donkaye, MCFI

The pilot of N66JG did so many things wrong that I didn't even want to begin to get into it. The fact is that the Rocket was originally a 231 and was modified to have a much heavier engine with Charlie Weights needed in the rear. Couple that with the very small prop clearance and, if not flown carefully, a prop strike is easier to have than in other Mooneys with larger prop clearances. Also, the prop clearance could have been even less if the shock disks were in need of replacement.

Very nose heavy.

If ever there was an airplane that needs a gentle touch on taxiing, takeoff, and landing, it's the Rocket. I think the prop clearance is about 9". They have been known to have a prop strike while taxiing.

A well written analysis. I recommend sending it to Phil Corman who produces the monthly Mooney Flyer as an article worthy of publishing. I do a lot of transition trainings, and by far the thing that prevents me from signing a person off is the last 5-10 seconds of the landing. It can't be done by Rote mechanical motions. While proper approach speed and slope can make the flare easy for an experienced person, recognizing the rate of pull back on the yoke as it relates to reduction of sink rate, increase in ground effect, and remaining energy requires practice and feel. After years of teaching I know when that "feel" has been achieved. Sometimes it takes 20 landings on the low side and in rare instances it has taken 300. In reading the landing accidents that were the result of pilot error---with proper training they shouldn't have happened.

As those of us who installed the early GFC500 autopilot know, there was a batch of servos that were defective. After numerous servo failures were experienced, Garmin solved the problem and gave owners of the bad batch 5 years of extended warranty to get them replaced. I decided to wait until one of mine went bad before having them all changed. Well, the roll servo went bad last December. Since my installation occurred not near my home airport, I had a local shop do the replacements. They spent a lot more time than Garmin had allowed so I got charged for the difference that amounted to over $1,300. I was not very happy, but all of the servos worked so I begrudgingly let it go. Following the issue on Beechtalk and maybe here on Mooneyspace, I discovered that I was one of the only ones who had been charged. I wrote a letter to Garmin describing the situation. About a month later I unexpectedly got a call from Ryan Owens from Garmin asking me about my situation. He said he would look in it. Several months went by and I heard nothing. Memory dimmed and I let it go by the wayside. I got a call from him today. He said he had been thinking about my problem and he wasn't comfortable with the outcome. He asked me if I would be satisfied to have a full year Onepak database subscription to satisfy the situation. I said, "Yes, and thank you". This isn't the first time Garmin has come through for me. I had an out of warranty Aera 760 have an issue and they did an exchange for no cost. Many have asked why I am such a Garmin supporter. In addition to liking the way their products work, I have had this kind of support throughout my dealings with them and I will continue to support them as they introduce new products that I didn't even know I wanted.

BTW, while my plane has been hangared all its life, the wings do flex somewhat and paint comes off of the rivets. Also, my top cowling showed some cracking. I finally took my plane to Art-craft in Santa Maria, California and had them repaint the wings and horizontal stabilizer. They were very reasonable at the time. I just looked and it was 15 years ago in 2010. That means the plane was 19 years old at the time. How time flys! I'm starting to see a little cracking in the cowling again, but nowhere near as bad as 15 years ago. With the turbocharged engine the cowling gets hot. I just touchup the rivets now. I'll wait on the cowling for now. I like the paint scheme of the early 90s. With the long lines, it makes the plane look bigger than the more modern paint schemes.

I have a 1991 Bravo. I'm on my 3rd engine. The avionics I put in starting in 2013 and upgraded as the G500 transitioned to the G500 Txi and GTN 750/650 to the GTN 750/650 Xi and GTX330ES to the GTX335 are better than in most business jets I have flown in. The Bravo travels at half the speed of jets. That is fast. Rather than step up to a Turbine with at least double the yearly expense, I chose to keep my Bravo and upgrade it to the max. I love the airplane and its avionics. Structurally, it is the strongest single engine airplane out there. Basically, it is new, panel and firewall forward. I feel like I have a new airplane. I have never looked back.

The MAPA PPPs used to have maintenance as part of the class. While one group was flying the other group would attend the clinic. Jerry Manthey and several other maintenance experts would present. Part of that is now included as part of the ground class on Friday.

Even if you are talking about buying both at the same time that price is not anywhere near what they can be bought from a reputable place like Pure Medical.

I think flying at 7,500 or above for an extensive period of time, while maybe not physically noticeable enroute can lead to fatigue and poor decision making, which IS bad ADM. Also, the Rove 6 with the Beechtalk discount was about $1,800 new, arguably not cheap, but for me well worth it for my intended use.

Just to be clear. I don't use it on a Commercial flight, just transport it for possible use in non O2 equipped airplanes.. However, it can be used on a Commercial flight if you have a need, with a Doctor's letter.

You can't take a tank on a Commercial airplane. You can take an oxygen concentrator. In the past, if I was to be offered a job ferrying a plane from the east coast to the west coast or anywhere in between and it didn't have O2, I wouldn't take the job without being provided a tank. Most Mooneys before the K model don't have built in O2. If I'm not flying my plane to a Mooney PPP when I can bring along a separate tank, then teaching at a high altitude airport like Cheyenne this month and being assigned a student with a C model was perfectly comfortable with the Inogen Rove 6. I know my student appreciated it while we were doing the air work at 9,500 feet. Both of our sats were in the high 90s. By buying the Inogen I paid for both safety and clarity.

Why?

I have the FS 210, have located it in the rear avionics bay, and have had no issues with it.

One thing I particularly like about the G5 is its ability to display Density Altitude when on the Ground. It also has a 4 hour battery instead of the 1 hour battery of the GI 275. To display the DA a Gad 13 and OAT probe is required.