Looks like the Mid Atlantic details have been published

[bradp]

June 22-24 Danville VA.  

http://www.mooneycaravan.com/training

[Bob_Belville]

I am register for the required refresher to fly the Mooney Caravan into AirVenture on July 21!

[kpaul]

8 minutes ago, Bob_Belville said:

I am register for the required refresher to fly the Mooney Caravan into AirVenture on July 21!

I just signed up, however I am not 100% sure if I will be able to attend, I am still between locations and can not coordinate for time off work for a couple more weeks.  If I do attend we will have to stay at a different location since my furry child is not welcome at the Holiday Inn.

I was hoping for KHKY, I enjoyed that location.

I look forward to seeing you and Nancy again.

@Marcopolodid you sign up yet?

[Marcopolo]

7 minutes ago, kpaul said:

@Marcopolodid you sign up yet?

You betcha, let me know if I need to make a phone call to get you the time off!

 

Ron

[mccdeuce]

I’d like to go. But just can’t plan that far in advance.  Will keep it on the radar. 

[Ned Gravel]

I signed up too.  See you all there.   

[warren.huisman]

Where is everyone staying?  The Hotel listed is full due to some other convention in town.

 

[jetdriven]

Has anyone ever been to Danville before? I was there last week when I went to VIR.  Only town I ever walked out of 3 restaurants to find something to eat. Something about that town. That place is sad. 

[Alan Fox]

It is a sad town , Very poor , I spent a few days there this year..... Airport is in great shape , lots of runway , and ramp.... The airport guys are great , There is one decent hotel , a 1/4 mile from the airport , you might consider commuting to Greensboro...  The hotel I stayed in , was the Best Western , check it out....

[bradp]

I think I may be able to swing a Sunday work swap to be able to get to the formation clinic, in which case I'd commute from IGX each day... it's like a 25 minute flight.

Actually Byron - IGX isn't a bad choice (easy access, college town, ton of places to stay, good food), nor is RIC or CHO for that matter. 

Question - kids allowed during the formation training?  I'm having difficulty finding it.. 

[gsxrpilot]

4 hours ago, bradp said:

Question - kids allowed during the formation training?  I'm having difficulty finding it.. 

We allow kids to ride along here in Texas. It would probably be up to the organizer of the clinic. 

[Rick Junkin]

For those looking for rooms, I just made a reservation at the Sleep Inn & Suites across the highway from the airport, $100 a night. Here's the contact info:

SLEEP INN & SUITES
1483 South Boston Rd, Danville, VA, 24540, US
Phone: (434) 793-6090 Fax: (434) 793-6088

I have no idea what I'm in for, but these are usually decent places.

Cheers,
Rick

[Marcopolo]

On 5/1/2018 at 5:52 PM, bradp said:

Question - kids allowed during the formation training?  I'm having difficulty finding it.. 

I was a newbie at last year's MAG clinic with my daughter (then14yrs) in tow, passengers were not allowed on the first (rookie) flight, but she was welcome on each flight there after.

 

Ron

[bradp]

Ill have to talk to Goat & Co - I'd love to be able to have my little copilot tag along  (she shoots approaches with me) but I don’t want her to be a distraction to me or anyone else.   She would come with me on the real deal - might be an argument for training in a safe environment for realistic situations.... 

[warren.huisman]

I have also booked the Sleep Inn and Suites.  See you there.

 

On 5/2/2018 at 12:01 AM, Junkman said:

For those looking for rooms, I just made a reservation at the Sleep Inn & Suites across the highway from the airport, $100 a night. Here's the contact info:

SLEEP INN & SUITES
1483 South Boston Rd, Danville, VA, 24540, US
Phone: (434) 793-6090 Fax: (434) 793-6088

I have no idea what I'm in for, but these are usually decent places.

Cheers,
Rick

 

[Ned Gravel]

12 hours ago, warren.huisman said:

I have also booked the Sleep Inn and Suites.  See you there.

 

 

+1.  Booked online.  

[N9201A]

Regarding "kids allowed"...couple thoughts/suggestions:

1. The newbie profile is takeoff, climb, cross-under, descent and landing ... no vertical, breaks/rejoins, or anything more aggressive than a trip around the pattern.  So any seasoned (non-airsickness prone) junior flyer will have no problem with the profile.

2.  The newbie profile is incredibly demanding for a new formator, and 100% of one's attention must be OUTSIDE the cockpit.  Anyone in the plane is by definition a distraction, so I would advise against it on a first formation flight -- not for the kid's sake, but the new formator.

3.  Formation flying is a team sport - if your other element pilot and both safeties in the flight agree, by all means, bring your kid/spouse/friend!  After all, time spent alone flying is less fun than being with our kids!  So if they're into it, take advantage! 

4.  Formation flying is a great way to get inflight pics of your airplane, so consider having your no. 2 ride in the training Lead aircraft while you're flying Wing.  Your spouse/child/friend can get some great pics of your bird in flight.

5.  My son will be 16 this Caravan, his 12th...since we usually formate cross-country from California, he has more than 100 hours sleeping in formation.  His oldest sister (now 19) station keeps from the right seat (I haven't used Otto in years).  So my experience is - if they like flying with you (my middle one does not have the bug) - yes they will probably enjoy formation work, and if they sit through the ground school and briefings, they will learn also and -- like mine -- be willing "critics" when you are out practicing as you advance your skills ("you're really sucked, Dad"). 

