aviatoreb

I used to worry about preheating my airplane when I was relying on spinning gyro instruments. Now that I am (almost) entirely electric-AHARS devices - I am not so worried about starting the panel from cold. I do still have one backup electric spinning gyro attitude indicator and when it starts to die - I will replace it too with something ahars. So I dont preheat my cabin anymore - I dont fly below 0F so no starts anyway at the coldest we can get around here - -20 or -30f - (engine is preheated!!!) and its fine. The pilot can wait for the cabin to warm up as far as comfort is involved.

I am a math professor - not a statistician - but I am quite experienced in statistics and probability. Any statistics has some kind of assumption underlying what was the distributions of the random variables from which the data was sampled. Rarely are those idealized assumptions perfectly true for real world data - but maybe mostly true? And there are sometimes statistical tests for those assumptions. Often all that is glossed over and full speed ahead damned the torpedos and use the stats anyway. With lots of charts and graphs showing outcomes of plugging numbers, the raw data, into what is often inappropriately chosen statistics. And when shown to an unsuspecting consumer, whether company executives, or public, this is where Mr Twain does have a point.

It's a fun quote. But Mark Twain was a writer and didn't know a damn thing about statistics. In the hands a of a good data analyst, mathematician, statistician, statistics are an excellent and necessary part of empirically analyzing large complex issues. But since there are complicated issues, mediocre practitioners can really muck it up and yes charlatans can lie with statistics which means deliberately obfuscate truth in a shrowd of what seems like knowledge.

Interesting post revival. One thing that strikes me of the fact that the accident rate is not decreasing to zero. The safety of the plane, available data, maintenance, etc etc you might thing the rate should be decreasing to zero. But there is a relative constant also built in to the rates, the weak link, which is the constant of human stupidity. There is a certain (large?) fraction of people that just do dumb stuff. Said plainly, even if we drive to almost zero all the other sources of problems, there will always be a few folks that thinks its fun to buzz their girlfriends house and crash in their front lawn.

What wonderful videos! Thanks guys! Enjoy those beautiful classic machines.

I've purchased a tks stall strip from a salvage M20M a few years ago, that I keep in my hangar just in case since I lost one once and they were both crazy over priced and impossible to get - long lead time - from the oem. I got it for 10 cents on the dollar. Go get em' guys!

I got a cool picture sent to me from the avionics shop about 3 weeks ago (got a new 355 installed to compliment my 650), and they had what looks like Air Force 2 in the shop! So there's my plane with Air Force 2 (or some govt marked VIP mover gulf stream) in the background in a big hangar with white shiny floors and my plane is shiny in the front of the scene, And the avionics shop said "the men in black were jealous".

That's quite right - cost, quality and time. I got exactly two in spades and one was not good at all. I got a very well priced and superbly high quality paint job - and it took way way longer than anticipated - almost 8 months - and I am not complaining now 6 years on and lineman are still complimenting me on my paint job. Heck, three weeks ago, the ground controller complimented me on my paint and I have had tower compliment me on my paint on roll out more than once.... Im very happy.

Hi Joe!!! Happy thanksgiving all!

Why not an all of the above approach?

In any population of people, pilots included - there are a few with severe mental illness, including homicidal suicidal thoughts. I dont know if it is possible to weed them all out. Wasn't there an airplane something like 5 years ago perhaps flying for Lufthansa where the assigned co-pilot deliberately flew the plane into a mountain and the pilot in command was not able to over power the control inputs to save the day, and all souls on board were lost?

Canadian girl was a bot?

Fantastic!!! Congrats!

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