Bolter

Some wise instructor taught me that trick, but I had since forgotten. Had to look it up to remember what it was. I always appreciate a good mechanical solution, even if I prefer the modern solution day-to-day. Like the linkages of a steam engine that feed just the right amount of oil to a bearing or slide with each stroke.

One of the bonuses I got by replacing the HSI with a Garmin G5 slaved to a 430W was getting GPSS. My point being that if you are planning any modern panel upgrades that were not including the AP, you might end up solving your AP problem that way. Good reason not to dive into an AP repair now, for what is otherwise working well.

Does that consider that he is coming from the West? That adds significantly more mountains and a higher minimum altitude to fly over than landing Rifle or Eagle. I also see a greater chance of being stuck on the Eastern side come departure, when it may be good enough to get out of the I-70 airports of the West. I have not flown Colorado in winter, just summer and fall. Are clear sky with low winds problems less likely in April?

This something I have worked with, so I thought I would add a little to this. E-turbos are already in Formula 1 race cars. In the trickle down of technology, that experience is leading to the passenger car applications. I do not expect an aircraft application to make sense. E-turbos make the most sense for applications with lots of power cycling where turbo lag is a concern, and bonus if there can be extra energy to capture. This is much more automotive profile than an aircraft profile. There is an even less common case of needing high boost at partial power when exhaust energy is not sufficient. This can occur in massive ship diesels that may need to run partial power (slow steaming) for sustained periods, but would like to get the total efficiency back from full boost. In aviation with effectively constant power settings (sustaining for more than a few seconds), a standard turbo works really well, and scavenging the energy from the exhaust is very efficient. The e-turbo will also bring support hardware in the form of controllers and batteries, and require a higher DC voltage than our planes have. -dan

Could it then be said that heavy controls are really about making the pilot stable? A heavy control keeps the pilot from moving things around too easily. Control input takes deliberate force and motion of the controls. Thought of another way, you don't want to sneeze and suddenly find yourself inverted...at least in a Mooney. -dan

This was the only time I had all 3 pax seats full with sleepers. They are all facing the same way for some reason.

PM Sent to @Jourdan Urbach

After meeting the requirements with the SFRA training, I recommend filing IFR instead of VFR. It will simplify your process. If nothing else, you will not get dropped by ATC as you approach the SFRA and then have to call the DC area ATC for the DC SFRA.

I have used a few models of folding bikes, and my wife and I really enjoy bringing them places with us. There are some great pluses, and I strongly encourage you to try it being independent for your ground transportation (multi-modal) exercise exploring new places on a bike is a better experience than driving past Get from North 40 camping to one of the main gates at Osh very quickly (note that bikes are not allowed in the event area itself) My best luck has been with the Bromptons, which are a premium price. There are knock-offs of the same general design, as well. The ability to fit through the hatch is a big plus, instead of leaving them in the back seat area. Getting through the hatch depends a lot on wheel size. The Bromptons are the only small-wheel folder I have ridden that rides properly. I have done up to 25 miles without feeling compromised, other than for top speeds. Very draggy riding position. I often carry my pilot bag on the luggage carrier and an overnight bag on the front luggage mount, and move along nicely for flats, uphills, and free for all downhills. I prefer hub geared bikes over derailleur types. With all of the folding and handling, it is easy to knock the shifters out of whack or even break a derailleur. The hub geared bikes are effectively immune to this. If you are motivated, you can convert a single speed to a multi-speed automatic shifting hub from SRAM or others. Someone mentioned BBQ covers for the bikes. There are also durable bags from Ikea that fit well, and do not cost much. The Bromptons fit in the DIMPA bags. $5 each. Very strong bags for anything you may want to carry. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/dimpa-storage-bag-clear-10056770/ If you are not sure about investing in an expensive folder, there are many old Dahon's on craigslist, typically around $100. They ride like crap, but will let you prove the concept. The original ones with the angled bar from seat to handlebars has small wheels and fits through the hatch. This link will die soon if they sell the bike, but this is an example: https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/d/vintage-dahon-stow-away-blue-folding/7018190292.html

@flight2000You are very right! In the interest of due diligence vs hearsay (fake news?), I wanted to check a little deeper when doubts were raised. I trusted my fellow pilots' experience were not that far off. I downloaded a 1982 A36 POH and checked gross takeoff distances against my 1983 J's POH. While the POH may not be completely realistic, it is what the insurance and NTSB will look at when you overrun the 2200' runway! Takeoff: Both planes are under 1300' in the POH for my example condition (SL, 15°C, gross weight, calm, no obstacle). The difference is a 1 or 2 hundred feet on takeoff, with my J at 1000'. Very different than 2167' for the A36 in that link. Landing: Both are close to equal with the A36. SL, 15°C, 200 lbs under gross, calm, no obstacle landing distance for the both is about 900'. Much less than half of the 2417' reported in the original link. And the better landing gear of the A36 probably makes it more forgiving if you get sloppy. Anyone who wants to check my research themselves, here is the POH for the A36 that I used: http://jasonblair.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Beechcraft-Bonanza-A36-AFM.pdf All said and done, I still love my J and remain steadfast and unyielding when I say it is the best plane that I own today :-)

