Jeff_S

The iPad 3G has a GPS antenna in it, but what actually appears will depend on what app you're using. I think ForeFlight is generally recognized as the most comprehensive app to-date for the iPad/iPhone, and it's what I use. It has geo-referenced sectionals and low/hi-alt enroute charts, so you can see your position there. It also has all IAPs and taxi charts, but as of yet these are not geo-referenced, and no word on if/when this will happen. I suspect, given the technical underpinnings of the iPad 3G, that other apps will show up that my offer more robust capability in this area, and I suspect (given their track record of enhancements) that ForeFlight may get there as well. Time will tell...

My guy charges 2 hours at $60/per. I usually supply the oil myself, so the total is about $160. And I used to question that 2 hours but I helped him do one recently and with the time to pull the top cowl, do all the normal tasks, complete a brief overall engine inspection, and put it all back together, that really seemed right. I'm sure you could do it in less time than that but I don't mind paying the extra time to have his eyes give it a good once-over.

Oh Lordy, I'm not irritated. Entertained, perhaps. And it only just occurred to me because some of your posts in this particular thread seemed to be of a similar literary style to our beloved PK in the Piper Forum. To whit: "What do you mean FAA legal ? I hope you don't mean you fly around with no paper backup ! What do you do when your FAA legal hardware fails ? Are you kidding me?? FAA legal !?" And: "Let's be sensible people. It's nice to have the glass panels, fancy gps's georeferenced charts, plates, synthetic vision etc etc. BUT WE STILL NEED THE PAPER folks !" But hey, I was in no way trying to offend...just trying to establish identity. I suppose "cantankerous" could be taken with a negative connotation but sometimes a little conflict can be fun, too. The PK over at Piper Forum has no problem mixing it up from time to time.

Quote: KLRDMD No you don't. The

Just got my iPad 3G and use ForeFlight. It is the best solution I have seen so far, and includes not just plates but all sectionals, IFR maps, whatever you choose to download into the machine. And it does a lot more than that of course, but from an IAP perspective it works very well.

I did a ton of T&Gs with my instructor while transitioning to the J. He took over flap control so he got us into 15° flaps while I handled everything else. I primarily had to manage trim (electric) and gear, so I got into that rhythm and it was no big deal. A few months later I decided to do a few on my own at my home drome. But having to stop flap retraction at 15° while taking care of everything else seemed to be too much time eyes-down so I just let them retract fully. That was certainly a different experience! I know many folks never use flaps on takeoff but if you're not used to that sight picture it can be disconcerting. Obviously I'm here and everything worked out, but I would say that doing T&Gs in a retractable certainly adds a great deal to the work load and I'm not comfortable with it yet. Probably the key is to get comfortable with no-flap T/Os and Landings and that's one less component to mess with.

Most shops that are doing a pre-buy will NOT ground an airplane unless there is a monumental safety hazard. There is no "official" pre-buy inspection process and no specific criteria that the FAA will judge a mechanic on. If the airplane flew into the pre-buy with a current annual and all paperwork, in all but the most extreme conditions it will be able to fly out by either the seller or the buyer. The A/P doing a pre-buy may note in the write-up of any potential safety issues, which covers his/her derriere from a legal standpoint. But unless the plane has specifically been submitted for an official 100-hour or annual inspection, whatever the mechanic finds is advisory only. The trick is in how you structure the purchase and sale agreement to cover you, the buyer, in the event of finding something you don't like during the pre-buy. I always try to get the seller to agree to compensate at least some portion of the pre-buy expense (for example, the cost of the oil/filter change, which has tangible value to the seller) if they decide to pull out of the deal because they don't want to pay for necessary repairs. Then you know your risk limit is the cost of the inspection, minus whatever comp you've negotiated, if either you or the seller decides to walk away.

I have a similar issue with my mother who used to love to fly with me, but is getting to the point where mobility is an issue and pretty much needs a wheelchair to go places. I just can't see how to get her in and out over that wing, and agree that it would be a safety issue in an off-airport landing for her to be the one in control of egress. What I really need for her is to rent a Cherokee 6 or even get checked out in a Piper Matrix...I'm sure she'd walk up a few stairs to ride in one of those!

