yvesg

Perhaps we should start practicing landing the aircraft using the copilot yoke while sitting in the pilot seat!

Yves

Received email today about the STC for tailbeaconX. Can any expert out there explain to me why this one needs a control head while the original tailbeacon does not need one?

Yves

My friend Patrick managed to find a few pictures of Asti and Sue (and Ned and few others) when they arrived for the pizza dinner at Oshkosh.

Yves

17 hours ago, Becca said:

So tragic.  I am pretty sure I met both pilots at the last Mooney pizza event at Osh before the pandemic.  We had a table full of women Mooney pilots and air racers and we had a great time drinking wine into the night.  They were encouraging me to make plans to come up and fly the a 99’s Air Rally in Ontario and get serious about participating in the ARC.  They were such positive influences for the Mooney community and the women’s pilot community. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1254346664641357/permalink/4389463531129639/

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/two-killed-in-mooney-crash-during-air-rally-in-canada/?fbclid=IwAR1oZILoSmgnPbZHsOOALNda3XKS1XInYUMiISr7uOQmDke7RmFMqgHoTPg

I can confirm they were both in attendance at our last Oshkosh Pizza social held in 2019. Very sad indeed. I do not have ways to contact their families. 

Yves

On 9/10/2021 at 10:38 PM, Gagarin said:

Hi Yves next time try your cell from the air at 1,000 feet.

KP4DAC

José, here is the cell coverage map of one of the national providers. The other national provider map is similar. I circled the location in red. There is no cell coverage at any altitude. We have tried.

On 9/7/2021 at 5:52 PM, Gagarin said:

Same story here but I switched to the internet with my cell phone. No noise no QRM and works everywhere. No towers needed.

KP4DAC

Hi José, long time no talk. I am actually coming back (labor day weekend) from the biggest Canadian airplane get together (250+ airplanes). This happened at the Casey airstrip (abandoned runway) and guess what? No cell coverage there. One pilot came to my friend Vincent who is also a ham operator and does the coms for the event saying he could not close his flight plan from the air. We were actually testing a solution to allow the ability to contact the flight service to allow such flight plan closing. We had installed a 5 elements yagi directed towards a fairly local repeater that had a phone patch. When the pilot came to us I told him no problem come with me we’ll fix you up. I was able to make the call and close his flight plan. There were probably among the pilots some with satellite phones but ham radio did allow this kind of communication and could also have been used for any emergency call required.

Yves

C-FQKM

 VE2GBK

8 minutes ago, Raptor05121 said:

de KK4EYX

Are you on 20m at all? I need to install my Hustler 4BTV vertical when I get home

Not currently. I have an old TS-520 Kenwood collecting the dust that might still work but I do not have an antenna for it installed. It might not work between us on 20 meters since you are too close. 80m band would probably work.

Yves (VE2GBK)

After over 20 years of a break (due to several reasons of which aviation is) I resumed the hobby I had while I was a teen: amateur radio. This hobby is not only about chit chatting on the air in my case… I like doing projects like designing and building antennas. So I erected a 60 foot delhi tower, constructed a 2m antenna (and aviation) ground plane, bought a radio and came back onto the air. Here is a picture of me climbing the tower… neibours say I am crazy going that high!

On 7/8/2021 at 9:29 AM, Becca said:

I am also super interested in this Casey event (if not this year, then next year when border opens).  Please send me details!  May be me alone, poor Byron isn’t into camping generally and especially without facilities

This was posted a few days ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/16/coronavirus-latest-updates/

Not sure when your vacations are but this would allow you going to your lake near Kingston and perhaps come to Casey.

Yves

On 7/8/2021 at 9:29 AM, Becca said:

I am also super interested in this Casey event (if not this year, then next year when border opens).  Please send me details!  May be me alone, poor Byron isn’t into camping generally and especially without facilities

Becca, you can tell Byron the organizer told me there would be washrooms this year (for the first time). Would love see you or both coming over. For the border, there are still two months to go, it might be relaxed by then. In case you don’t have it the runway is located 47.94N 74.09W

Yves

I have found a link that gives good detail on the Casey event with pictures:

https://skiesmag.com/news/2020-casey-aero-camping-fly-in-100-aircraft-aviation/

Yves

Just now, amillet said:

@Yves  in my opinion you are very essential. The Caravan won’t be the same without you and Diane.

Thanks Alan. We will miss you and Brenda as well. We hope next year will be better.

