Jeff_S

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.

I've debated about posting this since I haven't had time to do my own thorough investigation and facts are sparse, but decided to open this up to see if others have thoughts. Here's the situation: Flying home from SnF on Saturday evening, my J was performing flawlessly running LOP at 8000' and purring like a kitten. As we near Atlanta we get step downs to 6000', then 4000', then finally 3000' for the last turn westbound to PDK. All of a sudden at 3000' a loud pulsing sound, accompanied by a vibration, immediately fills the cabin. JPI isn't showing anything dramatic but I put in full rich mixture and fiddle with the prop to see if I can get any change. The plane still seems to be making plenty of power but it's dark and we're only at 3000' by this time so I don't want to mess with throttle to experiment. We're only 8 minutes from home so the decision is easy just to take it in. We did notice that we'd turned into a massive headwind, as we were making 155KTAS but only 125 GS. I got preoccupied with just landing so I didn't notice at what point the sound and vibration dissipated but it seems like eventually they did. We landed fine, and I did a run-up before parking...no problem on either mag, propellor cycled correctly, etc. I was tired and it was dark so I didn't investigate too much more around the plane, but one thought I had was that it could have been something on the airframe vibrating. I did notice that the right cowl flap seems a bit loose in it's fully-closed position. Is it possible this could be fluttering? Other than that, I won't be able to get back for more investigation until later this week. Not much to go on, I realize, but any ideas?

I dream about them on my pre-MSE J but for the most part have realized I don't need them.

I've had two moments of "excitement" so far in the air. The first was on my very first solo x-country. I was over the destination airport, 70 miles from home when I got a "low battery" warning on the G430. For some reason the ALT circuit had switched off and I couldn't get it back on, and I hadn't noticed in time. I decided to abort my TnG and headed home practically NORDO although a Continental airliner overhead heard my plaintive cry for help and relayed back to the home Tower so they were expecting me. Luckily it was a CAVU day so pilotage wasn't a problem. You can bet a glance at the ammeter is now etched into my scan! The second was a bit more puckering. I had rented a Warrior to fly 150 miles up to look at another Warrior I wanted to (and eventually did) buy. On takeoff for the return home, that rental Warrior sputtered just 200' AGL and threatened to quit on me. I nosed over immediately and she caught back up, so I was able to enter the pattern and land safely to check things out. A full run-up and mag check revealed no anomolies so I took off again and flew home, although you can bet my ears were tuned for any engine roughness the whole way. The diagnosis at the time was that I probably just had some fouled plugs, but in retrospect I think conditions for carb ice were pretty good too so it could have been that. At any rate, while I was scared, the training did take over so I like to think that even if the engine did go completely I would still have lived through the ordeal.

Two that relate to aircraft ownership: 1) There's a fine line between "airworthy" and "spending money". 2) I know there's money in aviation because I put it there!

I would think that if the mice were drinking brake fluid I would see a lot of dead rodents with pink bellies! But I take your point that such a sudden disappearance of brake fluid may be indicative of a leak somewhere, to which I would have to agree. That's why it's part of a regular check now!

This may not quite be the same but I had a brake issue on Saturday. In my normal routine the first thing I do after I've strapped in is test the brakes. The right brake pedal went all the way to the floor and had NO resistance...clearly not a good thing. Luckily my A/P was working on a plane right next to mine and so we checked the brake fluid reservoir and it was completely empty...whoops! He bled the right brake line and we filled the reservoir and then all of a sudden I had more braking power than I could remember. This is a new plane for me as well so I'm getting used to what's normal and what's not. But I did a short refueling hop on Saturday after the fix, and on rollout at the gas-stop airport I actually locked up the brakes briefly because I had so much more braking power than usual. There is no evidence of a fluid leak anywhere but now one more think to look for on preflight. Oh joy...

Yeah, someone dropped the ball. If you don't get a clearance limit you have no instructions on what to do if you go NORDO so they don't know what to expect. Granted, it seems like the whole thing was assumed by ATC, but you should always confirm your clearance limit if you don't get one.

Okay, I was going to do a short rant about the correct spelling of the word "kerosene" but I decided to fact-check myself first. Sure enough, dictionary.com lists an alternate spelling of "kerosine". Go figure!