AndyFromCB

Nice thing about the Bravo, it does it for you on take off. Not much of a choice, it just turns itself on with full throtle, then goes off with cruise climb reduction.

Direct OBABY didn't happen. I completed my third inbound to SILOY, the controller can wait ;-) He didn't seem too upset. At that point I was too close to OWABY, already turning back inbound to SILOY. I guess I didn't just think about holding on the inbound course I was already on to SILOY, like I said, I was rusty. Lesson learned, thanks for all the insight.

Thanks, that's exactly what I thought, too. Both the controller and I dropped the ball today. I know why I was holding, I was painting the target on my GMX200, same altitude as me, approaching OWABY from BATRY and one of us must have slowed down or sped up sooner than the controller anticipated and I got stuck with a hold. Rusty, glad I went up, didn't feel too much behind the airplane at the beginning and definitely none at the end of a little 1.6 hour hard IMC session. Amazing what a little havoc a cold/flu combined with a busy work schedule can wreck on feeling current.

So I went up today to shoot some approaches before the icing got here. Managed to get four in. Flew from my base in KCBF to KLNK because they had lower weather down there. On my second approach, GPS runway 14: http://155.178.201.1...10/00232R14.PDF I'm heading towards SILOY and then get this instruction: Hold at SILOY at 3000. No directions, no instructions, no EFC time, no leg length, etc. The radio got too busy then to ask for clarification so I just held at SILOY, right hand turns, 229 inbound heading. Then of course as I'm outbound about to turn in abound on a third go around, he clears me OWABY and asks me to speed it up. I tell him unable, I need some space to execute my turn and proceed back to SILOY to get reoriented. Of course, my KFC150 is still acting up so it was a nice workout hand flying it all. Any thoughts?

The concern here is not running LOP but keeping the heads under 400 on climb out and under 380 in cruise. They all do now with swapping of the injectors so it proves that one of them runs lean but it's still annoying to know that the engine could run better. Bravo is not as much of a gas hog as many point out if you're willing to slow down. Went up to loiter yesterday because I haven't flown in a month because of a cold/flu/work. 24/2300, about 11.5GPH, about 150knots at 6000, density altitude closer to 9000, peak TIT of about 1610. Not as good as a J, but J doesn't do 800fpm thru 18,000 either. My usual cruise is between 175 and 185 depending on how high I want to go on 15.5 gph so almost same numbers as Ovation. Now, going much faster than that is going to cost another 6gph because that's what it takes to hit the magic 200knots at 18,000 and keep the CHT and TIT reasonable at 32/2400. The book numbers seem to have arrived at by a drunken marketing department.

Fuel flow is fine, depending on temperatures, anywhere between 30 and 31 gallons per hour.

As some of you know, I had my engine overhauled about 50hours ago. My #1 would run too hot in the climb forcing me to climb at about 130knots to keep it under 420CHT. My #5 run the coolest, both CHT and EGT. At the first oil change, I swapped #1 and #5 injectors, and it improved the situation considerably. Now #5 runs the leanest but also stays under 420CHT in prolonged climb at 105knots. Seems to me the cooling airflow is better over #5 than #1. So here is my question, all the rest of my cylinders are within a 40 or so degree range EGT, 15 or so degrees CHT. It's now clear that there is a single injector that is "different" or out of tolerance from the rest of them. I read on GAMIs website that Lycoming injectors are generally all over the place. Should I buy GAMIs or is there some other way of simply swapping that one single injector? They were replaced at overhaul and tossed so I don't have any of the older ones to play with. Is there something that can be adjusted in the fuel spider? Just wondering before I bug my mechanic. Andy

