OR75

parallel with commodity prices ? I wish my Mooney tracked the prices of gasoline or corn

So if it is not the switch on the picture or the autopilot disconnect ? What is it that is broken ? All the trim switch are pretty much the same (split switches)

Aerobert: The overpriced switch on the picture is a not a "Trim Disconnect". It is a trim switch that engages the motor (up or down). On the yoke, you must also have an Autopilot disconnect button (push button) that simply deactivates the autopilot if you press it.

The RC 2600 is different technology: it is AHRS rather than an electric motor. I suppose it would come up faster . Does it ? Could help justify the $$$ difference. I like that it is very light weight (The Mooney panels are overweight and tend to sag) but read some not so good review on the RC 2600 reliability. Also read that the latest model is more robust.

I did not know the RC Allen backup battery system is approved as a second system. are you required to change the backup battery once in a while ? usually battery have a limited life i heard the sigma tec life savers battery is $$$ to replace. i am looking at replacing my TC with the RCA 2600 but have not made the jump yet.

agreed, it is very easy for water to get into very small cracks when it rains, but evaporation is very very slow in a confined space.

is that an MT composite prop ?

is it the trim switch you are looking for ? or the trim disconnect ? those are two different switches.

There was an article in a recent "Flying" magazine (2013) titled "the all electric mooney" (or something like that) It explain what is required to remove the vacuum system I highly doubt you can just get rid off the vacuum pump system unless you have 2 independant electrical generation systems. Do you have 2 electrical independant systems ? (two alternators, 2 batteries , etc , etc ... )

replacing a TSO'd with another TSO'd device should not require an STC or field approval indeed. However, the FAA does require an A/C to have 2 independant systems (1 electric + 1 vacuum) or 2 independant vacuum or 2 independant electric. I don't think you can move all your device to electric unless you have 2 independant electric systems. I don't know if the life saver counts as a second electric system but I doubt it does. One thing they allow is to change your electric turn coordinator for an electric AI. So you end up with two AI : 1 electric and 1 vacuum

that looks like a french built Robin DR-400 they are very neat and fun to flyvand the visibility is great the covering is fabric

piloto : is that material fire resistant and approved to install on an aircraft ?

what is your point as an expert in the matter ?

Just a reminder on how the free market works: If you buy something that will end up collecting dust in the garage, it will be cheap If you buy something that you absolutely need, it will be $$$$ But the free market is still what works best

The requirements for VFR PPL are very similar on both sides of the pond and the conversion is also easy. It may be a little more than a paperwork exercise but closer to a flight school checkout than a full blown course, especially if you have been flying a while. The IFR rating is a complete different story. Requirements on aircrafts are a lot more stringent (requires more equipement redundancy) and training is more stringent and expensive. The benefits of an N registered aircraft in Europe is for IFR operations.

N registered aircraft can only be flown by a US licensed pilot and maintained by a US licensed mechanic same goes for most other countries of course, you can obtain an equivalent and sometimes it is just paperwork

I want an engine that never fails. recurrent training is nice but someone helps me understand how many steep turns, stalls, short field landings, etc ... a pilot must perform to undertsand that when the wind is gusting 50kts ... it is not a good idea to go flying.

yes, but you rent it for an hour and you can visit 5 or 6 countries !

if you intend to replace, make sure you check if the switch is small enough to go through the yoke ear hollow. I believe this one will but for some larger ones, you may have to run the wires through the hole then solder the switch

what budget do you have in mind ? purchase then recurring per year ?

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/edmomomentary4.php?clickkey=87033 easy to install if you know how to solder. don't forget to insert heat shrink for a neat aspect and isolation

maybe ... unless mechanical problem related not paying enough attention to the speed ? beyond the checklist and the gear warning alarm , a good reason for me to get the gear down is to slow down the beast this makes me think that a good exercise to do with an instructor would be to simulate an approach for landing with a gear up and then go around. i am thinking that the power setting, speed or aircraft attitude would feel very different if not weird.

question is: how do you improve the decision making of a pilot ( decision to take the right amount of fuel, to not go, to divert, ....) ? most if not all pilots are capable of operating an airplane without bending metal too much

the US part 91 pilot enjoys a lot of freedom and tend to use the full operational envelope that is given to him. Sometimes venturing outside of that envelope. The employer of the part 121/135 pilot imposes a much smaller envelope and a second pilot is most of the time there to be a cop. just in case..

I would have thought that the aircraft total hours per years would be set by the aircraft type (i.e. mission), price and agreement with the club. Would you say a basic VFR 152 or basic IFR 172 would log 200 hours a year in club ? Also, all flight schools I have seen have minimum requirements (usually rating + checkout with school CFI + hours) They seem lower but only becasue the school usually have trainers. Try to rent a twin or a float from a school if they have one ! I once come across a place in TX where you just had to show your ID and licence to rent an aircraft (172) . That was about 15 years ago. I am sure that's gone now. Good old days !