Landing Height System for Mooney

[DAVIDWH]

Just a minor side note: Upon install, best to have some sort of an off Sw. IN my case its the circuit breaker.

Today at 8000 ft. transiting through  heavy  cloud cover we got several six ft. call outs.

That being said, wish gen. aviation would have had it sooner.

[hammdo]

Good to know, I have ADF and a breaker...

-Don

[larrynimmo]

9 hours ago, DAVIDWH said:

Just a minor side note: Upon install, best to have some sort of an off Sw. IN my case its the circuit breaker.

Today at 8000 ft. transiting through  heavy  cloud cover we got several six ft. call outs.

That being said, wish gen. aviation would have had it sooner.

I would think “6 foot” was not in its vocabulary....my increments are 70, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1...never any other distance

[Microkit]

11 hours ago, DAVIDWH said:

Just a minor side note: Upon install, best to have some sort of an off Sw. IN my case its the circuit breaker.

Today at 8000 ft. transiting through  heavy  cloud cover we got several six ft. call outs.

That being said, wish gen. aviation would have had it sooner.

 

Thanks.

Yes, exactly.  In fact, this is a must and mechanics/installers are required to comply using various ways.

The recommended method is using an available “Switched” audio input on the panel itself, such as ADF, DME, COM3, NAV2 and so on.  This is similar to when a pilot wants to identify a station code and enables that channel to be mixed with main audio.  Except it's always enabled when used for LHS.

If a Switched audio input is not used, then either a toggle switch or a dedicated circuit breaker of the Push/Pull type are required.  Using a “Switched” or toggle switch eliminates the need for a dedicated circuit breaker and power can be taken from a non-essential circuit breaker.

In any installation, the pilot has the means to disable audio or power itself.

Flying in IMC with ice crystals or icing conditions allows the laser beams to find a target, and it's recommended to disable audio when passing through.  When vapor condenses into water droplets forming a visible cloud, this actually becomes a surface if these are condensed together.  

Flying in heavy rain on the approach itself with no cloud layer below makes the beams find the grounds as well even though it's also hitting rain.  The design takes the “largest surface” found which in this case would be the ground.  

Normally, falling rain away from the airplane is seen going away from the airplane and not coming closer.

We do have a new firmware that will help for those flying IMC a lot and noticing it's always getting triggered.  We encourage those who are flying in such conditions constantly to get in touch via email, so we can include them in the initial rollout if they wish.  Eventually, everyone will get an email with the firmware and WiFi upgrade instructions.  Those who are flying IMC occasionally, or just getting a few triggers can wait for the final rollout or even not update the firmware at all.

On a different subject; guys checkout the "go-around" callouts.  It seems it's a forgotten feature.  Here is a fun exercise, see if you can go-around without dropping 1’.  Once you hear 5, initiate go-around.  If you hear 5 again, it means the airplane deviated at least 1’.

No cheating and coming faster than normal approach/landing speed.  If you have extra energy, it can be easily used to straight-level the airplane after 5’.

It also goes without saying, and as this is a public form, we got to mention it; don't just put the nose up to try to only hear 5’ once.  This may stall the wing depending on speed and how fast/sharp the pull-up.  Follow the proper go-around steps/procedure for make/model and if rusty, it's a good idea to get an instructor buddy or another pilot on board.

 

[LANCECASPER]

@Microkit  Any tips on how to make a nice clean hole this size?

[Microkit]

14 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

@Microkit  Any tips on how to make a nice clean hole this size?

 

Two holes using 25mm drill bit (1" works also).  Then use a file to make the two holes oval. or even without using a file, the resulting shape also clears the window.   Other method is to cut it out as a rectangle using a Dremel.   See page 12 & 13 of the online manual.

EDIT: can be practiced on a scrap piece of aluminum before using the real access panel and best when using a press drill or stand

 

[MatthiasArnold]

LHS installation in Europe

Did the LHS installation during last week's annual.

