Community Accountablity for My 2017 Aviation Objectives

[astravierso]

All,

I am looking to use the MS Community as an accountability tool to help me reach the aviation objectives I am placing on myself for 2017. MS has been a great source of information from both "greybeards" and "newbies" alike and as such I can think of no better group to ask for this help. Part of holding someone accountable is that you must be willing to help them accomplish that objective. With that said asking to be held accountable does not mean I am asking for ridicule or abuse (if you don't understand the difference you can stop reading now and definitely DO NOT post on this thread) as I am a grown adult who has led Marines, raised children who are successful and have many personal and professional accomplishments outside of aviation (just as the vast majority of you do). While I know that I probably could accomplish my objectives with minimal help from the MS community I know it not be as enjoyable or entertaining ( aren't those the reasons we all interact here on MS ).

So what's in it for you.... 1. You get to follow and aid in my growth from low time (150+hrs TT, 35 TiT) non instrument rated PP to a not as low a time SEL Comm  Mooney pilot. 2. When I travel to your area there will be an open invitation for dinner (yes I'll be paying... Happy Meals are still pretty reasonable) 3. You get to be entertained by some of the misadventures which are likely to occur (we all have them, I will just publicly admit they happen). 4. I am more then willing to share my knowledge on applicable Reliability Centered Maintenance Topics, engine oil and engine oil filter analysis being one of them (for those who are interested) as this is what I do for a living on large mining mobile and plant equipment ( due to legal concerns there will be no warranty given or implied, application of information given is the sole responsibility of the end user ( I hate legal crap but there is always some chucklehead)).

If I haven't lost your interest and you are a person who can have adult conversations that you don't view as a "measuring contest", where there can be more than 1 right answer to questions asked, below is a list of my objectives with reasons why I want to accomplish them and rough timelines. Thanks in advance for your help.

1, Use my AC for business travel. Timeline-NOW

I currently travel 35-40 wks a year throughout the US and Canada (this is where the dinners come in) and I am tired of giving Delta all that money while my AC sits in a hanger

2. Get qualified for Mooney Caravan, Fly with Caravan to KOSH this year. Timeline- signed up for training in Yuma AZ in Feb.

Do I really need to put a reason here... It's Airventure and a bunch of Mooney drivers. What could be better???

3. Upgrade avionics in AC. Timeline-3rd wk in Feb (radios purchased and on shop schedule)

Have you seen the current radios in my plane.......the 70's don't even want them back

4. Complete Instrument Rating. Timeline- start in Q2 finish before end of Q3 2017 (dates not firm still looking for a CFII who I want to learn from)

Because I want to challenge myself and gain more utility from my AC

5. Complete SEL Comm Cert. Timeline-before the end of Q4

Because I want to challenge myself and honestly it's an ego thing

 

So that's it. If you're interested in helping me meet my objective in a positive manner please chime in even if it only to ask for a status update if I haven't posted one in a while.

Cheers,

 

[astravierso]

First Request for Guidance:

I am planning to fly from the Salt Lake City area to the Folsom/Sacramento CA area the week Jan 23rd staying for 1 1/2 weeks and leaving for Yuma AZ on the 2nd for Feb. This trip will be under VFR my projected route will be across the top of NV. So here are my questions.

1. The Sierra's and Lake Tahoe, There appears to be a good path across lake Tahoe (Spooners Summit and over the town of Tahoma) which will get me across no muss no fuss. How accessible is that this time of year? Would I be better off going to the north of Reno to go around Tahoe and then down to the Sac area this time of year.

2. what is the best place to tied down at during my stay in Folsom? I haven't made any calls.

3. what is the weather like in the SJ valley this time of year (JAN-FEB) for VMC. would I be better of going back around to the NV side of the Sierra's to get to Yuma?

With the weather questions I am looking for general info as the actual condition will dictate the route and go/no go of the trip.

 

thanks in advance for any info.

 

[MB65E]

Well, you're on!! It'll be nice to live vicariously thru someone that is flying vs me that will most likely be working. 

I'd stay on the windward side. That has been guidance from several of my peers.  Nevada can be really bumpy most of the year. Follow known roads and paths across the mountains. Then head south down the Valley. 

In the valley, Expect moderate to heavy fog usually clearing to something VFR by noon. Pay attention to the forecasts. 

Have fun!

-Matt

[astravierso]

Thanks Matt,

Will do.

