aviatoreb

This is really a very sad and especially humbling accident. If a guy as accomplished as that.... Its also in my neck of the woods - close enough that I had friends contact me asking me if I was ok (not knowing it was a different kind of airplane). KLKP is about 15 min flight from here. Also - right where the wreck is - I have even walked with my son as a fun thing to do was to go to KLKP with fishing rods and then walk off the end of the airport grounds through a hole in the fence, down that ravine and at the bottom there is a nice trout stream. Also I was in the air flying right past that spot within 10 miles that I looked over and saw lake placid thinking how lovely on a gorgeous autumn day - just 1 hr after the accident - not knowing on a beautiful day that something tragic had happened right where I was looking. I had been with my friend in Schenectady and we had done a crew race in a 2x. :-(

Its kind of funny - but I do enjoy that he enjoys his airplane and I do enjoy the sort of people who are when life gives you lemons make lemonade sorta people - which this guy clearly is. That said - in all but one of his categories - his argument eventually leads to slower is better in general and I should get a kick scooter because they are cheap, simple systems, easy to operate, with a good paint job it will look fast (hahah....), etc...

DEFINITELY - it is super super smooth.

I bet they did it in a negotiation process with the FAA as to what the FAA was wiling to certify. but you may be right that said... would an engine that has become more efficient by porting and polishing or whatever reason that uprates 100% from say...305 to 330 at a given setting - in my engine that setting is 38'' and 2650 - (and at 310 I believe it would be 2700 - but my prop governor has been governed to not go there) - then would it be similarly more powerful at settings like say 65% of 305 (or of 330?).

Wow - that's a lot of up power. My 305hp would plausibly make 330hp if it had the same percentage increase. I have already narrowed down my shopping list for best shops to be either power master or Gann. So I am super interested in your feedback. I keep thinking I will do it it imminently but my darn engine just keeps on truckin' with all systems go and all systems health monitoring tools showing a good engine even though I am at 1950hrs on a 1600 tbo. But eventually.... So thanks for the feedback.

WOW! ...and how do you figure the performance of that engine? Is it nice - do you notice? I see he does a standard build and a performance build - are you describing his performance build? Which seems to have better and flow balanced cylinders with better valve lapping and the better cam.

Does he do that kind of work on certified engines?

Ive had a MT 4 blade on my rocket for something like 7 years? 8 years? I was quite early to the MT 4 blade on a Mooney parade and I was THE first on a rocket. 3 engineers from MT came and measured my plane with their own hands at Oshkosh that year. Anyway its on a field approval 337 and I got the paperwork done filed and approved for a modest fee by MT USA.

I am curious. How short do you land with reverse? and how short a field do you feel comfortable with?

I will echo what Tom said - I was sooooooooo impressed with the kind service and community of his team - which the shop really makes the pilot experience a team experience - and the speed with which they diagnosed and fixed my autopilot and on a Friday just at closing time....was stunning to say the least. Having a flat the next morning to add to that - was not just a non event with all the help - but really made merry able experience of kind help at your airport.

Wowzer Tom !!

Thanks for the update Alan. I was a tad bit worried... but now I am not.

There is more way to skin a can and more than one way to carry a dog. So I had considerations of the same question - and I like to fly with the dog in a crate - have you considered soft crates? These are collapsable crates that are super easy to put into the airplane and back seat collapse and then pop open like an umbrella once inside/ There are lots of models and lots of levels of sturdiness and for all size dogs. I figure for this application sturdy isn't as important because its just a matter of convincing the dog not to roam around. Eg: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/sportpet-designs-travel-pop-up-crate-red-for-dogs or https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/go-pet-club-folding-soft-green-dog-crate

Well one very expensive solution for paint chipping on leading edges - put a titanium shield there - that's a side benefit of TKS is there is no chipping paint issue.

