SkyBound

Thank you @Sethand @mooneyman and others who have contributed to this initiative! It is a unique and powerful experience during the pandemic for GA to be able to recognize healthcare heroes and first responders. Unfortunately they did not find anyone for these legs and had to fly commercial up to PIT and were forced to skip the intermediate stops at RDU, ORF and RIC. —Alex

I am assisting the Spirit of Liberty Foundation with pilot coordination for Operation Thank You - Relay in the Sky they are sponsoring to honor healthcare professionals and front line heroes. Here is the link that explains what they are doing in more detail: http://spiritoflibertyfoundation.org/portfolio-items/the-relay-in-the-sky/ They are looking for assistance for the following legs: October 22 – RDU-ORF October 23 – ORF-RIC October 23 – RIC-PIT Is anyone interested and able to help? They are looking to confirm up to three aircraft per leg and pilots can sign up for one or more legs. You can contact the can contact Dwight Wait, Director of Flight Operations directly at (619) 540-2680 or at flywait1@yahoo.com Thank you so much for any assistance you are able to offer. --Alex

I am assisting the Spirit of Liberty Foundation with pilot coordination for Operation Thank You - Relay in the Sky they are sponsoring to honor healthcare professionals and front line heroes. Here is the link that explains what they are doing in more detail: http://spiritoflibertyfoundation.org/portfolio-items/the-relay-in-the-sky/ They are looking for assistance for the following legs: October 26 – BOS-PVD October 27 – PVD-HFD Is anyone interested and able to help? They are looking to confirm up to three aircraft per leg. You can contact the can contact Dwight Wait, Director of Flight Operations directly at (619) 540-2680 or at flywait1@yahoo.com Thank you so much for any assistance you are able to offer. --Alex

Great thinking @carusoam! Thank you so much for posting the visual of the route. Life is a bit boring right now otherwise I'd post more than once a month. @carusoam the relay will be coming through NJ the last week of the month if you'd like to fly a leg. Thank you again for your help this evening. --Alex

I am assisting the Spirit of Liberty Foundation with pilot coordination for Operation Thank You - Relay in the Sky they are doing to honor healthcare professionals and front line heroes. Here is the link that explains what they are doing in more detail: http://spiritoflibertyfoundation.org/portfolio-items/the-relay-in-the-sky/ They had a mechanical today and need assistance tomorrow (October 9th) flying the torch from Jefferson City, MO (JEF) to Des Moines, IA (DSM) and then on to St. Paul (STP). Is anyone able to help on short notice? You can contact the Chairman – Richard Rovsek directly on his mobile this evening or early tomorrow morning at (760) 587-2000. He is on Pacific Time. Thank you so much for any assistance you are able to offer. --Alex

I agree, it’s very ambitious.

America's Operation Thank You - Relay in the Sky has kicked off taking off from San Diego to honor Healthcare Heroes and First Responders with stops all across the country and culminating in Washington, DC. https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/americas-operation-thank-you-to-honor-health-heroes-first-responders-for-pandemic-efforts/509-0a7627b4-2e30-4189-81d2-5054b02cd12b There are still a few slots available if you'd like to sign-up to fly a leg at the link below: http://spiritoflibertyfoundation.org/portfolio-items/the-relay-in-the-sky/

Byron - are you pimping out Luis for the job?

Ron, Air-Mods and Repair, a Mooney Service Center at N87 has an individual who works at a high-end car dealership doing detailing during the week and washes and waxes airplanes on weekends. You can contact Air-Mods and ask for Shane 609-259-2400. He will coordinate the wash and wax appointment for you and provide a quote. Good luck and post pictures of your newly shined airplane! --Alex

@gsxrpilot - what a great idea! could you share other locations where you’ve mounted both inside and outside? Thanks. —Alex

Note that the local municipality does not have the authority to shut an airport down for health reasons. The FAA must approve it. See this recent guidance from FAA Office of Airport compliance: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TRfyvLfeZ6kbxG7xOO1bu4Nx97B729FZ/view --Alex

My 1979 M20K has Century 41 (not 21) with an autopilot disconnect switch on the yoke. See attached photo.

Congratulations! I own a 1979 M20K as well. Looking forward to hearing about your upcoming experiences and adventures. —Alex

Thanks for sharing your insights. What altitude/MP/RPM combination do you use to get 155 kts at 9.0 gph?