Alan

[bonal]

Not sure how much help an also low timer like myself can be but I do know the Sierras and this time of year I would definitely stay north of Reno / Tahoe and make your way south once you clear the mountains. North you have peaks 7 to mid 8 thousand feet where as Tahoe south you are at 10 to 11 thousand. If you enter through Donner pass it does provide a good corridor but this time of year the Sierras can be very very dangerous and unpredictable. You might even think about going south and coming in over Tehachapi the weather is generally better that far south.  Good luck and play it safe

[gsxrpilot]

Alan,  I really like your list of goals. I wouldn't be any help with your first request, but I'm happy to chat, or answer questions within my areas of experience. First of all that would be the Mooney Caravan. If you have any questions about the clinic, getting formation qualified, or flying with the Caravan, I'm happy to talk anytime. And if you find yourself in the Austin, Houston, San Antonio, TX area, let us know and you can ride along with the Texas Wing. We are regularly out flying formation.

Best of luck with all of it.

Cheers,

[carusoam]

Astra,

ridicule and abuse was eliminated in the 80s.  I think it was supposed to somehow make us better.  It didn't work...

every now and then you will find that somebody didn't get the message.  Don't get drawn in...

There have been two guys that recently earned their PPL.  Richard and Samari Husky.  They started with no hours and finished quite quickly.  All the way, getting some interesting advice.

Often the foul language and sharp comments come from the new guys.  There is confusion with what is normal on the internet vs what is normal around here.

Expect that great aviators may have difficulty typing in a message some days.  After re-reading some of the things I have written myself, I've had the 'what did he really mean by that' feeling.

Automatic spelling will Add some additional weirdness to the conversation.  A couple of libations can muddy the waters on the weekends.

Treat people with respect around here, they usually will do the same in return...

We all get stronger by learning from each other.

Let the Mooney adventure begin!

Best regards,

-a-

 

[Hank]

Best wishes for your somewhat aggressive goals, Astra! I started Instrument training in late June, with a goal of finishing by Halloween. Between a total electrical failure and a loss of motivation to study for the test, I finished up in April . . .

I've not figured out how to do #1 yet, need to be thinking about #3, and suffer even more lack of motivation for #5 as I don't see any return from the investment. But I'd really like to at least learn the maneuvers. When I first moved back, I was living alone in a furnished apartment and called the University flight dept. about working on my CPL. They were happy to teach me in their glass 172s, and completely uninterested in discussing teaching in my Mooney, despite the fact that the maneuvers are very dissimilar between the two airframes.

If you find your way to central GA or Lower AL, give me a heads up.

[Skates97]

Looking forward to following along, and if you're around So Cal I'd love to meet up. Or, later into spring/summer I'll be flying up around your area. We have family in the Salt Lake area as well as Idaho Falls so I anticipate more than a few flights up there this year. (Wife's oldest daughter is expecting our 4th grandkid in May near Salt Lake and second daughter is expecting our 5th grandkid in June up in Idaho so you can guarantee there will be trips there) 

Good luck with your goals. I don't have much to offer as one of the newest pilots around here and barely getting my feet wet in a Mooney, but I really enjoyed posting my training experiences here and the feedback I got. (I was posting them over on POA as well, but the quality of the feedback is much higher here.) 

[air cooled dad]

In regards to point number 1, giving Delta all your money.  Thank you!!!   Maybe I'll owe you dinner for helping pay for my Mooney.  

[astravierso]

11 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

Alan,  I really like your list of goals. I wouldn't be any help with your first request, but I'm happy to chat, or answer questions within my areas of experience. First of all that would be the Mooney Caravan. If you have any questions about the clinic, getting formation qualified, or flying with the Caravan, I'm happy to talk anytime. And if you find yourself in the Austin, Houston, San Antonio, TX area, let us know and you can ride along with the Texas Wing. We are regularly out flying formation.

Best of luck with all of it.

Cheers,

Paul,

Thanks, Form flying is something I am really looking forward to. I will surely get with you if there are any questions.

[astravierso]

10 hours ago, carusoam said:

Astra,

ridicule and abuse was eliminated in the 80s.  I think it was supposed to somehow make us better.  It didn't work...

every now and then you will find that somebody didn't get the message.  Don't get drawn in...

There have been two guys that recently earned their PPL.  Richard and Samari Husky.  They started with no hours and finished quite quickly.  All the way, getting some interesting advice.

Often the foul language and sharp comments come from the new guys.  There is confusion with what is normal on the internet vs what is normal around here.