Yves

For those who wonder about what is the Casey event. In a nutshell: About 7 years ago few pilots decided to go camping (wild) at the Casey airstrip which is an abandoned cold war era runway out in the stick. They invited others and slowly it gained traction and in the last few years we have seen over 100 airplanes coming there. The event is during the labor day week-end. Two years ago Mike came along and was the first American airplane to join the event.

There are no services whatsoever there. No electricity, no cell coverage, no internet, NO WASHROOMS. This is not for everyone. So you need to come equiped with everything you would need including what is required to properly dispose human waste.

But this is no Oshkosh! No vendors, no restaurant… just wild camping and bond fire at night. I will post some pictures in the next few days.

Yves

11 hours ago, 201er said:

If I can get across the border, I’m hoping to go this year. What’s the nearest airport with phone reception I can land at to clear customs?

The best place to clear customs (today) is Kingston Ontario. Several airports where in the past you could clear them are on hold.  This could change by the date of the event. But currently, non-essential travel is still prohibited. This also could change by labor day.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html

There are significant changes in Casey this year. An entrepreneur managed to lease the land from the government. Several changes are for the better but some are not. We should talk on the phone. I will contact you.

Yves

12 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

With the number of airplanes crossing the border, you can’t really believe that it’s closed anymore.

Clarence

I believe many are stretching the rules however, I could not attend a Mooney Caravan clinic which is mandatory to be part of the caravan due to Covid… just going to Oshkosh for Oshkosh alone is not as appealing to me and the wife. I hope you enjoy it this year.

Yves

3 hours ago, 201er said:

Surely going to Oshkosh is pretty essential! Is it not? You’ve gone every year!

Is Casey happening this year?

Yes Casey is happening Mike. We are going for sure.

Yves

I am the one who organized the Mooneyspace social at Oshkosh in the last 4-5 years. Since I am from Canada and the government still enforces essential travel only at the border I am skipping (sadly) the trip this year. But even if I could get there, the nature of the event could make it a potential COVID spreader event.  Large gatherings are not a good idea yet. It could happen however the logistics would somehow be more complicated, there would need to be waiver signature to protect organizers etc.

Yves

Got my renewal quote today. 9% increase. Will just check the box and say fine... not worth getting other quotes.

Yves

Raymond, c’est quoi au juste ce bidule?

Yves

11 hours ago, Yetti said:

So there it a knob on the TC that can roll the plane left or right.  did you play with that yet.   Get a hand vaccum pump and start playing with the read and green lines.  There is a junction on the port side baggage compartment wall.

Yes I did. It tests ok. Got a portable vacuum pump to step-up the investigation!

Yves

12 hours ago, carusoam said:

Yves,

how long til your next annual?

Expect that you may find that one of the plastic fittings holding the red and/or green PVC tubing together has decided to split...

many of them may be hiding under the the spring clamps they were originally put in place with...

 

Brittain was still selling the colored tubing... not sure about the other bits and pieces...  but they are easy to substitute...

As always... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

Anthony, annual was done a few months ago.

If this can help: I recall when it was working better, I had to turn the yoke roll trim valve adjustment to the 3 o’clock position in order to keep the wings levelled. I checked the operation of the roll trim valve as well and it is ok.

I am setting up to have the appropriate equipment to troubleshoot this further. So do all agree if it rolls left, the leak is on the left side (red)? This info can help narrow the search area.

Yves

7 minutes ago, TomM20F said:

Is the airplane is rolling left, I would start by looking at the left wing aileron servo. The rubber boot is probably split. It really isn't a servo. The system is under vacuum so if the boot is split it is open to atmosphere. One aileron deflects. the other doesn't and the plane rolls. I would check this first before going crazy diagnosing under the dash.

Hi Tom. I checked all 4 rubber boots and they seem to be OK. The aileron ones got replaced by new ones in 2008.

Yves

Here is the schematic of my wing leveler. Does anyone knows how the 11900-25 (remote gyro) works? What is meant by “Sequenced Vacuum” and “Primary Vacuum”? The wing leveler was working fine until few months ago and now it pulls to the left side. Knowing how this works will help finding where the problem is. Thanks

Yves

4 hours ago, Sabremech said:

The only pricing I’ve found is for LASAR’s PMA down lock block listed at $390 when they have stock. I purchased an uplock block from LASAR several years ago and think it was about the same as the down lock. 
David

Thanks David. By the way, if there is an Oshkosh Airventure this year we’ll be happy to see you again! Pizza is on me!