TWinter

Sounds great..Just waiting to hear back from Chase. If I don't hear back I'll call Monday. Thanks MS. -Tom

I agree 100%. I talked to my shop yesterday about the 540 and they were not very excited about the IFD540. Said they have not had much luck with them and have had the few they have done come back with issues. Their primary is Garmin and I think the profit margin for them is better on Garmin. I do agree the IFD540 is a big bang for the buck and I plan to reach out to Chase and see what is being offered now. I may have to have a different shop do the swap and make the entry, but I am leaning strongly toward the 540. The Comanche has no engine monitor other than the factory EGT gauge. I have the JPI930 in my Mooney and really like it, but right now the money is not there for it. Don't plan to go that route with the twin, but would like something. They quoted $9200 for a JPI 760 w/ FF. Kind of high I thought. I think I'll probably go with the 540 and wait on the engine monitor until some specials come out or I can shop some other shops. -Tom

The plus to the Avidyne route for me is the that he will take trade of the 530 in toward the GTN 750 or Avidyne ( I have not run the Avidyne option by him yet). I think he quoted me $15,000 for a full install 750 and two G5s in the center (taking the 530 toward trade). Also on my need list is a good engine monitor. I thought my shop was high on the JPI 730 w/ fuel flow $10000, +/-.. I love my JPI and have had a 830 and now the 9 series as primary. My only problem is since I've had the JPI my planes have been eating probes like candy. At $125 a probe that gets pricey. I can honestly say over the last 4 or 5 yrs since using JPI I've been through 6 probes. I have two out now, an EGT and CHT. JPI replaced two of the six since they failed during warranty. I love my JPI and think it a wonderful product. Just not sure why I'm eating up probes like candy. Not sure what monitor I will go with either.. -Tom Just need to get the priorities right. Cash flow is low since I just sent the check in to Uncle Sam for sales tax and insurance etc...

Thought I'd close this out..Finally got the multi-stamp on my license as of today. Oral was about an hour and half...Pretty much covered what you would expect. Emergency out ops, standard weight balance, take-off and landing calculations, basic airmanship and cockpit management. Covered a few items that were Comanche specific with respect to non-counter rotating props and fuel management. Flying was as practiced..Steep turns, short field, engine out landings, stalls in different configurations and VMC demo. Got the stamp today. Long hot few weeks, but feeling well accomplished. Great training experience. -Tom

For those that have made the swap... How's it going. I have a 530w in the Comanche. I have the GTN750 in my E and have gotten very comfortable with the touch screen. Not so comfortable with the 530, but in time I'm sure I'll get better with it, but I'm considering two separate options. 1. Keep the 530 and add FS210 to transfer flight plans. Will still have to use manual dial radio controls (my shop quoted me $1000 for FS210). I have the FS210 in my E and like it. 2. Opt two is replace the 530 with a Avidyne 540 or 550 and get the same size screen as the 530, but will have the touch screen and BT feature to transfer a flight plan via IPad. Doing a 750 in the new plane is out of the question for now $$. Thought about GTN650, but like the BT feature and to get BT for the 650 I'd have to still spend $1000 for the FS210. Plane already had ADSB with Garmin 345 transponder. I assume Avidyne will be friendly and talk to the other Garmin equipment. Those that have gone Avidyne...how goes it so far. Is it really just a plug-n-play to swap? Do you like it and is the screen easily accessible with respect to the touch screen. I know in turbulent air even with the GTN750 I have to stable my hand on the bezel to change frequency or xponder codes. or...any other ideas or suggestions? I'm open minded and I know you guys/gals like spending the other MSers money. -Tom

No..Combining HP does not count. That's been a argument with FAA and AOPA for a while. Kind of ridiculous, but so is the fact the Mooney is 200hp and I need 201hp to get HP rating.. -Tom

Starting to get things wrapped up. Trained 4 days this week (usually 1.5 hrs avg). Did hood-work and approaches. It's been extremely hot here the past few weeks during this training and all the flying is actual flying and no simulator time. The learning process has been good, but probably not optimal conditions because of the heat, but all in all a great experience. Lots of empty water bottles in the back seat at the end of each session. The school advertises 15 hrs +/- and that's about what it works out to be. I'm sure they plan it that way. I have 1 or 2 sessions scheduled next week then the check-ride mid-week. Like many have mentioned I'm sure this rating could be learned in a much shorter time, but honestly..my insurance required me to have 20 hrs dual and 5 of it under the hood, so the 15 hrs +/- that it might end up being is no big deal. My insurance did offer the option that part of the 20 hr requirement could be with someone who is multi rated (lots of hours..don't recall exactly how many without pulling policy) and has 250 hrs Comanche time. It will be easier to just get the full insurance requirement while at the school w/ the same CFI and be done with it. Might require an extra day to get the extra hour or so. Hopefully this time next week I'll be done and the Comanche will be home parked next to the Mooney. We start IFR in the Mooney in August. Same school and same CFI. -Tom