Expect that great aviators may have difficulty typing in a message some days.  After re-reading some of the things I have written myself, I've had the 'what did he really mean by that' feeling.

Automatic spelling will Add some additional weirdness to the conversation.  A couple of libations can muddy the waters on the weekends.

Treat people with respect around here, they usually will do the same in return...

We all get stronger by learning from each other.

Let the Mooney adventure begin!

Best regards,

-a-

 

carusoam,

Your points are well taken and my intent was not to come off as a butt face but rather to simply lay out my expectations. This is one of the best groups by far for knowledge sharing on Mooney's and all things aviation.

Cheers

[astravierso]

10 hours ago, Hank said:

Best wishes for your somewhat aggressive goals, Astra! I started Instrument training in late June, with a goal of finishing by Halloween. Between a total electrical failure and a loss of motivation to study for the test, I finished up in April . . .

I've not figured out how to do #1 yet, need to be thinking about #3, and suffer even more lack of motivation for #5 as I don't see any return from the investment. But I'd really like to at least learn the maneuvers. When I first moved back, I was living alone in a furnished apartment and called the University flight dept. about working on my CPL. They were happy to teach me in their glass 172s, and completely uninterested in discussing teaching in my Mooney, despite the fact that the maneuvers are very dissimilar between the two airframes.

If you find your way to central GA or Lower AL, give me a heads up.

Hank,

Thanks for the encouragement. I guess I am somewhat fortunate to work for a company who is OK with me flying myself around and a wife who will also tolerate it. As for the upgrade in avionics, let's just say it will not be a high dollar investment like some of the guys (and gals) have shown here. I am moving from 1970's radio's to 1990-early2000's radios, most will be underwhelmed by them but as a CB (I actually prefer frugal but tomato/tamato). As for earning my Comm. cert. like I said it's an ego thing and it is something I will need when I make my career change from what I am currently doing to airport bum where I fix and fly planes to earn the odd dollar every now and then in 20 years

[astravierso]

7 hours ago, Skates97 said:

Looking forward to following along, and if you're around So Cal I'd love to meet up. Or, later into spring/summer I'll be flying up around your area. We have family in the Salt Lake area as well as Idaho Falls so I anticipate more than a few flights up there this year. (Wife's oldest daughter is expecting our 4th grandkid in May near Salt Lake and second daughter is expecting our 5th grandkid in June up in Idaho so you can guarantee there will be trips there) 

Good luck with your goals. I don't have much to offer as one of the newest pilots around here and barely getting my feet wet in a Mooney, but I really enjoyed posting my training experiences here and the feedback I got. (I was posting them over on POA as well, but the quality of the feedback is much higher here.) 

Skates,

I have one of my kids who still lives in SoCal (the High Desert area) so I make a trip down every once in a while and I have flown out of Redlands and out of March AFB with the aero club there so when I was following your thread it reminded me of those times. Drop me a note when you come up and I'll do the same when I come down.

Cheers

[astravierso]

52 minutes ago, air cooled dad said:

In regards to point number 1, giving Delta all your money.  Thank you!!!   Maybe I'll owe you dinner for helping pay for my Mooney.  

Air Cooled,

You work for a pretty good outfit from a customers point of view in Delta. I have had very few bad experiences during my travels. The joke when I check in at the counter in SLC is that I am shooting for a status of "Gold" this year (vice what I currently have). So I am looking forward to giving up the Skyclub for the bad coffee and stale donuts of the FBO's. It's good to hear that my companies travel dollars are going to a good cause, but now it's time for me to turn those dollars into logbook entries for me.

 

Regards,

[Robert C.]

Hi Astra,

Wonderfully focused approach to development. I have the funny feeling that it'll make you a meticulously prepared (and therefore safer) pilot.

So taking you up on your invitation: can't help with the advice sought on the upcoming trip, but have thoughts on some other things.

If you are serious about using the Mooney for business travel you'll need a high dispatch rate. Not just the airplane but also the pilot! You'll want to get that IR asap and be realistic about what kind of weather you can fly with that straight out of the box. It may take longer than you think to be safe. Icing will be an issue so please be realistic and cautious

Don't know what budget you have and what time availability but I did my IR using an "accelerated" program. Had the ticket in 10 days. A bunch of outfits can help you. I used A.F.I.T. which has at least 3 instructors in your general neck of the wood (1 in Cedar City, 1 in St George and one in Idaho I think).

Good luck, you're embarking on an exciting journey!