Quote: mooneygirl What is the thinking on the capacity of the IPad... 16 32 64. And if I have an Iphone do I still need the 3G.

Quote: N6784N I have been looking for a long time about these iphones and apps to go along with them but i just dont see the benefit yet. why not just buy the cheatah or bendix/av8tor which was actually built from the ground up as a aviation device. can somebody please explain to me the benefits?

Just to confirm, I am able to get GPS signal and position location on maps, at altitude, and above the AT&T coverage, so I would suspect this means that you do NOT need the data plan to get GPS. The only reason I qualify that statement is that I haven't actually tried this with the data mode turned off. I don't know if this activates the GPS antenna, although I would doubt it. Note also that the only maps this works for are the Sectional and IFR maps that you can store in the device. All the other maps require a data connection to update. My fervent hope is that ForeFlight will geo-reference the taxi charts so you can track location on those as well...we shall see.

I haven't had any of the crashes Rob describes either, but admittedly I'm not trying to be a "power user" with it. I really have no desire to use it for Mail (too bothered by that on my iPhone as it is!) and don't expect to use it for any document creation. And it's true that Apple software often needs to go through a few versions before it start to stabilize, but also true that they're pretty good about doing that quickly. As to the question of how I use it in the cockpit...I have always kept a separate, IAP-sized folder that I got when I was doing my IFR work. I would print out and slip in all the IAPs I would need for a trip so I wasn't thumbing through the real books. The iPad is only slightly larger than that, so it basically just sits in the passenger seat or on the shelf of the removed back-right seat so I can easily grab it to get any info I need. I also seems to rest in my lap nicely if needed. I bought the Apple case for it which offers nice protection for the screen when not in use.

Quote: rob I bought, and subsequently returned, an iPad. I found it to be a waste of time. Was hopeful that it would be more useful, but I had trouble with it from the start - even things as simple as reading mail weren't working properly. I think this, like the iPhone, needs some time to mature...

Here's a PIREP on the 64Gbyte iPad 3G. I actually stood in line at the Perimeter Apple Store last Friday to get one (but only for about an hour) and finally got a chance to take it flying on Tuesday. I primarily use ForeFlight, which I've loved on the iPhone but can say that on the iPad is simply awesome. I have all the charts/plates for the SE region states loaded into the device, so I don't need any connectivity to view them even at altitude. Of course cellular data connection craps out at about 3000', but I found the GPS to work well at my 5500' test altitude, and if it works there (with "No Service" indicated for cellular) there's no reason it shouldn't work at all altitudes. I also found the GPS to be much quicker to pick up than with the iPhone...perhaps with the added size of the iPad they can get an antenna that's more sensitive. My intention is to use this as a chart/plate reader so no more paper for me. Of course, on the ground it's an awesome preflight and briefing tool. In the air, it will provide all normally paper charts, and since GPS seems to work well it will be an emergency backup if all my other panel gew-gaws crap out. It (currently) has nowhere near the full functionality of a real flight GPS like a 696/FlightCheetah etc., but I have all I need in the panel for normal situations so just an emergency, get-me-to-the-nearest-airport capability will suffice. I didn't have any problem with glare and it was a sunny late afternoon. I'd be interested in what other apps are being discussed on the Beech forum besides ForeFlight. Based on past experience, I expect ForeFlight to keep adding significant functionality, but I image other apps will spring up as well.

I second the notion on the wing sight-fuel gauges. They will be a retro-fit on your '78 J but they seem pretty effective. Assuming your in-dash fuel gauges are at least roughly accurate, then you've got two methods to cross-reference before take-off. I was religious about using the dipstick in my Warrior because I had one that was calibrated from the factory, but using the sight gauge in combo with the in-dash for my J seems to be pretty safe and accurate.

I was taking a short hop (30 miles or so) from KPDK to Gainesville, GA (KGVL) to get my prop balanced at the Sensenich shop. It was a CAVU day and I hadn't really paid attention to winds aloft since winds on the ground were nil. But I just settle in for the short cruise at 3500' and took a casual glance at the MX-20 and saw 193 KTS! That was a 40 knot tailwind at 3500'. I wished I could have flown on forever, instead of the mere 8 minutes or so it took to cover the ground.

