bnicolette

Good article about doing your baffling: http://www.n252q.com/2007/09/baffled-about-baffling.html

Quote: borealone Canadian GFA charts (see http://www.flightplanning.navcanada.ca/Latest/gfa/anglais/Latest-gfacn33_cldwx_000-e.html?Produit=GFA&Region=33&Langue=anglais&NoSession=NS_Inconnu&Mode=graph) might be semi-useful for those of you closer to the border. My experience is that they are usually pretty accurate, both for cloud bases/tops and ice forecasts.

Quote: Skywarrior Cloud tops are depicted inside Foreflight.

Quote: 201er You're the instructor, shouldn't you be teaching us about it? =p

Quote: N4352H I know they're a pain in the butt to read, but I was into it for a while...Skew-T. It's a great approximation tool usually confirmed by other info. Kind of like learning Latin.

Yes, PIREPS (UA), but has anybody come across the ADDS flight path tool and used it with any amount of success or any other tool? For instance right now it is forecasting via relative humidity that the tops would be around 10K and there was a UA (PIREP) over PIT for tops at 8000'. And over DCA ADDS is showing tops at 6000' and the PIREP says 6300'. So it is pretty close today. PIT (PITTSBURGH, PA) UA /OV PIT180010 /TM 1620 /FL080 /TP B712 /SK BKN-TOP080 DCA (WASHINGTON DC, VA) UA /OV DCA300007 /TM 1726 /FL063 /TP E170 /SK BKN054-TOP063 /RM DURC

Thought I would start a new thread for this one. Winter and cold clouds are fast approaching us here near Pittsburgh and I don't have TKS. Obviously, we have great ways to determine cloud bases. Does anybody have a good source for approximating cloud tops? Other than a UA? I have played around with the ADDS flight path tool and they try to estimate them via humidity and the couple times that I actually paid attention to it this summer, it worked out pretty fairly over my commute to Wilmington, DE. (185nm trip) Just wondering if anybody has found another method for determining this?

Well said George. Fly or don't fly the conditions!!

George I really like your explanation! I think most professional pilots look at it as risk management, athough yours is a lot "higher" risk. Holy cow!! I flew Falcons, Sabreliners, Citations and Learjets out of a 4000' runway for 10 years at least three days a week. Sometimes that littel runway looked like a Carrier at night in the winter time!! Kudos to you..........I'm in awe of what you guys do. And BTW..............THANK YOU! One thing I can't seem to wrap my mind around is that some folks will fly from takeoff to landing with a 200' ceiling, some will take off 0/0 and fly an entire route with "low" ceilings, but won't fly at night? What is the difference here? And I am most definitely on the limited night (highway) during most of route and no "low" IFR. Just my particular brand of single engine risk management.

GTN650 $11K GTN750 $15K G600 $15K Stec 60/2 $15K Engine $20K (2nd run could be a lot more expensive, couldn't it?) Paint $11K Install $15K Total $102K The interior was done in 2010, so presumably it doesn't need done again? And I have no idea what GPSS, XM, Skywatch cost so they are also not in the list. Thats a bit more than the 65K and none of the "forgotten" about maintenance has been addressed. Quote: jetdriven

Have you questioned the folks about a tank reseal or fuel leaks? With 3600 hours on the airplane that's an awful lot of landings on the original biscuits plus it defenitely sat outside which means the elements were also at work on the tanks. It would almost be a miracle to have them not be leaking and new leaks/patches popping up all the time with those biscuits on there. It could be a nice plane potentially with a very very thorough prebuy and the willingness to drop a LOT of money into it just to bring it up to a "comfort" level. I think somebody else said get ready to spend the purchase price to bring it up to speed. That may sound crazy, but it's probably not too far off gauging just from the pictures and the probable way this airplane has been maintained. Windows? If it sat outside, odds are a windshield is probably your future. Be very very careful if you move forward on this one, but if you are looking for a deal, this one is not the one.

Quote: RJBrown Not all purchases are horror stories.

That is a REAL shame!! I don't understand how people can be so deceptive especailly when we all pretty much buy about as much airplane as we think we can afford, then some seller hands you over the keys to a faulty machine that you immediately have to spill even more money into. That person is the scum of the earth!! The sorry story is there is probably a lot of people just like them out there. One thing is for certain............We reap what we sow!

