Marauder

Anytime I had a vacuum pump fail, I had the filter replaced. 1000 hours is a lot, it would be nice if it did last that long. I wonder how they did the testing to make that claim. It is one thing to hook it up to a mechanical power source and run it straight for 1000 hours and quite another to start and stop it a bunch of times over a 1000 hours.

Unfortunately not. Depending on your AP, you can get rid of the TC, ASI, VSI and altimeter with the extended battery pack and a second PFD. The STC still requires a backup AI.

Or the wife knew that even with the second Aspen you are still required to have a backup AI independent of the Aspens. With the second PFD and the extended battery pack, you can lose your ASI and altimeter.

What is going on with you guys? You're dropping like flies. Please don't tell me you are looking at a Bonanza...

Since we are spending your money, how about an Aspen or G500? I think mine is an Airborne.

Woodbine is just south of Atlantic City. Perhaps one of the NJ contingent knows the plane.

Sure, come back groveling when you want something Bored over at BT?

As long as the Chief Counsel doesn't get involved, I'm okay with that

Trust me, there are still a number of debates going on about the difference between "VFR on top" and "VFR over the top" and whether you can fly above clouds if you are VFR. I remember the difference by sayin VFR on top means on an IFR flight plan and VFR over the top means "I better get over to the other side" Even as an instrument rated pilot I worry if I fly "over the top" and find myself asking for an IFR pop up in the congested northeast and being told "wassamatter with you? Come back later, us guys are busy here".

That is how I understand it as well. If you elect to use a mode S transponder, you will get full TIS-B on a portable decide instead of the air to air stuff you get without the "out". Having a full UAT "in" solution is valuable only if you have something to display it on. If you have a 430 or 650 (like I have), the small screen isn't the most desirable to get weather and traffic on.

You don't. Unlike IFR, you know you don't have a requirement to navigate by a specific route when you are VFR over the top. If you are going from point A to point B and you can see the ground you can navigate via ded reckoning, pilotage or by a Nav device (VOR, VFR only GPS, iPad if you want). All legal. If you are VFR over the top without ground reference, you will be forced to navigate by electronic means. As long as you maintain VFR cloud clearances and in flight visibility and navigate by appropriate IFR equipment you are legal. The interesting part is that you don't need to be IFR rated. It doesn't mean it is the smartest thing to do if you go over weather that doesn't allow a VFR descent, but there is nothing illegal about flying over a deck. Here is a description of VFR over the top and how it is different than VFR on top: http://flighttraining.aopa.org/magazine/2001/July/200107_Features_Over_The_Top.html I have flown on an IFR flight plan and done VFR on top. Another article on it here: http://www.flyingmag.com/training/instrument-flight-rules/ifr-vfr-top This gives you the flexibility of flying by VFR but still maintaining your IFR flight plan.

Thanks for the article. This hit home with me yesterday. I was driving home from work on a winding back road. I came around a bend and see two police cars stopped with their lights on. The roads in this neck of the woods are narrow, so I inch by the first one and see no one in the vehicle. I proceed up to the State Police SUV, no one inside and again slowly begin to pass it. As I pass the front of the vehicle, I look over and see two feet laying motionless with the rest of the person laying in the deep grass. A few yards in front of the person is a Ninja bike sitting on its side. It was a solemn sight. Moving forward 100 feet, the road proceeds up a sharp hill with a strong 90 degree bend. On the hill are the two officers setting flares. Both of them had this, "not again" look on their faces. Everything we do in life has risk. You can try to live a sheltered life, but is that really living?

I absolutely agree, lately it seems all of the major aviation boards are in need of an enema...

And then there's Joe... I don't care what political affliation or political view you support, we lost the "We the People..." piece.

Funny stuff! As is this (from my home state man): http://youtu.be/Ll_goH-aivU As far as I am concerned... I'd rather not talk about it.

During the last annual, I had my mechanic pull the rear horns and replace any worn Heim (I think that is there official name) joints while they were stripping, checking for cracks and repainting. I see $47 each. Figure an hour if they need to use the story boards.

Could it be a minimum range that they want you to target?

Nice...

I got to see a Cirrus 22 Gen 5 (I think) up close the day Bob came to visit. It was being flown by a charter service out of Philly and picking up a passenger at my airport. I really liked the looks and the pilot went through the appointments it had. Mooney has some work ahead of it...

Today's WAAS GPS does not transmit out anything to ATC. I'm not sure where you got that from. If you file an IFR or VFR flight plan and in some cases when you obtain flight following, that information can be obtained by services like FlightAware. You can block your information from becoming available by sending a request to the FAA. The FAA still collects the information by it can be blocked from public access. Use this link to obtain the information needed to block it: http://www.nbaa.org/ops/security/asdi/

Cliffy -- are you sure about the blocked N numbers? As an example, my understanding is that if you have a GDL-88 with a mode C transponder, your N number is not reported out. It is only reported if you have mode S transponder. The UAT band does not report out your N number.

I know nothing! Alright! Which one of you hacked into my account and did that?!

They sure don't build them like they used to...

Unfortunately they been offering these products for a year on their site but you still can't get one delivered.

Clay -- most of us long time owners have a closet of "stuff" that we took out for various reasons. If the Dukes pump can be rebuilt and will work as direct replacement for the Weldon (wasn't sure if you installed the upgrade kit or bought the Weldon that someone mentioned is a direct replacement), I would rebuild it and hang onto it. If it can't be used again, you could rebuild it and sell it with the yellow tag or sell it as a serviceable core for someone who may be looking for a backup pump.