The work was done in parallel to an installation of a traffic awareness system which supports the multiple systems which are utilized throughout Europe as good as possible: Mode-S, Flarm (origin gliders), some ADB-B out.
Unfortunately the GDL69 of my G1000 is of no use over here (well it acts as expensive Charly weight), so I had to find a good compromise. For those of you who are interested refer to this link AirAvionics AT-1. It is integrated with the G1000 maps via ARINC429 as well as audio call-outs and supports numerous tablet/smartphone applications via WIFI. For audio we utilized the ADF input (Automatic Draffic Finder, easy to remember).

The LHS installation was done utilizing the small inspection panel between the LHS landing gear and the wing's root. If you don't like the quality of the cut out it's me who is to blame..

Installation and configuration of the LHS worked like a charm - no problems. For audio we utilized the DME input - to my understanding LHS is a kind of distance measurement (vertical short range, not slant range though..). 

Did only two landings yet, one on a first time airport for me (EDVE) with a much wider runway than I'm used to (EDKA).
Was really helpful to do the round-out at the perfect height. Landings were very smooth! 

Regards,

Matthias

[RobertGary1]

On 2/24/2021 at 10:05 AM, Eduleo said:

Quick PIREP.

Love this thing! I got mine installed yesterday at an MSC in PA, and it took them about 5 hours to do everything, including testing and setup. We did use the panel behind the wheel faring on the pilot side as recommended, and after removing the pilot seat and one side panel, the wiring was relatively easy (at least it looked that way). They did install a fuse so I didn't have the danger of a shorted circuit right behind a fuel tank.

I had two landings afterwards, one in KTEB and another in KHGR, both at night. The system announced all altitudes from 70 down, including the "check gear" warning, and the sound was clear and loud from the ADF input on a Garmin 340. Both landings were made easier and touch downs more predictable. You hear the cadence of the altitude callouts and adjust your rate of descent accordingly. 

Of course you can land without it, but after a long day of flying and landing at night with strong winds, this was a welcome aid.

Can you share what it really does? Is it just a cool gizmo to impress the passengers? What advantage is the altitude call out? Maybe if you forget to go missed on a low instrument approach? I can see in the airlines when you have a heavy plane and sit up high but curious what the advantage is in a Mooney.

[Microkit]

21 minutes ago, RobertGary1 said:

Can you share what it really does? Is it just a cool gizmo to impress the passengers? What advantage is the altitude call out? Maybe if you forget to go missed on a low instrument approach? I can see in the airlines when you have a heavy plane and sit up high but curious what the advantage is in a Mooney.

 

The 2nd post on Page 6 of this thread shows some benefits along with some actual statistics.  Here is a direct link to that. https://mooneyspace.com/topic/36596-landing-height-system-for-mooney/?do=findComment&comment=640421

 

[carusoam]

Mathias, great pirep!

Excellent detail, with a sense of humor. 

Best regards,

-a-

[carusoam]

9 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

Can you share what it really does? Is it just a cool gizmo to impress the passengers? What advantage is the altitude call out? Maybe if you forget to go missed on a low instrument approach? I can see in the airlines when you have a heavy plane and sit up high but curious what the advantage is in a Mooney.

There are a few pireps here...

The altitude above the ground is piped through your audio panel...

Given at certain intervals of height...

If you want to improve your landing consistency under all kinds of conditions and runway dimensions...

This device and an AOAi will make a great combination...

The sensor has been around for a brief period...  the actual pireps are just starting to come in...

Including one from DK, the doctor of Mooney landing science....   

PP thoughts only, not a CFI...

Best regards,

-a-

[larrynimmo]

I have become so comfortable and reliable with this system in making the highest quality landings with the timely call outs.  Most landings are squeaky clean....but does increase landing distance by 10% or so.

the only negative things would be that it would scare me a little if I were to fly a different plane that didn’t have this system.

