Marauder

Thanks for sharing this Parker. I have been with USAIG for a long time (maybe 25+ years). I never was asked on the annual application form for whether I had an IPC or anything time with an instructor. How do I get this information to USAIG if I am working through a broker like Falcon?

Great minds do think alike! I never liked the dual cue...

Now if you want your brain blown, let's introduce you to a double (dual) cue flight director! On my Aspen system, I have the single cue flight director. The standard installation is to have it integrated with the autopilot and in my case, could only be seen when the AP was engaged. I had it wired by the avionics shop to be used with the autopilot turned off. As others mentioned above, using the flight director makes it a lot easier to fly missed approaches.

That has to be a pretty sick feeling trying to flare and no flare is a coming...

Make sure you don't have a tubing/fitting leak. A small pinhole leak will give you some strange readings.

Airtex carpets. Custom fit from a template I sent them. I really love the SCS wool carpets, but at 1AMU, tad rich for this Cheap Bast$#d. I can change out 3 sets of Airtex carpets for what I would pay for an SCS set. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

The outside air temp has always been an interesting observation for me. I have the pilot side mechanical and electronic ones on the left wing (JPI 900) and rear fuselage (Aspen RSM). The wing and window one are usually within a degree or two but the fuselage one is typical 3 or 4 degrees C different.

You will get sticker shock when you see the labor costs. That said, when you see what a panel upgrade entails, you can understand why it costs so much. If the shop is decent, they will not only just stick the new stuff in but also correct the stuff that was done wrong in past installations. I will give you an example. In 2012 I had the Aspens installed along with the 650. That installation required them to use both radio stacks. In 2013, I had the same shop install a GNC255 and a GTX-327. Again, using the both radio stacks. In 2015, they installed my WX-500 and again was in the panel making connections. During those installations I had asked them to remove all dead wiring. Fast forward to 2017, I had moved my business to a new shop. Getting ready for the ADS-B mandate, I had the shop install a Lynx and asked if they would make a new panel for the center rack. The shop called and asked if I would come in and look at some things. I get to the shop and found they had completely rebuilt my radio stacks. And I mean completely. They show me the old stack and pointed out where the previous shop had notched away the structure to make things fit, showed where they should have used support for the racks and how they had jammed wires behind the stack, the very old wiring I had asked the previous shop to remove. The shop owner said he couldn't in good faith let me take the plane that way and rebuilt the stack at no charge. With a wink, he said it would make it easier the next time they worked on my plane -- guess who has been working on my plane since then? I am like you in that I did a lot of research on what I wanted before meeting with the shops. A good shop will appreciate that knowledge and make the conversation with them more meaningful. They will point out the benefits of going in one direction or another. You should always keep your long range plan in mind. It will help prevent rework.

The challenge will be your budget. If 15AMU is all you have to work with, at a minimum you will need a GPS compatible CDI that supports the 355. A G5 will support that. I am an Aspen owner, so I would check with the folks here if the G5 and/or GI-275 can support the analog output of the KX-155. My Aspen can handle either the GPS or an analog signal (originally had my Narco Mark-12D+ connected to it). If the Garmin stuff can’t support the analog and you don’t want to go with an Aspen, another option is to go with the G5 or GI-275 to support the 355 GPS output and look for a used King CDI to support your KX-155 for the VOR & ILS (I will need to look at your panel again to see if you have a CDI already installed). As for your autopilot. In 1998 when I installed a STEC 60-2, I had no idea how much of a workload I was carrying by hand flying everything. I would check to see if the G5 and/or GI-275 can handle an analog signal to at least support the heading bug. My greatest advice, sit down with a good avionics shop and try to figure out your options for now and prepare for the future. Once you start upgrading, you will want to see if you can do as much as possible now and have a plan for the next wave when finances permit. Every time your plane goes under the screwdriver, you are duplicating costs. I did my upgrades over 5 years. Knowing what I know now, I would have done it all at the same time. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I have been through your situation. Back in the early 1990s I bought my Mooney equipped very similar to your’s. After I got my instrument rating a year later, I flew for 7 years with just the half working wing leveler. The only avionics work I did was to keep things running and to add an electronic clock and GEM. I think you are going about this the right way. I would look at all of your wants/needs and try to accomplish as much as possible with your budget. The first thing you want is to upgrade to a GPS. With the plans to decommission VORs, a working GPS will become a necessity. I would look at the 355. The 650 will cost you a lot more. The next thing you want to do is consider removing the Narco stuff. The company is gone and the support is limited. Some may argue to keep it until it fails. Well, what will happen is that it will fail and you won’t be able to get on a schedule to have something supported put in the panel. I would replace the HSI with something that will work with the 355 and support the KX-155. I would consider getting a basic engine analyzer in the panel. IFR brings the risk factor up a level and you want as much information available on the health of your engine. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

The bigger question is how many people will be onboard and if a variety of Depends will be on board as well.

