201er

Preliminary NTSB Report for N201DG has been issued: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20190529X50112&AKey=1&RType=Prelim&IType=FA Probable Cause: the pilot’s lack of a VFR Flight Plan combined with his eagerness to meet Jesus. Also contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the aircraft at an unsafe altitude.

I keep one head lamp that runs on regular AAA batteries and I keep a crank flashlight just in case for any circumstance. Crank it for half a minute and then it lights up for like half an hour. Less worry about dead batteries.

It is painful, like getting dental work, but for once I agree with this guy.

That would be @Marauder. Literally. Don’t even want to imagine the kinds of fatties he’s had in his plane though. Does Mooney specify a per seat weight limit?

Haven’t thought about this before but since you brought it up, that’s a great way to put it! Exactly how I do it. This is yet another reason I opted to keep the TC and add an AI.

A traffic pattern should be judged by angle and not by distance. A higher pattern AGL should take you out further like a faster one. Slower flown patterns and lower patterns bring you in closer. Turning radius at lower speed is tighter anyway. Since the glide ratio of most airplanes is not too different, the angle is pretty similar. Since most traffic pattern altitudes are predetermined, that makes speed determine the distance to maintain the right angle. Simply put, a traffic pattern is an angle relative to amount of energy.

Depends what speed you fly. If you’re flying skyhawk speeds it will mesh well. If you’re flying Mooney speeds, then they are flying too big a pattern!

Speed shouldn’t matter. If everyone would fly a traffic pattern proportionate to their airspeed, everyone could be on the same page. The problem is when someone in a Skyhawk flies a jet pattern, then the whole sequence is shot.

Better yet to have both for when this happens:

I had a similar incident where I was on final and a Cessna pulled out right in front of me onto the runway. No radio call, nothing. I had to go around and side step to the upwind because I was coming up too quickly. Could just about roll down the window and have a chat right there. This put me in an awkward position because I could not get behind him to turn crosswind and I would not turn right in front either. I had to wait for him to turn crosswind and extend out even further before I could turn. Still no radio calls from him. I turn downwind but I still don’t know if he’s planning to land or not so I ask him to “say intentions.” No answer. I begin to suspect my own radio so I ask for a radio check and promptly get a response from the ground. On downwind I’m catching up to the Cessna again so I had to widen the pattern. I still don’t know if he’s landing or not. He turns base and final without descending so I can’t tell if he’s landing so I am forced to continue extending downwind. Finally he drops straight down and lands. Not a single radio call. Uneventful landing after him for me. Figured it was a student or a dumb pilot on the wrong frequency. Tried to get his numbers but they were teenie tiny. When he shut down, turned out he’s based there. Then he gave me attitude that maybe it was my radio that was broken because he was announcing all along. However, I did get a response to a radio check and a witness on the ground never heard a call from the Cessna. Radio or not, he pulled out in front of me when I was on short final. The “I can’t see the base” excuse was invalid because I clearly saw him pulling out when I was on final. If I can see him, he should see me. The “high wing” excuse is invalid because you are supposed to orient the plane so you can see the pattern. This wasn’t just a question of the AIM and personal preference but a violation of 91.113g, right of way of landing aircraft. He flew again and confirmed he had a radio problem that he then fixed. No “thank you”, no “sorry”, no “my bad”. He said it was still my fault, that I must have been coming in too fast because he should have been off before me or that I should have just landed right behind him. Sad thing is the guy has been flying his whole life, owns nearly a dozen planes, and an airplane manufacturing company.

Howell, New Jersey - Larry left us last week to go on to his forever home, where he is filled with joy in the presence of Jesus! He exited this side of Heaven doing what he loved best, flying a Mooney M20J aircraft! Larry loved anything that was adventurous. He spent his spare time skydiving, skiing, driving fast cars, riding motorcycles, and of course the not so adventurous, golfing! http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2019/05/mooney-m20j201-n201dg-fatal-accident.html

The Mustang doesn’t reside in Ukraine. It came in 2014 for a Jewish holiday.

Increase in baggage space but in many cases a decrease in useful load.