Great day today..Again worked on standard required maneuvers. Did emergency decent, did more steep turns (my Achilles Heel), short field take-off and short-field landings (setting it in at the 1000' mark). Really enjoyed today. The flow is beginning to happen naturally, I'm actually remembering my new call sign on the radio ...The pattern was pretty empty, radio pretty quite and just a few clouds here and there, just very enjoyable day..One of those days were you think, yep..I think I'm nearly ready and man I really love flying and learning new stuff!! -Tom

You had me curious on my solo...You probably beat me, I was 8.5 hrs before solo. Went on later to a Warrior and then hung up my headset by the end of the same year. Wish I would have stayed with it, but on a cops salary in NH during that time it wasn't going to happen. Had to retire from police work before I could make enough money to afford to fly again..ironic lol -Tom

Have not gotten the HP. Will get it with them in their plane. Sam (the instructor) said we would work it in after the multi.

Wow..5 hrs. That's pretty impressive..There is a lot to learn in just 5 hrs. I can't imagine learning everything I've learned during the past few weeks in just 5 hrs and I'm not even done yet. I think I'm on track according to the schools syllabus. . Here is the hours quote from the schools page. Multi-Engine Pilot Rating In order to fly most multi-engine Aircraft you’ll need to have your high performance and complex endorsements in order to act as the Pilot in Command. The requirements are listed in FAR 61.63(c). Downtown Aviation offers two aircraft in our fleet, BE-76 Duchess N6702X and PA-30 Twin Comanche N5088C for Multi-Engine Ratings. Typically pilots receive their multi-engine rating in 10-15 hours of flight instruction and 3-5 hours of ground instruction but Downtown Aviation trains to proficiency not standard. FWIW.. I earned by PP in two months. Started on 2/8/91 and on 4/5/91 and at 43 hrs I had my PPL ticket in hand from KSFM Sanford, Maine. Stopped flying in 10/2/91 (couldn't afford it). I picked it back up on 1/5/12. That's what I call a lay-off. Right now I have about 500 hrs +/- total. Majority of it is X-country flights. -Tom

So far about 8 hours. Probably another 8+/- if we have good weather, that will be 16-18 hrs total with the instructor. I've spent many hours at home studying the POH, watching maneuvers and check-rides on Youtube, also been doing lots of chair flying. No training today so the Mooney gets a oil change and a travel day off. Back at it tomorrow at 1 pm. I will say I will not schedule training for summer in Tennessee anymore after I get the multi and IFR done. I will sneak in one day right after I get multi to get the "High Performance" endorsement. He said we could do that in a day in one of the schools plane. It's a shame I miss it by just one horsepower in the E..lol It's been 90s+ everyday. Hard to focus when it's that hot in the plane. Hope to start IFR with them when they return from Oshkosh. Plan to have IFR done by fall or earlier with the same instructor and same school. Will probably cut back to just 2 to 3 days a week. I pushed on the multi training since I bought the twin and wanted to be able to use it now. I've been working on IFR from home and doing practice approaches etc throughout the last couple years in the Mooney, so hopefully it will come smoothly. -Tom

Clarified that for ya..lol

That is real world..lol I really was not sure if it was going to re-start or not. My instructor is a young guy, 23 yrs old. He did well, kept calm and gave no indication of concern. It was probably nothing to him, but to me it seemed like forever. The school uses a Dutchess as the school's regular trainer. They also have a Twin Comanche, but it is on leaseback program. They usually use the Dutchess to train. The Comanche is more demanding, slightly less forgiving (so they say) and no CR props, but for me I'd much rather pay $45 vs.$300+ and hour for a plane and instructor and learn in what I own and will fly. I'm already paying for fuel to fly the Mooney to Memphis for every training day (about 55 km). Then fuel for the training in the Comanche and then fly back home 55 km back to Dyersburg. Averaging about 4-5 time a week. I was looking at my logs and right now about a third of my total hours are cross-country hours. -Tom

-a- We've worked all the above. As I posted above yesterday we did a full engine out and inflight restart...that was interesting. We've worked all required maneuvers and now just spending the next week on smooth flow and quicker thinking on my part. I have not mentioned every procedure and we've done, just the highlights, but have tackled many others. This school has been very good, I highly recommend them. I will continue with them even after the multi is done. Most of the school staff will be going to Oshkosh so we will finish the multi next week +/- and after they return from Oshkosh we will start IFR and I'll be using the Mooney for IFR training. Hoping to have the IFR done by end of fall. I have been working on the IFR off and on for the last year on my own and the Mooney is well equipped. Hopefully that rating will come to me quickly and having flown the Mooney the last 6 years I know the plane pretty well. I have about 300 hrs in the Mooney so there will not be a lot of time getting a feel for the plane. -Tom

