N9453V

Mooney announced the M10 at Zhuhai tonight: http://bit.ly/mooneyM10

Tommy, I generally agree and as I mentioned, I fly approaches to minimums (often in night IMC) which some would say is stupid, but it's legal and I believe reasonably safe so long as the aircraft is maintained properly and flown proficiently. We don't know all the facts, but if it's true that he made a second visual approach to an airport without an instrument approach in the fog, then that is both illegal and stupid. -Andrew

Which 121.5 MHz ELT do you have? Some manufacturers have an upgrade path to a 406 MHz ELT which is less effort to install. I had an old Dorne & Margolin ELT and they no longer make ELTs, so had to go to a new manufacturer. I selected the ACK E-04 due to price, but it was a fair bit of effort to install since I had to remove the interior to install the switch/annunciation panel and have a new metal plate machined to mount it on my panel. One thing to note, is that 406 MHz antenna must be at least 3 feet from other antennas. On my aircraft is was less than 2 ft from the rear COM antenna, this caused interference and I ended up replacing the rear COM antenna with a belly mounted Comant CI-122. -Andrew

Yves, on small aircraft up to 2 metric tonnes, in lieu of terminal and en route fees NAV CANADA levies an annual fee of $68 ($17 per quarter for foreign registered aircraft) and a $10 daily fee for specific international airports (up to $1200 per year) like YVR, YYC, YYZ, etc... You are correct, however, that NAV CANADA does not charge approach fees. More details are here: http://www.navcanada.ca/EN/media/Publications/Customer-Guide-Charges-EN.pdf -Andrew

I agree that Atlantic can be costly at some locations, but I'm having trouble understanding how a price difference of $0.42/gal ($6.22 at PDX, $5.80 at TTD) is MUCH MORE expensive. On a 15 gallon purchase which waives all other fees at PDX, that's $6.30. I also don't understand how PDX more of a PITA to operate in or out of... the only real difference you call clearance delivery before you taxi and for that minor inconvenience, you get an ILS with 281 ft minimums (vs a GPS-A with 1040ft minimum), MALSR approach lights (vs nothing), a 24 hour full service FBO (vs limited FBO hours), I'll always pick the bigger airport if prices aren't bad but maybe I'm crazy... -Andrew

I believe in most ICAO countries (definitely in Canada and I believe the UK as well), if you need to divert to another airport, you do not pay any en route, approach or landing fees for the diversion and subsequent departure. I frequently fly approaches to minimums in my Mooney, but before commencing the approach, I am expecting to go missed and ensure I have the fuel to do so. When I fly to Calgary, I always plan to land at CYBW since landing and ramp fees at CYYC are over $200 CAD, but if I can't get in after 1 approach at YBW, I'm going to YYC. -Andrew

That's incorrect, there are NO LANDING FEES at PDX. I flew into PDX a few weeks ago and it was not busy, I was vectored for the ILS to 28R (broke out at 300ft in the rain) with no delay and had no delay on departure. Atlantic waived their $20 ramp fee with a 15 gal fuel purchase but fuel was only around $6/gal (cheaper than HIO), and they also have inexpensive Hertz rental cars on site. -Andrew

Airforms in Alaska (http://www.airforms.biz/index.php?route=product/product&path=20&product_id=86) can make it in about 2 weeks. Cost when I talked to them last was $2047.51. If your old baffling isn't in that bad shape, you may want to consider patching it. -Andrew

Vishnu, Everyone has their own way of doing it. I have my aircraft in a holding corporation (Delaware C-corp) for tax and legal reasons. I track most expenses (parts, labor, hangar rent, avionics subscriptions, etc...) using QuickBooks so I can easily generate the P&L and Balance Sheet at tax time. The holding corporation invoices me or my employer an hourly dry rate when the aircraft is used. When I am using the aircraft for personal use, I have a specific credit card I use for fuel purchases, landing fees and ramp fees. For business use of my aircraft that is not reimbursed, I take a tax deduction for the fuel cost and rental rate that my holding company charges me. Hope that helps. -Andrew P.S. I am not an attorney, accountant, etc... so none of this constitutes legal advice.

Avionics Unlimited at CXO (Conroe, TX, just north of Houston). -Andrew

The 330 ES is $4149 from Garmin and most avionics shops.

