MB_M20F

Agreed that hand-flying is a required skill and I'm not suggesting otherwise, nor that I don't practice it. The point of the story is that the technology is cool (and helpful). The intent of the thread is not to open up the "when is it appropriate to use the autopilot" topic, although I suspected it might happen and guess people can go there if they so choose.

[Post retracted since everyone seems to think its purpose was to solicit advice/criticism. Have a nice day and fly safely.]

FYI, I've been wanting to do the SWTA mod for quite some time (since it's so much less $ than the LASAR mod) but SWTA is out of glass (and has been for more than a year, I believe) so SWTA is not an option at the moment. Maybe if enough of us line up at SWTA they will be able to order the glass. I think the problem is they can't find anyone to manufacture a small enough batch. MB

I'm sure I'd love a turbo as I like to fly high (for all the reasons outlined above) but I thought I'd point out that NA Mooneys are surprisingly capable at relatively high altitudes; I routinely fly my NA F model at 15-16,000 feet where I get a respectable ~140 KTAS at ~8 gph.

I am planning to upgrade my old Insight GEM 602 to the new G3 which is due out this fall.

Interesting that the airspeed indicator on the Aspen seems to be set to knots; I thought it had to be set to mph on a vintage Mooney.

6 years ago I paid $12K +tax for an S-Tec 30 with altitude hold, GPSS and a new DG. That included 54 hours of labor (including removing old wing leveler) and the hardware costs were $1510 for the DG, $933 for the GPSS and $6339 for the autopilot system. Hope this helps. M

Yeah, I'll probably end up biting the bullet and having LASAR do mine as well. It's just sooo much more expensive...

Quote: aerobat95 I didnt realize a F model could get near the 150's. Thats not to bad. What speed mods do you have? I was looking at this TN F model that looked pretty good. Just not sure if I want to go with a turbo. I dont want a mx hog. Plus I am not sure what the benifit would be real world at 12K feet.

My F model has a few speed mods (including a PowerFlow exhaust, but not yet a 201 windshield) and cruises at 151 KTAS at 8500 ft or 148 KTAS at 11500 ft. At 14500 ft I get 142 KTAS. Fuel flow is just over 9 gph (about 9.2) at 8500 ft and 8.5 gph at 11500 ft. M

I'll be there with a friend Saturday-Tue/Wed, Caravan=yes, BBQ=yes, Camping with Mooneys/North 40 Morten

I've never had this problem. What I do is the following: On the "Downloads" page, I have selected every IFR, VFR and approach procedure for the entire country. Once per month, ForeFlight prompts me to download updates, and this takes several hours (I just leave it running overnight) on my T1 connection. Then, everything (other than real-time weather) is always available even without an Internet connection. Hope thils helps. M

I've now had an opportunity to test out the iPad/ForeFlight combo on a couple of 7 hour flights involving some relatively high workload flying (IMC, night, etc.) and must say I am very pleased. I used it as my exclusive source of VFR charts, IFR low level charts, and approach plates, and also ended up using it for airport info as the information is just so much easier to access than through my Garmins. I had a couple of minor problems with ForeFlight crashing, but because the app comes right back up at the press of a button, it was not really an issue. Battery life is superb, and the iPad screen was readable in all light conditions including at night. The only significant shortcoming I uncovered was this: The low level IFR map may occasionally lack certain info where the source maps have been stitched together. The specific problem I experienced was that my clearance included an airway that had a bend in the middle defined by an intersection. On ForeFlight, I could only see the first four letters of the intersection name; the fifth letter had been lost by whatever process is employed in stitching the source maps together. Thankfully, it was the last letter and not the first, which allowed me to input the first four letters into my Garmin and then scroll through the options, checking lat/lon coordinates and discerning which of the available intersections was the correct one. So, for now, I will keep my good old paper charts available for backup. M

Quote: jax88 (I currently do not have weather enabled on my Garmin 496, reason being the elapsed time between when the radar image was generated and when it reaches my aircraft. [...])

So, my iPad arrived, I loaded ForeFlight on it, and it looks gorgeous. I already have GPSs and WX in the cockpit so I realy just want/need it for charts and the approach plates. Looking forward to taking it flying. I probably will need to get that knee-board thingy, though, to keep the thing in place. M

I also have an iPad on order and plan to test out ForeFlight. Stand by for PIREPs in a few weeks' time. M

No proof but Iceland Radio once cleared me to maintain Mach Point Two Four (in my F model). I simply acknowledged and flew my usual speed, but it sure sounded fast to me...

