Ground Speed Challenge

[GeorgePerry]

Fellow Mooniacs...I though it might be fun to post pictures of your fastest recorded ground speed. 

Here are the rules, honor code of course:

1. Must be Straight and level (decents just don't seem sporting)

2. Any power setting, any altitude

3. Picture capturing GPS displayed ground speed

4. 5. Put in a short caption describing flight conditions (A/C type, year, mods etc...alt, tailwind, pwr setting etc)

5. Don't exceed any POH limitations (that's my legal disclamer)

It's a ground speed competition so of course tailwinds will be a huge factor in your "bragging rights".  I know my old bird won't be anywhere near the front of the pack but I recorded this (pic below) last weekend.  My 74F was Straight and Level, 4000 ft, 25 squared 75% pwr and about 30kt tailwind.  GX50 IR GPS.

This should make for some interesting pics.

[KSMooniac]

Try here:  http://www.groundspeedrecords.com/database%20light.htm

[N57039]

The 201 kts is the best I've done in my Mooney.

The 531 kts was a couple of weeks ago and is the best I've gotten a picture of in one of the other planes I get to fly a Learjet 35. (Note the avionics in my Mooney are better than the Lear  )

Fast is good in any airplane!

[dlthig]

No proof, but I was doing 170kts GS in a 172SP the week before Christmas.  You gotta love the fast moving cold fronts.  The landing was sporty in an airplane that light.

[TurboExec]

Yeah I don't have proof, but I'll get it next time...

235kts GS in my '67 at 9000' running 23" and 2500 RPM....Killer winds out of the north, the ride back was painful!!!

[Seth]

Tomorrow on the east coast a front is coming through (in the mid atlantic region anyway) with sustained winds of around 25-35 mph and potential gusts up to near 50mph.  If anyone wants to get a high groundspeed, tomorrow might be a good day for it.  I don't have the forecast for winds aloft, but I'm sure they are above average.  I won't be flying as the plane is in annual, but someone can probably set a personal record tomorrow.  Or if, you have access to a 152 or a 172, you may be able to fly backwards! 

[Terry]

I see no rule that it has to be a Monney............. so here is mine from a few days ago LAX to ILN FL410 B-767-200. Saw 598, was hopping for 600 for the picture but no luck. It was painful going the other direction to MCI.

" Or if, you have access to a 152 or a 172, you may be able to fly backwards! " I have seen up to 15 or so going backwards in my 170 with it's stol kit.

Terry

PS any Monneys in SJU, would love to buy someone some gas on one of these 4 day layovers. Still looking to fly a "longbody"

[fantom]

Cruising along at 7,500 ft, 65%, 7 degrees C, 10.3 GPH, 200 lbs under gross:

OK, so maybe a 14 kt tailwind....

[29-0363]

Ovation GX2 in mid FL's for an average GS of 194 KTS for 6 hrs 19 min over 1228 NM.  Max GS 233 Kts.  Full throttle, 2400 RPM, blistering tailwind.  See the downloaded GPS tracklog with route map, speed and altitude profile at:

http://www.goflying.org/nav/tracklog/tracklog.htm?trackLogId=1362675720

 

 

[The-sky-captain]

Last week enroute from Santa Fe I hit 218 kts in level flight at 9500'. Due to turbulance I was not able to get a pic of it, although I did get a picture at 213 kts. At this time I am to lazy to post it so you have to take my word on it:)

[IFlyMooney]

I do not have the proof, so believe me or not.  I saw 275 kts at 17,500 ft in my 1979 231. I run 31" manifold pressure at 2425 rpm with an intercooler.  Tailwind was over 100 kts between Redlands, CA and San Angelo, TX.  Total time was 4:01.  It was amazing.

[Jeff_S]

I was taking a short hop (30 miles or so) from KPDK to Gainesville, GA (KGVL) to get my prop balanced at the Sensenich shop. It was a CAVU day and I hadn't really paid attention to winds aloft since winds on the ground were nil. But I just settle in for the short cruise at 3500' and took a casual glance at the MX-20 and saw 193 KTS! That was a 40 knot tailwind at 3500'.  I wished I could have flown on forever, instead of the mere 8 minutes or so it took to cover the ground.