Robert

[Oldguy]

Astra,

Welcome aboard! As another low-time Mooney pilot, one of the better things I did was attend the MAPA Safety Foundation Pilot Proficiency Program (PPP). It helped with my transition, improved my knowledge of the plane and its systems and gave me a lot of insight into what my specific model can and cannot do. An April PPP is set for Santa Maria, CA and will likely be well attended. IR pilots can get an IPC and all can get a FR while attending. It is also a good way to meet and get to know some highly qualified Mooney instructors, some of which may be within a reasonable distance to you for training. Find their site at http://www.mapasafety.com/ 

Like Hank, I am down in Alabama. If you ever get to anywhere close to the northern part of Alabama, drop me a line. Shoot, if you ever get within a couple hundred miles of Birmingham, let me know. That's barely over an hour Mooney flight!

[Seth]

I like this!  Will PM you contact information should you ever have one of those I'm stuck somewhere and need some advice calls.

Good luck.  Get your IFR ticket - most important on the list.  It will make you a better pilot in holding altitude/heading, radio communications, everything, etc.

The commercial will come last as you have it in order.

Schedule you IFR training and use MooneySpace for assistance.

You can already fly for business instead of drive or take the airlines, just understand that with GA travel flexibility is key.  If you have to be there, leave a day or two early, drive or take the airlines.  A refundable fully refundable ticket on southwest is a GREAT way to use your airplane but then know you've got a real back up solution.

GET-THERE-ITIS kills. Be wary of it as it'll suck you in.

 

-Seth

[astravierso]

1 hour ago, Robert C. said:

Hi Astra,

Wonderfully focused approach to development. I have the funny feeling that it'll make you a meticulously prepared (and therefore safer) pilot.

So taking you up on your invitation: can't help with the advice sought on the upcoming trip, but have thoughts on some other things.

If you are serious about using the Mooney for business travel you'll need a high dispatch rate. Not just the airplane but also the pilot! You'll want to get that IR asap and be realistic about what kind of weather you can fly with that straight out of the box. It may take longer than you think to be safe. Icing will be an issue so please be realistic and cautious

Don't know what budget you have and what time availability but I did my IR using an "accelerated" program. Had the ticket in 10 days. A bunch of outfits can help you. I used A.F.I.T. which has at least 3 instructors in your general neck of the wood (1 in Cedar City, 1 in St George and one in North Dakota I think).

Good luck, you're embarking on an exciting journey!

Robert

Robert,

Thanks for the tips and the info on A.F.I.T. I am more of a "slow soak learner" than a "drink from a fire hose" type. My plan for my instrument is to find a local CFII who has a structured approach (to both teaching and time line) and use him or her for both my instrument and commercial. My intent is to learn and understand the fundamentals of instrument flight over a given period and then block off a week or so prior to my check ride and fly the wings off of my AC. I will be starting my CFI search in earnest this week

Regards,

Alan

[astravierso]

1 hour ago, Oldguy said:

Astra,

Welcome aboard! As another low-time Mooney pilot, one of the better things I did was attend the MAPA Safety Foundation Pilot Proficiency Program (PPP). It helped with my transition, improved my knowledge of the plane and its systems and gave me a lot of insight into what my specific model can and cannot do. An April PPP is set for Santa Maria, CA and will likely be well attended. IR pilots can get an IPC and all can get a FR while attending. It is also a good way to meet and get to know some highly qualified Mooney instructors, some of which may be within a reasonable distance to you for training. Find their site at http://www.mapasafety.com/ 

Like Hank, I am down in Alabama. If you ever get to anywhere close to the northern part of Alabama, drop me a line. Shoot, if you ever get within a couple hundred miles of Birmingham, let me know. That's barely over an hour Mooney flight!

Oldguy,

Thanks, I have the PPP in my calendar for April and will be there. I actually do not plan on starting my instrument training until I go through it. It only makes sense to me to have a through understanding of the AC, all of its systems and be able to fly it in all of the flight envelope domains in VMC before adding the complexity of instruments.

Cheers,

[astravierso]

35 minutes ago, Seth said:

I like this!  Will PM you contact information should you ever have one of those I'm stuck somewhere and need some advice calls.

Good luck.  Get your IFR ticket - most important on the list.  It will make you a better pilot in holding altitude/heading, radio communications, everything, etc.

The commercial will come last as you have it in order.

Schedule you IFR training and use MooneySpace for assistance.

