Sven

That would be great. I'll send you an email with an address.

Here's a cheap one with no shipping charge: http://www.amazon.com/Mini-3-5mm-Audio-Extension-Cable/dp/B000Y6GUI6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1274116736&sr=8-4

Yep, that's how it works. You will probaby also need an extention cord to reach the camera. I got mine at Radio Shack. Just ask for an 1/8 male/female cord. I think they come in 4, 6, and 8 ft lengths. I got the 6 ft and it's plenty long.

I have one and it works perfectly: http://www.horizonspilotshop.com/CAMCORDER-ADAPTER-PA-80.htm -Sven

Jim, do you use a straight spray pot or is there some sort of tube-extention on it to reach into tight places? Do you spray the plane inside or outside the hangar? Thanks, Sven

That's a fantastic adventure, Jonathan. Thanks for taking the time and documenting it for the rest of us. I, too, look forward to meeting you at Oshkosh this year if you're there unless you make it up to Santa Rosa first. -Sven

So, the question is, "How do you get rid of your Loran?"

Shortly after 9-11 I got stuck on the O'Hare ramp in a thunderstorm for 5 hours along with what seemed like hundreds of other planes. There wasn't enough room in the terminal so they started to put everyone on planes. I got a great seat on an exit row in the front but I was in the middle of a Rabbi and an Imam already engaged in a colorful discussion. I know, it sounds like a joke. We watched the in-flight movie twice. As they started to release planes some toward the front were running out of fuel reserves and could not be moved so we had to wait for the fuel trucks to service everyone. When we finally arrived at SFO our gate was changed to the international terminal. When we tried to exit the jetway it was locked from the inside and had to wait 20 minutes before someone with a key let us out. Then, our luggage got sent to the wrong terminal. It felt good to get home.

Ours was missing on the same side.

We are giving our gear a complete makeover. We have that cap on one and it's missing on the other. We thought the one was welded in place, too, but it slid out toward the back of the plane. Not sure if that helps.

I'll be flying a 737 there but I own a Mooney. I'll be looking for the group. Maybe this will be the year without a thunderstorm? Thanks, Steven.

Is the caravan area a good place to hang out in the evenings for some Mooney talk? Are folks friendly enough to invite complete strangers into a campfire?

This will be my first trip to Oshkosh so I'm not sure what to expect. Will there be a Mooney section or do planes just park depending on their arrival sequence?

Bought my first plane ever, M20D, a year ago after 20 years of flying inactivity. I know exactly how you feel. I jumped right into the FAA's WINGS program and joined AOPA and have been taking every seminar they offer along with a lot of studying. So much has changed in 20 years that it feels like I'm starting all over. I earned my bronze and silver WINGS and am gaining in confidence with every flight. The Mooney, even though it's a fixed gear, is very different than the Cessnas and Pipers I was used to flying. It's much more of a challenge and requires flight by the numbers but I love it. I've already experienced a complete electrical failure and a tire blowout on touchdown. I'm getting more comfortable with the radio and trusting the fancy new GPS unit I wasn’t so sure about. Look at attending a Vintage Mooney Group fly in. I've yet to get to one myself but I look forward to the camaraderie. My partner told me during my re-training that I would reach a point where I would be thinking I made a really bad mistake. I did about 6 hours into my recertification. But then I had a couple of night flights that brought back the magic and made me feel like the pilot in command that I was once was instead of the old student again. The day my instructor signed me off last summer was just like the first time soloing and getting my ticket all in one. Only this time I was old enough to celebrate with a beer afterward. Enjoy the recertification and maybe we’ll see each other at a fly in out here in the west. -Sven

"You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice."

Yesterday we made a flight from Santa Rosa, CA (KSTS) to LASAR headquarters in Lakeport, CA. It was a short flight of about 15-20 minutes. Our oil door popped open a few days earlier in flight and we lost one of the screws that holds it in place. So to keep it down for the trip we put a little duct tape on the door and away we went. Upon our arrival we were greeted by almost everyone in the hangar. It's seems our fixed-gear Mooney is quite the novelty and two of the guys had never seen one in person. We got our part and they even installed it for free. They said we were quite the show for them so it was all on them. We had a great time on their ramp as we showed them our strange bird and talked about what she can and can't do. We do plan on making the short trip again to Lakeport to celebrate LASAR's 35th anniversary with the Vintage Mooney Group on July 17. We look forward to meeting our new friends again and meeting many of you. We encourage you to make the trip. The scenery is beautiful and it's a great little airport. Just be aware of the density altitude as it gets a bit warm up there in July. http://www.vintagemooneygroup.com/VMGWest/PRELASAR2010.htm -Sven

It's fantastic that Bill Dunn flew out. That ought to give them pause if developers think airports are easy targets.

It was reported yesterday that a Mooney M20G make a hard landing and the pilot suffered some injuries. I looked up the tail number and found that the pilot is a member of the Vintage Mooney Group. The article pictures the pilot being taken to the hospital via ambulance. It makes my heart sink every time I see something like this. I hope the pilot is OK and wish him all the best. I've landed at Petaluma many times as my home airport is just up the road about 18 miles. I know the hangars at the south end mess up the wind on the end of the runway. I wish him the best as he recovers and hope the 20G wasn't totaled. You can see the article posted here: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100311/ARTICLES/100319819/1308/NEWS?Title=Pilot-hurt-when-plane-makes-hard-landing-in-Petaluma -Sven

Is it wrong that the sofa in my hangar is nicer than the one in my living room?

So, now I'm really confused. Is the annual world's largest Mooney gathering attempt associated with VMG or with Mooney Ambassadors or with South Lake Tahoe Airport? Or is it MAPA or MOA? Maybe AOPA or EAA?

I hope not.

Although it's fun flying a rare bird like our fixed-gear M20D, there are many times when I wish I could tuck that gear up in the belly. But when there's only 3 left in existance, I'd feel bad doing that to the old girl. But sometimes a fixed-gear Mooney seems like an oxymoron.

Must be a different event. Not sure why two events are scheduled so close in time and proximity? I agree with you mjc. Seems a bit strange.

Is this different than the VMG gathering at Minden on June 19? I guess I'm confused.