donkaye, MCFI

It's like progressive lenses; it takes awhile to get used to them, then you appreciate how valuable they are.

Well done video and nicely flown. However, I personally think using speed brakes as part of an approach configuration could be problematic if living in places other than Florida. In cold conditions they WILL freeze in the up position. I think a power setting and configuration (gear and approach flaps) without them would be better suited.

I flew over to Byron late yesterday afternoon to get fuel in preparation for my Wings Program Flight Review today. On takeoff from Byron I heard a "clink" just as the gear was at the end of its retraction cycle. I knew what that probably meant; the right inner gear door rod had broken---again. It was 4:00. I was 10 minutes from Stockton, so flew over there to check it out. I got out of the plane to look at the gear with my fingers crossed. Well, that was useless, since in fact the rod WAS broken. I taxied over to Top Gun at 4:15. They close at 4:30. Mark got right on it to try a wielded repair, since they didn't have the rod in stock. That was completed and tested at 5:00. I took off again and as I raised the gear again I heard the "clink". By now it was 5:15 and all of the mechanics had gone home. Mark was still there and brought out the masking tape to temporally tie it open, while he fabricates a temporary rod this weekend. Mooney will have to make one over the next couple of weeks. They had none in stock. As you can tell, what I'm trying to say is Top Gun it top notch and will go the extra mile for you in a pinch. I've been using them since I bought my airplane 29 years ago. In fact they did the prebuy. How's that for a testimonial?

All I can say to use an old saying is, "You can lead a horse to water, but can't make it drink." I guess each person has their own special in-flight requirements. The pluses for me of a dedicated in-flight handheld GPS like the 760 in the way I use it far outweigh any negatives of which, for me, I can't think of any. The 760 is the most advanced of the previous series of handhelds. To get the full benefit of using it does require a commitment to study the manual and physically go through all of the menus. Most people won't do that, so the unit is of marginal benefit to them.

You are correct. No EIS. If you have an Engine Monitor in the panel, is that really a necessity?

The issues you seem concerned about have nothing to do with the actual in flight use of the 760. I, too, use Jeppesen Charts and just download the updates to the mini SD Card. I plug it in and it just works. Jeppesen support works 24/7. I've had no problem reaching them when one of my downloads failed. Call the main number at any time. After they say they are closed, another option will be presented to speak with support. They answer immediately and have provided excellent support. They just give me another download and I'm off and running. Monthly, the updates download via WiFi. The Maps take awhile to download and install. While I use GP, at least for my older iPad Air, it is slow and clunky in flight and bombs out frequently just when it would be useful. Foreflight does not. I have both. Even with my soon to buy new iPad, it will be a backup to the 760.

Have you used the Aera 760 extensively? I have. I'm an Apple Computer user since its beginning and I will finally be upgrading from an Android phone to an Apple Pro 13 and also an iPad Pro (I'd been waiting to see if a new Pro would be coming out. It didn't), but when it comes to the flexibility, brightness, and speed of inflight use, it's the special use Aera 760 all the way. I recently flew with a student who had just purchased an Acclaim ultra with the G1000 NXi. We were doing transition training. We flew from Fredricksburg (T82) to San Jose (KSJC) where we did the training. Prior to the flight he asked me about purchasing the 760. I said let's talk about it after the flight where he could see how I used it. While I can't tell you all the different ways it was used, by the end of the flight he was a believer.

Well, you have me confused because the GTX 330ES (GTX 335) has ADS-B Out only and no ADS-B In. In my situation I have ADS-B Out on both the GTX 335 for 1090 and GDL 88 for 978. ADSB-In on both 1090 and 978 comes from the GDL 88.

Here it is.

OK. I don't need to comment which is which.

As I was preparing for a student tomorrow, I came upon an article I wrote for the MAPA Log in 1993, a year after I bought my airplane. Have times ever changed! I thought I had the greatest panel ever devised for a GA airplane at the time--and I did. But compared to what I have today, it was nearly the dark ages with only the most primitive of displays. I had praise for the MAPA Safety Foundation back then, and even now look back fondly on taking the PPP because I was introduced to Bob Goldin, my mentor instructor, and a person who single handedly changed the course of my life, although I don't think it was intentional. Some people just have that impact, though. Through his mentoring and encouragement to become a CFI and CFII, I changed my life's orientation from Real Estate to Aviation. Of course Real Estate continues to be important in my life but Aviation has taken center stage. Bob recommended me as an instructor for the PPP and I enjoyed teaching for them for eight years until the management changed with the death of Don Bymaster. Bob was forced out due to age and after I tried to make some recommendations for improvement to the Program, I was out. I am not a fan of politics. Luckily, I make my own path in life. Through flight instruction I have met so many interesting people I never would have met otherwise. I've attached that article for anyone who wants to take the time to read it. It's funny to see how excited I was over things that seem so trivial today. Also, I've totally changed my opinion on the use of speed brakes, and have written on their use in another article on my website. Time does march on. Mooney N9148W Mooney of the Month.pdf

Subtle? Hardly.