The cost difference is actually $1500 not $2000, but I'm sure many will pick the KT 74 due to the price difference for basically the same capabilities. I hope the STC does come through. -Andrew

They also need STC approval for the new firmware. I spoke to BK about 2 weeks ago as well and was told it is not expected till August at the earliest. FWIW, this STC approval has been delayed again and again and Trig (the manufacturer of the guts of the KT 74) reverse engineered the data from Garmin, so there is no guarantee future Garmin GPS updates won't break compatibility. Because of all this, I've opted to go with the Garmin GTX 330ES despite the higher cost. The avionics shop has offered me $1000 in trade for my GTX 327 though. -Andrew

Avionics Unlimited at KCXO did mine in April last year for $360 (G model without 201 windshield).

Operating IFR would also have prevented this incursion. It's worth noting that for VPOTUS TFR's, IFR aircraft can arrive/depart the airports within the TFR. I arrived IFR at KILG during a VPOTUS TFR over the airport (Air Force 2 took off after I landed) and I was just asked to switch runways.

Skybrd, You may not be aware of this, but by law, the name and address of all aircraft owners is public information which is how FlightAware gets it. FlightAware is just displaying the same data as that the FAA displays (although they don't display the full street address out of respect for an owner's privacy). In an earlier post, I gave a number of ways you can protect your personal information. Blaming FlightAware and calling them scum bags for your failure to understand the law is not productive. This is what the FAA (and FlightAware) display for my aircraft: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?nNumberTxt=N9453V (I setup a Delaware C-Corp specifically to hold it and have all correspondence sent to a PO Box). -Andrew

For the KT-74, there is an STC allowing installation on Mooney aircraft. The STC for ADS-B using a 430W, however, is still pending since Trig apparently reverse-engineered the position source data from the GNS430W for the KT-74. There's more information on Beechtalk on this: http://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=86871 When I called Bendix-King, they told me the STC to enable ADS-B out is expected in August (previous answers with February, March, April, Q2...) so I plan to install a GTX 330ES rather than installing hardware that may not work properly with my 430W. -Andrew

There's a lot of misinformation regarding flight tracking on this discussion thread and I'd like to try to clear some of that up. For those who don't know me personally, I previously worked for FlightAware and still help them out on various projects. Even without services like FlightAware, there's a significant amount of publicly available information about an aircraft's movements and their owners/operators. Please consider the following: Aircraft Registration and Leasing information is a matter of public record. Pilot Certifications are a matter of public record. Aircraft Communications are broadcast over unencrypted VHF frequencies that can legally monitored by anyone who wishes to do so in the US. Aircraft can be legally photographed while on public property without permission and private property with permission of the owner of the property. Most FlightAware tracking data is obtained from the FAA using ASDI (Aircraft Situation Display to Industry), however, they are also now obtaining data using a private network of ADS-B receivers. Anytime you fly IFR and sometimes when you fly VFR (if you receive flight following and the controller creates a flight plan in the national airspace system to facilitate a handoff), your information is including in the ASDI. If you would like your aircraft blocked from display on FlightAware and other flight tracking services, the FAA makes it fairly easy (previously it had to be done through the NBAA's BARR program). You can does this for free simply by writing or emailing the FAA (http://www.fly.faa.gov/ASDI/asdi.html). There are two levels of blocking: Industry level. At this level, your tracking data is still sent to ASDI subscribers like FlightAware, but their LOA with the FAA prohibits them from disclosing your tracking information to anyone who you don't authorize. FlightAware allows you to access your tracking information and designate access to others but requires a copy of the aircraft registration certificate and understandably charges a fee for this. FAA Source level. At this level, your tracking data is NOT sent to ASDI subscribers, but the FAA and US government agencies still have access to it. With ADS-B, however, this option for privacy goes away, since anyone who buys an inexpensive receiver can read your 24-bit ICAO identifier, ident (tail number or call sign), type, and altitude/position/groundspeed information when you fly in range of their antenna. A NextGen ARC report from 2008 recommended that the FAA treat 24-bit ICAO identifiers as private information, but right now they are still publicly available on the FAA website. If you really want privacy, first of all don't register the plane in your own name or using your home address. Incorporating an LLC or S-corp or C-corp takes a few hours and only costs a few hundred dollars, then have all correspondence sent to a Post Office box. In terms of flying, Fltplan.com for an annual fee will allow you to use a call sign instead of your tail number on IFR flights. -Andrew

