AeroPlus wrote:
You drive for adventure and to experience new places with your aircraft is one that I share with you. Keep on going places and take the advise from others, but set your own course and make your own decisions.
At this moment the club isn’t anymore holding me back from Courchevel. Some of the members said: just book it, without saying anything, but I always want to stand for what I am going to do. I don’t want to do things like that, without knowing, because, if there happens something, than there would be a problem. I just make my plan and I tell it.
Nice flying video from Barra. Is there something to see there or is it just landing and fly away before the sealevel is too high?
dublinpilot wrote:
One little tip that I picked up from an IFR pilot and use al the tiem, might be useful here.
I say that he was an IFR pilot, as I think this is common among IFR pilots, but not really known/used by VFR pilots.
Once I get the ATIS, I turn the heading bug on the autopilot to the runway heading (for both arrivals and departures). If I start to get confused about which runway, how to join the circuit direction, or which way to turn onto the runway, a quick look at the heading bug gives a very powerful picture. And a final check before departure or arrival is that the heading bug at at the top of the DI. Otherwise something is wrong!
A small thing, but quite useful, and has helped me answer such questions very quickly!
Colm
Here it depends: when I am flying glass cockpit, I put the needle on runway heading (as a part of my approach checklist – learned by the ATO). but I leave the heading bug on my heading.
In the Mooney, analog with HSI and A/P. I always put the headingbug in my desired direction. (If there is any problem, I just have to put on heading mode and I have time for troubleshooting. But analog I have never put the HSI on my runway heading, I don’t know why. I will try to make a habit of it.
A good tip.
But analog I have never put the HSI on my runway heading, I don’t know why. I will try to make a habit of it.
when I am flying glass cockpit, I put the needle on runway heading (as a part of my approach checklist – learned by the ATO). but I leave the heading bug on my heading.
The course pointer (the big yellow needle pointed to by the red arrow)
does two jobs
So if you are doing neither of the above, you can turn the course pointer to anything you like. In most cases, when approaching an airport, one is either flying manually or the AP is in HDG mode, so the CP can be set to anything you like e.g. the runway heading.
You can also set the CP to anything you like even in NAV mode of the AP, if you have GPSS (GPS steering, also called “roll steering”) which uses the NAV mode and then the AP gets steered directly from the GPS, so the CP doesn’t do anything. This is an unusual type of installation and arguably very bad because the dead CP screws up situational awareness. GPSS should be used with an EHSI on which the CP turns automatically. Also some GPSS installations drive the AP in the HDG mode (the GPSS function fakes a heading bug), just to make life more interesting 
You have to discover this stuff when flying some new plane.
I wonder if the ATO ever explained when the CP does work in their plane? It’s no good them teaching to just set it to the runway heading because one day that will lead to a massive WTF moment for the pilot.
this is their 4th Mooney, the 3 before crashed, with 7 death bodies in, I am not sure, but I think they all were pilot caused. Everytime, this chairman had to go to the location to identify them and make the formalities. The pilots were all more experienced than me.
They may have been more experienced than you but they still crashed, and there is nothing about a Mooney which makes it more likely to crash. Some, reportedly, can be “fun” to land properly but you don’t normally get killed if crashing when landing. Is there any info on what they did?
Peter wrote:
I wonder if the ATO ever explained when the CP does work in their plane? It’s no good them teaching to just set it to the runway heading because one day that will lead to a massive WTF moment for the pilot.
My Mooney conversion was also the conversion from digital to analog cockpit. But it shouldn’t to be different, but I know, my T- check on glass is different then on analog, but also on analog (it took a little longer) but I also started to play with the HSI’s CP. For example when I am practicing a holding or flying an ILS those instruments become a working tool, depending on which setup you use. But still, on analog, I don’t have the habit to put ‘a reminder’ on the runway heading and on glass I do.