Most likely it is just as it appears - Prigozhin assassinated by you know who. But my son and I were talking and you never know with that Putin guy. I wouldn't be surprised if these guys are old friends and Putin says to Prigozhin, Prigozhin you made me look bad and you need to be dead. And Prigozhin says I know Vladimir. Putin says, make it so, and Prigozhin says I understand. I will handle it. That they made a deal and so Prigozhin faked his death including blowing up his own jet with his own crew and subordinates on bard so that he can live out the rest of his days quietly and peacefully retired and forgotten in a beautiful and luxurious datcha in the outskirts of Moscow. So Putin looks strong in the way he wants, maybe a big money bribe payout, and deal done.

WOW - super interesting! The avionics shop I talked to did mention to ask if I had dropped my cell phone - they said that shielding could become ajar. To be sure to try and test with the phone off - all the way off not just in airplane mode - this wasn't my problem. Actually I had made an appointment to get it looked at this Wednesday and to do IFR cert at the same time -' since I had done pretty much almost 20 hours since any issue which was all in one location and all in one week I didn't bother to have them look at the gps. I decided it was a jamming issue. As they said - could even be a rogue trucker with a gps jammer trying to Catcha nap.

I would very much like to see that. WOW. That's not what you want. What was the outcome what did you do about it?

That'll show-em!

I wouldn't rule anything out.... but other than two weeks ago where it was failing in the same locality near home base during 4 flights in one week - it has worked flawlessly since - going to Maine - and now to Annapolis MD..which I am glad for that since it is complicated airspace here. I did make an appointment to avionics for Wednesday in Burlington - to inspect my GPS and also do my ifr cert so I am going anyway and I will see what they say so thank you for all the ideas. I am intrigued with your suggestion - power source - and the other one - handheld gps. But I am guessing it was rogue gps blocking.

OMG - yes I am - but why would it be intermittent? And why would it start now after years of working fine?

I carry $2M smooth and a hull value that is close if not a tad shy on replacement value of my airplane to my best guess of what it would cost me to buy mostly the same thing. I consider the $2M much more important than the hull value part just for the scary scenario that someone or something happens that causes an injured person to want to sue me for up to $2M which is much bigger than the worry about the airplane cost. That said, I wouldn't want to be uninsured on the hull value and this is just a side remark and I sympathize tremendously of your situation. And grateful that you and family are ok.

Hmmmm.... and now returned from Maine - everything working perfectly - I am more and more suspecting its not my panel and never was but it was GPS blocking.

Actually a single Montague frame with wheels off and seat post off will fit in the rear of my k with seats in place! And wheels in wheel bag on the rear seat. I do occasionally travel with my full size road bike because nothing beats a road bike if you really want to go far on road... anyway it too fits in my rear seat with seats out - actually just one seat - wheels off in bags, and seat post off - and VERY important - everything in bags - frame in a BBQ keeps everything clean. ...and I have a bike friday tikit for fast fast fold the whole bike goes in the rear door with wheels on and it folds in - no kidding - 10 seconds.

I have a Montague and I find it fits nicely in the mooney with both wheels off and the seat post off - then the frame alone fits nicely through the baggage door - and both wheels in a wheel bag fit easily through the human door. Its not too heavy to load. Its not a super light bike not even for a mountain bike and no competition if we are thinking high quality road bikes but you can ride it hard and off road so if that's the need its a good fit for that option with a Mooney and it is legit for road riding as much as any other mountain bike.

I've flown a fair bit to Canada from my home base in upstate NY just 15 miles from Canada. To Toronto, to Ottawa, to New Brunswick, to PEI and Nova Scotia as well as over Canada to Michigan and beyond... I pretty much always file IFR when over flying Canada since it is so much like USA IFR that it seems utterly seamless and I feel right at home. There is almost no difference. And just like in the USA if a controller gives you a flight clearance routing that you did not choose, that you do not like for a legitimate reason like you dont want to over fly long stretches of water Single Engine - then just say so - you can say it fancy - unable - or you can say it human - "do you have a routing that doesn't take me over such a long expanse of water in my little single engine airplane" "would you accept the following routing instead"/. The nice thing is - outside of Montreal, and Toronto and maybe Ottawa - these are mostly rural airspace controllers with not a whole lot of activity in their area and so they have time to help - and separation and safety are their primary job - they want to help. So dont be shy to ask for what you NEED.