Tips from transition training

[PT20J]

A lot have had the benefit of transition training from experienced Mooney instructors. I thought it might be interesting to collect the best tip, or most interesting or useful fact or procedure that you came away with.

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[DustinNwind]

An easy way of getting ahead of when to descend without being rushed; multiply your altitude by four and that is how many miles out you should start your decent. Example; 8,000’ to lose would be to start your decent 32 miles out. For my airplane (155kts)  that usually comes out to be 600 fpm.    

 

[Raptor05121]

For easy greasers- make sure the aircraft is stabilized in trim and airspeed. I've found most new owners tend to try and hold pitch with continuous back pressure on final and really haul it back to flare, nowhere near trimmed. Most "aha!" moments are when they realize if they just trim it out, it will flare with much less pressure. Also, spending 5-10 minutes doing slow flight to give the prospective new owner the "feel" of the controls at 65mph and how mushy they are compared to cruise forces results in less over-controlling on round-out.

Not a CFI, just sharing my $0.02.

[Hank]

As a newbie, I planned descents at 500fpm, so it was altitude-to-lose x 2, plus 2-3 minutes to level off and slow down. I still do that, but now level,off much closer to my destination. Quick, easy, efficient. Yes, descending from 9500 to pattern of 1700msl may require pointing down 50+nm away; that took some getting used to!

As a new Mooney owner and a new pilot, I needed:

• Complex endorsement
• Transition training
• 15 hours dual

The first was a little study and a few flights; the secind finished almost with the first (I was still in student pilot "learning mode"). The last was finished up with some short XC trips, visiting most of thenajrports within an hours' flight. Huge variety of airport layouts, runways (flat, straight, uphill, downhill, humped, concave, crooked and sometimes all-in-one), etc. It was fun! Then my first real trip the next weekend was KHTW-KFAY direct at 7500, home a few days later at 8500. Father-in-law's birthday, had to go . . . . More fun!

Training needs to be thorough, but can still be fun. Don't make it difficult . . . . .

[steingar]

Don't be afraid to get lots.  I got the required 10 hours, could've used more.  Might have saved me some grief.

[midlifeflyer]

Just because you can doesn't mean you have to fly at top airspeed. The Mooney slick efficiency means you have to plan slowing down and start the process earlier than with many other airplanes.

[Yetti]

At the end I looked at my instructor and asked "Am I safe?"  He said yes.    Then he said "Always fly airline smooth"   So that is the Objective of every flight.   Note he did not say #SWA carrier landing smooth.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Yetti

[KLRDMD]

6 hours ago, Hank said:

As a newbie, I planned descents at 500fpm, so it was altitude-to-lose x 2, plus 2-3 minutes to level off and slow down.

You can program that into most apps and many panel mount GPS boxes nowadays.

[Hank]

3 minutes ago, KLRDMD said:

You can program that into most apps and many panel mount GPS boxes nowadays.

I can punch it into my G430W, but it's so much easier just to count on my fingers, double it and add a couple . . .

Pattern is 1700, so 2½; 3½; 4½; 5½; 6½; 7½; 8½; that's 7 x 2 =14, so newby started down at 17-18, now around 16 minutes out. Yes, I keep ETE on the main screen [WPT, BRG,DIS,ETE] so it's easy to do at any time.

[PT20J]

I like to use the "speed factor" which is nm/min: 60 kts = 1.0, 90 kts = 1.5, 120 kts = 2.0, 150 kts = 2.5, etc

2 x SF = nm to descend 1000' at 500 fpm

Climb gradient (ft/nm) x SF = required rate of climb.

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[skydvrboy]

6 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

Just because you can doesn't mean you have to fly at top airspeed.

Total heresy I tell you... Banish him at once!

[Hank]

8 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

Just because you can doesn't mean you have to fly at top airspeed. The Mooney slick efficiency means you have to plan slowing down and start the process earlier than with many other airplanes.

Honestly, 500 fpm descent is usually 170 mph in my C, still below the yellow arc [175-200 mph]. I've only hit 185 the one time . . .  

[Skates97]

4 hours ago, Hank said:

Honestly, 500 fpm descent is usually 170 mph in my C, still below the yellow arc [175-200 mph]. I've only hit 185 the one time . . .  

170 mph is well into the yellow arc in my D, if the air is smooth I have no problem descending at 170 mph IAS. 

[RLCarter]

25 minutes ago, Skates97 said:

170 mph is well into the yellow arc in my D, if the air is smooth I have no problem descending at 170 mph IAS. 

On my E as well (150~186), my guess his C is the same

[flyer338]

The plane I hope will be my 2nd Mooney is at Top Gun for its pre-buy. It is a J-model, but based on my test flight and 4-way GPS box at 7500 over Half Moon Bay it flys at about the same speed as my modified C-model. 

I liked to get the maximum benefit from the altitude I purchased on the way up. On the way down I usually descended at 300 fpm (3 minutes per thousand feet) at 160 knots using cruise power until just before pattern altitude. I would begin descent, terrain permitting, 5 miles plus 8 miles per thousand feet. Naturally I would adjust for rough air and ATC requirements. 

[Hank]

7 hours ago, RLCarter said:

On my E as well (150~186), my guess his C is the same

This is my C on a short lunch run. As I said, yellow is 175-200 mph.

And no, it's not because my ASI is painted wrong.

All vintage Mooneys just aren't the same!

[bob865]

7 hours ago, RLCarter said:

On my E as well (150~186), my guess his C is the same

Same on my E.  The Yellow Arc starts at 175 on mine.

[RLCarter]

57 minutes ago, Hank said:

All vintage Mooneys just aren't the same!

I stand corrected . Now the question is what changed 

[Greg Ellis]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

All vintage Mooneys just aren't the same!

Yep.  My 63 C model yellow arc begins at 150mph.  I am in the yellow arc on my C-model most of the time in cruise.  

[Hank]

37 minutes ago, RLCarter said:

I stand corrected . Now the question is what changed 

A whole bunch over the years . . .

[Comet]

Normal procedures and staying ahead of a slippery complex aircraft were vital parts of the transition.  The parts that I still find myself thinking about are the abnormal procedures.  

I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, but I had the good fortune (!? ) to have three abnormal events during transition.  First, the previous owner had installed a 12V distribution block under the fuses...on my first transition flight, these started sparking; quick, what’s the procedure for an electrical fire?!    A few flights later, put the gear switch in the down position, but no light; manual gear extension procedure (including low pass so the tower could verify gear down).  I developed the habit of leaving my hand on the gear switch until I verify a green light.  One of the last transition flights was a cross country 100 nm north; on the way back we were going to land where I was going to base the airplane, x-wind around 20kt.  About 50 ft above the runway, wind shifted and instead of being aligned with the centerline, I was over the edge of the runway; go around at a DA around 10k will get your attention! 

Simulated abnormal procedures are useful, but they aren’t the same as the real thing.  Popping a door in training isn’t the same as it happening for real and your kids yelling!  On a long cross country, I still take out the emergency checklists to review and play “where do I land now if the engine quits” game.

[bradp]

Adjust your landing speed based on weight. 

Use gear as speed brakes and a forward slip in your bag of tools.