20/2400 until FAF makes for easy 1 Yeah, this happens all the time with low time instructors who teach in a 172 and Cherokees. Doesn't work well in real world. A while ago at KMDW I was asked to maintain 160knots until FAF. It was either that or 20 minutes of holding and vectoring. This is where speed brakes are wonderful when you're sandwiched between two 737s. I'll always accept and then pop the speed brakes out at 1 mile before FAF and pull my throttle back to 20/2400. I generally shoot for 120knots at 1 mile before FAF, which in my bird is usually 20/2400 or so, at FAF I drop the gear, throttle down to 18inches, half flaps, usually keeps me around 90knots. I don't touch my prop or mixture either. In case of a go around, I just always remember to go right to left, everything forward. What's a procedure turn? What's a timer? ;-)

I agree, there is an F sitting right outside my hangar, collecting dust, owned by a local doctor. Don't know what the story is, but it's not lack of money, for sure. Been there now for almost a year. Sad. There is also a Bravo sitting inside my hangar doing the same. Have not found a single moment to go fly it last 3 weeks. I almost wish I could find a partner or a qualified dry lease. Same with sailboat, took it out twice last year, wrecked it both times. The saddest thing is I'm heading to the west coast tomorrow, flying Southwest. Can't justify $1500 of AvGas when the tickets are free. Actually, looking forward to it in some "sick" way. Have not been on a commercial flight in two years.

For a while there was a kit available that supposedly worked great, you pump up the tanks, find out where the leaks were with soap. Then you'd reverse it, vacuum the tank down a few inches with a vacuum cleaner and a regulator and basically inject a substance into it from the outside. My understanding was the substance in question was more or less loctite.

If you take my wife too, I'll throw in some fuel

Only socialists fly LOP, just ask Byron ;-)

At 7 grand, wouldn't Aspen make a lot more sense for only 5 grand more?

I second that notion, I picked up a complete back up set, head unit, remote gyro, compass sensor and control panel free/slave switch with 8130 for a grand on ebay.

The problems is the same as the problems that early TLS had. The attitude is the POH says I can do 220knots (in case of Bravo), or 240knots (in case of Acclaim) and that's what people expect. The truth is that Bravo is a 200knot airplane and the Acclaim is a 220knot airplane in the flight levels. Must keep cylinders under 380 degrees, as simple as that. How you get there is no as important as getting there. I find LOP operations to be pain in the ass and the speed loss unacceptable so I pump between 16 to 22 gallons per hour thru my engine depending how fast I want to go. But that's because I'm running a pain in the ass engine, a TIO540AF1B. If I was running the Acclaim, I'd get GAMIs and cruise LOP all day long and still see 200knots at 14 an hour or so. The problem is the people trying to get 240 on the book burn of 21. That's how you get a top overhaul every 400 hours.

Byron, No, I meant my removal and reinstall bill was 30K alone. Not counting the engine overhaul. The exhaust overhaul was $4K, new exhaust transition was $6K, new set of exhaust clamps was $3K (the turbo clamp is 1K alone), mounts $2K, new set of probes, $1.5K plus about 100 hours of labor. As to the engine, the overhaul was 33K, all new parts other than case, crank and connecting rods, all still standard size. Kept the jugs, as they only had 1100 hours on them, but installed new valves, valve guides, springs, rockers, pistons, pins, etc to a tune of $1200 a jug. Didn't really need to that as the jugs actually look brand new. Kept the turbo and controllers as they only had 1100 hours on them as well. It would have been another $5K for turbo and controllers. Really the engine just needed a new camshaft, followers and oil pump but with a giant removal and reinstall bill, might as well get it done right. All and all, before all what said and done, and before while we in there, why not, the total bill was $68K.

An unmodified Arrow is a 135knot cruiser but just like LoPresti managed to get extra 10 to 15 knots going from F to a J, a modified Arrow is quite a different airplane. Same can be said about a Lance. The LFS Lance has won quite a few races in the 1980's and 1990's running against bonanzas. My Arrow would cruise at 145 on about 10gph any day, and close in on 148 on perfect days. Quite a few 4 way runs verified the 145 figure. I had dumped about $7K into mods to make it go that fast. Another $25K would get an Arrow into an unmodified J like speeds. That required the 2 bladed scimitar propeller and the LoPresti cowling. But that's a lot of money for another 10knots. Would have probably kept going but just got bored with a lack of turbo and deicing.

