donkaye, MCFI

You could add SIDS and STARS to your flight plan. Having said that, I haven't bought it.

I have a friend who will be in England for several weeks in June and would like to rent a Mooney there. He is a very experienced Mooney pilot and Flight instructor. Does anyone know if this could be arranged? Thanks.

Apparently Beechtalk has over 35,000 members. I have learned a lot over there on the Avionics topics. Everyone treats each other cordially for the most part. Mooneyspace should require real names, as does Beechtalk, to prevent some of the responses we have seen in this thread--in my opinion.

Once again, pitch and power are interrelated. The key that unifies them and makes it easy to maintain precision control of an airplane are the 2 rules taught to me by my mentor instructor, Bob Goldin, and even though he no longer teaches, I am carrying on his work. These rules work on both the front and backside of the power curve: PITCH CONTROLS EITHER SPEED OR RATE-OF-CLIMB/DESCENT (ROC), WHICHEVER IS MOST IMPORTANT, AT ANY PHASE OF FLIGHT. and THROTTLE CONTROLS THE OTHER. (IF PITCH IS PRIME FOR SPEED, THEN THROTTLE CONTROLS ROC. Thus, if you are on the ILS, slope is most important and is controlled by pitch. In level flight, altitude is most important to ATC and is controlled by pitch. When landing, speed is most important and is controlled by pitch. On the backside of the power curve, speed is most important and is controlled by pitch. The point is that pitch is most important to the item that needs to be controlled most accurately at the moment because it is immediate. Once this basic fact is truly understood, precision aircraft control is simple. When used in combination with slope management, these principles makes landing airplanes absolutely simple and perfect landings should be accomplishable every time. I know when a student finally "gets it" because it shows in the perfection of their landings.

And that was the purpose of the video. Site picture and looking at the V/S and airspeed while listening to the small power changes denoted by the alternator noise changes, then the small rate of change of pitch attitude at the roundabout leading to a soft touchdown with the stall warning sounding while at the same time viewing the landing from the outside camera on the ground. And then there was recovery from multiple bounces in the bounced landing section of the video. I don't know of anyone who has made a video showing bounced landings and recovery from them. You can't "teach" landings from a video. An instructor riding with you and observing your technique is required for that. But viewing how a landing should be done can certainly help improve landing technique from my experience.

OK. So what benefit do we get from reading about it and not commenting? Although unintended, hopefully some benefit will be gotten from this discussion, that while unintended, may be instructive for some. Actually I thank "Nobody" and "peeve" for providing the counterpoint to the discussion. Without them my in passing "see my video" would not have led to this discussion.

VERY poorly written in my opinion. To me a student pilot trying to learn landings is not going learn it from that paragraph. What slope, what descent angle, what speed, how about low and fast/slow, high and fast/slow? Why the 3° nominal slope when learning and used in most landing situations? How does learning the 3° slope help when needing to fly an apparent 5° slope (Think Aspen, Co)?

Again I say send me your name and address and I'll return your money. I can't tell you how many private emails I have received from others who found a lot of value in it for them. You were obviously the exception, and one who totally gets the slope/airspeed perspective that I've never seen taught by anyone else.

If that were true, then why is it that most of the people who come to me for training haven't learned it? Also, for the record, pitch isn't always airspeed, and power isn't always altitude. The written "material" describes that. Again I say send me your name and address and I'll return your money if you bought the video and are unhappy with it.

If you bought the video, didn't feel it was useful to you, and tell me your name and address, I'll send you your money back. You'll be the first. The printed material, if understood by someone willing to learn how to land, is worth the $25 by itself. Postage is twice the above mentioned. How did we get here? In passing I just mentioned my video in this post and a couple of the usual suspects who arrogantly dislike my postings blew it all out of proportion. Disappointing when this forum is supposed to be a place to learn something. Certainly no one has to take any input from me, but with over 8,500 hours of Mooney time over the past 22 years, and over half of that teaching, one would think maybe that input might be valuable for those with less experience.

Wow. I mentioned the video as a possible way to help people prevent an occurrence that started this thread. I deliberately didn't even share a link on how to purchase it. I figured if someone wanted it they could pm me. Hardly hocking it, but frankly maybe I should have, if it would save one prop strike and an increase in all of our insurance rates...

I wish people would give their real names. It would help my memory. If I said something that offended "MyNameIsNobody", I remember it was in reply to something I disagreed with, but I can't remember what it was at all (I was probably not tactful enough in the response--sorry). That goes with aging which was sadly brought to the forefront of my life when my Dad passed away just a week shy of his 98th birthday several weeks ago. I do recommend the quoted person buy the video and critique it if he wishes. I offer anyone their money back if they don't get something out of it. So far no one has asked for it back. The video is generic in nature and stresses slope and speed control through demonstration. From my experience this is applicable to all airplanes and is independent of model. I demonstrate normal, bounced and soft field landings in addition to coming in too high. The video is about 17 minutes in length, and I expect the viewer to watch it multiple times to imprint on their mind the correct normal approach slope as I see it. To assist in this endeavor I include some written material that I have found very important to the understanding of performing proper landings. An unexpected go around it included. It is narrated by me as I demonstrate the landings. No slow motion, but two cameras were used in a unique manner to show the landings from the perspective of the pilot and from the perspective of an observer on the ground watching the landings. In life there are some risks to be taken to make life interesting. $25 seems like a pretty minimal risk from the cost of airplane ownership to possibly save many thousands of dollars in prop and engine repairs after a prop strike. And what risk is there really if I'm willing to give the money back to an unsatisfied customer? That I won't give it back? Really?

