Altitude Call out

[Alan Maurer]

Hello Mooney People, I understand there is the possibility of installing an altitude callout device that can be installed. 

Who can tell me about this? Sounds like it can be helpful for smooth landings.

Thanks

Alan

[irishpilot]

Alan, I'm sure someone will post what hardware is out there. However, proper currency training yearly with a CFI/II will be a better long-term investment. I think buying hardware is a band-aid fix to bad landing habit patterns. Mooney's are just not that hard to land and your wheels are a few feet away from your butt.

If you bring your plane to the Phoenix area, I'll be happy to spend a few hours with you. We can even knock out a BFR if you need one.

-Ryan

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[Alan Maurer]

Hi Ryan, Thanks for the note. Most of my landings are fine but not consistently smooth. The big Continental in the front is heavy and can get a nose wheel bounce. 

Sometimes smooth as silk but not consistent. Phoenix is a bit of a distance from Sarasota. I take the Mooney review course every year and. they are always terrific. 

Sarasota to phoenix is 1802 miles not bad!

Cheers

Alan

[LANCECASPER]

56 minutes ago, Alan Maurer said:

Hello Mooney People, I understand there is the possibility of installing an altitude callout device that can be installed. 

Who can tell me about this? Sounds like it can be helpful for smooth landings.

Thanks

Alan

 

[Marc_B]

I’m curious to see the evolution of the Garmin GHA 15 into the certified market. Not sure if and when this will happen.  Would be interesting to have an (edit: inexpensive) integrated radar altimeter with my PFD. 

But I fly with a friend who has the P2 aviation advisory system and I’ve got to say I love it when Sam Elliott says “the gear is down for landing”. (Not really Sam Elliott but sounds exactly like it)

Another friend has the landing height system and really likes it. Better yet speak with @donkaye for instruction as well as first hand experience with LHS. 

[tmo]

+1 for Don and his video.

[Geoff]

I had this installed at my last annual.

It has two functions, audible gear warning call out "gear" and audible altitude call out in feet starting at "100" down to "10".

Functions much like a radar altimeter.

Observations:

1. In visual conditions at familiar fields not much benefit.

2. In visual conditions at runways that are significantly wider or narrower than your home field, reasonably helpful to avoid the dreaded flared too late/early PIO.

3. In IMC or night, VERY helpful at all fields.

4. "gear" audible won't force you to put the gear down but is definitely better than the horn in the standard setup. 

To me the cost was essentially an insurance policy against a gear up.

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by Geoff

[N201MKTurbo]

I would turn it off. I think it would be distracting.

[M20F-1968]

I have both the P2 system and the LHS.  Both perform different functions but work well together.  The "Check Gear" voice of the LHS does not look at the position of the gear as the P2 does and is just an additional reminder to think about the gear and confirm in your mind that the plane and you are ready to land.  I installed the P2 first, and the LHS later.  The last 1-2 feet of the LHS callouts are the most helpful.  It is very difficult to determine when your wheels are 1 foot above the ground.  Having that information, especially at night is well worth the cost of the LHS.

John Breda

 

[Pinecone]

2 hours ago, M20F-1968 said:

The "Check Gear" voice of the LHS does not look at the position of the gear as the P2 does and is just an additional reminder to think about the gear and confirm in your mind that the plane and you are ready to land. 

John Breda

The later version of the LHS checks the gear switch and only says to Check Gear if you hit 200 feet with the gear switch in the UP position.

 

[N201MKTurbo]

I’ve found looking out the windshield works great for determine how high you are.

[LANCECASPER]

All the LHS does for me is confirm everything I see out the window. Just one more tool in the toolbox. Until you fly with it it's hard to imagine that it will help, but for me this is the second airplane I've put it in.

The Mooney Factory Service Center put this one in and they had never seen one before. After they took it up and tried it they said that there would be less bouncing, porpoising and prop strikes on long bodies if this was installed. Less early flares and tail strikes I would think too.

[M20F-1968]

1 minute ago, LANCECASPER said:

All the LHS does for me is confirm everything I see out the window. Just one more tool in the toolbox. Until you fly with it it's hard to imagine that it will help, but for me this is the second airplane I've put it in.

