Taking my Mooney Cross Country

[Raptor05121]

 

 

 

 

 

Your step is hanging down. I think they make a pill for that

[marks]

Maybe I missed something, but how did you manage to take photos from outside the plane? 

[Marauder]

Maybe I missed something, but how did you manage to take photos from outside the plane?

A GoPro camera can be controlled both through a remote wristband controller or the app.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Bob_Belville]

A GoPro camera can be controlled both through a remote wristband controller or the app.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

A C model, with a fixed step, external camera, and the roof vent open... still smoking anything else in it's class or price range.

[Bob_Belville]

I still remember New York Control's instruction for a flight from Danbury to Linden: Fly the west side of the river below 1500'(?), turn right at the Lady. 

[Hank]

A C model, with a fixed step, external camera, and the roof vent open... still smoking anything else in it's class or price range.

Hey, that's my plane (except for the camera part).

Loving your write up. Hope to make it up that way eventually.

[StinkBug]

One more bit of trivia. I just looked at the calendar and realized that one year ago today was my PPL checkride.

[Hank]

One more bit of trivia. I just looked at the calendar and realized that one year ago today was my PPL checkride.

Woohoo for new pilots in Mooneys!! I flew from WV to Yellowstone and back one year and three months after my PPL, hitting the 1-year anniversary of completing insurance-required Mooney instruction. We went VFR, and I also hit 200 hours total on the way back.

Congrats for getting out there and using your Instrument Rating!

[ShermAv8tor]

So awesome to follow the post here, very inspiring! In the beginning I thought you were going over the sierras and rockies and onto chicago, when did you change your mind and why? How is the go pro mounted? suction cup on the tail? upper or lower side? Again great trip and really enjoy following the trip as it unfolds......Safe travels!

[StinkBug]

We will be doing the more northern route on the way back. Reason we flipped the schedule is that Obama is in town here and if we came on our original schedule we'd be under the TFR and unable to do scenic flights the whole time. Flipping the schedule got us here later and will give us a day to fool around and take some of my friends up flying.

 

Most of the GoPros are mounted with the regular stick on mounts, but I also have a clamp on one that attaches to the step, and a bolt on mount that replaces the tie down ring. The shot above with the Statue of Liberty is a sticky mount on the top of the horizontal stabilizer right out at the end, turned about 20 degrees outward.

 

Here's where we'll be staying for the next couple days. It's a pretty rough neighborhood.

 

[KSMooniac]

That Statue of Liberty picture is a great poster shot!  You should blow it up and print it out when you get home... I'd be very proud to have one like that from my Hudson trip.  I don't have an external camera yet and didn't even think of getting one on my trip, dangit.  Guess I'll have to go back.

[ShermAv8tor]

Most of the GoPros are mounted with the regular stick on mounts, but I also have a clamp on one that attaches to the step, and a bolt on mount that replaces the tie down ring. The shot above with the Statue of Liberty is a sticky mount on the top of the horizontal stabilizer right out at the end, turned about 20 degrees outward.

Wow just the sticky mounts? I was afraid to let my son put his on with the suction cup he had for bought for his car in fear of it falling off! LOL! I was worried about the speed....The bolt on under the wing I could do for sure. I just never thought the regular sticky would stay.....Think I'll try the sticky pad then.....I'll say it again.....awesome trip!

[MB65E]

The sticky mounts stay on all the red bull airplanes. 250K and 10+G! It's all in the condition of the paint.

Hope the trip is going well D! Great pictures, I like the cloud layer pic. I bet the camera doesn't do it justice!

I think it's great your able to share your trip with everyone! How cool!!

-Matt

[StinkBug]

I've mounted GoPros on the bottom of Trophy trucks with sticky mounts and had them stay for the entire Baja1000. I figure if they can take 18 hours of that kind of abuse they should be fine for some wind. Honestly the biggest fear with them is pulling the paint off when you remove them. I've had that happen on other things before. I would never ever use a suction cup mount on anything outside though. The changes in air pressure are enough that I've had suction cups fall off just from climbing a few thousand feet. Thankfully the camera just fell onto the seat.

 

And yes, the camera just does not do so much of it justice at all.

[gsxrpilot]

I've used the sticky mounts a lot. And I've never had one come off. I've had a sticky mount on for up to four months, using it on and off. The best way to remove them is to use some fishing line to slice through the sticky pad and then roll the remaining off with your thumb. Of course they're not reusable.

