protected the plane. Of course, if that major highway had major traffic, then the next best option would be the smooth or grass field I suppose.

Quote: rob The 45 degree entry is not the only legal one. This subject was discussed not long ago in the "Dogfight" section of the AOPA magazine, and if I recall correctly, one point of view was that the 45 degree entry was actually less safe in certain circumstances... I'm inclined to agree.

I signed, after reluctantly agreeing to create an account on whitehouse.gov. I almost accidentally checked the box to get other "updates" from the prez...egads, don't we hear from him enough?

Quote: orangemtl Beyond slowing down a bit, might I ask what benefit I'd get from reducing prop RPMs that I cannot produce with decreased MP and fuel mixtures? I've backed it off a few times more for curiosity than anything (2400 or so); a bit quieter, but with Bose headsets, it's a moot point. If I wanted to slow down while maintaining higher MPs I could achieve it in this fashion, but: I cannot think of a scenario in my typical flight needs where I'd want to do so. Educate me, any and all. Thanks.

Quote: M016576 Personally, I think the GPSS is overkill in an aircraft going 150-200kts. If you have the money and are dead set on letting the automation fly lead turns to your next point, then go for it. It does not make for a safer system, though.

Just revisiting this thread to remind myself of the recommendations. Finally got our plans put together so we've got a place in Corolla and are headed out there next weekend (10/1). Thanks again for all the tips!

Quote: N6719N And its maker is Apple, a corporation that is now the largest in the USA (bigger than Exxon, if I have it right)?

I just wonder how they're going to get the oil out of the gas tank!

I really like my Rosen visors as well. They were installed by the prior owner so I take no credit for them, other than having had the good sense to buy the airplane! In fairness, I don't recall that the visors were a big factor in the decision, but they sure do a good job, especially on those early morning or late afternoon flights when the sun is streaming in a side window. They will articulate all the way around and totally shade the window.

Had the same issue at Habersham in North Georgia (KAJR). There was a great family restaurant just 1/4 mile from the airport that had a a traditional Sunday brunch...it was called The Runway Fish House. Flew up there last weekend without calling ahead of time, only to be told the restaurant had closed a few weeks prior. We ended up taking the crew car and finding something else but it's just not the same.