Jerry 5TJ

I loaned out my Mooney jacks about 5 years ago and I think I know where they are — they get used all over the airport.

The full-scale width of the GPS-derived localizer is set to 0.3 nmi at its most sensitive when in approach mode. That’s 1800’. A conventional ILS localizer has angular sensitivity that increases steadily as the distance to the runway decreases. At the runway threshold the localizer full-scale deflection width is 700’ in total, 350’ to each side of the centerline.

Stall speed decreases as the square root of the g load, right? So pitch to zero g and you can’t stall.

When I was a kid most cars had tail fins, so perhaps the winds were stronger then, not now?

Nothing. The SB applies.

It is often possible to pull the unit out of the panel about an inch and expose the four screws on the side of the front panel without disconnecting the static port hose.

No, but I would doze off briefly while it drives me home.

My Tesla Model 3 Full Self Drive isn’t perfect. But it is better than me on the interstate at night.

I feel pretty good, good, good….

AF447 wasn’t handled at all well by the three human pilots. Current AI technology would have done better. Sully’s landing in the Hudson was assisted by the Airbus flight computers in Normal Law, arguably a form of AI. United 232, well, that was a crash with a miraculous outcome. I doubt AI could have helped.

To address the problem you have mentioned, it is important to promote safe driving habits through education and enforcement of traffic rules and regulations. Additionally, technological advancements in autonomous vehicles could potentially reduce the reliance on human driving ability and improve safety on the roads. Ensuring proper licensing and training for drivers can also contribute to safer driving habits.

As AI technology advances, it is becoming increasingly likely that AI will be capable of operating commercial airliners. With the development of sophisticated machine learning algorithms and deep neural networks, AI systems are becoming more adept at handling complex tasks and decision making processes. Furthermore, the integration of sensors and advanced computer systems into aircraft is facilitating the transition towards fully autonomous flight. Although it may take some time to implement and perfect such systems, it is clear that AI has the potential to revolutionize the aviation industry and increase the safety and efficiency of commercial aviation.

One significant problem with using AI in place of human pilots in airline travel is trust. According to experts, many people may find it challenging to trust a machine that does not have emotions and feelings to fly a plane carrying hundreds of passengers. Another issue is the fact that AI is not perfect and can malfunction, causing accidents. Although the technology is constantly improving, AI can still fail or make mistakes, and there is no guarantee that a machine can handle every type of situation, unlike humans who can use their intuition and experience. Moreover, AI lacks human interaction, which can be crucial in emergencies. In some cases, pilot intuition and communication have saved lives during emergencies. AI lacks the ability to interact with others or use emotional intelligence to assess the best way to handle particular situations. Finally, the cost of developing and maintaining the AI technology required to replace human pilots entirely would be significant, and it is unlikely to be a practical solution for most airlines.

While the role of automation is increasing in aviation, it is unlikely that AI will completely replace commercial pilots in the near future. The human factor plays a crucial role in decision-making, problem-solving, and communication in aviation that are hard to replicate by machines. Airline pilots face a wide range of unexpected scenarios both in the air and on the ground, which require critical thinking, intuition, and emotional intelligence that AI may not have. However, AI and automation technologies are being developed to assist pilots and reduce their workload, improve safety, and enhance operational efficiency.

No unmodified Mooneys have a full-feathering propeller.

In my one pitch trim runaway event the nose down movement was fairly rapid and the autopilot pitch servo didn’t overpower the trend much more than a second. The KFC225 did helpfully annunciate “trim in motion” but by then I had certainly noticed that the outside view was changing rapidly. Mashing the red button stopped all servos. The fault was in the pitch servo’s force sense mechanism which jammed in the “give me nose down trim” position. The AP computer dutifully commanded the pitch trim servo to do just that.

Looks like you need mousetraps in there….

True. But the Malibu owners’ group, MMOPA, has a paid staff and charges members $275 per year.

Don’t forget about the down time — a major panel project often takes many months. If you do it in two or three stages the total down time may be over a year.

The blog covers their round the world flight in a Piper Mirage. With the 4 aft seats removed to fit a ferry tank they had over 250 gallons aboard.

You should avoid those Sierra Hotel 7 g 360 degree approaches anyway. Heck, I refuse to do circle to land approaches in general.

I have CFI insurance and the policy does not set minimum hours in make or model, just requires I be current in category and class. That doesn’t mean I am ready to teach in, say, a Meyers 200D, as I’ve never been in one. But I’d be covered…. Typically a new Mooney owner’s policy will place restrictions on the CFI chosen for initial training and of late that’s been 25 hours make and model & 250 retract. Agree with others, and admittedly it is self-serving, that transition training is better with an instructor who has extensive experience in the same make and model. If you want to learn to fly your Mooney, I advise you train in the Mooney. As the kinesiology professors say, “if you want to learn to play the flute, don’t go shoot baskets”

When VFR the second screen is set to show traffic, or at night terrain. IFR it is usually displaying weather pages. Sometimes the second navigator flight plan is loaded with the alternate approach while navigating with the first navigator. On long XC the second display may show the XM music selections.

Yes, I do capacity testing for my new batteries before installing them to provide a baseline. My two most recent batteries showed around 107% when new (extrapolated from the 60 minute test graph). The batteries are tested at 12 months or 250 flight hours, whichever comes first. They are replaced when the capacity has decreased to 80% of specified amp-hour rating. When someone posts “my battery lasted X years” they’re just telling us they don’t capacity test, instead they use the battery until it can’t crank the engine.

I’m starting to think about selling the turboprop and getting a LSA or similar experimental. Fixed gear. Rotax.