 

[JoeSpeed]

Mooney Ovation 3 7500MSL TAS 190 FF 19.7

 

[Hank]

     My C-model can't compare with the new turbos in the flight levels, but this photo was last year at this time [9500', WOT/2500, my head on a swivel as I was passing an SR20]. Last week, enroute to my IFR checkride, I saw 165 kts groundspeed [3500', 22"/2400] for all of 15 minutes before I was there. [No picture--who takes a camera on a checkride?]

     Oh, yeah, fuel flow averaged just under 9 gph for both trips . . .

[danb35]

Best I've seen level in '48Q is 180 kts, 7000' MSL, WOT/2500/30 LOP.  Nice tailwind on that flight!  I saw 200+ on the descent, but that doesn't count.

[Earl]

I wish I had the evidence but on a trip from Georgia to New Jersey my groundspeed was 221 knots with a nice tailwind at 70% power.  As I recall I was in the mid-teens sucking O2 and made it all the way in a little over 3 hours.  I was then brutalized on the return trip two days later at lower altitude to avoid the 50 kt headwinds up high.  If I recall it took me 4.5 hours to get back.  Ugh!  But I could have been in a 172 and it would have taken all day so I am not complaining too much.

[Piloto]

Over Greenland in an Ovation at FL 170 doing 210 kts. No Ferry tanks, but Monroy wing tanks.

José

 

[FlyingAggie]

When Don Kaye delivered my plane to me 7 weeks ago, N262MB saw a GS of 235 knots at 17K' with 70% power.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N262MB/history/20100316/1230Z/KSJC/KMLF/tracklog.

[KLRDMD]

I saw 229 kts ground speed today. I took the F model up to 17,500 ft and upon leveling off noticed a ground speed of 110 kts. It was a test flight after maintenance and after turning back 180º before descending that 60 kt headwind turned into a nice tailwind.

[Qwalton]

On a flight from Santa Rosa to Santa Barbara last weekend I saw a groundspeed of around 180 knots at 9000 feet.  I hit around 200 kts later on in the flight during the decent.

 

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N5712Q/history/20100501/2340Z/KSTS/KSBA/tracklog

[RJBrown]

On a Thanksgiving trip from Denver to Cincinnati 10 years ago.  I got a big push about halfway there.  The trip is exactly 1000 Nautical. With 100 gal usable going 200 Knots TAS using 20 gal per hour my reserve was the tailwind. Initially the wind was a quartering tailwind and gave no real push. I pulled the power back to achieve a 30 min reserve. About 2 hours out the winds shifted to a direct tailwind. At that point I powered back up to normal cruise and saw over 275 kts on the Garmin 295. That Rocket was screaming. Just to see how fast I could get I pushed it to 88% just long enough to see 300 kts. Had over 80 kts on the tail. Still had over an hours fuel when I landed.

Not me but another Rocket @ 313 kts. http://www.groundspeedrecords.com/records/record%20light%20Mooney%20231%20Rocket%20313kts.htm  

Interesting website, shows an Encore at over 300 also!

[mooneykflyer]

Missing a pic but was doing 216 GS at 15,000' in my 231 on 12.0 GPH.

It was actually a pretty decent ride (most of the time).

 

[DaV8or]

I'm starting to think that this thread is just an excuse for you guys to show off your super nice panels!

[Amelia]

No proof-- except for the smug grin still on my face, and FlightAware saying I went from MOB to EDE two weeks ago in 3.4 hours, but the ground speed readout at 11,000 feet was 212 kt for most of the trip, at 12 gph. (Of course, the trip down that way into headwinds took longer, but such is life. STILL got there in well less than half a day.)

[MB_M20F]

No proof but Iceland Radio once cleared me to maintain Mach Point Two Four (in my F model). I simply acknowledged and flew my usual speed, but it sure sounded fast to me...