Bolter

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

I think the caveat I would put on this, is that after gaining some time on other planes, you might decide you want a different Mooney, like a turbo or longer body. Or something completely different with better off-airport performance. Or you find you need a 6 place plane. Some time building with rentals will help you identify your real mission requirements. For me, I bought my J after a lot of researching and flying. By the time I was ready to buy, I was looking at C models, then I thought about 182's, but after time realized the J was the perfect fit for 90% of my real life missions. No offense to my C-flying brethren... I see many MS'ers that have had several planes. I have only had one (for 8 years, now). How many of you feel you bought another plane because your mission did not change, just your recognition of the mission? Just my $.02 -dan

Its not truly scientific, but sufficiently convincing that colored lens with colored LED bulb is just fine to the human eye: https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/blog/red-or-white-led-bulb-behind-a-red-lens/ -dan

@donkaye , thanks for this nice summary. I understand ground effect as a principle, but was not familiar with the 50% reduction in induced drag when <10% of the wing span AGL. Since the plane is already a few feet off the ground when on the wheels, would you need to be <1 foot off the pavement at the wheel in order to gain any meaningful ground effect benefit? Or is the 3 feet measured from the wheels, not the wing? Do you have a chart or reference to show ground effect at slightly higher heights above ground? Or improvement in lift rather than reduction in drag as the key value? thanks, -dan

+1 on that. I consider the pulse to be a good indicator, especially since I use a portable system, and the tank and gauge are out of sight. With noise cancelling headset, I can hear the audible alarms from the O2D2, barely. I got the boom attachment, too. Not perfect positioning for comfort (maybe my fault), but very convenient when paired with the quick release connector. Overall very happy with the Mountain High package.

This weekend was my first ICAO IFR flight plan. Due to my lack of understanding the codes, I was entered incorrectly, and they thought I was not /G (or the new equivalent). Garmin created a spreadsheet that will let you know your settings for a given piece of equipment. (attached here as an Excel spreadsheet) WGarmin_ICAO_Flight_Plan.xlsxhen I setup FlyQ with my profile, I thought RNAV1 and RNAV 2 meant a first GPS and a second GPS in the panel, not phases of flight. -dan

Clear any cookies associated with Mooneyspace.com. That will help sever any connection between a login ID and your browser. Or use an incognito browser window.

The pressure relief is to prevent surge of the compressor. If you put all the energy into the air, and it does not flow anywhere, it will make flow happen in the form of flow reversal known as surge. Surge can be quite severe and breaks blades and bearings. I don't know of high pressure itself causing a problem, which is why I asked if there was a failure mode of the turbo I was not familiar with. High pressure can certainly hurt things downstream, like clamps/seals or the engine itself. from the wiki page..."Blowoff valves are used to prevent compressor surge, a phenomenon that readily occurs when lifting off the throttle of an unvented, turbocharged engine."