N9201A

Airfield closed for a few days. Was OK ... once they allowed aircraft in. The ground dries quickly and they roped off wet areas. They do a remarkably good job of maintaining and shepherding people. Still, like anything else, no one should do something with which they’re not comfortable. There are pilots who base their Mooneys on a grass strip. Others would never try it (and l sure didn’t before OSH). To each their own...

2018 Schedule - Mooney Caravan - July 21, 2018 Friday, July 20 - Madison, WI 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Flight Lead Training: Mandatory for Flight Leads, Wisconsin Aviation Briefing Room: Focus on the details of the Caravan Mission to Oshkosh, spacing, emergencies, techniques. Time will also be scheduled to focus on standardization and training techniques at the clinic level. Saturday, July 21 - Madison, WI and Oshkosh, WI 9:00 am - 10:00 am Mooney Caravan Flight Brief-Mandatory for PIC. All crew members welcome. 11:10 am - Engine Start for Mooney Caravan at MSN 11:30 am - Take-off Mooney Caravan at MSN 12:00 pm - Mooney Caravan Arrives at OSH -- Sponsored by Mooney International 1:00 pm - Mooney Caravan Debrief -- Refreshments provided by Mooney International North 40 Mooney Caravan HQ Tent 3:00 pm - 2017 Board of Directors Meeting North 40 Mooney Caravan HQ Tent Mooney Caravan Educational Safety Foundation 8:00 pm - Royal and Ancient Secret and Sober Society of the Single Malt North 40 Mooney Caravan HQ Tent Sunday, July 22 - Oshkosh, WI 7:30 am - Mooney Continental Breakfast (Caravan Registrants only) 6:00 pm - Dinner at Herbie’s Acee Duecey Tavern, Oshkosh WI (Caravan Registrants only) Monday, July 23 - Oshkosh, WI 6:30 am - 7:30 am - Morning Stretch and Walk 7:30 am - Mooney Hot Breakfast (Caravan Registrants only) Sponsored by Frontier Aerospace Medicine North 40 Mooney Caravan HQ Tent 9:00 am - Team Building & Family Activity - Group trip to Seaplane Base 6:30 pm - MooneySpace Social Event Tuesday, July 24 - Oshkosh, WI 6:30 am - 7:30 am - Morning Stretch and Walk 10:00 am - 11:15 am - Mooney Owners Forum EAA Forum Pavilions - Forum Stage 8 5:00 pm - Mooney Caravan Annual BBQ / Prizes - Best dinner in the North 40! Mooney Caravan HQ Tent, North 40 **Tickets required ($25/person -- pay online by 7/23 to guarantee your plate. Walk-ups discouraged; walk-up price is $30, accepted only if food remains after pre-paid guests are served.)** Raffle for Sponsor Donated Items, Your chance to score one of many items that improve your Mooney flying experience. Sponsor Support Grand Prize You will receive a Sponsor Card upon registration. Have as many of our sponsors sign the card. The winner gets the grand prize. If there is a tie, then the finalists compete. This will be fun! Wednesday, July 25 - Oshkosh, WI 6:30 am - 7:30 am - Morning Stretch and Walk 6:00 pm - Group Staging - Wed Night Airshow Thursday, July 27 - Oshkosh, WI 6:30 am - 7:30 am - Morning Stretch and Walk