TOGO is preset to 7½° fixed and cannot be changed. If I were to be going IMC immediately I'd probably use it. For VFR flight I don't use the FD, since the climb angle I use doesn't match. The term VNAV is for descent only. An IAS climb is safer than an V/S climb, but is a little more finicky in pitch, varying a few knots either way. V/S is pretty much rock solid. The YD always goes on at 800'AGL. If I'm on a SID in instrument conditions out of KSJC, I'll use the AP after 800'AGL, but in VFR conditions I just hand fly a departure. One of the nice things about the GFC 500 is the ability to use its built in GPSS for NAV mode to intercept a course. That did not work with the emulated GPSS on the KFC 150.

Well, obviously you're the expert here, however, looking at the Airport Chart and actually being there are two different things regarding this airport. Taxiway L is short and not well marked among one mass of asphalt. As mentioned, there are hotspots to contend with, any one of which could get you violated if you should screw up. In the interest of both safety and time, I unhesitatingly took the easy way out with a Progressive Taxi.

While I suppose you could do that, what is an A&P going to be able to do in flight? It's pretty obvious when recording all the parameters if there is an anomaly. I circle the airport up to 4,000 feet, then set up a holding pattern on the Aera 760 or, if a GTN 750 is available, do it on the 750 and fly the hold a couple of miles to the side of the runway. If there were to be an issue, just circle down and land. I have done all my break-ins with flight following in combination with traffic and weather on the above avionics. The spreadsheet goes to the Shop after I land.

That's the one I had installed a few months ago to replace a BK trim switch. It is PMA'd per the attached file. Check for applicability.

You'e not going to get it without additional hardware from Garmin.

Today at KCCR: Me: Good Afternoon Concord Ground, Mooney 9148W, Sterling, ready to taxi with Bravo. Ground: 9148W Concord Ground, taxi to Runway 19R via Lima, Alpha, Cross 32L, Cross 32R via Alpha. This was said in rapid fire ATC speak. Me, not wanting to embarrass myself: Ground, tell you what, request Progressive to 19R Turns out Lima is striped but part of the non movement area and not well marked. If you fly out of there, it's all not much of a problem, but if you haven't, you could easily screw it up. It had been quite a while since I had flown into Concord. In the interest of saving time and not screwing up, Progressive taxiing took off all the pressure. I needed to fly back there later in the day. The second time I had everything written down, and Progressive wasn't necessary.

I've attached the Service Alert to the GTN Xi and GTN updates last December. Look at what the Xi can do that the legacy GTN cannot. Since that time Garmin added Smart Glide that the legacy GTN doesn't have the processing power to do. So you're paying for those upgrades and those future upgrades that we don't know about, yet. Getting at the databases for updates is also easier with the Xi. GTN Xi Main Software Version 20.10 and GTN 6XX:7XX Main Software Version 6.71 - Aviation Alerts and .pdf

I've done numerous engine break-ins. I follow the Lycoming Directions contained in the attached Service Instructions. I've also attached an example Spreadsheet I use and fill out during the flight. It certainly helps to have an autopilot during the break-in. Engine Breakin N9148W 1.xlsx Lycoming Reciprocating engine Break-In and Oil Consumption.pdf

Yes, I needed to fly to Aurora, Oregon for the upgrade. They did the upgrade in a couple of hours including configuration setting, and I flew back the same day.

If you have a GTN 750Xi, a GI275, and a GFC 500 you have autopilot control of the smart glide all the way to the center of the chosen airport. If you have a GTN 750Xi, a G5, and a GFC 500, a software update to the G5 is required for AP control, and that isn't expected until the 4th quarter of this year. If you don't have a GFC 500, you can fly the smart glide yourself, but won't have AP control of it.

I had mine upgraded by Pacific Coast Avionics in Oregon last year. They took my older units in trade. The trade was comparable to that of Sarasota Avionics' offer last year. I personally would recommend the upgrade. All new software upgrades are not necessarily backwards compatible with the older units. For example, the new Smart Glide is only available on the Xi units. I expect other upgrades to become available only for the Xi units that have more processing power. Having a good justification often works in upgrades. My justification last year was that, since Oshkosh didn't happen, I really wasn't losing any money by just transferring the money that would have been spent on Oshkosh 2020 to the cost of the upgrades.

The G500 TXi is newer.

The Garmin EIS was not available when I did my upgrade, however, I wouldn't have bought it if it had been available. The MVP-50 provides so much more data with its multiple pages, and for me one of the most important data pieces is the extra register that provides for fuel used on each trip, which resets on shutdown, in addition to the register that keeps track of fuel used since fuel addition. This allows me to travel to a student and, without any mental computations, know exactly how much fuel it took to get there. And there are so many other important setting, like keeping track of the hottest EGT and CHT without having to look at all of them for that determination, and the ability to show an engine diagram with the EGT and CHT beside each cylinder for easy monitoring, and, of course, the ability to lean the engine either LOP and ROP among so many other capabilities. Actually, another big thing is the ability to read the display with large enough numbers so it isn't necessary to bring along a magnifying glass to read them like the JPI 900 or 930.