The prop governor is required equipment for your airplane and flying with it non-functional without a ferry permit is a violation of the FAR's. That being said, if it's not leaking oil, the danger is probably minimal since it would default to the high RPM position and your engine is certified for continuous operation at 2700 RPM, however, it's still not a good idea to fly without it brolen since you have no idea what's causing the problem. As for what's causing it, I'd start by checking if the prop governor control cable is connected to the governor. If it is and the governor is properly attached, it would likely need to be removed for inspection. Which engine overhaul shop did you use? And was the governor overhauled as well? I recently went through an overhaul and the shop installed the governor before doing the test run to verify installation and proper operation. -Andrew

No, not normal at all! I sent an entire exhaust system to Dawley in Burlington, WI and it took less than a week for them to do a complete overhaul of it including the muffler. -Andrew

Yep, all online and I think they have an iPad app you can use now too. -Andrew

ncdmtb, your plan sounds quite workable. I did my Commercial in 2012 with a CFI in Burnet, TX while taking a week off from work. I did the written beforehand (strongly recommend the Commercial Written course from King Schools) and already had the requirements so it was just a matter of perfecting the maneuvers (Chandelles, Lazy Eights, Eights-on-Pylons, Power-off 180's and Short Field Landings to hit a point within 100ft). If you are fairly proficient and schedule within the DPE in advance I think 2 weeks should be enough. Regarding your night requirements, I think it's just a cross country and 10 takeoffs and landings to a full stop at an airport with an operating control tower. -Andrew

I flew about 300 hours in the past year, a substantial portion of it in the Mooney and a good portion of that as single-pilot IFR night, so I felt my proficiency was very high during the entire year. My personal minimums are generally the approach minimums and I've flown many approaches to minimums over the last year, but before each approach that will be close, I expect to go missed and only change plans and land if I see the runway environment in sight. For departure, I generally use the minimums for Part 135, but in a few cases where I knew the field well and there was adequate centerline lighting and no terrain issues, I departed in less than 1/2 mile vis. -Andrew

I think we aren't hearing a lot about this accident since nobody wants to talk about it due to the massive number of government agencies that screwed up! From what I've read so far, he departed CYQG (Windsor) in a 1999 C172R (C-GRJH) while the tower was still open probably around 10pm (it is open till 11:30pm). His planned destination was CYPT (Pelee Island). It is greater than 25nm away, so a VFR flight plan or flight itinerary would need to have been filed, but it appears none was. It's unclear if he ever landed at CYPT, but he then crossed the border without a flight plan or filing eAPIS presumably whiles squawking 1200 or not at all, flew through/near CVG's bravo, through BNA's charlie and finally apparently tried to shoot an approach below mins without talking to anyone (24 hour tower) which unfortunately ended badly. The fact he managed to avoid detection as long as he did is really quite amazing. -Andrew

Most airports with airline service have hotels near the airport (either walking distance or the FBO will give you a ride). Here's a few airports I've been to: KLAL (Lakeland, FL) - Hilton Garden Inn (walking distance) KHPN (White Plains, NY) - Hilton (they'll give you a ride) KCLT (Charlotte, NC) - multiple hotels (including a Hilton), Wilson Air can give you a ride 24 hours a day KTYS (Knoxville, TN) - Hilton (walking distance or they'll give you a ride) KBTR (Baton Rouge, LA) - Hilton Garden Inn (walking distance) KHOU (Houston, TX - Hobby Airport) - multiple hotels (including a Hampton Inn and La Quinta), Wilson Air can give you a ride 24 hours a day T82 (Fredericksburg, TX) - the "Hangar Hotel" - http://www.hangarhotel.com/ (walking distance) KMAF (Midland, TX) - there's an airport hotel (I think it was a Best Western, now it's a Baymont Inn and Suites), but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are stuck KDMN (Deming, NM) - Holiday Inn (they'll give you a ride) KHII (Lake Havasu City, AZ) - Hampton Inn (they'll give you a ride) KSQL (San Carlos, CA) - Fairfield Inn & Suites (walking distance) KHWD (Hayward, CA) - La Quinta (walking distance) CYTZ (Toronto, ON) - the airport is downtown with a free ferry to Bathurst St and there are plenty of hotels within walking distance or the subway Hope this helps. -Andrew