Good luck and I hope your experience is as positive as mine has been!

[DualRatedFlyer]

On 4/4/2018 at 6:10 PM, jetdriven said:

Has anyone ever been to Danville before? I was there last week when I went to VIR.  Only town I ever walked out of 3 restaurants to find something to eat. Something about that town. That place is sad. 

Might be better off staying in Lynchburg - home of my alma mater Liberty University.  Lots of hotels, tons of great restaurants, and a nice 20 minute flight to Danville.  Lynchburg airport is very nice and just a mile or so from downtown.  If I remember correctly, there is no overnight fees, regardless of fuel purchases.  I am staying with the in-laws in Lynchburg and making the hop down to Danville.  

[Hank]

On 5/1/2018 at 11:01 PM, Junkman said:

For those looking for rooms, I just made a reservation at the Sleep Inn & Suites across the highway from the airport, $100 a night. Here's the contact info:

SLEEP INN & SUITES
1483 South Boston Rd, Danville, VA, 24540, US
Phone: (434) 793-6090 Fax: (434) 793-6088

I have no idea what I'm in for, but these are usually decent places.

Cheers,
Rick

I won't be in Danville, but may have driven through a couple of times. 

The Sleep Inns that I've stayed at have been clean, but the rooms are quite small--just enough space to walk around the bed. There may or may not be a desk. It fulfils the requirement of a clean, comfortable place to sleep, so you'll want to hang out at the airport, restaurant or hotel lobby . . .

Ya'll have a good time, and fly safe. I'll be working 1500--0300 Saturday into Sunday. 

[steingar]

Wish I could come, but no way I can guarantee getting over those mountains VFR.  Mountains make weather and eat airplanes.  Have fun guys!

[gsxrpilot]

5 hours ago, steingar said:

Wish I could come, but no way I can guarantee getting over those mountains VFR.  Mountains make weather and eat airplanes.  Have fun guys!

How high to you fly your C? I would regularly fly mine at 12.5 or 13.5 which would keep me up and out of mountain weather. 

Full disclosure, I have very little experience with those mountains. My experience is mostly in the Rockies.

[Hank]

1 hour ago, gsxrpilot said:

How high to you fly your C? I would regularly fly mine at 12.5 or 13.5 which would keep me up and out of mountain weather. 

Full disclosure, I have very little experience with those mountains. My experience is mostly in the Rockies.

I used to fly my C in that area at 7500-9500 msl. But the mountains do still make weather, and sometimes make passing weather stall out against them . . . .

[steingar]

15 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

How high to you fly your C? I would regularly fly mine at 12.5 or 13.5 which would keep me up and out of mountain weather. 

Full disclosure, I have very little experience with those mountains. My experience is mostly in the Rockies.

I've no onboard oxygen, so I really can't get that high for very long.  That said, the problem with Eastern mountains really isn't getting over the rocks.  They aren't all that tall.  There's way more water in the East, thus those mountains make lots and lots of weather.  Ever time I've tangled with them I've had trouble.  Of course I've always made it through, but often at the price a hotel for the night.  Normally I don't mind, but I mind a lot when I have to get back Monday morning.  Were I IFR rated I wouldn't hesitate, most days the weather is obscuration and clouds.  

[bradp]

@steingar  having had my milk run be Pittsburgh to Lynchburg VA for 4 years right across the mountains you do gain a very healthy respect for them.

Summertime flying is much like any other east coast / south summertime flying.  Avoid the convective stuff in the afternoon hours.  Watch out for winds >25 it’s above the ridges.  But the winds come in the fall and spring more often.  

Wintertime is when the IFR rating becomes pretty useless for us non-deciced NA single guys (look at the springtime Cirrus crash near AOO). However summertime flying is VFR flying in the mountains.  You’re not going to want to fly anytwhere inside the CU/TCU clouds anyway so it’s all see and avoid.  The only time the IFR is useful is for a moist system without convection (rare this time of year) or getting in our out of a layer in the early morning hours (most people don’t fly mountains before civil twilight and especially IFR).  I am ok flying at VFR night across the Allegheny mountains if I plan sufficiently high and a track that keeps me within gliding distance of airports along the way- like hopscotch- it limits explosure to about 15 -18 total mins of “no options” on a 1:30 flight.  There are highways and roads as well that I don’t put in that calculus but ... there are some.  

The IFR rating is most useful in the spring and fall when the freezing levels are just high enough for the MEAs / MVAs.  

You shouldn’t have too much trouble getting across with proper planning and a schedule that is +\- 8-12 hours flexible in the summer. 

[steingar]

1 hour ago, bradp said:

You shouldn’t have too much trouble getting across with proper planning and a schedule that is +\- 8-12 hours flexible in the summer. 

Its my experience that I have to be 24 hours flexible in the summer.  And under no circumstance will I cross those rocks at night.  I don't mind flying at night, but not over rocks.  Sorry, a man's got to know his limitations.  If I felt I had 24 hour flexibility I would do this in a heartbeat.  I've flown formation before and had a blast.  And I really want to do the Caravan, it sounds like a lot of fun.  But I know I've got to be back Monday morning, and there's a good chance that isn't happening, even in the summertime. So I reluctantly have to blow this off this year.  Phooey.