Will Samurai Husky pass his checkride?

[Marcopolo]

Seek and ye shall find!

 

  

 

 

[Samurai Husky]

1) A top OH is not a red flag is it?  It is a sign of how the plane was used.  Some owners prefer to fly fast as their priority. Really fast can be accomplished using up a set of cylinders.  15AMUs on a 500AMU plane to go really fast... (Good for somebody with a higher income than me)

It can be a red flag, getting a top OH at under 1000hrs tells me that there was something wrong. Even if you fly the plane hard, the cylinders should last to 1000. Here we are few hundred hours later and the plane is up for sale. I am thinking there is something wrong with the plane and its chewing up cylinders. 

The second part is that it was a O2 converted to a O3, again i am not sure what is entailed in that, but if you wanted a O3, it would have been cheaper to just buy a O3.

(2) A long body is not recommended for training.  Sam, your basic training is coming to an end.  You will have enough experience to wisely select which Mooney meets your requirements.

OK

(3) Expect a fair amount of transition training will be required by you and your insurance company.  Your first year of insurance will be more than you want to pay.  A high powered LB probably won't be a lot of fun to fly until you become comfortable with all of the systems, V speeds, and stall speeds.  The fun really comes when all this stuff gets mastered.

Its that transition part that worries me. Right now i'm getting to the point of just wanting my ticket because everything that has been involved in my training can be summarized by the word 'delay'. Maintenance delay, CFI delay, Club delay, weather delay, TFR delay. There is probably at least a month of delays if not more that has gone into my training. So right now i am just getting to the point of fatigue. It might be that i get my PPL and take a break for a few months so that things can settle. 

(4) isn't it early in the discussion to talk about WAAS issues and prices when you don't have the IR to make any value out of it?

NOPE! Why? because thats on the list of next things to do! Most insurance places i talk to say they will give me a reduced rate IF i have IR within 1 year. So that is a near term goal. Will i need it? no, but will i want it? yes. If its anything you have all taught me, its buy the plane with the avionics in it! Dont start backing out now

(5) Both Cirrus 20 and 22 share the same engines that are used in Mooneys.  Every time you see a video of Cirrus chute pull, Mooney pilots watch wanting to know if there is something about the engine not working properly.  Is there something to be learned...  Early IO550 installations had issues with the oil cooler spewing oil out of a crack.

Yea, i think i have heard of some of these. I think the cylinders they were using had more metallurgy and CMI? was replacing cylinders for free if they were made during the recall period.  

(6) Are you interested in a plane that flies fast and efficiently or are you still swayed by the look of fancy electronics and a chute handle?

When i am spending this much money i want both  I am still weighing the cost benefits; My pocket book says fast efficient, my brain says 'you are too green to land a plane in a field you dummy, get the chute'. I value my life more than my pocket book, which is why i make for a terrible hostage. 

(7) I can add WAAS capability to my O1 by installing a used G430W. All in 5-6AMU.  Few people would be interested if I were to post a photo of that.  Even if a splurged and added a 2AMU GPSS box to go with it. I can't add a chute handle. I train to lower the nose land straight ahead.  We all discuss various ways of keeping enough fuel in the tanks. Mr. Monroy has made a really wise business argument out of it.

This is part of the dilemma. 

(8) you sound like you want a new Ovation at used Ovation prices (I would too).

Not true, There was a O2 posted for $250 that had G1000 with WAAS; I would have made a serious go at that plane. I find that plane prices are subjective, they are worth what the market is willing to pay. You can see that by so many planes sitting on the market for months and months with out any one even looking at them.

(9) The solution to your problem is simply....

   - get a LB that is nearly run-out with an ancient (20 year old) instrument panel.

   - get transition training.   Go fly.

   - add stuff when you and your wallet are ready. (Every year at tax time)

  - get IR

  - fly some dogs around.

  - compete in the Panel Wars competition.  (Don Kaye has set an interesting bar for West coast LBs, Steven is completing a high bar O project on the East coast.)

  - post a video of a WAAS approach in your plane with a trio Go-pros.  Post a nasty-gram to Big G, a nice photo of a complete Avidyne panel in your O should work pretty well.  Use your best MS candor for this.

(10) set some goals that go out farther than - get my PPL.

