Mooney Caravan Update

[gsxrpilot]

The Mooney Caravan to Oshkosh is still in Madison as of Saturday night. Flight leaders canceled the arrival scheduled for 12 noon today (Saturday) and we feel pretty good about that decision. Oshkosh got hammered all afternoon today with heavy rain, high winds, and damaged airplanes.

The word is that B2OSH, the Bonanza group has canceled the mass arrival for this year completely.

EAA tells us that the field will be open to us in the morning and we have a scheduled landing slot of 9am. Here's hoping we can get in and get to a relatively firm parking spot in the N40. 

The rest of the week is forecast for good weather.

[mooneygirl]

We will be up on the announcer's stand welcoming you!  It was sporty getting in to Appleton today, then the storm hit. Glad you weren't at OSH. 

[carusoam]

Looking forward to seeing everybody in the North 40...

-a-

[exM20K]

Success! Congrats to the caravan participants for perseverance 

 

[pwnel]

NIcely done y'all.  Hope to finally join next year.  Thanks for the vid - was waiting for an update!

[MIm20c]

Great, planning on flying in tomorrow as soon as the airport opens. Looks like the south side of the runway is completely empty, hopefully it’ll be open tomorrow morning. 

[orionflt]

South 40

[MIm20c]

They closed general camping down at 1 today. Can anyone snap a pic of the south side of north 40. Planning on touching down 7:30am tomorrow and I’m hoping it will be open w/ room to camp. 

[kpaul]

39 minutes ago, MIm20c said:

They closed general camping down at 1 today. Can anyone snap a pic of the south side of north 40. Planning on touching down 7:30am tomorrow and I’m hoping it will be open w/ room to camp. 

It's all full. Only took a couple hours of Fisk craziness to accomplish it.

[Sean S]

K so where is everyone? Pizza?


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[kpaul]

@MIm20c i did see there are quite a few openings in the field next to the Hilton. When I walked through it seemed pretty dry, one can only assume they will fill it in with planes in the next day or two.

[TGreen]

Are al of the GA camping areas now in use? What are the chances of getting a spot on Thursday morning. 

[ragedracer1977]

2 hours ago, TGreen said:

Are al of the GA camping areas now in use? What are the chances of getting a spot on Thursday morning. 

I had to leave, you can have my spot right next to the caravan tent.  Just act like you know where you're going lol

[TGreen]

53 minutes ago, ragedracer1977 said:

I had to leave, you can have my spot right next to the caravan tent.  Just act like you know where you're going lol

Thanks! Wish I knew where I was going! First time. Already stressing about the Fisk arrival.

[Ned Gravel]

Our annual Caravan video.  Great Caravan this year.  I echo all the comments that the right decisions were made at the right time.  My wingmen made me look good and I look forward to:

• helping to put together a Canadian clinic next June and/or attend one in NY/PA, and
• doing the 2020 Caravan.

Enjoy.

 

 

[Cyril Gibb]

On 7/30/2019 at 6:18 PM, Ned Gravel said:

helping to put together a Canadian clinic next June and/or attend one in NY/PA

A clinic in Canada (Ontario?) would be attractive.  Early June 2020?

 

[Ned Gravel]

5 hours ago, Cyril Gibb said:

A clinic in Canada (Ontario?) would be attractive.  Early June 2020?

 

Yves and I would like that too.  Just need enough people.  Probably in Gatineau though.  A place with sufficient runway width and length and the facilities to conduct the training and within easy reach for Yves and I to corral into assistance. 

Otherwise, Sled indicated southern PA which is about 2 hours from all of us, including an interested Mooney owner in Toronto.   

[carusoam]

Nice filmography, Ute!

Great work.

Thanks for sharing the video, Ned.

Best regards,

-a-

[amillet]

Video taken by grandson Xavien and wife Brenda

https://youtu.be/r3XH4WAeLsE

 

[carusoam]

Nice work, Xavien & Brenda!

Thanks for sharing, Alan.

Best regards,

-a-

[Yetti]

On 7/30/2019 at 5:18 PM, Ned Gravel said:

Our annual Caravan video.  Great Caravan this year.  I echo all the comments that the right decisions were made at the right time.  My wingmen made me look good and I look forward to:

• helping to put together a Canadian clinic next June and/or attend one in NY/PA, and
• doing the 2020 Caravan.

Enjoy.

 

Since I have been told over and over that I don't know the rules of formation flying, but did read most of the caravan manual.   It would seem like you encroached on the lead and your wing encroached on your landing during touch down.   Is this OK to do?

[Ned Gravel]

No encroachment and no comment on the current circumstance under investigation.  But I will answer your question.

First, I was lead for my element.  I tried to keep up to the element in front of me (15 second interval) after FEZTY, but I had to keep it to 125 KIA because my Number 3 (my left wingman) could not push faster than that.  So we had way more space between my element and the one in front of me than was planned for.

During touchdown, the number 3 should  have his wing aligned with Lead's numbers so that they are not forward of that and not really aft of that, but aft is the safe alternative.  My number 3 this year was slightly aft until rollout.  On his side of the runway and entirely safe according to our procedures.  The lateral distance math for this is easy.  150' wide runway.  Two aircraft, each with a 36' wingspan, leaves close to 20 feet lateral distance between the wingtips if the aircraft are at the same point on the runway and in the center of their half.  This is the closest these aircraft will ever be in a Caravan formation flight - on the rollout after touchdown.

If you want to see what really good looks like on touchdown between an element lead and their wingman on the same runway.  See these below.  The first is me following Sandman to the purple dot in 2015.  The second is Tigger following Cowboy (his lead) on the same runway this year.  Both are examples of what we want to see.  Tigger's is better than mine.

I had briefed both my wingmen (using my older video as an example) that this was the prefered outcome and Sticky (my number 3) did really well in executing the manoeuvre in our element.

Now when can we expect you to come learn how to do this?  Cowboy is one of our safety pilot / instructors and he is from Texas too.

 

[gsxrpilot]

That's a great video @Ned Gravel. I particularly like the animated graphics showing the track inbound and then again the back and forth views between Lead and #3 for the Element Landing. Well done.

And I don't see anything at all to critique on that Element landing. A very nicely executed example of a proper Element landing. And as briefed, stay in the air until past the Purple dot. 

Perfect.

[Yetti]

Based on my instructors comment probably never for Mooney Formation.  He has offered to take me up and teach me Formation flying. 

Edited August 13, 2019 by Yetti

[gsxrpilot]

13 minutes ago, Yetti said:

Based on my instructors comment probably never for Mooney Formation.  He has offered to take me up and teach me Formation flying. 

Be careful, it's a lot of fun and just a little addicting. Will you be flying formation in your Mooney or in a different type of plane? I might have misunderstood your comment.