I find it funny they didn't include Omaha or Jackson Hole. There is more money between these two places combined than the rest of US of A. Maybe because everyone here who could afford it already has a private jet? I was sitting at Dornan's deck this summer, drinking some wine, and counted over 30 private jet arrivals in less than an hour. Plus some turbo props, plus 2 commercial flights.

Pretty website, I'm suspicious...I predict them to be gone and out of business within 12 months, I'm willing to bet 50 gallons of 100LL on it ;-) Any takers?

I'm not quite sure why the Arrows are more expensive. I think there is just more of them out there and they are a bit easier to work on. I would not say cheaper, though. I spent a pretty penny keeping mine in top shape. Also, if you're willing to invest a few bucks, the 1969, 200hp, short wing Arrow will smoke a M20C by about 5knots. Mine had all the Laminar Flow speed mods and it run 145knots at 6000 any day. An E will smoke it any day, though, by about 10knots. The other thing that the Arrow had going for itself was the fact that with VGs it was a great short field aircraft and generally, they are much easier to land than a Mooney for a low time pilot. Being 10knots fast on final didn't mean much. Plus you can rebuild Arrows fuel tanks for about $1500 each vs $4500 in a Mooney. I also think the earlier Arrows offer much better ergonomics than an early Mooney. As to cocolos, find a partner who wants to fly 60 hours a year too, maybe two partners, then should be able to get there with a $600 a month budget each. Plus they airplane will be much better for it too. If you're still working on your IFR, you might be better off renting until you finish that up. I've been flying since 1999, rented until 2008. It's a different kind of flying when you rent vs owning but still, you're up in the air. You'll never get the cross country experience renting. I really think the key would be finding 2 other like minded individuals to make it happen and make it happen comfortably. I think another reason why I would stay away from a retractable aircraft would be insurance. It will be about twice as expensive initially until everyone gets their 100 hours of retractable time plus retractable gear is that much more to maintain. Can't really beat a Cessna 172 in that department as Pipers still have their oleo seal issues. I've had them deflate mid-air before on a Cherokee and it makes for an interesting landing. I don't have a partner currently, but I would have no problems taking one on board as the airplane sits on in the hangar 27 days a month anyway.

I really don't think the 250 an hour includes fuel. Meridian burns that much an hour if paying $6 a gallon of Jet A. Add another that much for maintenance (that windshield alone is 28,000 per side). Sounds to me like the doctor is doing this mostly for fun. So at $500 an hour, that meridian is a steal, even if you have to pay 3 hour minimum, still just 100 bucks over the true cost of owning one.

Best part of the allison engine would be the fact that at cruise at 16,000 it would actually burn about the same as Bravo for slightly more speed. Most of the A36 drivers with the trade winds conversion are getting 220knots at 16,000 at 22gph. A Bravo needs to be at 24,000 and burn 22 an hour to accomplish the same because of the ultra inefficient cooling and propeller.

I've calculated what my Bravo runs me with capital costs, assuming firewall forward overhaul every 1600 hours or so, is about $300 an hour if I fly 150 hours a year. A TBM of the same vintage, I calculated, including capital costs of 1.1million, to be in the $2400 an hour neighberhood if flown the same 150 hours per year. A Meridian of the same vintage, priced at 700K, will set you back about $1400 an hour. Until I move to making 7 figures a year, I don't see either one happening. And quite frankly, at that point, I'd get an extra 300 and then charter the rest of the flights.

Old adage was if it floats, flies or fornicates, rent it, it's cheaper in the long run. I've broken each and everyone of these rules. I guess I don't like to share, planes, boats or cooties ;-)

Keep the J and get a race car too and a sail boat. And then you can be like me, sitting on this forums, dreaming of going to play outside while sitting on a day long conference call with auditors so I can afford the payments ;-) One day I'll retire to play with my toys.