Bill's Air Center at KSMO is great. They work on Mooneys. If you PM me I can put you in touch with the owner of the shop and a Mooney pilot who has their aircraft annualed there. --Alex

Hello Fellow Mooniacs, As many of you know I am working tirelessly at NBAA to make sure that this shortening is a temporary one. Just to clarify a few of the items being discussed here: The runway is now a hard 3,500 feet with raised threshold lights at each end. While the pavement is still there, rolling beyond the threshold would be considered a runway excursion and will likely cause some damage to your landing gear. Here is the City's info graphic depicting the changes. Note the new taxiways to be used as the only new exit points off the runway. The Department of Justice is the arm of the government representing the FAA. The lawsuit is being heard in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. The FAA exceeded it's statutory authority by the way the Agency handled the Settlement Agreement, NBAA's position is that we have a strong case and if we prevail in court the City of Santa Monica will have to restore the runway. Please see the following article for more details: https://www.nbaa.org/ops/airports/smo/nbaa-continues-legal-efforts-to-preserve-access-to-smo.php In the past one could exist the runway at any point, the recent project has also created new taxiways. They are currently only depicted on the Jepp chart. Please be sure to only exit at the designated taxiway areas. Noise abatement is also a concern. Since the runway was shortened, the noise monitors were not moved and aircraft will now be starting their takeoff roll approximately 735 feet closer to the sensor and thus be closer and louder over the monitor. Please let me know if you receive a warning or a violation. See this article for more info https://www.nbaa.org/ops/airports/smo/shortened-smo-runway-may-affect-airport-noise-readings.php and the City's website for noise abatement procedures for piston aircraft https://www.smgov.net/Departments/Airport/Pilots/Propeller_Aircraft_Procedures.aspx. SMO is a case of national importance - please consider supporting the Santa Monica Airport Association (SMAA), the organization working hard to fight the anti-airport groups and the City of Santa Monica, promote the airport and preserve its future. Keep in mind that the settlement agreement and the consent decree only say that after 2028 the fate of the airport is in the hands of City Council. SMAA is working hard to change its composition and to make sure that they vote with the benefit to all the citizens of the city in mind, not just the select local minority. Please visit www.santamonicaairport.info. They have a "National Supporter" category. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info. --Alex

See our own Seth Meyers promoting the use of his Missile as a business time machine while speaking out against ATC privatization on NoPlaneNoGain. If you are passionate about this issue contact your representative through the NBAA Contact Congress tool - www.nbaa.org/action.

Great article supporting NBAA’s cause in the fight for SMO. In the 20th Century we worked hard to innovate and develop aviation and proudly built the support infrastructure that it requires as we marveled at new ways flying connected the world. Who would have thought that at the turn of the 21st Century we would be fighting to keep our nation's runways from destruction? http://www.planeandpilotmag.com/going-direct-faa-enemy/#.WMAkELhOKaM Please consider donating to the Santa Monica Airport Association as a "National Supporter." This is a national issue and this volunteer organization is playing a critical role to keep the runway from being shortened in the short term and the airport staying open beyond 2028. We need to let them know that pilots around the country are behind them. This is a small effort to defend SMO, protect our respective home airports, and our nation's aviation infrastructure as a whole.

Mooneyspace friends, Please consider supporting the Santa Monica Airport Association (SMAA). As you see from discussions in this thread, the deal was reached without stakeholder input and public comment and is a complete departure from the long-standing principle that the federal government will fight hard to preserve airport infrastructure releasing the City from the commitment it made after World War II to operate the airport in perpetuity. With legal options dwindling after the FAA and the City entered into the settlement agreement, SMAA is thrusted to the front lines of the battle to ensure SMO’s existence beyond Dec. 31, 2028. The $25 "National Supporter" membership will help us keep SMO and other airports around the country that are looking to the City of Santa Monica for a "closure recipe" open to protect jobs and small businesses that rely on the airport and defend critical access by air to the region. SMO is an essential link in the national aviation system and we need to ensure that it will continue to serve and inspire future generations as it has done for the first 100 years of its existence. http://www.santamonicaairport.info/smaa_press_release_friday_february_3rd_2017 https://santamonicaairport.nationbuilder.com/join_online Will this boy seen on the observation deck at SMO grow up to be able to make a KSMO landing entry in his logbook (in a Mooney of course)? It is up to us to rally together and make that difference.

Unfortunately not fake - https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=21394

The intercooler is irrelevant in the equation. Your limiting factors are CHT and TIT.

I think your MP is too low. At 11,500 you should be 31"-32" and 10.5 GPH which would give you about 65% power and 155-160 kts TAS / 125-130 kts IAS.

N5756V - Flying LOP is controlled by fuel flow. When you are at 11.5 GPH you at 75% power. If you can sustain that by keeping all CHTs below 380 and TIT below 1650 great, if not lean more or open cowl flaps. I have a Merlyn wastegate and an intercooler and typically cruise at 2400 RPM. My TAS speeds flying LOP between 65% and 75% - around 10-11 GPH are 140 kts near sea-level, 150 kts 6,000+, 160/165 KTS in the teens, and 170-175 kts in the flight levels. If the winds are favorable and the distance is 300+ nm I will climb to FL210 or FL230. How do the speeds above compare to what the others on the thread experience? Feel free to share more data and we'll be happy to give you more feedback. --Alex

Speaking from experience of my 1979 K - it will not have the useful load to carry your family on the 550 nm trip. It is a great long distance plane for two using O2.

Hi Oscar, I just private messaged you with contact information for Gashaw Mengistu at GAI. There are a number of Mooney pilots at KGAI. We should all get together for a flight sometime. Good luck! --Alex