The Mooney Factory Service Center put this one in and they had never seen one before. After they took it up and tried it they said that there would be less bouncing, porpoising and prop strikes on long bodies if this was installed. Less early flares and tail strikes I would think too.

I concur.  That is why I belive the value of this system is identifying the last 2 feet of altitude.

John Breda

[M20F-1968]

1 hour ago, Pinecone said:

The later version of the LHS checks the gear switch and only says to Check Gear if you hit 200 feet with the gear switch in the UP position.

 

Does it need the electric gear to do that, or can the Johnson bar gear be configured to do the same?

John Breda

[slowflyin]

17 minutes ago, M20F-1968 said:

Does it need the electric gear to do that, or can the Johnson bar gear be configured to do the same?

John Breda

I pretty sure you can wire it into the gear light circuit.  

[Schllc]

On 10/22/2023 at 4:18 PM, irishpilot said:

Alan, I'm sure someone will post what hardware is out there. However, proper currency training yearly with a CFI/II will be a better long-term investment. I think buying hardware is a band-aid fix to bad landing habit patterns. Mooney's are just not that hard to land and your wheels are a few feet away from your butt.

If you bring your plane to the Phoenix area, I'll be happy to spend a few hours with you. We can even knock out a BFR if you need one.

-Ryan

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk




 

Was flying with an instructor today that asked me to let him land it.
He really struggled once in ground effect. 
the need to fly the plane all the way to the ground is contrary to trainers. keeping that attitude and letting it settle become second nature with good habits. 

When we went around and I greased the landing with a gusting 18knt crosswind, he said he didn’t realize how import my instructions were. 
I would like to try one with someone else’s plane, but I don’t feel like I need it. 

[LANCECASPER]

On 10/23/2023 at 1:05 PM, tmo said:

+1 for Don and his video.

The fact that the man who wrote the book and did the videos on landing a Mooney installed an LHS in his airplane says something about the product.

[hypertech]

I have the LHS v2 with the real gear check circuit. It’s awesome. For the price there are few things that give you this much per dollar. 

[Tim-37419]

can anyone comment on the installation cost?

 

 

[201Mooniac]

16 hours ago, Tim-37419 said:

can anyone comment on the installation cost?

 

 

Install for me was 7 hours (on the version 2 which was also connected to the gear switch).

[donkaye, MCFI]

18 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

The fact that the man who wrote the book and did the videos on landing a Mooney installed an LHS in his airplane says something about the product.

I recommend it to everyone with whom I fly.  One of the best "bang for your bucks" in aviation today.  With it you can forget the "bang" when it comes to the actual landing.  Nidal is also totally responsive to any question you might have.

[FJC]

I also appreciate the LHS. I orginally bought it because I thought it would help me aid in resolution of site picture of long/wide versus narrow/short runways and it did that. My experience level isnt high and wanted to be able to land at new airports consistently. I typically will also cheat using computed glide path of gtn750 if nothing more than to assist landing on the R or L runway.  Goal achieved.

The "check landing gear" compels a look down to ensure gear is locked. I like that. I'm considering upgrade to gear position checking but I think the habit of a look down every time for locked gear is good habit and not sure I want to not be asked each time.

 

Freddy

 

 

[Pinecone]

The problem is, the habit of glancing is made, but not actually SEEING that it is down.

The mind is a funny thing. 

[65MooneyPilot]

On my E, I wired the LHS into the green down light. If you put the gear down on downwind or before you put any flaps out the LHS will not say anything. At 200 feet and below,  if the LHS is not sensing the gear down it will repeatedly tell you to check the gear. The landing height system is another tool in the toolbox that is quite useful. I have been using them in the Boeings I have flown for years. It will not stop you from an approach speed that is to high and proceeding to bounce on the runway so be vigilant for that. Getting a lot of landing practice is the best. In my 757 I new exactly where the tires were by the sight picture. Having the callouts were a great backup after a long day of 12 hours of flying and close to an 18 hour duty day. You can have a long day in any plane and the LHS is nice to have.