Nice, Jason. That one hadn't been on the market when I was looking last year or it would have been on my list. I know you'll enjoy getting to know your bird. Incidentally, I glance through Controller and TAP all the time, and I've noticed that there is a dearth of Js on the market right now...I think the tide is shifting and the good ones are starting to get bought. So it seems like we bought right at the bottom of the market...that so seldom happens to me!

I would second the notion of going IFR at night, but add something to that. Wherever possible, I would also ask for the full approach at night and not accept the "expect visual" that will often come in good weather. I don't have a ton of night flying experience, but trying to find and line up on a runway when you're coming in from an odd angle seems to be one of the more challenging things there is. At least if you're on an approach you have gotten to a straight in point at a safe altitude.

I don't really know much about turbo engines but I do know about analysis-paralysis, especially when you're getting used to a new plane and even moreso when that new plane has way more engine diagnostics than you're used to. But from the experiences I've had learning the idiosynchrasies of my new J, I'd say that if the engine generally performs well but you're seeing things you're not used to on the gauges, then the first step is to check the gauges. In the three months I've been flying the plane, the oil pressure gauge all of a sudden started sticking, the fuel pressure gauge decides to cut in and out with a mind of its own, and now the right fuel-tank gauge has decided to start sticking. The first two of these freaked me out at first (I'm used to fuel-tank gauges not working) but I learned the value of the gentle tap. And so far (knock on wood) the engine just keeps motoring along not caring what the gauges are saying, and the JPI has been a great backup to provide confidence that the old mechanical-analog instruments are just finicky. See if you can get an alternative MP reading before you start tearing anything down.

I live within the KPDK Class D airspace, where there are no hangars available but tie-downs are $90/month. I could get a hangar at any of several different airports but they'd be an hour's drive from my house and cost $300/month and up. It's a no-brainer for me, as part of the fun of owning an airplane is being able to bop over to it on the spur of the moment and just go fly. So, I have a Bruce's cover, the extended model which goes all the way back to just behind the rear antenna and all the way down to the wing roots. It fits nice and snug and does a great job shedding rain and heat. I use Wash-Wax-All on a regular basis to keep the dust and dirt off, and I keep a coat of Glare on to protect the paint. Atlanta does get hot and sunny in the summer, and can be cold for a short while in the winter, so no matter what you do the paint will take some abuse, but as others have said, hangar prices add up to way more than an occasional paint job. As to hail and tornados, that does provide some worry but that's what insurance is for. One good hail storm buys me new skins AND a paint job for free! (But please, oh gods of aviation, don't think that I'm asking for that! The down-time would suck.)

We all like to practice cross-wind and down-wind landings. (Well, maybe we don't LIKE to all the time, but we SHOULD.) But at least in our case the runway isn't moving. These two videos show a very different sort of flying. I know some folks on the forum are former or current military pilots and maybe they've done this...but as these videos show, even the Top Guns have certain limits. Make sure you watch #1 first, then #2. And it's about 20 minutes total. Enjoy! Carrier - Landing on a Pitching Deck PART 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=4gGMI8d3vLs Carrier - Landing on a Pitching Deck PART 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=S0yj70QbBzg

I'll definitely keep watching the Powerflarm...at 1500 euros it's not a spur-of-the-moment decision but if it gets some good reviews in the general aviation magazines then it would seem to be a very nice addition.

The PowerFLARM looks interesting. I've got the ZAON MRX which does a decent job of detecting when traffic is around. Unlike the Monroy, there's no external antenna so it doesn't show direction of traffic, but it does show proximity, altitude difference and rate of change so it at least reminds you to start looking.

I spoke to the Mooney folks at SnF last week and while they are all hopeful that manufacturing can begin soon, the "need 5 deposits before we start up" line seems to be just someone's opinion and not a true barometer from the company for when to start up. It seems more subjective, like "when we see demand picking up to a point where we can justify getting going again." In other words, a normal business decision.

Thanks all for your responses. I haven't been back to the plane yet but I spoke to the prior owner yesterday and he said the exact same thing had happened to him in 2006, and in fact it was that right cowl flap as the culprit. So while I can't confirm that yet, it seems a likely cause...after all, the same thing can break on an aircraft more than once, can't it? (hah!) I shall do a thorough check today or tomorrow and hopefully be able to report back with final results soon.