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Skyatty

By Skyatty
in Modern Mooney Discussion

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Skyatty Collaborator

Skyatty

Posted
Posted

Well, I finally took the plunge and bought a J-model.  Well cared for and well outfitted with a prebuy by Don Maxwell.  I picked up the airplane in Longview, TX on Friday the 6th and did my checkout with Grant Rubinson all around the Dallas area, including a great stop for BBQ in Stephensville, TX.  Terrific.  Launched out of Addison Airport on the 9th for the flight home to SLC, with stops in Santa Fe, NM and Cedar City, TX.  Interesting weather but amazing views of Monument Valley and Lake Powell.  Thanks to Parker Woodruff for pointing out the airplane to me originally, Don Maxwell for a very thorough prebuy inspection and excellent training from Grant.  By the way, the photos were all taken with an iPhone in some pretty good chop; I was surprised at the quality.

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trjymr Contributor

trjymr

Posted
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Awsome pictures!  I just bought an E model about 2 months ago and im pretty low time VFR pilot.  Did you have any problems flying over the mountains?  Im here in the Dallas area and want to plan a trip to the Phoenix AZ area.  I also have no Oxygen so I might not be able to fly over all the mountains. 

Parker_Woodruff Grand Master

Parker_Woodruff

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Quote: trjymr

Awsome pictures!  I just bought an E model about 2 months ago and im pretty low time VFR pilot.  Did you have any problems flying over the mountains?  Im here in the Dallas area and want to plan a trip to the Phoenix AZ area.  I also have no Oxygen so I might not be able to fly over all the mountains. 

Bob Proficient

Bob

Posted
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Enjoy your new purchase!  It looks like a nice one.


Parker, 


Great advise!  I personally think that a pilot with a new plane should never fly at night into a unfamiliar area.  The other day I was going from Chicago to the DC area and got a late start.  I chose to land at early dusk, just before the mountains.  I guess I just give in to Stay-Alive-Itis.

DaV8or Grand Master

DaV8or

Posted
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Congratulations on the plane! Love the pictures and the paint on your plane. Good colors. Welcome to the forums! Now, whip out that iPhone and get us some interior/panel pictures!Wink

KSMooniac Grand Master

KSMooniac

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Congrats!  You made the best choice.  :)


For those in TX (or elsewhere) contemplating flying west, heed Parker's advice about not flying at night w/o an instrument rating in the SW!  I learned that lesson first-hand a long time ago on a trip from College Station to Phoenix.  We left in the afternoon, fuel/dinner stop in Pecos, then finished the trip in the dark.  Departing Pecos was an eye-opener as there is *nothing* there to give you a horizon reference after you leave the airport environment!  Fortunately for me (and my pax!) I had just finished the IR a couple weeks prior and was proficient.  After a few seconds of being baffled, I realized I needed to fly IFR and then we were fine... I shudder to think what would have happened w/o instrument skills.  Even though it was perfectly legal, it might have ended badly ala JFK Jr.

skyking Experienced

skyking

Posted
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I will add most of Alberta and all of Northern Canada to that list of places not to fly at night without an instrument rating.


It is like flying in an ink well most of the time up here at night.

Bob Proficient

Bob

Posted
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The "missing horizon" sneaks up on you when flying over lake Michigan as well, at night, when going East.  This one is easy to forget, its just a lake right?

roundout Collaborator

roundout

Posted
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Glad to see your post, Roger. I will call you today or tomorrow. FWIW, the plane flies as nice as it looks. It's a super J model. 


 


BTW, I will take the advice given in this thread to another level. I wouldn't fly from DFW to PHX at night, period. Even with an instrument rating. TRJYMR, PM me. 

Skyatty Collaborator

Skyatty

Posted
  • Author
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Sorry for the delay, but I was in Mexico for a week; Grant, I got your message and I’ll catch up with you shortly.  Here are a few pictures of the panel. I didn’t take a photo of the MFD and Ryan 8800 Gold TCAD, but I will try to get one and put it up as well.  One of the few things I want to add is a digital fuel gauge that shows remaining fuel.  The plane has an EI UBG-16 analyzer that will display fuel flow, but I want to have something reliable that tells me what remains.


 


TRJYMR, the terrain was not too challenging but I spent quite a bit of time before I ever picked up the plan and then again with Grant reviewing the charts to pick the best route to deal with terrain.  I could have cut at least an hour off the trip by flying direct, but that would have taken me over the highest part of the Rockies and I was not interested.  Also, the route I chose took me over some beautiful terrain that the people cruising at the flight levels can’t enjoy in the same way. 


 


That said, there were still times where there was terrain ahead of me that I was not comfortable challenging, particularly since there was a layer of cumulus over me from Santa Fe until shortly crossing into Arizona, which prevented me from moving much higher than 10,500.  In those instances, it was a matter of looking for lower terrain and consulting the chart to verify what was on the other side.  I think one of the most interesting parts of the trip for me was verifying how relatively accurate the charts are when it comes to terrain.  I did some bobbing and weaving and was able to keep good separation.


 


Also, be aware, that it is not just terrain, there is an awful lot of flat ground out West that is not made for landing airplanes.  I scanned a lot for places to set down if the need arose and could not imagine that it would have been very good for the underside in most instances.  Quite a few dirt roads but having grown up in the desert, I could only imagine what would happen to the fillings in my teeth setting it down at 60+ on some of those roads.


 


As for the desert night flying, I would concur except if you have night experience and there is a full moon.  One of my greatest memories is a flight from Tehachapi, California to Burbank under a full moon.  Really beautiful and the horizon is not much of a problem then.


 


Hope you make the trip.

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Cruiser Grand Master

Cruiser

Posted
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Roger,


 


please bump up the font size on your messages. Us old guys have a really hard time trying to read the small print. I'll bet that was some beautiful country you flew over. Got any pictures?


thanks,


 

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