My goals go way farther out. The last time i posted them, people yelled at me, but that doesnt mean that they still arnt goals!

Obviously PPL is #1, Plane #2 but since i have 3 weeks before my check ride, i need to do SOMETHING productive. #3 First passengers (might be a pair of huskys) 3.5 PnP missions. #4 First XC - probably to San Diego because we have a client down there and i might be able to write it off. #5 build hours, #6 XC to PHX, #7 IFR (i was told to get about 100hrs before starting this); #8 West Coast Travel, #9 Mid West Travel (Chicago); #10 A real XC to Boston or there about. #11 Island Hopping! (never been to the keys or anywhere else down there); #12 Alaska, #13 Next plane! (maybe).

Everything past #2 has no time frame, it will happen when it happens. 

(11) Like everything else,  the IR is a license to learn.  You don't get measured by what you start.  The important part is what you finish.  The hard part is, there is no end to acquiring useful experience...  Don't be in a rush to get to the end.

Agree. No rush as i said in the previous answer; 

(12) acquiring experiences like flying a high wing low powered airplane with draggy struts is still beneficial.

That will come in time

(13) spending a cash horde because it is beneficial to your tax situation adds additional pressure to your plan.  Get good financial advice to make sure you are doing it properly.  Its not additional pressure. It is beneficial. I think the sales tax alone is something like 30k of which i can write off. That 30k puts me in a different tax bracket which then drops my total tax liability by several % points. So really by not doing this now, i am litterally throwing away money.

(14) fly to a local Mooney fly-in.

Even if i have a cirrus

(15) fly to KOSH.

Thats several years out. KOSH is basically Chicago and there is a lot of learning that needs to be done before now and then.

(16) Get some formation training.

Really?

(17) Check in with the rest of your life forces.  There may be some other important things like family, house, work, dogs...

Family is one of the reasons for the flying. Family is down in AZ, I am up here in Cali all by my self. Sometimes i do get home sick and want to see my parents, with 2 dogs and a 11hr car drive, that becomes a real problem.

There is no rush.  A measured pace, following a plan that gets updated along the way, works wonders.

Any of this sound familiar?

All of it sounds familiar. But i think i have been very consistent and up front about my over all plans. I think the only things that have really changed are my expectations. The goals are still the same, but the time lines are not. 

Best regards,

I think you guys want me to get a mooney so i can stick around  Though its looking less likely now.... but anything can happen. 

[mike_elliott]

14 hours ago, chrisk said:

I couldn't help it. I had to look up the prices for overhauling a  Lycoming TIO-540-AF1B which is  used in the M20M (aka Bravo).  I can't help it because I would really like a Bravo, but the rational side takes over when I look at the overhaul price.

http://www.airpowerinc.com/productcart/pc/TLEngineDetail.asp?catID=33&prodID=10267

 

New:  $96,554

Rebuilt: $64,017

Overhauled: $58,017

 

By contrast the engine in an Ovation (I think a Continental IO550G) is around $50K new and $40K rebuilt.

Rumor has it one Mooney Space member bought a Factory Reman TIO540AF1B for his Bravo last year at OSH for under 55K. Zero time logbook. Its all those darned hoses that make the price high

 

[gsengle]

Husky, 1) if a top overhaul is done it erases the bad that was done, so yes something to consider but not if recent.

2) the O1 O2 and O3 are identical airframes, the only thing that changes is the rpm limit and prop to get the extra hp. Matters not one bit when that happens, at the factory or later say on an O1.

6) despite the chute historically the cirrus has a higher fatal accident rate. Don't let the chute lull you into a false sense of security, some think the cirrus airframe has issues aerodynamically and most think the cirrus bungee trim system is a bad think for what it does to control feel especially vis a vis slow flight.

But most of all, you HAVE to go fly one. I'd fly you today except I'm in MA. You might just be impressed at the strength and quality of a nice Ovation.

g

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[Samurai Husky]

yea, there is a big argument about that right now in the cirrus forums. We think its because to many low time pilots are getting cirrus's with the impression that the chute will save them in all situations, but thats not true. 

In 68 cases it has. But the fatalities have been happening in the pattern, The thought is that people are turning too steeply while climbing, getting slow and entering a spin near TPA. You need a lot of right rudder in these planes and i have seen people get lazy on looking at the slip coordinator, even my CFI is guilty of that. 