[Hank]

20 minutes ago, larrynimmo said:

I have become so comfortable and reliable with this system in making the highest quality landings with the timely call outs.  Most landings are squeaky clean....but does increase landing distance by 10% or so.

the only negative things would be that it would scare me a little if I were to fly a different plane that didn’t have this system.

Sounds like what happened with GPS. Even old-timers around the airport were shocked when I took the flight school 172 that I had passed my checkride in the previous week for a short 200nm trip to see my family. Shocked! Because the plane had no GPS . . . 

Extra information is always nice to have, but you must still be prepared to get by without it. The unit may fail in flight. The system may crash. You may lose electric power (happened to me once, while shooting a VOR-A approach, thankfully as I dropped the gear inbound just after breaking out).

[Microkit]

5 hours ago, larrynimmo said:

the only negative things would be that it would scare me a little if I were to fly a different plane that didn’t have this system.

Some pilots did tell us that it in fact helped when flying other airplanes as their eyes got trained. One particular feedback said that after logging around 100 hrs on his airplane, he needed to help fetch an airplane for a friend, and he contributed his great landing on that day to the system.  

We do encourage everyone to switch off the system (the Audio at least) once in a while at their regular airport and do a few T&Gs to check this out.

We do have a Piper Cub (experimental) customer who does not have a battery on his airplane, he uses a small $5 battery pack glued to the top of the unit with a switch to turn it on/off from the cockpit and because he does not want to keep changing batteries every 20 or 30 landings, he only put on before landing at night, off-airport, or when visiting an unfamiliar runway. 

[Eduleo]

On 3/25/2021 at 4:33 PM, RobertGary1 said:

Can you share what it really does? Is it just a cool gizmo to impress the passengers? What advantage is the altitude call out? Maybe if you forget to go missed on a low instrument approach? I can see in the airlines when you have a heavy plane and sit up high but curious what the advantage is in a Mooney.

Hi Robert,

I like the extra little bit of situational awareness that this thing gives me at a critical phase of flight. I, for one, have the annoying tendency of flaring one foot too high. Not enough to embarrass me in front of my passengers, but given enough landings like that I start to wonder how long it's going to be before a tank reseal. I also fly often at night to airports with different, sometimes tricky lighting configurations (try Caldwell NJ just after dusk, everything around the airport is better lit than the field).

I do land without the unit sometimes so it doesn't become a crutch, but in general my landings have become better (i've been flying for 22 years, but this is only my third in the Mooney), most of the times with a nice touchdown, less flat than before, and with just a second of stall warning. The other day I was coming back home early evening, after 2 hours of IMC in strong winds all the way down to rwy 27, staring down at the sun as it set. Gear down warning and call outs all the way down to the runway were a welcoming aid for sure.

Personally I think that the "functionality vs. unit price+install time" equation justify the expense. Definitely not a gizmo to impress passengers, though my girlfriend seem to like it. 

Cheers

Eduardo

 

[LANCECASPER]

I got over to the avionics shop today to finish up. They pre-wired when I had a new panel put in a few months ago. It took an hour today to hook up the wires and configure via wifi.  Ran into one snag and called in to the support phone number and was walked through it immediately. I made two landings today afterward in direct crosswinds so I'm looking forward to getting used to it in more normal conditions. It looks like it has a lot of promise.

[mike_elliott]

MicroKit has donated a LHS system to the Mooney Summit's silent auction. Your generosity to help the Mooney Community is so appreciated. Funds received from the silent auction of this excellent safety device will be 100% used for the Bill Gilliland foundation for downed Mooney Pilots families when they need our support the most.

Some fortunate bidder will not only be rewarded in what I believe one of the best GA products to be offered in decades, but he/she/they will know that their bid will go back to the Mooney Community because of such a great sponsor as MicroKit.

 

[Microkit]

Good news, we just got approval from the FAA to increase the 100’ model starting callout to 200’.  