Thank you. Actually, I make very little money on the video. By the time you consider buying the DVD disks, the paper for the disk cover, the disk holder, the bubble package material, the postage, and the cut Paypal takes, you aren't left with very much. I know I could put the disk in a cheap paper holder, not include any instructional material, stuff it in a cheap disk envelope, or potentially put it online cheaper, but I'd rather people have the disk to play over and over again---and have the video have a little class. I priced it at a point where anybody who owns an airplane could afford it. Where can you pay $25 and get personal Mooney instruction from a Master Flight Instructor who has been teaching mostly in Mooneys for the past 22 years; especially how to land a Mooney?

You should hear the stall warning horn on every flight, or you're not in the correct landing attitude on touchdown or it is broken. If it is broken, then it should be replaced; certainly not disabled. I just replace mine for incorrect operation. Notwithstanding what I just said, when familiar with an airplane, pitch attitude on final should be ingrained on the mind so that there is no chance of a stall happening, stall warning horn or not. This attitude is particularly clear with a Mooney on final. See my Landing Video.

I've had several of those rods break over the years. I've bought new from Mooney.

If it's on the 10th, then add 2 more to wherever you're meeting.

I recommend my landing video: http://www.donkaye.com/donkaye.com/Perfect_Your_Landings.html Landings are easy when done as I demonstrate. If your speed it correct, then your descent rate is too great if you are bouncing. When you get good, even if you choose to come in a little faster, for example in a night landing with a longer runway, you can grease it on with some power, then at touchdown, reduce power to idle and pop the speed breaks to assist in slo down.

From reading the above, it seems that whatever you have been most used to is what you will recommend. Most of these programs require extensive use if you are to understand all of their benefits. I have FF, WingX, Garmin Pilot, and have tried FlyQ. It was taking too long to get into FlyQ so I let the 30 day trial period expire. FF is OK, but that too didn't have an interface to learn quickly. I never could get into WingsX. Since all of my panel is Garmin, the interface of Garmin Pilot was simple for me to learn. In fact there was no learning, the interface it was so simple. If you have the Flight Stream 210, you'll get the most bang for your buck with Garmin Pilot, since it interfaces with the GDL 88/84, the GDL 69A, the GTNs and the GNSs. I'm finding I really use it a lot for tuning, station information, and controlling the volume on the GDL69A. Flight plan changes on the GTN in flight are immediately transferred to the iPad, and on the Ground the reverse is true. Touching the map anywhere brings up a donut that gives you anything available about and surrounding the point touched. I still use JeppFD as the approach chart backup to the Aera 796. Unlike what someone said above, the cost of Jepp on the iPad is minimal at $299/yr for 2 iPads I think, and an additional $60/yr to have charts on the 796. I just like Jepp Charts better than NACO.

I had problems with the bluetooth connection for the Flight Stream 210. Finally got it to connect, but wonder what happens on the next flight.

I agree with you on that one. The print is too small. Frankly, I prefer the old Duats flight Log. That doesn't, however, negate the value of the enroute planning.

What computer are you using? I'm using a Mac. I type in 1800wxbrief.com on the URL line of Safari, the entry screen comes up prefilled in with name and password, and I'm into the system. Couldn't be any easier.

Even old dogs can learn new tricks. Fltplan.com is interesting, but I can't find a button that will automatically give you forecasted weather at each point along your route of flight at the time you are projected to be there. 1800wxbrief requires almost no learning. Go to flight planning and fill out the flight plan form as displayed and that you have done since you learned to fly. Next click on the Optimize button in the altitude box to optimize you enroute altitude for winds. Then click on the Evaluate button on in the Departure Date & Time Box. Now you will see a graph of the forecasted weather along your route of flight and it will indicate whether it is VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR, or unknown and whether there are any adverse conditions. If conditions are bad you can stop right there. Otherwise, click on the Standard Brief button at the bottom and a new screen will pop up showing graphically your flight plan on you route with a multitude of weather choices to overlay on the route to further assist in decision making. I use this in conjunction with Garmin Pilot which will feedback flight plan changes and is used in the air. I use GP mainly because I have the Flight Stream 210 and ADS-B weather, traffic, XM weather and radio, and WAAS GPS position that is blue toothed to the iPad and 796 (XM weather and radio separate on the 796).

Duats isn't bad, but you still have to do a lot of the analysis that is done automatically with 1800wxbrief.

I posted this on some of the Mooney email lists, and am posting it here because I think this is worth using in your flight planning. I know there are many flight planning programs out there including those for the iPad, but there is a program out there that I feel worthy of consideration when you’re working on your home computer or laptop. It was actually designed by our friends at Lockheed. It can be accessed at : 1800wxbrief.com There are several videos that describe its operation, making learning the ins and out of the briefing easy, and are really a necessity in getting the full value out of it most quickly. My normal mode of briefing in the past has been to first go to the AOPA weather website and get an overview of the trip. This can start as early as a week before the planned trip and involves a number of steps and decisions of what to look at on my part. On trip day I’d go to the iPad and brief again as part of using the iPad to file a flight plan. 1800wxbrief goes much farther than that. First the standard flight plan form is filled out. Like many other programs, the altitude can be optimized for winds by the program. The proposed departure time is filled in and then the power of the program comes to light. Clicking on the Evaluate button will evaluate the flight from various departures times and will show on a chart forecast conditions along the route of flight at the time you would pass the points without having to gather all the information and interpret it yourself, as you would on an airman’s examination. Clicking on the various briefing buttons on the bottom will bring up a chart showing your flight plan and graphically overlaying on the chart the weather you chose to look at from the briefing. Under the Weather menu item at the top of the form graphs of all the important weather products are available all in one place, including the US graph of Lifted index and K factor, so important in considering stability of the air for possible thunderstorm activity. All in all I recommend considering the use of this tool for your flight planning. I certainly am using it.

JDM for the Mac was introduced at Oshkosh several years ago and I have been using it since the beginning.