Little update to my multi training. Flew Monday and worked steep turns, stalls (power on and off), different configurations. Engine out scenarios and procedures... Instructor had the bug Tues-Thurs so no flying. We finally got back in the air Friday. Worked on steep turns (my weak link) and short field landings and take-offs. Saturday (today)..Steep turns again, finally have these dialed in, took me a while. I honestly think that some of the hold up on me getting comfortable was because I've been flying behind my Aspen glass for a few years and going back and working off conventional steam took some time getting comfortable with again. Only other minor thing is the Mooney has GTN750 and the Comanche has 530. Trying to dial in airport IDs and frequency makes me have to think a little more as far as twist, push, turn....... Today was an awesome learning experience..We took it all the way to full right engine shutdown and flying on just left engine. Interesting and did okay during the procedure. The restart was slower than I expected. Unfeathered and nosed over and we never did get a start. Finally did a few starter bumps and still no joy, lastly a we did full ignition and after about 15- 20 secs with starter engaged it caught. I was beginning to think we were going to be doing a engine out landing :). Good news the instructor thinks we should be able to knock the rest out next week and schedule a check ride the following Tuesday or Wednesday. At this point I can fly it, land it, know emergency ops and what to expect. I just need more natural flow and get to know emergency ops second nature....Right now I'm spending too much having to think about what's next in emergency flow. Some home chair flying and more flights next week. Until next time.. -Tom

It's very cool that you know or knew of my brother Jeff, aka call sign "Chilli". He still uses that on his email account. You guys are a true fraternity of pilots. I'll mention your "ejection" event next time we talk. I'm sure he will remember. As you probably know he now drives a JetBlue bus based in Orlando. I'm trying to get him into GA, but with 3 kids in college and a wife with high standards even with military retirement and a JetBlue pay-check it still might be a while before he is flying left seat in GA. -Tom

Got me thinking..If history repeats itself, when the war was over P-51 Mustangs were at near give-a-way prices as surplus. Maybe drone warfare (God forbid seriously), but thinking fun and outside the box...does this mean there might be a surplus of F18 Hornets at give-a-way prices in the future?.. Just thinking out-loud. There is a movie that is roughly based on the military pilot, all based in bunkers and using drones and remote drone armor drops. -Tom

I think I was wanting the ZX10 back then? I think it was the ZX10 during the TopGun era. I remember our local bike shop had a crotch rocket on the showroom floor and I'd stop in just drooling over it. Ended up with Katana 1100... Ahhh, to be young again

Not sure what is current now. I think when my brother retired the Super Hornet was in use. He retired quite a while ago, so not sure what the new weapon of choice is.

I saw the commentary you are talking about. Something I thought that was funny was the fact the directors/film makers said some movie actors are pretty arrogant and high maintenance, but actually found the Navy Pilots were actually more arrogant and difficult to work with... I'm not downing the Navy Jet Jocks who helped make the movie (my brother was actually a TopGun Instructor and I've met several TopGun pilots), so I have some slight right to be able to call it as it is.. Yes, I do love my brother, but does he sometimes have the big head..yep! Some of those guys are pretty big headed, but on the other hand they can do stuff in a jet I could only imagine, They are awesome pilots and most with highly earned educations from Annapolis. My brother's biggest comment about the original movie was that it was made to portray the school as a competition. Actually far from the truth, and far from the actual way TopGun works. There is no competition to be the "Best of the Best". It's training and teamwork. But of course if that's all they showed it would not have made a billion dollar movie and one of the biggest recruiting tools for the Navy. I'll be curious how the sequel comes out. As we all agree here on MS. Good, bad or cheesy we probably all will watch it. -Tom

I'm only about 5 hrs into it. We are primarily flying in the training area just outside of Memphis Bravo...I have not had a chance to compare with the legs stretched out. I know what the books say and you are very correct. I'm anxious to just fly in straight lines for a change instead of circles or slow speed engine out configuration. On the bright side steep turns are getting better and landings are pretty consistent.

PM coming..

It's Sunday morning..cut me some slack. I was still sipping on my first cup of Java. You got the point. Lots to remember. .lol I was really referring to the initial take-off and aborted take-off. If I detailed every movement we would be on page 10. @Cornfields... I was surprised the Comanche and my E both run close in speed. The guy I bought it from was all about the knots. He added most every speed mod he came across. I'd still like the cowl enclosure, but after just sending in sales tax, starting a new insurance policy on the Comanche and renewing my Mooney..well, the wallet is light for a while. I'll just fly, learn and enjoy. -Tom

x2 for the sheep-cover. Great summer and great winter. Not crazy about the looks all the time, but I will say the comfort trade-off vs. cosmetic appearance is well worth it. -Tom