Peter wrote:
They may have been more experienced than you but they still crashed, and there is nothing about a Mooney which makes it more likely to crash. Some, reportedly, can be “fun” to land properly but you don’t normally get killed if crashing when landing. Is there any info on what they did?
That’s correct. I don’t know all the details of all the crashes. Anyway, I don’t think this is the place to discuss the incident reports. They had already issues with the insurance company because of the crashes and they adapted the habit not to check out before someone has around 180hrs ( i slipped the net).
- one was a loss of control, probably after hypoxemia (FL 115) to avoid IMC (dijon – France)
- 1974 (Zell – Switzerland)
Vieke wrote:
Nice flying video from Barra. Is there something to see there or is it just landing and fly away before the sealevel is too high?
We wanted to stay overnight, but our aircraft would be washed away on the beach. They offered to pull the Piper up from the beach to higher ground, but we left again for some whisky tasting elsewhere. There is a castle you can visit on Barra. See: http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_189&PropName=Kisimul%20Castle
And on taxiing out for a departure from Barra it is advised to to hold a position somewhere on the beach to do a runup. We did and got stuck twice in the sand. Keep rolling/moving and do any checks while rolling.
Vieke wrote:
there is still another thing wat is playing in the clubs mind: this is their 4th Mooney, the 3 before crashed, with 7 death bodies in, I am not sure, but I think they all were pilot caused. Everytime, this chairman had to go to the location to identify them and make the formalities. The pilots were all more experienced than me.
Ok that explains their attitude somewhat. The question then should be how on earth did they manage to loose 3 Mooneys with such experienced folks.
Vieke wrote:
it makes it more understandable they are very high demanding for the Mooney.
Well, why did they check you out on it then…
Also the stuff you wrote about your Courchevel rating e.t.c. would not make me want to ever deal with people like that. Thankfully you did find this lovely J model for your trip elsewhere.
It’s not the first time I hear of such stuff from clubs. Which is why I never wanted to fly in such an environment in the first place.
Anyway, glad you had a nice trip and glad you are sharing it with us.
Here some more pictures of Barra, where I had trouble getting out (stuck in the sand on the beach) and they had to come and help me out twice.
Vieke wrote:
I only know of two beachstrips in Europe: Barra and Solas?
In England there’s Morecambe bay, used once a year for a charity fly-in, and maybe some others.
Here, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 confers access rights more or less wherever they can be exercised without interfering with the rights of others. Subject to rare local byelaws, that includes most empty beaches. At my poor level of skill, the long narrow ones can be EXTREMELY difficult to use safely. The broad flat ones are nice, if there’s no mud or quicksand. Great place to practice one wheel landings and low ground effect. Also a pleasant way to go for a swim on a summer morning when the tide is out. Good to have a plan in case the engine doesn’t re-start: i.e. park above high water on a neap tide, or use a disposable airplane like this one:
@WilliamF, is it the same in the Irish Republic?
P.S. I’ll post some old photos of a trip to Sollas, if anyone is remotely interested.
Thanks Peter,
Over here in Ireland there are lots of people who land on beaches. There is one marked on the chart in Kerry, called Inch Beach. There is a video of a guy taking off here.
What you need to know about landing on beaches is simple:
a) The beach must face the ocean or sea. Otherwise the sand will be too soft. Anything on an estuary is a no go.
b) The beach need to be as flat as possible.
c) Always drag the wheels along it first to confirm it is hard enough to land on.
I’ve landed my fair share of them back in the day, not anymore though. I’m too grown up and responsible etc etc :-)
William
@Peter, no Mooney model is “funnier” to land. They are a lot more demanding in speed control and adjusting speeds between empty and full – that catches a lot of people out as brands C and P are a lot more tolerant of higher speeds. Crosswind tolerance is lower as well. But as long as speeds are respected it lands just fine. Try to force it down like a Piper and it just won’t happen. Either the lower ground stance will keep you in ground effect forever, or the undampened bounce will keep you in the air.