I am under no misconceptions about the chute. I know when it will work and when it will not, thats the risk in aviation. 

If it wasnt so dang expensive to fly commercial i would take you up on that. It just sucks that its a 6 hour plane ride from here to there. Honestly if it were just like a 2 hour flight where i could fly in the morning and leave by evening, i would. Im still trying to find a CFI that is Mooney experienced that can just take me up in the clubs Mooney. The guy doing my check ride on Monday is a possibility, he has a ton of aviation experience and isnt cirrus focused so i was going to ask him; Since its a 07' acclaim, it should be basically the same thing as the ovation right? 

[Seth]

3 minutes ago, Samurai Husky said:

yea, there is a big argument about that right now in the cirrus forums. We think its because to many low time pilots are getting cirrus's with the impression that the chute will save them in all situations, but thats not true. 

In 68 cases it has. But the fatalities have been happening in the pattern, The thought is that people are turning too steeply while climbing, getting slow and entering a spin near TPA. You need a lot of right rudder in these planes and i have seen people get lazy on looking at the slip coordinator, even my CFI is guilty of that. 

I am under no misconceptions about the chute. I know when it will work and when it will not, thats the risk in aviation. 

If it wasnt so dang expensive to fly commercial i would take you up on that. It just sucks that its a 6 hour plane ride from here to there. Honestly if it were just like a 2 hour flight where i could fly in the morning and leave by evening, i would. Im still trying to find a CFI that is Mooney experienced that can just take me up in the clubs Mooney. The guy doing my check ride on Monday is a possibility, he has a ton of aviation experience and isnt cirrus focused so i was going to ask him; Since its a 07' acclaim, it should be basically the same thing as the ovation right? 

Almost.

They are both long bodies.

The Acclaim is The M20TN. It's a 280 HP Turbo.

The Ovation is the M20R - depending on which version, 280 to 310 HP normally aspirated.

They will fly similar in feel but the power will be slightly different.  The Acclaim will start to pull away speed wise between 6000 and 8000.  Also, if it's hot or high the Acclaim will have more power initially.  With no turbo, the Ovation will win at sea level (weight and complexity not there).

The Ovation often makes more sense if you are going to do he majority of your flying below 12500.

 

-Seth

[gsengle]

So cmon people who in CA has an Ovation for a demo?

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[carusoam]

I'm guessing Cirrus owners have local fly-ins...

If one of the main reasons for selecting a plane is it's parachute, will the owners gather for lunch to talk about their insecurities?

I kind of like the Speed and efficiency guys.  My favorites are speed, efficiency on a budget folks.  (Been there, done that, and will have to go there again someday...)

Family... The people you have to drag with you, feed, educate and supply insurance for, not the ones you want to visit a few Mooney hours away.  Some family members are more of a responsibility than others...

If I were staying single....

- rent a training plane, non-stop...   All American Flyers. Many planes available, many interchangeable instructors to match.  No delays.  Standard panels and glass panels.  Training in an expensive plane that has limited availability...is quite limiting!  

- Save Using a well known instructor for something that is time critical, deeply technical, or so specialized it isn't available anywhere else.  A few days of transition training is one of these times.

- start working on acquiring and building up my forever plane.  Probably turbine powered.

- acquire a now plane, my next Mooney for the foreseeable future. (Decade)

- money is currently cheap, get a loan to pay for it, upgrade it.  Use a financial expert for your situation

- focus on the positive, so many people haven't made it this far.

- Stay positive, things can change drastically in a single day.

- why focus on big family haulers?

- go back to work, non stop.  Sleep, eat, fly, repeat.

 

My retirement phase will probably look similar to...

- Bob's E.  It is a nice example of a fully instrumented modern-like plane with enough UL to carry a few big dogs. Replete with WAAS equipment.  Bob posted a nice video flying his ship into SNF....(annual event similar to KOSH)

-or-

- Joe's Acclaim.  TN'd and 310hp.  (Mine will also have a spare set of jugs ready to go at 1000 hrs.)

 

Just my thoughts,

-a-

 

[Yooper Rocketman]

Come on guys,  all this work to bring and keep this guy in the fold and no one out there close to him to set the hook on Mooney ownership with a ride?

