Super Dave

We do still have SOS. So any reason not to leave it as is, as n74795 suggests?

We have the "push to start" type of Bendix ignition switch in our 76 F, and just learned that the starting vibrator is not activated until the switch is pushed in. Is our switch bad or incorrectly wired? I thought the starting vibrator should be activated when the switch is turned all the way to the right, even if the switch is not pushed in.

I agree, the burn patterns don't look like the result of that crash. I'm guessing they had smoke/fire prior to the crash. Maybe similar to Swissair 111, but with much better results.

Bad idea. Your GPS is giving you a TRACK, but your DG should be set to magnetic HEADING. Any crosswind will make these two disagree.

You're on the right track, but the temps are going the right way. Warmer/less dense air (for a given MP) at 2000', so it takes a little more MP to get the same HP.

Some good guidance here. http://www.avweb.com/news/maint/193372-1.html

Updated. Thanks for the suggestion Don.

Level flight TAS is equal to GS in a no wind condition. By flying the four headings and averaging the GS, you are attempting to remove wind from the equation.

Scott, I think you need to make sure that you are logging out of Mooneyspace. There seems to be a four year old posting from your account. And he's kind of a jerk.

I think Fuller is being disingenuous; he understands the technical limitations of the system (or should anyway), but why should reality stop him from whipping up anger, fear, and resentment? It's good membership!

Reminds me of the Moller Skycar; they have been three years away from delivering production models for the past thirty years.

I haven't been through there in my Mooney, but have been several times for work and we always use Michigan Aviation. They are always very friendly and accomodating. Granted, we are buying several hundred gallons of Jet-A, but it doesn't seem like the type of place that has a double standard for customers. It feels like a sleepy rural FBO and there are always several light planes in the hanger.

If you go frame by frame right around the 33 second mark, just as the airplane is about to become completely inverted, you can see the ailerons reverse and command the roll back to the right. I couldn't make out the elevator position, but the aileron reversal makes me wonder about pilot incapacitation or possibly the pilots harness coming undone while inverted.

Agree, overall US ATC staff is exceedingly competent, efficient, flexible, and tolerant within the bounds of safety. Every so often I will hear some belligerent pilot obviously dissatisfied with their handling, and invariably it is the pilot is missing some part of the bigger picture.

I will request an RNAV approach any time there is an advantage such as shorter flight/taxi, quicker/easier transition, or more favorable winds. But if it is a choice between an LPV RNAV and an ILS to the same runway, I typically stick with the ILS. Less to set up, less to monitor and less to go wrong (not so much with equipment, but operator error). Also, there are still a lot of approaches where the LPV mins are not as low as the ILS mins to the same runway.

I once perfected the New York Times Friday crossword in 27 minutes while sitting in my Mooney on the ramp waiting for pax. I've never approached that level of smartness before or since.

Every pilot that has ever died in an accidental stall/spin probably thought the same way... right up until that wing unexpectedly dropped, and the earth came rushing up to meet them. This kind of arrogance reveals the real maroon.

I've been in my F for a little over a year now and continue to be amazed. We're planning a camping trip next week, so I did a test run this morning to see how much of our gear will fit in the baggage compartment. Well, a full sized cooler, 2.5 gallon water jug, cook stove, four sleeping bags, mattress pads, six-man tent, and a big rectangular Rubbermaid container with room to spare. It seems like if I can fit it in the back of my full sized Volvo wagon, it'll fit in the back of the Mooney. Also, my kids are still small, so the four of us can load max baggage, top the tanks, and still be under gross. We don't fly legs that require full tanks, but it's nice to be able to top up where the gas is cheap. What a great airplane!

You may already know this, but you do not need a second class to get your commercial certificate, it's only required to exercise the commercial privileges.

I'm not sure i understand exactly what you are describing, but the ASI has no lag. What sometimes appears to be lag is actualy the airplane slowly accelerating. The ASI is giving you an instantanious read of a laging airplane. The VSI on the other hand, does lag behind. So if you are seeing say 300FPM as you are beginning your climb out, the airplane may actually already be climbing at say 600FPM. As far as the disparity between AOA and airspeed, maybe what you are seeing is a result of the little bit of "G" that comes from establishing your climb. Just like an airplane in turning flight require more AOA for a given airspeed. An airplane at lift-off is "turning" away from the runway and would need a higher AOA for a given airspeed.

I doubt that many of us would notice a reduction in manifold pressure over a period of several minutes by sound alone. RPM maybe, but not MP.

The commercial maneuvers are not considered aerobatic.

Did you maybe hear TEC (tower en route control) instead of TAC?

If this stuff was effective at protecting the leading edges, it would only result in the moisture rolling back and freezing behind the protected areas. This would be more detrimental than if the moisture had frozen at the leading edge in the first place.

I've also had poor results with the POH's cold start procedure on my 76F, so I've switched to the procedure outlined in the Lycoming Operators Manual. In summary: Boost pump on Throttle wide open Mixture full rich When fuel pressure stabilizes (about 2 seconds in my plane)... Throttle closed Mixture idle cut off Boost pump off Throttle cracked open Engage starter and mixture goes full forward as engine starts. The lycoming manual actually calls for the throttle to go to 1/4 travel just prior to cranking, but I've found that just cracking it results in a nice gentle start of about 800 RPM that slowly comes up to 1000RPM as the engine warms. No immediate blast to 1200RPM on a cold engine, and no jockying back and forth between mixture and throttle. I also like the procedure because it puts less time on the boost pump. BTW Don Maxwell has a good article on Shower of Sparks here http://www.donmaxwell.com/publications/publications.htm