This is going to be just a firmware and audio file update which can be done using WiFi. This is only for the 100-B model (100’ model) and not the 70’ model. The 70’ laser element is physically restricted.

We expect to complete this and do our internal testing in June. We are looking for a handful of customers for initial roll-out before making it part of the standard firmware.  

I know we will probably get many who want to get that feature early on, but we recommend those who use their airplane on a daily basis to wait until we have a chance to perform several in-field firmware update procedures and get any update procedure issues nailed down. 

Email us if you would like to try this, and we will just go through the list in order.

[M20F-1968]

1 hour ago, Microkit said:

Good news, we just got approval from the FAA to increase the 100’ model starting callout to 200’.  

This is going to be just a firmware and audio file update which can be done using WiFi. This is only for the 100-B model (100’ model) and not the 70’ model. The 70’ laser element is physically restricted.

We expect to complete this and do our internal testing in June. We are looking for a handful of customers for initial roll-out before making it part of the standard firmware.  

I know we will probably get many who want to get that feature early on, but we recommend those who use their airplane on a daily basis to wait until we have a chance to perform several in-field firmware update procedures and get any update procedure issues nailed down. 

Email us if you would like to try this, and we will just go through the list in order.

I have not installed my kit and will not be doing so until early July at annual.  I would be interested in installing the new firmware when we are doing the install.  Please advise by posting here, or sending me a PM, or e-mailing me at john.breda@gmail.com.  

Thanks,

John Breda

[Skates97]

On 4/20/2021 at 2:52 PM, mike_elliott said:

MicroKit has donated a LHS system to the Mooney Summit's silent auction. Your generosity to help the Mooney Community is so appreciated. Funds received from the silent auction of this excellent safety device will be 100% used for the Bill Gilliland foundation for downed Mooney Pilots families when they need our support the most.

Some fortunate bidder will not only be rewarded in what I believe one of the best GA products to be offered in decades, but he/she/they will know that their bid will go back to the Mooney Community because of such a great sponsor as MicroKit.

 

Hmmm... Last Summit I was fortunate to get the Aveo Ultra Galactica wingtip lights, I guess I know what I'm bidding on this year.

[mike_elliott]

3 hours ago, Skates97 said:

Hmmm... Last Summit I was fortunate to get the Aveo Ultra Galactica wingtip lights, I guess I know what I'm bidding on this year.

Dont be afraid to just put an opening bid in at list. You wont get it any cheaper anywhere and like a house in FL right now, it may go for well more!

 

[Skates97]

30 minutes ago, mike_elliott said:

Dont be afraid to just put an opening bid in at list. You wont get it any cheaper anywhere and like a house in FL right now, it may go for well more!

 

You can count on it, the money goes to a good cause! If someone else wants it they know where the bidding will start. 

[Warren]

12 hours ago, Microkit said:

Good news, we just got approval from the FAA to increase the 100’ model starting callout to 200’.  

This is going to be just a firmware and audio file update which can be done using WiFi. This is only for the 100-B model (100’ model) and not the 70’ model. The 70’ laser element is physically restricted.

We expect to complete this and do our internal testing in June. We are looking for a handful of customers for initial roll-out before making it part of the standard firmware.  

I know we will probably get many who want to get that feature early on, but we recommend those who use their airplane on a daily basis to wait until we have a chance to perform several in-field firmware update procedures and get any update procedure issues nailed down. 

Email us if you would like to try this, and we will just go through the list in order.

@Microkit   I am happy to test the modification. The email link in the post is not working. 

[bradp]

@MicrokitNidal I emailed you thanks

much. 

[larrynimmo]

Let’s face it....a 200’ height call out offers significance to us instrument rated pilots....most LPV and ILS approaches have a DA (above AGL) of about 200’...

this call out (if not broke out) definitely would prepare you for the “go miss” timing.