I never considered an A36, so this was the first time I checked out the specs against my J. With those landing and takeoff distances, I would need to base at another airport (ties into the short runway thread). The trickle down costs of that alone would really add up for me. Longer drives to the airport and less airport options removing some hangar options. Thanks for giving me the chance to appreciate my plane a little more today. :-)

Yes. That is how mine is, as well. The inline fuse is near the battery.

On my J (1983 model) the clock has its own unswitched power with a small inline fuse, from the factory. Without it, the clock will not keep time, as it has not battery of its own. I think the circuit is shared with the interior lights that if left on will drain your battery. The clock has not made an impact on battery life, even with some unplanned longer parking over 30 days. YMMV, -dan

While repair can be less than new, but isn't an all-new factory style exhaust around $2000 from knisely and only in the $3000 range for power flow?

This is follow up to give closure to the issue. With around 5 hours over several weekends, in several different operating ranges (economy cruise, speed cruise, and formation flight) the problem remains gone. I feel that the small debris in the injector limited fuel flow and caused that cylinder to starve a little, creating the intermittent vibration. -dan

As a proactive thing, if you do not already have an updated modern voltage regulator (ex. Zeftronics), that is a relatively low cost upgrade that may help protect the system. -dan

I use two open wrenches with different head angles. One will fit, give just enough to turn so the other wrench will fit. Repeat until finger loose. Then get someone more skilled to restore the safety wire. :-)

I had the chance to tour the Poplar Grove shop and meet the owners and several technicians on the line when I overnighted at their airport enroute to OSH a few years ago. I have NOT had any work done there, but I was impressed with the staff's attitude, equipment, and facility operation/quality control.

I would love to share the JPI data, but mine does not record, and I have not gotten around to sending it back for repair. Only real time display works. I wanted to take a picture of the dirt, but lost it while getting the phone out :-( My thought was tank sealant, but it is hard to say. It was not metal or carbon. Just a fleck, like the size of the carbon you can get in the oil screen, but it could not be crushed into powder.

Thanks, Paul. I also guessed that low power meant lower fuel flows, and reduced the impact of a flow restriction creating the cyl-cyl variation. And can I get an Amen for engine analyzers!

Yes, the material piece came from the insert (smallest opening of the injector assembly). -dan

Today my engine was running a little rough. It would vibrate (felt like when I get into the no-run zone on the tach) for a few seconds, then clear up for 10 seconds or so, then return. After some basic steps to see if it would go away, I turned around and went home. My suspicion was a partially clogged injector on #3, which was leaning much earlier than usual. I got home, and removed #3 only, and blew out a little bit of softish material. Reassembled and could not recreate the problem. My only concern at this point, is that I was results-biased in my test flight. Does the funny recurring vibe match with a partially blocked injector? Some notes/observations in greater detail: Not sure when it started, but once I felt it, it was always there except as noted vibration would not change regardless of RPM (between 2300 and max) The JPI did not show any EGT or CHT that oscillated in any way mixture did not change condition, going from very ROP to LOP Boost pump did not change condition Normally I can run LOP smoothly easily, but it was extra rough when going LOP, and #3 cylinder EGT would drop out much sooner than the others Vibes existing in climb, just like in cruise Unsure of the problem, I climbed high (16500 to get ample glide distance) and the vibe problem stopped, fuel flow around 6.5 GPM at peak ADDED: I also made ROP and (slight) LOP mag checks in the air, and all plugs were firing. Taking note that at very low power things got better, I kept power levels low with throttle until landing. Vibes never came back. I went to runup area before parking, and found that if I ran higher RPM, closer to 2500, I could trigger the vibration, though it did not occur at regular runup conditions. I could not recreate vibrations afterwards, following the same procedure. thanks for your 2 cents, -dan

If it was broadcasting ADS-B, then it should be on Flightradar24. Can you go to where you saw it, then follow it to its takeoff or landing spot? The police are using drones to watch the cities and citizens. I am not aware of any admitted using at 9000' but they are capable. Look at the spec sheet for the Matrice, a common Police drone (2500 meters or even 4500 meters w/ special props). https://www.dji.com/matrice600-pro/info#specs It does not list 90mph speeds, however.

Not really part of the core discussion, but I got tired of thick wallets, and have been using the ultra-thin wallets for years. All the same contents, less than half the thickness when filled. You forget it is there, even on long flights. Both flying LOP and ROP... https://www.all-ett.com/collections/mens-wallets/products/nylon-id-wallet Checks are for the Amish... -dan