[Samurai Husky]

LOL i dont want to stay single!!!!! Its just the hand i have been delt so far

After renting for 4 months, im done with renting. I have been cancelled so many times, or the plane(s) have been booked so many times, its just not worth it. 

LOL, i think all of the mooney owners live on the east coast. 

The chute is a good way of coaxing people to go flying. I am not sure my sister would let my nephew fly with me if it didnt have a chute. Again, just going through the pros and cons. 

Im hoping that for my next plane i have a family and kids and i will be looking at something like a 340A or Piper Malibu. Or if things go really well, one of those new personal jets If not then im moving to Washington and starting a husky farm.

The more i think about it; It might be cheaper to fly to MA then it is to rent the mooney with a CFI.....

[carusoam]

Mitch has been a long time MSer. (See marco's link above) Using his plane as a base line for comparison would work pretty well.

It's also on the west coast, unless he is out flying on tour.

There are advantages of having a plane before getting married.  Getting wife and kids situated before flight training begins, can be hazardous to your flight plans...

One college degree can cost more than Mitch's O.

Go make it happen.  (Whatever ’it' means to you)

Best regards,

-a-

 

[bonal]

you might reach out to Don K on this site he is a master CFI and is based only minutes away I think he trains in other folks airplanes but might be willing to give you a lesson and a flight exposure to a LB in his and you could log it towards your transition.  Don if I'm out of line suggesting this please accept my apologies. I would offer you a ride in mine but my old C would not be a good first impression for someone that is looking to go high end. your getting close good luck on the check ride.

[donkaye]

59 minutes ago, bonal said:

you might reach out to Don K on this site he is a master CFI and is based only minutes away I think he trains in other folks airplanes but might be willing to give you a lesson and a flight exposure to a LB in his and you could log it towards your transition.  Don if I'm out of line suggesting this please accept my apologies. I would offer you a ride in mine but my old C would not be a good first impression for someone that is looking to go high end. your getting close good luck on the check ride.

It wouldn't be a problem.  I've done 2 transition trainings this year to very low time pilots in LB.  One bought his Ovation 3 and we flew it back home to California before he had his private pilot's license.  Low time pilots are easier to teach than those with a lot of time from my experience.

[bonal]

Well Sam sounds like a great opportunity to get some exposure to a LB and some outstanding Mooney training to see if its a good fit. 

[Samurai Husky]

already sent a PM

[gsengle]

Careful, you'll want an Acclaim

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[Samurai Husky]

Forgot to mention; I passed my club check ride so i am signed off to take the PPL (even though i was already signed up for it); 

Oral went well; He asked me all of the hardest questions he could come up with. Including things like 'how long should i wait to fly after scuba diving'... I was like really? you're going to ask that instead of the weather questions...... I got it right, but still...

The only dings I got were on my landings; I had to fly a different plane and it sits completely different then the one i fly; It sits about 3" higher so i was late on my flare and landed flat for both the short field and diversion. I nailed the soft field which was the last landing of the day. 

I was dinged on lost procedures; he asked to find what radial i was on for a specific VOR; I had no idea how to do that with the Avadyne system. So i will need to review that. 

He dinged me on slow flight, but thats because he held me to the wrong standards. I guess they changed it and they no longer want to you be on the edge of stall; He only dinged me on the amount of time it took to get it to that level, not the actual procedure. I guess now they dont want the stall horn to come on and instead of 63kph i should be shooting for between 68-70, which is a lot easier then edge of stall.

He let slide my steep turn; I did the 1st one perfect and went through my own wake; the 2nd one i lost too much speed at the end and dropped 120ft in the last 15*; I was so stable for the whole turn that i looked only at my turn coordinator instead of watching my speed; had i added power i wouldn't have dropped; So i have to be more aware of that. I might just add power half way through regardless to avoid that next time.

Passed all the T/O; Passed the diversion; Passed the engine out in pattern; Passed the emergency decent; Passed stalls, though he commented that my turning stall was 'slow'; I was waiting for the wing to drop so let the stall fulllllllllllyyyyyyy develop, so i didnt recover as fast as i should have but he said i would have passed that. Passed hood time, passed unusual attitudes, though i added power in the nose down attitude early. He said i should have let the plane naturally slow down first. 