I never even thought of running my F model LOP since it's so efficient ROP (148 KTAS 9 gph at 11,000 feet). I don't want to open up a whole can of worms here, but can someone tell me in three sentences or less why I should consider doing so?

Did I hear 4 knots? In that case, I simply must have one... :-)

Congrats! I'm across the way at KVNY so we should go flying some day. I've used Bill's Air Center at KSMO for a variety of work over the years, including (bi)annuals, with good results. Every other year, though, I make the trip up to LASAR at Lampson Field for my annual and usually an upgrade or two. (Actually, the past two times, they even picked up and delivered, for a small fee.) Top Gun at Stockton would be another good option for annuals.

Way to go, Jonathan! I'll take the liberty of posting here an email update I received from him last night: To everybody who followed my cross country flight today and sent congratulations and/or made interesting comments on the Mooney list, my sincere thanks. I am sitting in my hotel room on Savannah reading them all. There must have been 50 or so. It was better than a cheering crowd (but the notion of a whisky and cigar had some appeal too). Coming through Atlanta center's area the controller sent solicitations from Bill Rebek. Several friends left nice messages on my cell phone. My wife expressed great relief. To answer a few questions: 1. CK, I forgot to post a notice of my flight as promised after my first failed attempt. So I tried from the air. Those messages didn't get sent till I landed. 2. My power settings were 1950 RPM, 17 inches MP, leaned to 5.2 gph. At 13,000 feet my TAS was about 115 knots, indicating 95-97. 3. I tried to fly at 15,000 feet but couldn't get a reasonable air speed at the low power settings that I was using. 4. I had no difficulty with clouds of chicken grease. 5. The weather was perfect for the flight. Beautiful VFR weather from coast to coast. The strong winds in the west gave me a huge push ( 50-70 knots till west Texas. And I had 10-15 knot tail for the rest of the flight. I had been waiting for these conditions. 6. By far the worst part of the flight were the mountain waves in AZ and NM. 1000 fpm up and down. Most of my first four hour hours of flight were with a block altitude clearance of 13,000-15,000. The controllers didn't seem to care and I was able to maintain something like an optimal airspeed. 7. I landed with 3 hours fuel. (specifically, 17 gallons). 8. The rush to the men's room never happened. Tomorrow I have to tidy up the airplane and remove various "left over" items. 9. Over Louisiana I realized I would arrive at KSAV 10 minutes after the last FBO closed. I called FSS and asked if they would call Signature and see if they would hang around for a few extra minutes. The did and relayed the message that it would cost me $75. I agreed but was disgrunteled. By the time I arrived, Signature had received a half dozen calls of congratulations and must have decided I was some sort of VIP so they waived the fee. But the nice part of the story is that the FSS is really here to help. 10. Now I have to fly home against the wind. I expect I will write up a further description of this adventure. As somebody said on the list, it does show the remarkable potental of modern light planes and Mooneys in particular. Again, thanks to all. Jonathan Paul (Recuperating in Savannah)

I too am like Ken and Jolie and Ned, except that I don't pump flaps (mine are electric) and I have no clue what my MP is. Airspeed is the key. Under normal conditions, I slow to 75mph over the fence with full flaps. Then I wait a few seconds and ask the tower "am I down yet?" Morten 1970 M20F

F all the way, baby. The average F may be a couple of knots slower than the average E (although averages dont' mean much as each plane is unique), but the F offers better range, significantly more back seat room, and greater useful load. I absolutely love my F. And a couple of speed mods later, I'm still able to out-run my buddy's E model... <grin> MB

Thought I'd reach out to the group to find out what you all use. I have been using ReaderPlates on a Sony PRS-505. I find it adequate and practical in daylight but horrible at night due to its small non-backlit screen. What else is out there? Anyone using an iPad with either PDFPlates.com some kind of app? Morten

I have an F model. Speed brakes have always been on my "nice to have" wish list but it seems I always have other higher priority items on the list. (Like Immelman, I tend to spend money on gaining speed rather than slowing down...) My gear speed is really low (105 KIAS) and it would be nice to have a way to slow down that did not involve the old power-off climbing slip trick... Out here in SoCal, ATC frequently expects me to remain high and fast prior to the approach, and then it can get tricky to descend and slow down in time. So, I would really like to have me some speed brakes. Problem is, like I said, there are so many other things I would like to have...