Hello fellow MSers, please permit me to clarify any confusion. The Mooney Caravan Education and Safety Foundation is a Wisconsin nonprofit, public benefit entity. It sponsors or hosts several "open" events at AirVenture (in addition to numerous regional events) that are open, at which any Mooniac is welcome: >> Mooney Owners Forum (Tuesday 24 July @1000, Forum 8) >> Annual BBQ, (Tuesday 24 July @1700, North 40 Mooney HQ - requires tickets - walk-ups are STRONGLY discouraged - hard enough feeding 250 people who register, please plan in advance so everyone else who did gets food too) >> MooneySpace Social (Monday 23 July@1830, North 40 Mooney HQ - Yves is coordinating on MS, I am sure he will also appreciate advance notice - looks like 90+ so far!! - Nice work!) >> Morning Stretch and Walk (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday@0630, North 40 Mooney HQ) >> Our Annual Meeting (also posted on the website) >> Any Mooniac is always welcome to come by the Mooney North 40 HQ tent any time to meet other Mooniacs, charge your phone, get out of the sun, put your feet up, or just say hi! We also have several events that are only open to pilots/crew flying in the Caravan: >> Participation in the flight (and pre- and post-flight briefings) .. although anyone can watch the mass arrival (if you do, please post pics/videos!) >> Sunday evening Henry's Acey Ducey's dinner - this is our annual Caravan dinner, replacing the previous Pedro's event in Madison, and is a closed event >> Breakfasts for our Caravan campers provided by Caravan sponsors We have almost 70 aircraft and crews this year, which means a lot of moving parts. Every one is a volunteer. Many people work hard all year to plan, organize, promote, and execute these events. That they are fun is why they've grown over the years. Please come to the ones that are open. Please also join us at regional Caravan events near you, or sign up for next year's Caravan and partake. Please understand that we cannot accommodate "walk-ups" or folks who haven't registered at the few planned, closed events...so register and join us next year! We will try to more clearly identify "closed" events on the website, www.mooneycaravan.com. Please check in periodically or join the email group list for updates at the bottom of the page - http://www.mooneycaravan.com/home - where it says "join the Mooney Caravan Forum" See you in OSH! Larry "Joker" Brennan, "lame duck" President (until the BBQ...)

Congratulations on an “event-less” event. Glad everyone is OK and your plane will be flyable once you determine what caused the power loss.

Truck? I know a great pizza joint in Milwaukee. We should have it FLOWN in!

Uncertainty posited? MooneySpacers provide clarity!

Checked the website? I recall a few years back seeing something on the AirVenture website about this and then using the info. Many campers have things they need to receive or send, the package delivery services have booths on the AirVenture grounds. I’m not sure about Camp Scholler.

Bob is right that the Caravan tries to accommodate everyone who registers, reviews the training materials, and meets other pilots to practice what’s been circulated and briefed. Everyone who flies each year fulfills these commitments in the months preceding that year’s flight...others have posted some great photos here showing that. We’ve accommodated pilots from abroad or with other geographic or schedule challenges. We’ve also had pilots demonstrate proficiency and currency with our B2Osh colleagues. However, it is not possible to just “show up” and fly, no matter your credentials or experience. We’ve got a system and procedures, and there is no one with the authority to “sign off” someone who’s never flown with members of our Ops Group and leadership and recently demonstrated the requisite skills. Every Caravaner can rely on the fact that, without exception, each pilot on the MSN-OSH mission will have demonstrated proficiency and currency in the months before attending the preflight briefing in Madison. Of course, those with experience will find it easier to do so, but most Mooney pilots who do the prep pick up the basics needed for the OSH flight in a few sorties.

Heard you guys got some great flying in....awesome! Look forward to seeing you in MSN in a few weeks!

Dates: Friday, June 29 through Sunday, July 1. Purpose: The primary purpose of this clinic is for pilots registered for the 2018 Mooney Caravan to demonstrate currency and proficiency, including qualifying pilots who are new to formation flying. All formators are welcome, whether or not you are coming to OSH this year, and we will try to accommodate advanced (four-ship) practice as well. Venue: Porterville Airport, Porterville, CA (KPTV). Airspace: Dedicated formation training areas TBA in briefing Friday evening with discrete TAC frequencies. All missions will be dispatched to assigned training areas by the Air Boss/Deputy Air Boss to ensure deconfliction and efficiency. Lodging: Holiday Inn Express 840 S Jaye St, Porterville, CA 93257 Phone: (559) 782-1200 Transportation: Ground transport provided. Food: Friday dinner/briefing @ Don Vino's Italian Bar and Grill. Saturday lunch @ Airways Cafe @ KPTV. Saturday dinner @ The Cellar Steak House, followed by storytelling @ hotel pool. Breakfast at hotel X 2. Newbie Ground Training: If you have never attended a clinic before, you MUST arrive for dinner/briefing no later than 6:00 PM Friday. Demo flights and individual sorties with a Safety Pilot will be conducted all day on Saturday. We will try to do a simulated Caravan departure and recovery Sunday morning. Prep: PLEASE (1) READ Mooney Formation Guide pages 1-47 (Basic) AND (2) WATCH "Ground School" - BOTH are on Caravan website under "Training." Please show up prepared so we can maximize everyone's time. Clinic Fee: FREE - but we will wing it for lunch and dinner on Saturday, and expect no swag. And donations for rental cars appreciated! Registration: Email Cowboy and Joker if you have already so we will have an accurate headcount and best plan for everyone and airspace for the weekend. Emails are on website...

