M016576

Beautiful!!

It’s more the pilot than the plane. The f-16 has good thrust to weight, but it’s AoA limited. the F-15C has good thrust to weight and good AoA command. the F/A-18 has poor thrust to weight, but outstanding AoA capability. the tomcat sucked all around. the Raptor is awesome all around. the F-35 has yet to be proven. Ive had the great luck to fly and instruct in two of the jets above... and they are both Sweet rides. But it’s the training that makes these jets great. I’d bank on the pilot over the plane, any day of the week.

That’s most likely the high pressure switch that I’m discussig, in the aft panel near the filter, then. I have the schematic for the mid-body installation somewhere, but I don’t remember the low pressure switches being in the tail. I’ll have to take another look.

They do not use 35K for the military pilots- at least not for me in any of my “trips.” Your time of useful consciousness off of supp. O2 is measured in seconds at that altitude. @gsxrpilotI wouldn’t recommend taking off your mask at 25K as an experiment, even if you aren’t the PIC: time of useful conciousness is under 2 minutes- and that’s for a healthy 30 year old, athletic military type pilot. Add some age and “unhealthy” lifestyle practices to the mix and your TUC degrades rapidly. even experienced pilots sometimes don’t recognize the onset of hypoxia until it’s too late. Especially if you’re up at 25K+. It should be something that is continuously in your crosscheck any time you’re up in the flight levels. The real safety issue from the negative side is the same thing that gives you “options”... you’re way up high. And in a mooney- it takes FOREVER to descend down to the thicker air if something goes wrong. In a fighter, we just point straight down and accept that I’m descending at 450 knots, nbd. Not an option in our airplanes- we bump quickly up against Vne. without a pressurized cabin- I personally recommend staying a bit closer to 18K- where you should have about 30 minutes TUC in the event of emergency- it offers a good trade off of altitude, efficiency and the ability to get down a little quicker if need be. Weather might drive you higher, but every 1000’ above 18 really is significant when it comes to hypoxia risk- and if you’re flying above 18K, you should also probably carry a small backup O2 bottle, just in case...

The aft most belly panel... not the three “main” ones, but the one with TKS overflow tube coming out of it... has the filter mounting bracket and housing, as well as at least one, if not two of the high/low pressure switches

I had 2 panels that were slow to wet (like 15 minutes plus on high, even though the low pressure light went out relatively quickly). The left inboard most panel and the left outboard horizontal stab panel. I purged them, had the pump overhauled.. all seemed like they worked for a week or two... after almost a year, I finally found the problem. And anyone that has a similar problem should probably check this.. under the tail fairing, the lines that run to the tail horizontal stab panels run VERY close to an aluminum rib. In my case, after trimming the airplane over the course of about 15 years, the rib sawed a hole in one of the tail panel lines! The A&P purging the system last year didn’t catch it, but the sharp folks at professional Air in Bend, Or caught it. To fix it- they had to remove the upper fairing on the tail, the fashion a new tube, then they covered the spar with a little piece of tube, so it wouldn’t happen again. They fixed the other side as well. im not saying this is exactly your problem, but it sounds like you might have pressure drop across the system somewhere downstream of the low pressure sensor and the filter... run the system and look for excessive puddles. That spot on the tail, due to the mooney’s Articulating tail, and the fact that a bit of fluid that normally drips down from the vertical stab panel made it fairly insidious.

I have a sensorcon unit- and regarding their use at altitude, the question came up in my mind- if I’m at altitude and the air is thinner, but by volume, I’m emitting a similar amount of CO... wouldn’t that exacerbate a common reading in the cockpit (if one had a leak, and the conditions of flight were the same- AoA, speed, etc)? So at lower altitudes, the PPM would naturally be less, because the atmosphere is more “prevelant” than the CO emissions, assuming they remained constant as altitude increased? Wouldn’t that make the sensorcon unit more “sensitive” at altitude? Or more prone to showing a leak as altitude increased? just a thought... no sure how the sensor in the sensorcon unit actually works- so it would be Interesting to me to know if this is the case, even though it wouldn’t really effect my operations with the unit.

Sounds about right based on those conditions- your density altitude is only about 3500’... a pretty ideal day to be flying a NA airplane. Love the winter.

I had ice crystals build up in my gascolator during a flight in the very cold winter (-15c or so) a few years back. My power and fuel pressure kept dropping off- motor was stumbling- I had the boost pump on, I had switched tanks a couple times, tried the mixture, and it still wasn’t helping. Just when I thought I was going to have to execute an off airport landing (I was flying over eastern Oregon), I thought... maybe the gascolator is plugged or something. I pulled the gascolator ring and let it go, and it flushed out the crystals (or whatever may have been in there) luckily.... and I immediately got full power back. That was one of the more interesting days in the Mooney. After that flight, I disassembled the gascolator and changed the screen out. No trace of contamination... that’s why I think it was ice crystals.

I should fly there... mother nature’s free turbo charger without any of those pesky moving parts!