I think the best advice given was to look at a lot of airplanes, that's the only way you can really begin to compare. Always remember too, it's always better to spend the money up front that somebody else has probably spent three times that amount to get the plane and keep it up to a tip top airplane. These babies are not cheap to maintain and parts are really expensive. It doesn't take long to throw 10k just on little stuff alone. Be very careful and find one that has been cared for!! Definitely find a top notch facility to do a prebuy as well. At 65K I have to imagine that it definitely needs some TLC or you could be lucky and it's just an owner that wants out fast? Being though that there is paint down to the bare metal and rust, I have to asssume that the airplane was kept outside. That's a big no no in my book. (that's just my book BTW/ pet peeve I guess). Really pay attention to what kind of money you're going to have to spend in order to make it personal to you...........Remember that shop rates are 65 or so per hour and price out the things you want to do with it. It will probably be way cheaper to spend more money up front. Not always the case though. Absolutely post the pictures. There are so many knowlegeable guys on this board and all of them will give you their honest opinion. It is a great forum with a great group of Mooniacs!! Good luck!! B~

Quote: RJBrown To restrict yourself to 1000' ceiling defeats the reason we got an IFR rating. There are many times that clear blue skies are just 500' (or less) up. A marine layer, a little fog, or a temperature inversion may be all that lies between you and a beautiful flight. To wait for ceilings to raise or fog to burn off can make a flight less safe by flying into developing weather later. Night VFR is one of the reasons we all should get the IFR rating.

I personally like Showalter at ORL. It is family run and they will take care of everything for you.

ah oh...........Now you've done it. Derailment is about to take place. LOL Different strokes. It's all about managing risk for me. I don't think a 1000' ceiling is very restrictive? How often do the ceilings fall below 1000'? Nevermind, doesn't matter. That just happens to be my personal limit in the Mooney before I decide to just not fly or drive if I was going somewhere. It's just how I manage risk in my single engine world. And you are right about the engines being so reliable and pilots being the cause of the accidents. It's all good. Whatever we all like to do. In aviation we all have to set our personal minimums and certainly mine will be different from everybody elses. There are arguments for all sides and could play the "what if" game to death. Manage risk and have a great time flying the Mooney.

Yeah Job, what the heck? :-) I started feeling all bad about myself for flying IMC in my Mooney. I too prefer two turbines hanging out there but I still like taking my lil baby and cutting holes through the clouds. There is just something so sereal about being in the clouds in the Mooney; so long as that Lycoming keeps on a purrin and you won't find me out and about unless I have at least a 1000' ceiling. I'd like to have a lil time to pick a landing spot. Different strokes I guess. Do what you're comfortable with and capable of............Oh and don't forget what ever you consider fun..........after all, isn't that what we spend a lot of these dollars for?

What a coincidence Scott, I said the same exact thing!!! Somehow I was logged in as you and didn't notice. Hmmmm?

Hi all, I have used Novus to clean my landing light lens and also the lenses for the nav lights with great success. There are some scratches on my front windshield from previous owner laying stuff up on the glareshield along with what I would probably classify as beginning of some crazing. The scratches are what I'm after though and wondered if anybody has tried this Novus stuff on a windshield? Just kind of wondering if it would distort the view and make it worse even though the scratch might be gone? It is not really bad. Landing/flying with sun right over the horizon is a non issue for visibility. Just don't know what to tackle next as my list is pretty much done now and thought I might try the window?

At an avionics shop it seems to be about $200 per instrument to have the glass replaced. Lower if it can just be cleaned. I had my airspeed indicator done when I first purchased the airplane and total cost was $200 to have the instrument removed, shipped, and installed. Not bad and it looks brand new.

John, I don't say anything and just give the button a push. Their looking/waiting for it and if it's working in your plane then they will get it. If you're tied up at the moment?? and it's going to take you a minute, then I suppose it might be a good idea to say something? At least then they know you heard them and will be fitting it into your schedule, but they expect to see it straight away.

I flew to work today to get some paperwork done and help out a bit. My goal was to engage the A/P @ 50' AGL then not disengage it again till 50' AGL before landing. Just playing. I am just simply amazed at the capability of this older A/P. (C31) Of course I don't have vertical speed, just a pitch function but it is almost set it and forget it, it is very stable. Pushing the ALT button even climbing @500' fpm caused no issue and the plane just settled in on the altitude and flew happily along. The glideslope at my destination airport has been out of service, so I upon crossing the FAF I was gear down and t/o flaps. I had my speed nailed on 80kias and just rolled the pitch down reduced power and the A/P just did a masterful job. I am really impressed with it and so happy to have the NAV and APR functions working.

I file IFR anytime I am going from point A to B. Case in point, I flew today to work and filed both ways. Its a whopping 44 miles or something but it was a beautiful day. On the way home (lunch time) PIT called out 3 airplanes that were close to me. None that they required me to turn for but close enough that they called them out. I have made this same trip VFR before and filing IFR adds no time to the trip and I like working the system. I feel lonely and all alone flying along and nobody having me on their radar screen?? I dunno?? I suppose since I fly for a living its just seems normal where flying along and not talking to anybody seems abnormal?? So, I am definitely an advocate for using the system. I think it would be hard to find a "good" argument for not filing IFR or using advisories?

Got my HSI installed today and took it out for a "test drive". Awesome!! I now have a complete autopilot and every function works. I rode the ILS down to 50' AGL before knocking the AP off and it was "dead on". Hats off to Barry Sparks (Autopilot Central) for troubleshooting my issue with me over the phone and for fixing/overhauling my HSI. First Class!!