I’ll be there, kids may be at concert though.

Must have been new last year. I notice it’s limited to 15 aircraft. We had 50+ last year and will prob hit 60 this year, so doesn’t help us.

I can see why it’s nerve wracking especially if it’s something you don’t normally do. We crank the elevator back and adding a little power can help lift the nose sometimes. It also helps if you’re following other similar aircraft, as in the Caravan. Taking the same path/speed as a 185, for example, is much less useful. They keep the grounds pretty well and as long as you’re attentive, deliberate and careful, you’ll be fine. I’ve seen one Mooney get stuck in some wet ground, but follow the same practice you would four-wheeling (stay out of low/dark spots, keep moving) and it’s nothing to worry about.

I flew into Appleton the “Sploshkosh” year. It’s close (30 minutes) and many more hotel options. Also stayed in Neenah and Green Lake has a wonderful resort not too far from OSH. Of course Madison and Green Bay are probably not viable daily commutes but easy to fly to and get a rental car at. I’m guessing at this date your hotel options will drive your flight destination.

A longtime 201 owner with a wealth of Mooney knowledge, Yoda mentored many of us fortunate enough to call him a friend. I still wear the “West Coast Mooneys to OSH” t-shirts he would hand out in the North 40. This tragedy reminds us of the fragility of life, and underscores why we should appreciate every moment.

Lots of great info on the airventure website: www.airventure.org...or you can let others steer you. Expect some tips on where to find the absolutely essential "can of squelch" for the radios or the best deals on a "P-factor chart."

Good question - hope someone has an answer, if such data is out there. My observation is many pilots "perceive" that their engine "likes it better." Like with cars/motorcycles, many people who get to pay for repairs are reluctant to take their machinery to its limits, whether redline, max braking, or max lateral acceleration. I remember seeing many a superbike rear tire replaced with the center worn flat, but the new-tire "rubber hair" (technical term vent spews) on the sidewalls, reflecting little cornering effort. And that's their privilege...those who write the checks, write the rules. But that is a preference, not data-driven nor binding on anyone else. Certainly 2400 is quieter than 2700, and 2400 is fewer RPMs than 2700. But I have never seen anything objective claiming some detriment operating within POH RPMs. After 20 years, my valves and combustion chambers look pretty good according to every A&P who's examined them. (Now I've jinxed myself!!)

Ha! That is a very cool-looking radial, but every Flying Circus pilot knows that the Dreidecker was a ROTARY! And face-fulls of castor oil resulted in a, ahem, condition that precluded wasting time on such macht-nicht debates!

I remember hearing "25 squared" when first getting checked out in a 172RG by a wizened 22 year old, 300-hour CFI. "Don't we lose manifold pressure as we climb?" I asked, having studied the new information about "Manifold Pressure." "Yes," the CFI said. "So we will be at 25 inches in a couple of minutes by 4,000 feet, and below it after that," I said. "Yeah, that's true" he replied. "We don't have an operating limitation, do we? (remembering my friend's Cessna185." "Um, no." "So, why do we do that?" "Well, we cannot operate oversquare, he said authoritatively, ending any discussion." I never did get a real answer from that CFI, but I discovered John Deakin's Pelican's Perch...where Old Wives Tales die! I remember him citing Bob Hoover, whose Aerostar routinely made TBO despite going from full-power, to feathered, to high-rpm descents within a very short period. He also explained big differences between our simple flat engines and the turbo/supercharged corncob radials that were the most complex piston engines ever produced. Many years later and now a CFI, I have flown with many a pilot who were fed the same "garbage in" input and recite it without justification..."can't be oversquare"..."reduce stress on the engine"...or my favorite, "my CFI told me"....Not THAT guy, again?! It's great to see that old "25 squared" nonsense, which may in once have had some factual basis in a B29 or DC6, beaten to smithereens! Seeing that reassures us of the quality of expertise on this board...I hope the OP benefits from the wisdom imparted. And, if you're reading this and have a good reason to reduce power in your 201 on climbout, prolonging the time you are below the altitude needed to make the impossible turn, increasing your workload in the pattern, and forcing your bird to climb on 180HP instead of 200HP, please 'mansplain' it to me...