My point is that both nations were evil. Horribly evil, the likes of which the world has not seen. The Germans treated western opponents with some semblance of dignity not out of honor, but out of belief in their aryan principles. Those principles also were what drove attempted Genocide. So to say that their chivalry somehow makes up for attempting to round up and kill entire races of people is short sided. To say that the rape of Nanking, or their wartime atrocities were more grave than the attempted genocide is an apples oranges comparison. Both were tremendously, morally evil. as for facts- Germany would have attacked us if they could have. They certainly were attacking England. And allied forces had to take the capital of the Nazi empire, and completely occupy Germany, To force them to surrender. We didn’t take the Japanese capital, or even set foot on Honshu. they surrendered once it was apparent we held terrifying power over them... dropping the Abombs saved countless lives and they did surrender. Too bad hitler didn’t recognize that when Russian and US tanks were crossing the German border. Dont mistake my comments for revisionist history: both empires were terrifyingly Evil. My point was that some people tend to view the German people as victims- which I don’t believe they were- all that stood against the allies did so to support their evil empire, and should be held accountable for their actions, not given quarter. and I hang under that parachute you describe. One of the risks I take, every time I strap on a fighter jet, is that the enemy will kill me. If they shoot me in my parachute or kill me on the ground- that’s outside of my control. I wouldn’t want that, and that’s why I fight for a nation that isn’t beholden to a person, but to the rights of people. I guess what I’m saying is this: I wasn’t defending the Japanese empire, or their actions, or arguing that they should have gotten off easier- quite the opposite. I was simply stating that the Germans should have received an even accounting for their atrocities (that’s a contentious point- some believe we were TOO harsh on them- I disagree.) Edit: I’m not a Liberal... and I realized that we might both be arguing the same point to some degree.

I guess you could, in a manner say that communism and fascism are forks beholden to higher socialist values? Doesnt matter to me: I dislike all of them equally. Im with you, though, Erik- some people are ok with that stuff. And there are those that say “well, some Germans at the time didn't Really know what’s going on, they are ok... and look at how they were able to create and so on and so forth.” Mutual respect is rendered. I have none of that: I find it very difficult to believe that ANY person in Germany could have NOT known what was happening. And it gives me the creeps too. I pray every night for the moral fortitude to do the right thing- make the hard choices if I’m ever faced with such evil. funny.. people don’t seem to give the Japanese the same respects during the war- and their scientific advances were also impressive based on their resources. And look at how differently we treated our enemies post war. And look at where those countries are now. Coincidence? rant complete- flame suit on.

That’s valid, and I hadn’t considered the single point of failure for the two aspen displays. Thanks! I think I’ll still opt for the electric standby Gyro with backup battery- again, just because I’m confident in my steam driven flying capabilities due to recurrent, continuous training during my “day job” (which has a steam driven AI/HSI), and the goal of the backup is (or would be) to get me out of IMC, to a safe, VFR type divert- which is in my acceptable risk profile when flying the mooney. I don’t think a third digital AHRS backup Gyro/unit /pfd would change my risk tolerance. tertiary options in the event that I’m shooting an approach, my pitot tube ices up, my pitot heat fails (or I forget to turn it on), would be the electric Gyro, with the option for altitude/airspeed on both my panel mounted GPS (ifd440) and also my iPad with Synthetic vision. Not optimal, but could get the job done I need them to do in a very very stressful (and hopefully very unlikely) pinch.

Hmm. So.... what’s the allure of the O or B or... dare I say it, the A? 10 inches of legroom in the back seat and less useful load?

That’s fine, and I agree.... but I’ve already got TWO individual AHRS, with TWO independent units, on TWO seperate displays with TWO individual battery backups.. the second being an extended life battery (good for 2.5 hours). So I’ve already got two AHRS based AI’s and that doesn’t count my Stratux driven ipad. I just need to satisfy the FAA requirement for a certified backup, which apparently the second Aspen unit with battery backup will do for airspeed and altitude, but doesn’t fit the bill for attitude. I know this may bring some contraversy, but I view this instrument as a tertiary display... if it gets down to me having to fly on this display... it’s a SERIOUSLY bad day. I have no doubt that in these circumstances, an electric, Gyro driven AI will get me where in need to go: missed to VMC to a suitable alternate.

I’m an anti-Garmin kind of guy... I’m avidyne equipped.

Now we’re talking- I think that’s what I’m looking for- something like that- thanks!

The step! Of course! Now... where’s my hacksaw...

Yep.

I’m in the process of trying to get rid of the vacuum system in my Mooney. I’ve got a two tube Aspen with external battery... what are the best (and, separately, the most affordable) options for a 14V backup AI?

Man.... my Missile really must have been a Rocket before they installed the TKS! 190+kts on 13gph... Seth, if you’re out there, is that what you see down low?

I’ll add to the list- motorcycles, hang gliding, downhill skiing... heres a plus one for safety- I’d be interested in crunching the numbers for GA holiday travel fatalities vs holiday travel auto fatalities (on a percentage basis)... I bet GA comes in safer...

Mark- I should be clear on this: I’m not a mooney test pilot, nor have I spun a mooney. Upon reading my above posts- I come off as more of the “authority” on this subject than I am. However, like you, I’ve spun multiple aircraft, albeit all in a military setting. The only prop aircraft I’ve spun is the T-34C. here are two sources regarding elevator position in relation to spins, and spins in general- the first is very generic, the second is a NASA paper that is far more in depth. On the NASA paper, read the “elevator effectiveness” section, or just the whole thing- it’s a good read. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2010/june/03/spin-myths the key I’ve found in my experience is to know the jet or plane you’re flying and to follow the written procedure. Full forward during the incipient phases can tighten up your spin (initially, although if rudder is applied, should in general break the stall, depending on the mode... but yes certainly not the first move), or worse: invert you. so I guess both of us have made some generalities in this topic- as it’s pretty much inevitable to do- but full forward and patience, is not the written procedure and would not be where I’d choose to start my recovery. Instead I’d go with the recovery procedure outlined in the book. I started in the US Navy- Flew Super Hornets, then Hornets for 12 years. I left the Navy and was “hired” by the Air National Guard as a F-15C instructor pilot. I’ve been doing that for just over 6 years now. The Guard is a pretty interesting operation: a mix between USAF, Navy, Marines and “guard babies.” Makes for a diverse cultural dynamic. I’m very lucky to be the “token” navy guy in my unit- it’s been a great ride!

What did you use to hold that RAM mount onto the fuselage?

So sad.. stay safe out there