All in all good stuff. I was nervous enough as it was since i was flying a plane i really dont like to fly. I am always late on the flair on it it and I cant get used to the throttle throw because at the mid point there is a ton of friction right at 60% power; so slowing down or speeding up you have to push through that point and i end up over shooting in order to break the resistance. 

But here's another milestone marker down! Hopefully 2 weeks from today i will actually be able to come back here and call myself a real pilot!

[bonal]

You can fly a plane solo makes you a real pilot,  The scuba question is very important, if you visit some scuba forums you will see many of the same names like Hank and Bonal and Marauder and Carusoam  I think there might even be an M20doc floating around

[Samurai Husky]

I guess. I just dont think its a high priority question; I would have liked to see more questions that directly relate to 'common' risks to the flight. Things like temperature/due point relationships; Wind sheer, Icing conditions. Etc.

I didnt even get a weight and balance question or a density altitude question. IDK; just figured that they should gear the questions more towards the common stuff people need to know vs the uncommon stuff thats nice to know and act as a trap. 

Though i got in the habit of asking questions back... 'What can you tell me about X', 'What would you like to know about X?' was my common response.

Like he asked me about the electrical system in the plane and i wasnt about to draw out the whole electrical schematic without him specifically asking for it.

[gsengle]

I guess. I just dont think its a high priority question; I would have liked to see more questions that directly relate to 'common' risks to the flight. Things like temperature/due point relationships; Wind sheer, Icing conditions. Etc.

I didnt even get a weight and balance question or a density altitude question. IDK; just figured that they should gear the questions more towards the common stuff people need to know vs the uncommon stuff thats nice to know and act as a trap. 

Though i got in the habit of asking questions back... 'What can you tell me about X', 'What would you like to know about X?' was my common response.

Like he asked me about the electrical system in the plane and i wasnt about to draw out the whole electrical schematic without him specifically asking for it.

Good luck on the check ride!

Ps scuba is a high priority question because an attack of the bends can incapacitate you as pic and endanger you and your passenger pretty suddenly. Not theoretical at all :-o

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[carusoam]

It turns out all questions are important for that test.  You have to know everything.

Of course, on the written, they want something like 70% right.  

It was a learning experience.  You'll never go deep diving and high flying without checking the time in between.  

The reason you hang out here is to pick up the real life knowledge you need that is specific to your type of flying.

Thunderstorms, icing, VFR flight into IMC, engine out/the impossible turn, and density altitude/take-off are the tough ones that occur too often.  But there are a thousand other ways to generate your own disaster.

Never stop learning.

Keep up the good work.

Best regard,

-a-

[thinwing]

Good luck on check Ride!You may change your opinion on the Bravo,especially after flying with Don....cruising direct Kdvt or Ksdl at 17 or 19 k from kpao you will see what I mean!Of course ,at this stage ,you haven't had to cross the Sierra or Rockys so you haven't experienced the gut wrenching fear of a hot / high wind mountain range crossing  in a NA.Also ,since the bravo conversions,the lycomings have had far fewer midtime cylinder replacements than the continentals.Upkeep on my Bravo hasn't produced any excessive expenses.Last trip back from Canadian fishing lodge last week ,I couldn't have done it without the turbo or known ice.regard kpc.ps....for a another perspective,get that CFI of yours to give you hop in his lake amphib.. Don't forget swim trunks!...k

[Samurai Husky]

Yea, I have started considering a turbo since the weather has shifted; Its been 92 here and down in AZ its been like 115; So if i ever went down there in the summer the turbo would help with the DA from the heat. 

I keep bouncing back an forth on the topic. 

This wait though is really killing me... Its like having a papercut that wont go away. I just want to take the test and get it over with and then take a massive sigh of relief!

[gsengle]

That's a good question actually, is a turbo a plus or a minus for higher DA which is mostly due to heat not due to altitude?

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[Samurai Husky]

From what i understand its the same thing; Heat disperses air molecules making it less dense, which high altitude just naturally has less air molecules due to gravity i believe. 

In either case the prop has less air to push against so the prop performance is the same, turbo or not; How ever the engine performance will be better because the turbo will force air into the corroborator to increase the density.

So the end result i believe is that when you take off your NA engine might only produce 90% power or something like that, but the Turbo will product 100% power and therefore more thrust. 

I think the trade off is that your CHT's run hotter... but i could be wrong on that..