Given that the Caravan was founded by Mooney pilots who wanted to camp together, if you're a bad person, you've got a LOT of company. Personally, I think you just have good taste! Sadly, one usually does not get a choice about where to park, the ground marshals route you and, like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, "you never know what you're going to get." That the field was so crowded when we landed on Sunday in 2017 motivated the change back to a Saturday mass arrival this year. If you have a friend on the ground, you can probably get a sitrep on parking Saturday.

Regarding "kids allowed"...couple thoughts/suggestions: 1. The newbie profile is takeoff, climb, cross-under, descent and landing ... no vertical, breaks/rejoins, or anything more aggressive than a trip around the pattern. So any seasoned (non-airsickness prone) junior flyer will have no problem with the profile. 2. The newbie profile is incredibly demanding for a new formator, and 100% of one's attention must be OUTSIDE the cockpit. Anyone in the plane is by definition a distraction, so I would advise against it on a first formation flight -- not for the kid's sake, but the new formator. 3. Formation flying is a team sport - if your other element pilot and both safeties in the flight agree, by all means, bring your kid/spouse/friend! After all, time spent alone flying is less fun than being with our kids! So if they're into it, take advantage! 4. Formation flying is a great way to get inflight pics of your airplane, so consider having your no. 2 ride in the training Lead aircraft while you're flying Wing. Your spouse/child/friend can get some great pics of your bird in flight. 5. My son will be 16 this Caravan, his 12th...since we usually formate cross-country from California, he has more than 100 hours sleeping in formation. His oldest sister (now 19) station keeps from the right seat (I haven't used Otto in years). So my experience is - if they like flying with you (my middle one does not have the bug) - yes they will probably enjoy formation work, and if they sit through the ground school and briefings, they will learn also and -- like mine -- be willing "critics" when you are out practicing as you advance your skills ("you're really sucked, Dad"). Good luck and I hope your experience is as positive as mine has been!

Cirrus had what seemed to me to be a very effective incentive program under which many CFIs steered student pilots looking for their first bird into a Cirrus. I always wonder had Mooney done that, whether we’d be a bigger share of the market today. IMHO, I would not less influenced in whether to buy a Mooney by someone without relevant and significant experience owning/flying one. And that’s what MS offers in abundance! A well-maintained C should be no harder/expensive to maintain than any 172 or 182. Some mechanics may charge more because they are less familiar, or the accessibility is worse. So find a Mooney-friendly A&P. +1 on finding a nice bird, “bargain” hunting can be risky. If your goal is to fly it (as opposed to steal + flip), find one you can fly without incident right away and for a while.

Skates, a few of us formators are meeting at KCMA Saturday 24 Feb for practice. While we aren’t holding a clinic, you’re welcome to come out and watch a brief/debrief and ride in someone’s right seat to see how it all comes together. StinkBug can’t make it that day but we are trying to set our next meet on a day he can make it. If you’re planning to fly to OSH with the Caravan, register at mooneycaravan.com and we will get you form-qualified for that. If you’re just wanting to try it, come take a ride with us. If the bug bites, you can come prepared to a clinic and try it yourself to see if it sticks. Warning: It’s very addictive. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you’re planning on flying in the Caravan, please determine how you’ll demonstrate proficiency and currency to flight Ops and Lead. For East Coast folks, that’s Jim Rigoulot and Adam Carney, who are the Board members from that region. Jim is MAG leader and ultimately responsible for assembling elements from his region. Adam is Deputy Lead this year and will support Lead in assembling those elements into sections for the Caravan flight. FFI, FAST, et al are a great way to obtain and maintain proficiency (just passed a FAST check ride myself) but ultimately the individual officers responsible for executing the Caravan flight are also responsible for confirming each individual pilot is proficient and current. And yes Captain Gravel, we have phone number for you to copy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk