January, 2013 - The Mooney Flyer
Contents
1. 2am gm t mA meme Wi The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Contents Features And There I was A stuck Landing Gear on a Johnson Bar M20C Bounce Bounce Bounce Bang Bob Kromer reminds Mooney pilots not to force her onto the tarmac Mooneys in the Mountains Here s a great primer for you Mooney flatlanders and refresher for everyone else Two Choices Two Outcomes Editors Two planes depart Florida for Indiana each makes a different decision at Phil Corman the destination 2 dramatically different results What can we learn Jim Price Tales from the Right Seat Tales to appeal to our regular co pilots A Mooney Trip to the Olympic Peninsula Linda Corman shares her Mooney trip to Washington Olympic National Park amp Victoria BC Down in the Boondocks Contributing Writers Bob Kromer Jim Price on the GCO and National Clearance Delivery Tom Rouch Bera aera Buying a Mooney Part 3 The Long Bodies inda Corman Phil Corman completes his 3 part series on figuring out which Mooney to buy To Subscribe Memory Jogger Preparing for a Flight Click Here Here s a great review by Jim Price of everything you need to know amp do 9 Zl SHER HETe before every flight Momar Jagge T A To Advertise Pictures of a Salvage Yard Click Here Submitted by Bucko Strehlow from his VMG fly in sigh In Every Issue To Submit an Article Click Here From the Editor Appraise Your Mooney s Val2. The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 or windmilling it is another source of drag so pull the prop all the way back believe the glide ratios in most POHs assume the prop is pulled And don t forget to fully retract your flaps Seems like a lot to remember and it is So the best way to deal with this is to ingrain it in your head and possibly to make yourself a checklist Weight amp Balance Calculator We continually strive to add useful tools for subscribers of The Mooney Flyer This past month we added our website www TheMooneyFlyer com and also added a list of places and contact information for parts We also have our Appraisal Form for estimating the value of your Mooney as equipped Now we are introducing a Weight amp Balance model which you can download and easily customize for your Mooney Instructions are included If you are not knowledgeable in Excel simply click on the link supply the W amp B information for your airplane and we will email your customized W amp B calculator Once setup you simply enter the weights of 1 4 souls on board the weight in your baggage and hat rack areas the amount of oil in quarts and amount of 100LL in gallons and the model will show you where in the envelope or not that your Mooney is There is even an alert box that highlights if you are NOT in the envelope i i Wwhidght A alanos tee Meee MOC NS577701 4 Back to Table of Contents sna amp amp amp
3. This question gave me some problems trying to figure out how to answer We are dealing with a wide range of engines from the early O 320 and the widely used O 360 to the big TIO 540 AF1B in the TLS To go with all the different power settings would take pages and for those that follow the chat page would be challenged for every setting by everyone with their own procedures and lead to more LOP ROP discussions think for those who don t know much about me a brief resume is in order spent 26 years in the Air Force and retired as an Aircraft Maintenance Superintendent with about 19 of those years on B 52 s After retirement worked for about 8 years at a Mooney Sales Center as Director of Maintenance and started Top Gun in 1989 When was a Crew Chief on a B 52 we had a Service Manual to work by like we have for all GA aircraft only it was called a Technical Order want to emphasize the word Order Here s a short story to show that the word order was exactly that One day had my B 52 in the main hanger for gear work and just behind that hangar was the fuel cell dock where they had just finished fuel cell repair on a KC 135 and were ready to pressure test the tank for leaks The procedure called for using a pressure gage and testing to about 1 5 PSI They didn t have the gage handy and sent an airman to get it In the meantime The Technical Sergeant in charge decided to go ahead with the test and al
4. and get both his feet against the gear lever while performed the G slip maneuver This is aC model short body Mooney and very tight but with a move that Houdini would have been proud of he got into the rear seat squashing woman and dog to one side So here am performing high G cross controlled slipping maneuvers with an aft C of G condition and a guy pushing mightily with both feet on the gear lever It didn t work We flew quietly for a time gathering thoughts and deciding which airport would be best for executing a gear up landing inquired of the owner if he had had any landing gear work done recently The answer was negative but the nose gear door linkage had been adjusted to close a small door gap evident upon retraction Contemplating defeat and a noisy landing it crept into my feverishly working brain that whereas in most retractable gear aircraft the nose gear steering linkage has a definite disconnect from the rudder pedals upon retraction the Mooney gear does not completely disconnect There is a modicum of nose gear movement with rudder application evident even when the gear is up 8 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 had been slipping to the right with attendant full left rudder slipped to the left right foot fully applied to the pedal and the gear handle moved forward to the down and locked latch with no problem Now happily on the ground inspection revealed that the
5. READ MORE at GA News Dual Electronics is now shipping its new XGPS170 GPS ADS B Weather amp Traffic Receiver for iPad iPhone and Android devices to authorized resellers in the U S The receiver carries a suggested retail price of S799 Designed to work with 3rd party EFB apps the in flight weather and traffic information from the XGPS170 is integrated into WingX Pro7 from Hilton Software Additional compatible apps for Apple Android and Windows devices will soon be available from a number of software companies including Anywhere Map Avilution Flight Guide Fltplan com Global NavSource Jeppesen Naviator and Seattle Avionics company officials said READ MORE at GA News 27 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 19 Preparing for a Flight a By Jim Price Mooney Memory Jogger You may have been flying for over 40 years but you can still forget a few things We re all still learning Hopefully for me that process won t stop until someone pries my cold stiff fingers from my Mooney s yolk Take a minute to review a few flight preparation tasks Preparation Prior to Each Flight rar 91 103 If you plan to fly outside of the airport area or file IFR you must Study weather reports and forecasts Determine fuel requirements Plan alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed Check with ATC for known traffic delays Determine takeoff and landing
6. Handbook POH Owner s Manual or Airplane Flight Manual In researching this article looked at Mooney POH s and Owner s Manuals dating back to the one for the original Mark 20A Each POH or OM contained recommend approach speeds for normal and short field landings even for the very early airplanes Clearly from the very earliest days the test pilots at the Mooney factory found it important to adhere to those speeds for pleasant and manageable landing characteristics and results 11 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 So where do these recommended approach speeds come from During development and certification flight testing factory test pilots determine optimum approach airspeeds shown in the POH They do it using this typical flight test technique 1 they first determine indicated stall soeed for gear down flaps down power off at maximum gross weight Vso 2 they multiply this Vso speed by 1 3 to get an indicated reference approach speed Vref This is the soeed used in smooth air at 50 above the runway in the landing configuration when conducting landing distance testing 3 conducting multiple approaches at Vref if the test pilot determines the airplane feels good and doesn t require above average pilot technique then Vref 1 3Vso is the speed that will be shown in the POH for the recommended approach speed If the test pilot judges a bit of soeed must be added for gusty conditions
7. a significant factor in route planning When you want to take your Mooney into the mountains and enjoy the view it is very rare that you will be able or maybe even want to fly a direct route Mountain routes usually follow drainage instead of those direct routes Preflight planning in the mountains must include a familiarization with the drainage It s imperative also that you figure out upstream versus downstream Inadvertently flying upstream is also bringing you into higher terrain That is not bad but it can be if the terrain is out climbing your Mooney Flying downstream you just won t have that issue So you are flying in a canyon and you start to hit some wind It s important to know what direction the wind is coming from Why You ask Because wind behaves like water and as it blows over one side of the canyon it falls descends into the canyon But what goes down must go up So the other side of the canyon most likely has an updraft Fly that side So what do you do on a day with calm winds ina canyon when you want some uplift Easy Fly the sunny side In a calm wind there will probably be some nice uplift from convection You must become aware of what a Mountain Wave is and how they are formed There are several circumstances One is that the wind is perpendicular or within 30 of the mountain ridges The second is if the winds are 20 kts or greater near the peaks The third is either a stable air mass layer aloft or an i
8. departures holding STARs and all the approaches are thoroughly covered 33 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 FlightPlanner PLAN FLY LOG Air OMO 1779 4 PORET Weigel tihe J te tin wheewnert ies tn Empty Wgt LA 70 00 05 530 Dt Tar pas ney ty oy anon Ah tv oo ob 00 si Span hie 100 7 OO i oar Of Lo uat 15 00 17 OO 6 ba OF Meat Peitenger l L 3 on ano sgosye 4a 00 j 99 00 4750 01 Ragoege lt i L73000 ooi Sor Main Fusi Tari 2 50 o ee N j 60 00 Ogi Ty Main Pal Tari 16 20 o s 7 20 oni 4 Pah a EENEN e nts pene weent ee eee C fall ewite To Lm Gmg anme com Emolo C lewt Results Te Tmt UME 72499Se000 ATAT 9 of PO 37 0 79 0 6 9 42 6 49 0 47 0 O88 141 0 33 5 o _eeree offer off o Cool Weight amp Balance computation with Premium 34 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Pictures of an Air Salvage Yard from the December VMG Fly In Here are some pictures from the VMG Fly In to Air Salvage in Dallas on December 8th Pretty sobering to see so many damaged or wrecked planes in one place On the good side out of hundreds there only three 3 were Mooneys Guess that is a good ratio Also interesting that all the Mooneys had the cabin intact thanks to the strong steel cage construction Rudder Fram The DC 3 OF Ricky Nelen Rand ctavhed 12 31 85 ie 35
9. nose gear deployment had been inhibited via the pivot bolt head on the strut knee joint coming into contact with the gear door to a degree that it cut a groove in the door almost all the way through the metal skin of the door The harder we pushed on the handle the tighter it got Any pressure on the right rudder ala the right slip more firmly lodged the gear by slight rotation of the nose gear thus embedding the bolt head further into the door Applying pressure to the left pedal rotated the gear just enough to pull it loose from the groove Moral of the story is if the gear sticks up fully deflect the rudder pedals before performing all the other recommended procedures On C models and others examine the inside of your nose gear door or doors for any kind of marks suggesting contact with the gear assembly Twas potential for excitement The problem can be exacerbated by excessive wear on the nose gear pivot and steering horn bushings Ensuing play in the nose gear allows some side to side play in the assembly The subject aircraft had excessive wear on both bushings and exhibited generous side to side wort oul ko 4 4 r WAN Nose gear knuckle bolt head stuck here gear partially extended n movement of the strut when on jacks The pictures reveal clues where missing paint areas on the gear leg are an indication of door contact during retract and extend of the nose gear Keep your nose low 9 Back to Table of Con
10. or more positive aircraft control then an adjusted speed slightly above Vref will be presented in the POH Regardless the approach speed shown in the POH Owner s Manual or Airplane Flight Manual is the speed that must be used to duplicate published landing distance performance and ensure satisfactory handling qualities on the approach during the landing flare and throughout the landing rollout Adding to Approach Speeds Shown in the POH Certainly in wildly gusty or turbulent conditions it might be wise to add some speed to the recommended approach values in the POH especially if runway distance is not an issue But in normal conditions pilots will find the test pilots before them did their job well if they adhere to recommended approach speeds in the POH Nailing this speed at 50 above the runway should be the goal on every Mooney approach and landing Too slow and the airplane could feel mushy and sloppy But too fast and a Mooney can float and float and float finally touching down well past the intended point on the runway Adding to the float could be an airplane light on the wheels with greatly reduced braking action All of this is not good if landing on a short runway But most importantly the Mooney that is approached at an airspeed well above Vref could be in the unfortunate configuration to Bounce and Bang It s a terrible feeling to be at the controls of an airplane seemingly out of control and bouncing down th
11. 968 1969 1970 1948 1950 1955 1949 1953 1951 1955 1958 1958 1960 1961 1962 1978 1963 1966 1964 1975 1966 1977 1968 1970 1978 1977 1998 1979 1990 1997 1998 1988 1990 1989 2007 1994 2008 1999 2003 199 2006 2008 1982 1965 1970 1958 1983 Total 11 026 Number Built 38 59 1 157 126 200 499 223 2 199 t60 1 478 1 246 190 2 134 1 155 4 356 S18 67 126 36 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Super presentation with so much interesting material Keep up the great work Cheers Don Rowling As Emo Phillips used to say in his comedy act We have a winnerrrrr This month s Mooney Flyer once again transcends the footless halls of space to bring us all another great installment It only keeps getting better Thanks On another note for those of us with the older C and D models and maybe Fs we have a situation whereby Mooney has no prop or throttle controls available With my D model in annual right now have a need to replace the 48 yr old prop control cable Having exhausted my options of a factory made cable have embarked on the owner produced part avenue Yes it is legal FAR 21 303 d 2 have worked with the FAA KSDL to verify the correct procedures Do you think an article here would be interesting Keep your knots up Cliff Biggs We discovered a new company Plane Poop this past month Yeah Poop is an acronym for Pr
12. Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Vo Q fl j T Ea 36 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer yi 37 Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 am a member of WWAMM Western Assoc of Mooney Mites have two elevators and a rudder for a wood wing M20 The parts came from a wood tail to metal tail conversion These are your for the cost of shipping Gil Gilbert N4121 gilnd121 q com The iPad Kneeboard Folio C including clipboard is the perfect high quality leather rotating aviation kneeboard lapboard and everyday case for your iPad 2 and iPad 3 Watch a demonstration at http www youtube com watch v qS91dUSJsrE Used once S45 Compare to new prices 169 at http www mygoflight com ipad kneeboard folio c FREE shipping in US and Canada Jim Price JimPriceAZ gmail com Payments can be made via PayPal using JimPriceAZ gmail com
13. The sites and the buildings are wonderful Loved the shopping and came home with good stuff We stopped to eat at a very French restaurant called Bon Rouge on Courtney Street which had very good food Going back on the 21 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 ferry was no problem as the weather had improved over the day and the water was calm Re entering the U S was painless as the lines were short and the staff very friendly The next day took us to the Olympic National Park and the Hoh Rain Forest We drove west to Forks then south and east to make a large C as there is no direct road to the middle the peninsula We hiked around the Hoh Rain Forest and saw some very interesting trees with hanging moss very eerie looking On the way back to Port Angeles we stopped at a few beaches on the west side of the peninsula and saw some sea stacks For anyone who watched the trilogy The Twilight Sagas you would probably recognize the town of Forks and Rialto Beach from scenes in the movies Now this is where our journey takes a little turn for the worse The following day we were flying to Friday Harbor for lunch when our plane decided to misbehave On landing or attempting to land at Friday Harbor our throttle cable broke and we had to abort the landing and head back to Port Angeles with the idea of doing a dead stick landing there All was uneventful and needless to say we landed with
14. aft and depending on the wind speed some turbulence So carry a little extra altitude in this second case 15 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 In an Emergency So stuff happens If you find yourself having made an off field landing in the mountains here are a few things to know Most survival to rescue times are less than 72 hrs especially if you filed a flight plan or let others know your plans At the AOPA Summit we learned about the Rule of Threes gt Gaina positive Mental Attitude in 3 seconds gt You need air within the first 3 minutes gt You should have shelter in the first 3 hours gt Water in the first 3 days gt Food in the first 3 weeks Before that emergency you should have prepared at least the following gt A406 Mhz ELT or Personal Beacon gt Asurvival vest Yes you read that correctly A survival pack in the cargo compartment is camping gear Your survival gear is in your vest Ensure it has a first aid kit matches mirror PLB utility knife etc Go to for a more thorough treatment Links Mountain Flying Bible by Sparky Imeson McCall Mountain Canyon Flying LLC Mountain Air Dance LLC Helena MT Middle Fork Aviation Challis ID The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Send your questions for Tom to TheMooneyFlyer gmail com What are the best settings to run my engine for climbout cruise and descent in regards to maximizing my engine life
15. amp The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Appraise Your Mooney s Value Don t forget about our cool new Appraise your Mooney s Value using Jimmy Garrision s valuation Jimmy is from All American Aircraft the country s largest Mooney reseller We have implemented the models for M20C M20E M20G M20F amp M20J Click on your model to simply complete the valuation You no longer need paper and pencil Just another benefit to our subscribers These forms are currently Beta test quality Please send errors to us M20C M20E M20G M20F M20 updated September 2012 www ShareZen com The Mooney Flyer This is a nifty website and it s free It s bsile ot fine Wien particularly useful for tracking costs keeping track of Things to Do based on either Calendar time or Tach Hobbs time It even supports a Journal feature that lets you write notes on your aircraft that are time stamped rope Geter Vet sredu Sompio O If you are sharing your aircraft or in a club then Sharezen shines even more as each pilot can review and enter items and the results are shared with everyone This is great for Gauan an Arabai maintenance items like S changing oil and filters etc Annual inepection For Things to Do items Renew insuranhia Sharezen will send an email to Ov Change r an ara inan you when that item is due Mognete Overhow set my Oil Change to every 35 paret ot 8 Reet
16. ansported you to the planet Tatooine Perhaps you can communicate with Flight Service through a nearby VOR or Remote Communications Outlet RCO Nope None of those around You draw your cell phone and No bars no signal Now what Perhaps the airport has a GCO or Ground Communications Outlet But you ve never heard of a GCO and have no idea how it works This is a relatively new technology that allows you to communicate with Flight Service Stations and Air Traffic Control ATC facilities for the purpose of filing opening and closing VFR or IFR flight plans obtaining weather briefings and IFR clearances Airports like have have a GCO that uses a 2 to 5 watt VHF radio receiver to ground link through a modem to the Approach Controller Center Controller or Flight Service Station A GCO uses the airport s listed frequency either 121 725 or 135 075 If you want to talk with ATC click the mic four times FSS can be contacted with six clicks The system will ask you to click the mic twice if it is dialing the correct location If it s dialing FSS and you want ATC wait five seconds and start again When the briefer or controller answers just communicate your needs There is a timer on the modem connection and if no voice is heard for sixty seconds you ll hear timing out Just key the mike once within three seconds and that will give you another 30 seconds of air time If the system is not responsive try rep
17. changing oil in the TIO 540s years ago every 25 hours with dramatic improvement in oil consumption While that engine requires a little more TLC changing oil every 4 6 months or 35 hours can only be a benefit Both engine manufacturers recommend pickling an engine sitting over 30 days and almost no one does it Engine maintenance Baffling condition spark plug wiring injector cleaning and general engine maintenance will add many hours to the life of your engine We do a fair amount of pre sale inspections during the year and it is amazing how many log books have reviewed with year after year of Annual signoffs with no maintenance entries for those years It does speak very well of the soundness of the Mooney in that it flies well even when neglected and still very safe For an aircraft mechanic like me want to fix everything and for the owner who would like to fix everything but has to balance a checkbook we have to find the middle ground to have a safe plane but somehow cost effective Very challenging as the planes age and the economy well that s another discussion 18 Top Gun Aviation Specializing in Mooney and cirrus 209 983 8082 For Service and Maintenance ask for Mark or Tom FAX 209 983 8084 6100 S Lindbergh St Stockton CA 95206 r visit our website at www topgunaviation net NY A A AU TA NONN 4 N Avionics Repairand Installation Services now available on site thru J a
18. che PFM 3200 NOS engine and was certificated in 1988 Gross weight was a meager 2900 Ibs and cruised at 155 kts The M20L was equipped with a single control lever with automatic mixture and pitch control Production ended in 1990 Only 42 were built The M20M Bravo 1989 2006 boosted output initially to 270 hp and was also turbocharged The M20R 1994 started at 280 hp 210 kW and was normally aspirated The M20M was type certified on 28 June 1989 and was equipped with the 270 hp Lycoming TIO 540 AF1A or AF1B With 89 useable gallons and a 3368 Ib gross weight you could bring a lot of humanity very far at more than 214 kts at about 18 gph One of the things like in the panel which is the a i same as found on my M20S are the Moritz gauges These gauges allow me to quickly see Manifold pressure RPM CHT EGT Oil Temp and Oil Pressure in both analog amp digital V 9 is 59 kts Best Rate of Climb is 1130 fom Ground Roll of 1080 ft 2050 over a 50 ft obstacle are very useful in this big bore Mooney You can cruise where only eagles soar and in our opinion the M lands very easily if you are on the numbers 24 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Introduced in 1994 the M20R Ovation mated a kin long body fuselage to a Continental O 550 pe ows G normally aspirated powerplant of 280 hp This AUN ee HM Hitt model was named Flying Magazine s single engine iI plane of the year
19. d home from a great lunch in my students 66 E it to a Rocket Geoff used to write the Rocket model an immaculate manual gear Mooney Newsletter was in the right seat kibitzing as usual We commenced the 45 entry to runway 32 at E16 the gear lever was unlatched from between the seats and moved forward and up toward the latch point at the base of the instrument panel It only got halfway and then stuck completely We were both heaving mightily upward on that miserable lever We could lower the handle back to the gear up position but only move it halfway to the gear down and locked point Increasing throttle and departing the traffic area in a climb was the next move took over the flying task while the owner manhandled the gear lever surmised that applying some G loading might encourage the gear to swing out so commenced a descent and executed a sharpish pull up while the owner took both hands to the gear lever no luck there The next thought was same trick but executed with a slipping maneuver such that air loading would be applied to the nose gear door This demanded a slip to the right top rudder applied to the left foot The significance of this effort will be revealed but the gear was still stubbornly resisting deployment The next maneuver in retrospect could be taken from a Laurel and Hardy movie The owner decided that he would exit from the left seat climb into the back seat in which was my wife holding his dog
20. distances by evaluating Runway lengths elevation and slope Aircraft gross weight Wind and temperature Ree RE For Local Flights You should know about the airport s you intend to use including the runway lengths takeoff and landing distances for the day s conditions Planning Fuel Requirements rar 91 151 amp 167 VFR Day Fuel to destination 30 minutes VFR Night Fuel to destination 45 minutes IFR Fuel to destination and alternate 45 minutes Any attempt to stretch fuel is guaranteed to increase Mead winasa According to AOPA s Air Safety Institute in an average week three general aviation aircraft crash due to improper fuel management 28 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Deviating From the Rules rar 91 3 If an in flight emergency requires immediate action the PIC may deviate from any rule necessary to deal with that emergency Ifthe PIC deviates from a rule he or she shall upon the request of the Administrator send a written report of that deviation to the Administrator PIC Responsibilities rar 91 413 The PIC must make sure that his her aircraft is airworthy That includes Ensuring that your Mooney has received an Annual Inspection within the past 12 months The annual expires the last day of the 12th month FAR 91 409 Ensuring your Mooney s transponder has been tested and inspected within the past 24 mon
21. e congregate for dubious reasons Alternate Airport The airport that no aircraft has sufficient fuel to proceed to if necessary Angle of Attack Pick up lines that pilots use Arctic Frost Attitude shown by uncooperative stewardess also see Horizontally Opposed Arresting Gear Police equipment used for keeping order at airport parties Autopilot A would be airplane pilot who flunked his checkride The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 My Mooney Calendar January 2013 January 12 Williston X60 Pyper Kub Cafe January 12 VMG Fly in to Cable Airport KCCB Click Here for February 9 Sebring SEF Carol Ann Garratt will be talking PORN yee Leckere details and to register about her last trip around the world in her Mooney her third trip 6 around and selling March 19 venice VNC Honoluana Island Grill All events start at 11 30 really appreciate it if you can E mail me by Thursday night of the week of the event and let me know if you are going to try to make it so can call the restaurant on Friday with a head count No one is obligated to come if they told me they are coming and can t make it for mechanical weather health or any other reason Hope to see you soon Dave and Ruth 30 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 The Mooney Flyer iIFlightPlanner www iFlightPlanner com Preodines by Phil Corman B There are a preponderance of flight planne
22. e runway pushing when you should be pulling All of this can be avoided with strict airspeed control when crossing the runway threshold Mooney pilots should modify the GUMP check at 50 above the runway to GUMPA That s Gas Undercarriage Mixture Prop and Airspeed at POH recommended value Nailing the proper POH approach airspeed at 50 should be a point of pride with every Mooney pilot Doing so ensures you are operating your airplane the way it was designed to be flown As an owner pilot there is no greater indication of professionalism than operating your airplane just like the test pilots did before you 12 Back to Table of Contents wr i S q k ge tot Our Mooneys were made to takeoff climb and then P Te get you t yourdestination faster than anyone else and using less fuel Occasionally we are not in a hurry know don t send letters to the Editor about this heresy but honestly sometimes we just Want to see this wonderful planet of ours from a few thousand feet Mountains are a beautiful and sometimes unforgiving place They have winds and gusts and weather and few reporting stations not to mention not a lot of landing spots But they can be beautiful to fly over if you are trained and the weather is cooperative Navigation Normally when we flight plan for Mooneys we pick routes that keep us close to a direct route to our destination Clearly things like weather and terrain play
23. ea Dave and Barb Boerigter were kind enough to recommend places to go and things to see while there We left them at the airport not knowing that later they would become really great friends in our hour of need We checked into our hotel in downtown Port Angeles and proceeded to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park This particular trip was in the month of August so of course we were surprised to find the top of the mountain covered in snow We waded through the snow to the overlooks that had panoramic views of Port Angeles Vancouver Island and all the smaller islands in the Puget Sound After hiking around a mountain top all day we decided to head for town to get a bite to eat We drove to the harbor area and found a nice seafood restaurant called the Downriggers on the water great views of the ferries coming and going to Vancouver Island That s when we decided to take the ferry the next day to see Victoria on Vancouver Island It was a good thing we always carry our passports The next day we lined up at the ferry harbor for our tickets and a scan of our passports The ride over to Vancouver Island was a little longer than thought but watching the sea lane traffic go by was enjoyable We arrived at Victoria Harbor and it was as beautiful as all the pictures I ve seen The Empress Hotel and the Parliament buildings are right at the harbor and an easy walk from the ferry In fact we walked the whole town almost
24. hours on the Hobbs or Tach and it sends a reminder when that is due You can also enter dates instead of flying hours for items to be due It s useful for 1 owner and 1 pilot but it really shines when you have people sharing as anyone can enter information which is then available to all users Give it a try It s free 5 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer ABABRABABAAABRAAL Semi tees Pi lt N MOONEY MAI L BAG N N Volume 2 Number 1 N r N v AAAAAARARAAAA January 2013 Happy New Year Thanks for your efforts on behalf of the Mooniacs Your publication is really great Much appreciated Vincent Dunn A Mooney pilot and friend of mine Tom Campbell did the attached production breakdown of Mooney s from 1948 to 2008 Thought you or your readers might be interested Lloyd Babcock Ovation N2157L Model A2 A M10 MI8 M18C MISL M19 M20 M20A M20B M20C M20D M20E M20F M20G M20H M20 M20K M20L M20M M20R M208 M20T M20TN MT20 M22 M22 M30 Mooney Aircraft Production 1948 2008 Name Cadet Cadet Mite Mite Mite X499M counter liaison Mark 20 Mark 20A Mark 21 Mark 21 Ranger Master Super 21 Chaparral Executive Statesman engineering prototype 201 205 MSE Allegro 231 252 Encore PFM TLS TLS Bravo Ovation Ovation2 Ovation3 Eagle Eaple2 Predator Acclaim TX 1 Mustang Mark 22 twin engine 301 Years Built 1
25. ide of Ownership Products Dean Ritter of BatteryMinder fame is a founder These guys make high quality stuff We re talking about cosmetic touches like yoke medallions seatbelt buckle appliques fuselage H nameplates and other bling things for your baby Items you a Lw e F can no longer get from the original manufacturer and haven t Pride Of Ownership Products been able to find anywhere else items that are made better www planepoop com LLO np and look better than the originals We sampled a Mooney logo for our yoke and it is really nice Where else can you do anything on your Mooney so inexpensively For a limited time you can buy a pair of Mooney medallions for your yoke at 19 95 instead of 24 95 just because you are a reader of The Mooney Flyer Click on the Poop to visit their website 7 Back to i Send us your Caption The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 oop And There Was x R A tale of a stuck landing gear on an M20C by CG Lee CG Lee is a CFI ASMEL with 10 000 hours 5000 in Mooney He learned to fly in a Tiger Moth in England while he worked as an apprentice at The DeHavilland Aircraft Co at 16 years of age He has been instructing for 35 years Geoff bought is first Mooney Executive in 1968 He has owned 3 Mooneys since and claims you can t beat em His current Mooney is a 1979 K N231DV It was a beautiful day to fly returning which he has owned since it was new He converte
26. iger stripe paint scheme The contract was won by the ill fated Slingsby T 67 Firefly and the M20T was not developed or certified The sole prototype registered N20XT was flown in the Experimental Market Survey category and was still owned by Mooney Aircraft in 2008 25 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 The M20TN Acclaim was the last version of the M20 design produced and is powered by a turbo normalized Continental TSIO 550 G powerplant with twin turbochargers and dual intercoolers The Acclaim replaced the Mooney M20M Bravo in the company s product line The M20TN was type certified on 15 October 2006 and is equipped with the 280 hp 210 kW TSIO 550 G 1 G 2 G 3 or G 4 engine The Acclaim screams along at a cruise of 237 kts and has a service ceiling of 25 000 LASAR Celebrates 35 years in Lakeport CA EXPERIENCE is We re here for you for instant access to our experience Staff Phone or eMail for prompt delivery of the Parts and Mods you need 707 263 0412 Parts Mods lasar com Serving your Mooney Needs Since 1966 Mooney and Lycoming Service Center FAA Repair Station Parts new rebuilt used STC Mods Service Avionics Plane Sales 26 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 7 Pas La January 2013 heard the News A SIBBA OF USEE L anmo Naws Xarelto now an approved medication for f
27. in 1994 The M20R was type gt gaasid certified on 30 June 1994 and is equipped with the GAUG ma 280 hp 210 kW Continental IO 550 G 5 G 6 or G 7 engine The Ovation has a gross weight of 3368 Ibs and can cruise at 190 kts book your speed may vary The Ovations became Mooneys best sellers after they were introduced The M20S Eagle was introduced in 1999 and was powered by a Continental O 550 G engine of 244 hp 182 kW In 2001 the Eagle 2 was introduced This model included such refinements as a 3 bladed propeller a 100 Ib 45 kg gross weight increase and standard leather interior The M20S was type certified on 07 February 1999 and is equipped with the 244 hp Continental IO 550 G 6 engine The very cool upgrade to the Eagle is the Screaming Eagle STC from Midwest Mooney The STC increases the maximum propeller RPM from 2500 to 2700 with the installation of a new propeller governor This change allows the existing engine to produce 310 hp instead of 280 hp at full power The STC also specifies a Hartzell 3 bladed metal or composite scimitar propeller and increases the gross weight to 3 374 Ib 1 530 kg on certain older models This STC can also be applied to the Ovation 1 and 2 The M20T Predator a canopy equipped version of the basic M20 design powered by a Lycoming AEIO 540 engine was Mooney s entrant in the USAF Enhanced Flight Screener competition The prototype was built in 1991 and displayed in t
28. in the professional world has always served me well 3433 x a0 1560 1 448 700 1 GREENSBURG INDIANA GREENSBURG MUNI 134 Orig A 12320 39 20 N 85 31 W RNAV GPS RWY 36 The FAA s Personal and Weather Risk Assessment Guide encourages all pilots to establish a personal minimum For instance if a pilot is rather new to instrument flying it might be prudent for the pilot to add mile or more to the published approach visibility The FAA has never and never will suggest that pilots fly approaches when the weather is below the required visibility The risks are just too great In addition if a pilot is new to an aircraft personal minimums need to be increased until he or she has a lot more time in the aircraft Two pilots Same way same day same conditions Two choices Two very different results 20 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 The Olympic Peninsula by Linda Corman Here we go on another adventure from the right seat This time we decided to travel to the great northwest the Olympic area of Washington State After a beautiful flight we landed at Port Angeles on the north side near Vancouver Island As we were entering the pattern to land at Port Angeles we saw another Mooney just ahead of us After exchanging nice words about each of our airplanes we landed and taxied to the fuel pumps We met the other Mooney s crew and found that they lived in the ar
29. ir on upwind facing slopes often causes clouds and precipitation Descending air tends to dry out So again if you know the winds you know where to look for clearer flying while in the mountains So imagine that you are caught in a nasty downdraft what should you do If you are flying into rising terrain here are your considerations First consider executing a 180 turn You need to balance your airspeed in this maneuver very perfectly Turning radius increases with the square of your speed And at the same time your stall speed increases with increasing bank Your turning radius at 70 kts is approximately 436 ft At 140 kits it s 1774 ft That might be the difference between success and camping in the mountains with your wrecked Mooney If you are in descending terrain you may be able to fly through it But here s an important thing to remember in this situation If you have the altitude then pushing the yoke and increasing your airspeed is the best solution It will minimize your time in the descending air Generally speaking you will lose less altitude by diving out of it Approaching a Ridge We ve all been taught how to cross a ridge Enter it at a 45 angle so you ll only have to turn 90 if you hit a downdraft When approaching a ridge from the upwind side you are going to encounter a nice updraft to lift you over the ridge This is the easiest When approaching from the downwind side of a ridge you ll encounter a downdr
30. lan via DUATS 32 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 There is also a corresponding iPad app also called iFlightPlanner which syncs completely with the web based service This smooth integration essentially lets you take your plan with you on the flight and even close your flight plan via your iPad All of the stuff we ve shown you so far is FREE If you want more you can upgrade to iFlightPlanner Premium If you do you ll get the following additional stuff gt Custom Locations amp Waypoints Integrated Weight amp Balance Calculation Garmin FPL amp GPX Flight Plan Exporting Unlimited Online Logbook Logbook Import amp Export Aircraft Tasks amp Reminders VV VV V WV Aircraft Maintenance Log Am D a w gt nstrument Review rrowuencty Check A f rahe Exper fo pigi Get yours at www JDPriceCFl com or www Amazon com The Biennial Flight Review Study Guide provides the right amount of information to help you prepare for your flight review It enhances your ability to deal with abnormal and emergency situations The Instrument Proficiency Check Study Guide is a must whether you re extremely proficient or need to dust off some cobwebs It s more than 100 pages are packed with concise information and helpful graphics so that you can increase your knowledge of FAA Regulations weather reports and forecasts IFR charts and the airspace system Flight planning takeoff
31. light har _ Good news on the medication front The FAA recently accepted Xarelto as an iy Xarelio allowed anticoagulant for use in aviation Xarelto rivaroxaban is a new type of anticoagulation drug that has a much more favorable side effect profile than its pharmaceutical cousin Pradaxa dabigatran that produced disappointing side effects associated with uncontrollable bleeding in some patients who were using it READ MORE at AOAP FreeFlight Systems upgradable XPLORER ADS B receiver now available waco Texas Now available from FreeFlight Systems is its XPLORER receiver a datalink weather receiver with upgradability to full ADS B In weather and traffic data capabilities when installed with a certified ADS B Out transmitter Based on FreeFlight Systems certified RANGR family of 978MHz ADS B systems XPLORER receives the full ADS B Flight Information Service Broadcast FIS B that includes graphical weather READ MORE at GA News g NavWorx ADS B now on a variety of aircraft ROWLETT Texas NavWorx reports the es successful installations of its Universal Access Transceiver UAT delivering De the benefits of NextGen air transportation technology to general aviation aircraft The company s flagship product the ADS600 B is a single device that transmits and receives flight data and information services into the cockpit The ADS600 B is designed to meet the FAA s 2020 mandatory compliance requirements for ADS B equipage
32. most blew the left wing off the aircraft Investigation revealed it blew at about 15PSI The Technical Sergeant was prosecuted under Article 15 for disobeying an Order Technical Order PS To repair that tank they shipped in a wing for a 707 and put it on the KC 135 The left wing was about two feet longer than the right Back to the question because of my background as an AP IA try to follow the manufacturer s tech data especially the Mooney Service Manual and POH tend to go with the power charts and procedures in the manuals The main problem with the GA industry is the tech data is not updated and we work with manuals 40 plus years old so we have to use some common sense when something in an old manual is outdated also believe that the people that build the engines and airplanes give methods to operate the engines with the majority of pilots in mind In other words read the book In general feel that for climb out that a cruise climb setting is best for the engine It definitely is the best to keep CHT as low as possible and in my opinion of all the temps CHT is the most important Cruise settings can be a wide range depending if your object is to get there the fastest or the most economical know many owners fly LOP and depending on the engine that s fine Myself preferred 17 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 speed so mostly flew at 75 power The one thi
33. mp R Electronics Back to Table of Contents MEREN Y Choices a tw j i a j Destin FL KDTS Todd Reed his wife and two other coup l departed Destin for Greensburg IN 134 in his aircraft Then Bob Horan and his wife along with another couple departed for their three hour flight home in their new 1993 Piper Malibu Matrix Reed found the weather at 134 to be mile drizzle and fog He shot the RNAV GPS Rwy 36 approach which requires 1 mile visibility He could not see the runway so he accomplished a missed approach diverted to Columbus KBAK 18 nm West and successfully landed Columbus has an ILS approach control tower and longer runways FlightAware Live Flight Tracker N92315 A iz J46 A OBER nA 5521 34 122 9 240 r iig A 1286 7 1186 OV aly 1049 AWOS 3 ji 19 NA 400 fs 4653 1 64 122 500 ae Ty j z z zS a p Aviation SE RIGEN gt lt JONN M3 DECATUR O MEML Pvt Ynverifiedi r tank gt 124 A 267 1168 CELO oe i t299 i TAA nak r A1135 GREENSBURG 034 1261 gt D A126 wr 2 COLUMBUS 6 r194 Ay Sf 315 Youle ce aig FAF s ponp HUMIG A Tr Pv AEROBATIC PsS 68 1 265 A k A The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Forty five minutes later after Reed had diverted Horan facing the same weather situation tried the RNAV GPS Rwy 36 approach at Greensburg A fe
34. ng believe in is keeping CHTs in the recommended range as well as keeping them out of the redline The little red book that comes with all Lycoming engines has some very good basic data on temp ranges TCM now Genuine Continental has a full sized manual with their engines that also has good data In regards to descent power settings it is more important on turbocharged engines to keep the CHTs in the green when reducing power With all the new multi probe engine monitor systems we have today there is no reason not to control temps which is the most important thing you can do for the longevity of your engine Spending some time with the manuals that came with the engine and the airplane is time well soent While we spend most of the time keeping CHTs low believe that running too cool can have negative effects That s why car manufacturers put thermostats in their engines to maintain optimum temps Since the question was really about extending engine life want to make some other points When starting a very cold engine or one that hasn t been run for a long time let the engine warm up and run for a while before going to full power This provides additional time for oil to get to the camshaft and lifters especially on Lycs Change oil often We are seeing planes come in for Annual with less than 50 hrs in a year with the same oil we put in a year ago You could just drain and put in new oil without changing the filter We started
35. nversion below about 15 000 feet Once again you can visualize the air like water rapids flowing over rocks The trouble with mountain waves is they can go for 50 miles downwind from the ridges So you must know your wind very very well 13 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Lenticular Clouds en i F There is one type of wind that should be avoided at all costs We all know to avoid thunderstorm convection It s always good to stay on the ground or fly at least 10 miles away from any cell In the mountains thunderstorms should also be avoided But another type of wind that should be avoided is lenticular clouds These clouds tend to remain stationary so they don t seem to be a threat But the winds in and around them are sure to provide you with severe or worse turbulence Remain clear of these at all times A bad situation also occurs when the wind is there but there is not enough moisture in the air to form the Lenticulars Arriving and Departing in the Mountains It s best to know your airport very very well when landing or departing in the mountains Most often you are not going to be flying a standard pattern More likely you will follow the terrain and then voila there s the landing strip Knowing your landing strip is crucial Plan for 250 ft per nautical mile descents and 100 200 ft per nautical mile for departures The wind can drive your performance here so make sure
36. ositioning your aircraft and locate to a spot with a clearer path to the antennae To terminate the call click the mic three to five times while the frequency is clear Wait six seconds before trying another call Using your Cell Phone Flight Service Everyone knows that you can call for a weather briefing or file a flight plan using the Lockheed Flight Service 800 number 992 7433 WX BRIEF However few pilots know about the National Clearance Delivery 888 number if you have already received a weather briefing and have an IFR flight plan on file you can get an IFR clearance by calling 766 8267 have used it and it works great IFR pilots should consider program this number into their cell phones The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 CORMAN This is the final part of our three part series on buying Mooneys In part 1 we covered the short body Mooneys with the M20E our favorite In part 2 we covered the medium bodies and overwhelmingly the M20J was the sweet spot Many argue that the M20J remains the best price performance airplane in the M20 stable Buying a Mooney Here s what you want to know Part 3 The Long Bodies L TN In this final installment we will provide you with the details and information to evaluate which Long Body Mooney might meet your mission The long body models run from M20L thru M20TN The M20L PFM fuselage is 26 9 long and sports a 217 hp six cylinder liquid cooled Pors
37. out difficulty We found a mechanic on the field who was a huge help and Phil started calling around to find us a replacement part While he was doing that called Dave and Barb and asked their advice on where to go and what to do while we waited for the part to come in They were great Not only did they have advice for us but they invited us to their home for a BBQ and offered their home if our stay in Port Angeles was long waiting for the repair of our plane What incredible people The part only took a day to be found and replaced so we didn t need to impose but it was nice knowing that their hospitality was available We did go to Port Townsend as we waited the next day for the part to arrive and be installed Port Townsend is a very cute little town with a lot of history cute shops and good food recommend a visit there if you have the time We had a wonderful time in the Olympic Peninsula thanks to Rite Bros Aviation Inc and Dave and Barb who saved the day for us Mooney folks are usually wonderful but Dave amp Barb are even more wonderful This was a great adventure from the right seat and hope you can enjoy some wonderful flights to beautiful destinations 22 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Down in the Boondocks The GCO and National Clearance Delivery by Jim Price You find yourself at a God forsaken air strip and you re thinking that your Mooney s navigational system has tr
38. points winds os course Tree neee Fel Tine petaen Route Paso Robles CA 800 35 40 21 99 N 120 37 36 99 W Direct N A WJF Apt 2 Lancaster CA General W 9500 34 d4 97 N 118 13 07 W Direct N A 95 170 15 4 1 06 333 nm 9 KBLH Apt 20 oe 170 186mm 284 1 55 3 Blythe CA 9500 l E EES ised EAEE 33 37 08 99 N 114 43 00 W Direct N A 9 839 170 8 3 0 36 147 nm 9 KBXK apt oe sae 170 l02nm 367 231 Buckeye AF 9100 N a a Pornainen 33 25 12 99 N 112 41 10 W Direct N A 66 170 RF o 0 16 45 nm 9 KCHD Apt C gge 170 45nm 3949 2 47 3 Chandler AZ 1200 das cay candaieeieece avesesss Lsndseadiddoueysneetiaes 33 16 07 99 N 111 48 39 W 3 464 1 nm NOTE fuel calculations do not include required reserves Flight totals fuel 39 gallons time 2 47 distance 464 1 nm Average groundspeed 167 knots Great circle distance is 459 1 nm this route is 1 longer Then it s on to the Weather briefing depicted below It utilizes DUATS and will count as a certified weather briefing to satisfy the FAA FlightPlanne PLAN FLY LOG becnnve Aivcruft ma N vai hai Negi amp Balance Airports My Aiei Baja Oui Mang Tepe Gtarcdand Route Low Altitude Staad Aroa So m Abiwewated Route net f ite Abbreviated Loration TIE T 200 nM Abbrewsted State Cotective Abbreviate Gefmed Radut Finally it will file your flight p
39. rs on the market and new ones coming online each month tg r iFlightPlanner caught our eye this month and we were impressed It runs on PCs amp iPads and syncs between the 2 so you can plan on a desktop and fly with your iPad The interface is intuitive and it is quite useful for all flights including IFR To get started yov Il want to enter all the details about your Mooney which are then used to compute your flight plans and Nav logs Routing Coded Departure Routes Direct Routing for GPS without Fixes amp Help Low Altitude Airway Auto Routing Low Altitude Airway Auto w SID STAR Jet Route Auto Routing VOR Direct Auto Routing Direct Routing for GPS with Fixes eta Bete Direct Routing for RNAV Coded Departure Route Custom Routing enter waypoints Show Route amp Generate Nav Log Save as Favorite Route Route Altitude 9500 FLorft E Compare CI No Wind Flight Plan M Adverse FitRules MM src HF Frz It supports all the usual features such as rubberbanding to add new waypoints 31 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Based on that data iFlightPlanner provides you with your flight plan overlaid on VFR or IFR charts and also provides the Navlog shown below E j 7 re F E a uur Wr er Ss Navigation Log KPR KPRB Weather KCHD Weather ch Print Flight Route Export to Garmin FPL File GPx File Way
40. t checklist and establish Best Glide speed You Best angle should know this speed by heart But do you of glide 0 remember that Best Glide is highest at gross g 4c 4 1 ae 7 67 Angle of attack weight and goes down with the weight of the aircraft So you need to know how heavy your Mooney is in order to establish Best Glide speed A good use of the excess airspeed is to climb i e gain altitude while slowing to best glide This will increase your glide range While you are doing this you should be looking for a place to land If your GPS has a Nearest Airport button now is a good time to push it If you made a change to your engine now is the time to diagnose what the problem might be If you changed fuel tanks then unchange it Rod Machado recommends unchanging things if any problem arises soon after a change If you are flying into a headwind on your glide you can extend your glide range by lowering the nose It will increase your descent rate feet per minute but will increase your glide range In a tailwind do the opposite by reducing your best glide speed How much should you adjust There is no hard and fast rule but using the headwind component will work just fine What else can you do to extend your glide Well if your gear was down retract it If you had deployed your speedbrakes retract them And don t forget that big fan in front of you Once the engine is idling 3 Back to Table of Contents
41. tents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 Bounce Bounce Bounce Bang Results of Factory Flight Tests Investigating Prop Strike Incidents on Landing By Bob Kromer Mooney Factory Engineering Test Pilot 1983 1986 Mooney Executive VP andGM 1986 1991 Prop Strike Incidents Prompt Action In the summer of 1985 the Mooney factory was hearing of a rather high number of prop strike incidents during landing from the operators of anumber of different model Mooneys The warranty service group brought the issue to the engineering flight test department for investigation As Mooney s engineering test pilot at the time was asked to conduct a number of test flights using the M20J flight test prototype aircraft to explore the issue and make suggestions The test results we obtained are of high importance to all Mooney pilots and are as relevant today as they were in 1985 This article will discuss the flight tests performed and will present suggestions to keep you and your Mooney happy and under control on the runway during landing touchdown and rollout Your prop will look a lot like this after you bounce your Mooney onto the runway Not the Airplane s Fault The first concern was with the geometry of the Mooney nose landing gear and the diameter of the propellers used We know that Mooneys do not have an abundance of prop tip ground clearance Unlike a Cessna or Piper the prop tips of all Mooneys come pretty close to
42. the ground when setting on the runway with the gear down For that reason we don t fly the best airplanes for grass or soft surface operations Put the rather stiff Mooney nose gear into a hole or depression on a soft field during taxi or takeoff and the prop can hit the ground To help factory flight testing revealed that using full aft wheel nose up elevator during ground operations is a must for any Mooney being operated on soft surfaces We discovered doing so can add the equivalent of 1 inch of prop tip clearance compared to taxiing around with the control wheel and elevator left in the neutral or trail position But prop tip clearance by design was not the issue with the landing prop strike incidents being reported These were more indicative of wild rides down the runway after touchdown Each incident was described by the unfortunate pilot similar to this I touched down before the airplane was ready and it 10 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 bounced Because the runway was short gently pushed the control wheel forward in an attempt to put the airplane back on the runway It hit hard and bounced again pushed again this time firmly to get the airplane back on the runway couldn t believe it but it bounced a third time was getting desperate to get on the ground and stopped so this time pushed really hard It was after the third bounce and push that the prop hit the runway Beca
43. ths Expires the last day of the 24th month If you re flying IFR ensure the Pitot Static System has been tested and inspected within the past 24 months Expires the last day of the 24th month Required Documents in the Aircraft rar 91 203 91 9 A irworthiness certificate R egistration certificate R adio license if traveling outside the USA and or for some commercial operations Q lt O perating limitations The Mooney Owner s Manual lt W eight and balance data 180 Degree Turn A sometimes difficult maneuver to perform the degree of difficulty is usually determined by the size of the pilot s ego A amp P Rating Enables you to fly grocery supplies Aileron A hinged control surface on the wing that scares the hell out of airline passengers when it moves Airfoil 1 Sword used for dueling in flight Often used to settle disputes between crew members and passengers 2 What pilots wrap their sandwiches in Airplane The infernal machine invented by two bicycle mechanics from Dayton Ohio and perfected on the sands of the Outer Banks of Kitty Hawk North Carolina Precursor of the Frisbee Airspeed 1 The speed of an airplane through the air 2 True airspeed plus 20 when talking with other pilots Deduct 25 when listening to a Navy aviator 3 Measured in furlongs per fortnight in student aircraft Air Traffic Control Center A drafty ill kept barn like structure in which peopl
44. ual interest to us in flight test was why the airplanes reporting prop strike incidents were reluctant to stay put on the runway after initial touchdown Mooneys generally aren t bouncers like airplanes with spring steel or oleo strutted landing gear designs Once on the ground they tend to stay there But one thing we knew from landing distance testing was the Mooney design does best with approach speeds kept at recommended values 10 15 or 20 extra knots or MPH of approach and touchdown speed might be okay in a Cessna or Piper but doubtful But in a Mooney that excess speed results in an airplane that 1 could float and float efficient high aspect ratio wing in ground effect 2 if forced onto the runway might rebound and bounce back into the air stiff gear and 3 even if you force it on the ground braking action may be poor because there is very little weight on the wheels wing lift due to excess airspeed We saw several Mooneys return to the factory for service with bald and flat spots on the main gear tires That s a giveaway of pilots landing with excessive airspeed Without weight on the wheels due to excessive touchdown airspeed activating the toe brakes would lock the wheels and tires flat spotting them In addition to flat spotting the tires these pilots were also candidates for a potential prop strike incident So What is the Proper Approach Speed in a Mooney The easy answer is The ones shown in the Pilot Operating
45. ue Website of the Month Sharezen record everything about your Mooney online Mooney Mail Ask the Top Gun Tom Rouch answers your questions Upcoming Fly Ins Have You Heard the News Relevant GA news amp links for the month Product Review Classifieds Click Here to Subscribe Click Here For Back Issues 2 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 From the Editor Phil Corman It s hard to believe that we are in our second calendar year of publication It s been a great ride and we sure appreciate all of the wonderful feedback and also the great suggestions we can make to improve The Flyer At the end of our first year our subscription base is skyrocketing thanks to word of mouth We also added our website www TheMooneyFlyer com and a Facebook Page at https www facebook com TheMooneyFlyer The website has an archive of all past issues and links on where to find parts for your Mooneys We ve included key MSCs Good Salvage Places and of course McFarlane Aviation which will make almost any part you need With fewer than half a dozen employees at Mooney owners need all the help they can find Engine Out Glides was reading a lot on the internet about engine out best glides this past month and thought I d share some salient points and also summarize all the good stuff here Let s L D say you are cruising along at 9500 and the engine goes quiet Perform your engine ou
46. use many of these incidents had a similar story we started to call them Bounce and Bang landings Pushing Never a Good Idea During Landing Close to the Runway Part of the solution seemed obvious No general aviation airplane with a nose gear even one with a lot of prop clearance should be forced onto the runway with forward pressure or movement of the control wheel That s a no no especially with a Mooney Combine the Mooney s 1 small prop ground clearance 2 a powerful elevator at landing speeds and 3 a relatively stiff nose landing gear and the chances of getting into a Bounce and Bang landing incident is significant It s easy for the pilot to get quickly out of sync with the bounces pushing at exactly the wrong times The result is a PIO Pilot Inducted Oscillation of such magnitude that the pitch angle of the airplane gets high enough in the nose down direction that the prop can strike the runway In the test airplane purposefully experimented with this scenario pushing on the control wheel after a bounce and found it was easy to quickly get a nasty result Instructors teaching anyone to fly a Mooney should emphasize to refrain from pushing forward on the control wheel during the landing process A go around is a much better option than attempting to force the airplane down onto the runway In a Mooney a prop strike incident can be just one wrongly timed push away It All Starts with Proper Approach Speeds Of eq
47. w minutes later all four were killed when Horan s Piper Malibu Matrix PA46 350 crashed in an area 1 miles south of the runway Flight Aware stopped tracking the Horan s Malibu at 6 19 What do we know about the crash and are there any red flags No problem Big Problem The runway lights are pilot activated Meaney a NOAM NOTAM Horan had passed his initial instrument check ride a year earlier We assume he was qualified and current to file IFR Did this inexperience add to the stress of night and IFR Undoubtedly Horan bought his new 1993 PA46 350 just two months before the accident Did inexperience in a new aircraft add to the stress at night and IFR You bet The visibility was 1 4 of a mile The approach minimums for the RNAV GPS Runway 36 require one mile It s a standard 3 descent from the final approach fix HUMIG to the threshold Not an extreme descent VGSI and descent angles not col ncident 5 NM IVGSI angle 2 86 TCH 22 Holding Pattern 9 HAGO HUMIG have been an instrument pilot since 1971 have 22 000 hours and about 1 000 hours in actual instrument conditions Air Force and Airline pilots are forbidden to attempt an approach unless the required visibility conditions are met Can Part 91 pilots fly an approach when the reported weather does not meet the approach requirements Yes They can do it all day and all night However have found that following what learned
48. you know your Mooney s climb performance in calm winds and then adjust for conditions Remember when you are planning these numbers they are based on ground speed and not indicated airspeed On departure plan for Density Altitude Your airport may only be 4000 MSL but on a warm day that could easily double to 7500 8000 Plan for an extended takeoff run lower climb rate and lower engine performance When planning for degraded engine performance you can use this rule of thumb You lose 3 5 of engine power per 1000 Weather in the Mountains Sparky Imeson used to have a rule of thumb If the winds at the peaks of your mountains are 20 kts or greater change your arrival and or departure to another time Winds are often the most favorable in the morning and late in the day This is just another rule of thumb Your wind may vary Figuring out your wind direction is trickier in the mountains since some landing strips do not have any reporting or 14 Back to Table of Contents The Mooney Flyer Volume 2 Number 1 January 2013 windsocks You need to hope for someone on the radio who can advise you or you need to read the wind yourself If you are in the vicinity of a lake the calm part of the lake is upwind That is nice to know You can even get a gauge on the speed Whitecaps begin forming at around 10 kts And finally whitecaps appear to move upwind Clouds and ceilings also become far more important in the mountains Rising a
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