 

The biggest issue with the sticky mounts is that the contact area is so small that there can be a bit of vibration in the camera. Its usually only on the takeoff roll, but it's there. That can be somewhat mitigated by putting the sticky mount on a row of rivets or on a rib where there's less flex in the aluminum.

 

I've also used the suction cup mount on the outside as well. But only in the pattern where there isn't as much altitude change. I used it once to troubleshoot an AOA vane under the wing. It worked just fine.

 

The new GoPro4 Session is the hot ticket for externally mounted camera. Here's a pic just taking off from Madison next stop Oshkosh.

 

[StinkBug]

One of the cameras I have is the session. For outside the plane stuff it's definitely the camera of choice. I'm not totally sold on it yet for some other common gopro uses, but it works well for this and its size is definitely nice.

[carusoam]

Other things almost related to this thread...

-----

Rae recently posted a link to a Mooney Obit.... It landed in the Blog arena...

http://mooneyspace.com/blog/52/entry-36-obit-for-dennis-bernhard/

His avatar has a photo of his Missile.

-----

This month's AOPA magazine covers a Cirrus accident that occurred at 5B6 a few years ago...

Short runway, trees, speed control, and other things were contributing factors to a botched landing attempt ending with a fire...

Best regards,

-a-

[AZ231]

Thanks for the NYC pics, Dallas.  What an epic trip so far!

[StinkBug]

If anyone decides to take a trip like this in the future I highly recommend a nice long stop at some point. Taking a few days to relax on the Cape has totally renewed my excitement to get back into the plane. Not that I'm eager to leave this place, I love it here and have many years of great memories, and it's great to be with my family, but having a chance to relax and recharge has taken away some of the fatigue of so many flight hours in such a short time. Now if only the bed were more comfy....

 

[StinkBug]

Well after a few days of rest and relaxation on the cape we took off yesterday morning into a rather cloudy sky. I really wanted to do some sightseeing around the cape while we were there, but it just wasn't to be. Ended up taking off IFR from 5B6 into a 700' overcast. From there we went more or less direct to AGC for a short fuel stop where I spotted a Beechjet that's usually on the ramp at my home FBO, and as we were leaving the pilot of another corporate jet walked over and said "hey didn't I just see you guys in SC?" Apparently he was in Myrtle beach at the same time as us. Funny how small the aviation world is. We got fueled up and hopped back in for the leg to Dayton, OH and managed to get there early enough to get a couple hours in at the Air Force museum before they closed. Glad we did too, cause just like everyone said it's just too big to cover in one day, and the extra couple hours really helped.

 

 

 

 

[StinkBug]

Today we were at the museum just before opening and stayed before closing. We ended up taking the bus onto the base twice to see the presidential and R&D hangars, as one trip just wasn't long enough. Just too much cool and interesting stuff in this place. We stayed until they closed the doors on us, then headed back to the airport and headed towards Chicago. Ended up getting into Schaumburg just before sunset, and it was gorgeous on the way down.

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we'll be joining my Uncle for a bit of touristing around Chicago.

[Hank]

Love the boat behind the hangar in Falmouth. Where else but on the Cape???

[carusoam]

Is that you standing about 10' in front of my favorite tie-down spot?

My Dad's house was a mile towards your back.

Thanks for sharing the photos.

Best regards,

-a-

[StinkBug]

No that's my buddy Brandon who has been putting up with me for this trip. Gotta say that is a pretty awesome place there. Would be so awesome to just taxi into your hangar and walk in to your living room.

[StinkBug]

Yesterday we spent the day in Chicago hanging out with my Uncle being tourists. I was born in the windy city and still visit regularly, but Brandon had never been there and my uncle lives there so he never does the tourist stuff. Spent a few hours at the Museum of Science & Industry checking out the U-Boat and the 727, then headed downtown for lunch, a walk around millennium park and a trip up the Sears Tower. 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we loaded up to make some miles. Flew direct from 06C to KSDA to get fuel and found the quietest little airport. Friendly people though, and they let us borrow the old police car they have for a crew car to go get lunch. If you ever stop in there we both enjoyed the food at Mongos. After filling up the plane and our bellies we got up in the air again and made our way to Denver. Just checked into our hotel and relaxing for the evening.