You can already fly for business instead of drive or take the airlines, just understand that with GA travel flexibility is key.  If you have to be there, leave a day or two early, drive or take the airlines.  A refundable fully refundable ticket on southwest is a GREAT way to use your airplane but then know you've got a real back up solution.

GET-THERE-ITIS kills. Be wary of it as it'll suck you in.

 

-Seth

Seth,

Thanks for the reminder about get-there-itis, That one will never get old. So here is a brief overview of how I plan on managing this issue (All, feel free to punch holes in it if it seems unrealistic).

Generally I spend 3 days a one of my plants at a time, when I fly Delta I travel Monday and Friday with the middle of the week at the plant. My plan is to book trips to plants which are relatively close to one another during a two week period. This will allow me to use Monday and Tuesday (even Sunday if needed) to get to the first plant and work there Wednesday -Friday. Then travel to the second plant Saturday-Sunday (if the weather is bad I can take the rental car and drive to the second plant) work there Monday-Wednesday and fly home Thursday-Friday (and Saturday if needed). The week prior to and after each trip will be a schedule week in SLC. I believe this should minimize the stress of having to be somewhere. Plus If I get stuck somewhere enroute I can always use GotoMeeting to accomplish work which does not require a physical presence.

Currently I use my AC to go to some of my Mountain West plants in UT, NV and MT. I fly out borrow the FBO  car or rent a car go to the plant and fly home that day. The plant guys like it when I fly out because I usually will take one or two up for a quick hope before I go.

Like I said please feel free to give me a reality check on this plan.

 

Cheers

[midlifeflyer]

I won't rehash the great information you have been receiving, but I will suggest another source.

Consider joining NBAA. Most folks will think about it as a bizjet-specific organization but its a great source of information and good-practice SOPs for business owners who fly their own pistons as well. It can be expensive, but their membership folks sometimes give membership discounts smaller first-timers, so it is often worth a look-see, at least for a year.

[astravierso]

2 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

I won't rehash the great information you have been receiving, but I will suggest another source.

Consider joining NBAA. Most folks will think about it as a bizjet-specific organization but its a great source of information and good-practice SOPs for business owners who fly their own pistons as well. It can be expensive, but their membership folks sometimes give membership discounts smaller first-timers, so it is often worth a look-see, at least for a year.

midlifeflyer,

Thanks for the tip and I will definitely be looking into this. I hadn't thought about it but the Company Safety Folks may have something to say about my flying on business so having a set of SOP's which are relevant to the type of flying I will do and adhering to them before it becomes an issue only makes sense. Besides having and adhering a set of written operation standards "may" just keep me from doing something stupid.

Regards,

[flight2000]

Astra,

Have you ever flown out this way before in a GA plane? 

Don't be afraid of the Sierras in the winter months.  Just pick the days you cross based on the weather and winds aloft (anything above 35 knots at 11,000 and above is setting yourself up for a bad day).  I prefer the I-80/Donner Pass corridor because there are airports along the way (TRK, BLU, GOO, E35, AUN, etc).  Cross anywhere else in the area and nothing but rocks, trees, and lakes.  I use 10,500 westbound and 11,500 eastbound unless there is no wind, then I'll cross westbound at 9,500.  I fly this route almost every weekend and never been surprised with a pop up storm during the winter months.

I've found Reno and the northern NV area to be a lot more bumpy in the summer than the winter, I can tell you that from experience.... 

I flew the valley from Hawthorne, NV to Bishop, CA to China Lake (Inyokern Airport) at 10,500' last week and these are the Mountains between Bishop and the San Fernando Valley.  Almost like the mountains to the east of Salt Lake City.....very tall and pointy... 

Cheers,

Brian

 

Edited January 4, 2017 by flight2000

[midlifeflyer]

3 hours ago, astravierso said:

midlifeflyer,

Thanks for the tip and I will definitely be looking into this. I hadn't thought about it but the Company Safety Folks may have something to say about my flying on business so having a set of SOP's which are relevant to the type of flying I will do and adhering to them before it becomes an issue only makes sense. Besides having and adhering a set of written operation standards "may" just keep me from doing something stupid.

Regards,

I didn't notice  anything earlier  on this, but is it your company or a company you work for? If the latter, you might have a bigger Safety Folks problem. A good number of companies prohibit private aircraft flights. The reasons, of course, tend to be related to liability concerns but go further than that if both general commercial insurance and workers comp providers exclude coverage. 

Some companies are far more forgiving than others.