Sorry for being a wise arse upfront. Here is how I know I have GPSS: If you don’t have an Aspen, Garmin G5/275 or any of Garmin’s full PFD/MFDs, you probably don’t have it. The aftermarket ones that I have seen are the DAC GDC31 and the STEC GPSS modules. If you have an aftermarket unit, you will most likely have a switch like shown above. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

That happened to the Lake Henry VOR northwest of NYC. It’s now called LAAYK intersection. I remembered when it happened. I used to file a route using Lake Henry only to see it gone one day. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

You should see what that area looks like when a Trump TFR was in place. I tried to have McGuire get Philly to take me for VFR flight following headed west. They refused. Also have been refused Bravo entry a few times trying to cut a corner off. They do a good job but get overwhelmed at times. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

We ALL go to Modena! I wonder how long before it gets deactivated. Our VOR approach is deactivated and will be replaced next month with a couple of RNAV approaches. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

There were a lot of stupids out there today. Heard a couple of “NXXXXX you are about to enter restricted airspace” and a lot of traffic conflicts. What boggles my mind is if a plane can see me on his TIS-B (I could certainly see their N number) and I am flying a straight and steady course, why the hell would you turn into my path? Checking to see if you can see me? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Replace the gasket on the sender. Over the 30 years I have owned my Mooney that gasket would leak every several years and end up staining underneath in the area you are showing. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

The folks at Grigg’s are pretty helpful. I bought the locking low profile caps from them when I was installing my CiES senders. One of the caps had a deformed O ring and they sent me a full kit not just the O ring in question. I have heard of leaks at the interconnect between the inner and middle (or outer if you have the 54 gallon system). One of the challenges with these leaks is that fuel will go everywhere when you fly it. One of my sumps was dripping intermittently. Fuel from that leak was everywhere. And there shouldn’t be any Permatex on any of the gaskets. There is Proseal on the underside of the fuel filler port and may be used elsewhere. Grigg’s should be able to help you figure out what is going on. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Boomersintheknow.com and readers.com sell full lens “cheaters” for very little. You can get them in clear and a variety of different shades as well as different powers. I have several pairs in the plane and flight bag. I tried the Optx stick-ons and hated them. For me, a guy who wears large frame glasses, they covered too small of an area. Plus I could never get the bubbles completely out. I’m still seeing better than 20/20 for distance but like you, started needed readers in my 40s. As for “floaters”. If they bother you, spend some time before you get to your 60s and read about PVDs. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_vitreous_detachment Ain’t getting old fun? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Since you have a J, I would look at several locations. Make sure the seal at the fuel filler is intact. There is sealant between the fuel filler base and the top of wing but the seal underneath the wing and on the bladder seal is the one that should be checked. If it is leaking, fuel won’t show up on the wing but could flow down the bladder and underneath. Another area to check is the outer fuel sender seal. There is a cork gasket that could be leaking. The inner fuel sender would leak into the cockpit and you would smell it there. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I have seen them there. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

The issue with the dorsal fin is not the location itself, it is the com antenna that sits above it. There is a requirement that they are a certain distance from certain interferences. I moved my com antenna to the belly to make this location work.

These hotspots are pretty useful and now that I know things like the Gosund will work with it, I am looking for stuff to plug in. [emoji1787] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

If you can get cellular service, you can get WiFi through one of these hotspots (the Switcheone is essentially a cellular switch). Most of the carriers (if not all) sell hotspots. You put a SIM card in it and it runs off of cellular but produces a WiFi signal. I have all of my cell phones on Verizon, so for $10 a month, I added the hotspot to get feeds from my security cameras and now added these Gosund switches. It shares data from my cellular data plan. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

When T-Mobile announced they are dropping the 3G network this month, I looked into the Switcheon. But since I already had a Verizon hotspot in the hangar for my security cameras, I decided to give these Gosund smart plugs a try. What I wasn’t sure of was whether these switches could be controlled remotely through their app. I was pleasantly surprised that it can control multiple switches regardless of the WiFi network the switch is on. The switches above are rated for 10A (1100W) which is enough to handle a Reiff Turbo system (~670W). They also sell a 15 amp version. The app allows for instant control, countdown timer and a scheduler. Been using them for a couple of weeks and they are working as advertised. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro