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29 Mar 2024, 06:49 [ UTC - 5; DST ]


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 Post subject: John From Santa Maria
PostPosted: 18 Sep 2018, 02:44 
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Joined: 07/19/16
Posts: 63
Post Likes: +88
Company: m29
Location: Arroyo Grande, California
Aircraft: 64 m20e, A* 700
I wanted to introduce myself and say thank you to the beechtalk community for all of the wonderful contributions.

For years I've relied on BT content for insight into everything aviation related including from how to stay alive in emergencies to how to tighten exhaust nuts. I especially appreciate the constructive reviews in crash talk.

I've read every serious NTSB docket, but the insights and commentaries and discussions found in CT I find priceless.

I also appreciate Engine talk. I have 2800+ SMOH on my mooney's IO-360-A1A and have built probably 100 engines as a former professional auto mechanic.
But I keep learning so much from ET, its like going back to shop class everytime I open the forum!

I'm 51, solo'd at Oceano, California (L52) in '92, then earned my certificate later at Palo Alto (PAO).
This was before desktop computers were common, so I was able to trade the FBO editing their newsletter in exchange for my PPL.

For my work in my software business (business systems software including publishing, manufacturing, accounting), I have been crossing the country in the mooney for 20+ years selling and implementing projects, 100-200 hrs/year flying.

12 years ago I started restoring and renting rent houses in Texas and have been commuting from my home base at Santa Maria (SMX) to
Gainesville (GLE) in the Dallas area in a 64 Mooney E for the last 12 years.

I recently added a ME rating and then an Aerostar 700 to destroy my finances and the boredom of that 2500nm flight (usually closer to 3600nm with the usual add on destinations).

ME training last year was the most humbling 3 days of my life. My instructor, besides screaming "step on the f*ing rudder!, kept asking if I even had a pilot's certificate.
The trainer, a '59 160 hp apache on a grass strip in Florida, felt as different from a mooney as a vw is from garbage truck.

But my instructor, a retired airline pilot, loved those apaches and after day 3 so did I.
My ME was earned at Antiquer's Aerodrome in Del Rey Beach Florida. It is a 5000' flying community Grass strip. My Instructor, John Lumlee, is also and IA and was a great instructor and let me stay at his house on the field for the 3-4 days of training and check ride. I highly recommend him for anyone thinking of adding the rating.

But moving into the A* has truly renewed my passion and love of aviation, especially the maintenance side of it:) but also the flying.

She has 32 fire$leeved engine ho$e$ FWF. They looked brand new during pre-buy but finding out they were 30 years old brought tears to my eyes.

The new teflon hoses I replaced them with are nice and the cuts to my hand and back pain are almost gone. I've spent more time at the hangar (and at the tool store, and on aircraftspruce.com, and on BT) the past 6 months, and enjoying it, than in the past 20 years combined.

The Aerostar burns more fuel at idle than my mooney does at full cruise. But 25 hours into my multi career, when I lost the left engine climbing through 2500 feet, she was faster in the pattern with one windmilling than the mooney is in a dive.


The A* factory built her at SMX (Santa Maria AAF, California, a 2500 acre B25 & P38 Training Base) where I keep her, so a handful of old timers have stopped by and told me what part of my plane they assembled.

One man told me about countless hours sanding the fiberglass stinger coming out the tail that holds the battery, and that he also built 400 cabin doors.

He then called his brother who reminisced torquing and safety wiring the "impossible to access" fuselage fuel tank's 20+ bolts.

The field's senior avionics expert, Tom, stopped by next and explained that back then they were using PVC wiring in the Engine compartment which explained all the fused/melted/burned wires there after my OEI experience.

The 13' tall A* almost fits great in my $180/mo, 12' tall hangar, and the tail sticking out the doors gives the airport staff a laugh.

My instructor also gave me a ride in his V35 recently, and after that flight, I really wished I would have traded the mooney for a v35 years ago.
The v35 is roomy, quiet, comfortable, fast and economical- we were doing 165 knots at 12-13gph in the local area at 2500'.
I believe it is common knowledge that the Bonanza is the king of planes and ultimate pilot's ride, and that flight proved it to me.
For someone who wants to combine flying with their career work like I did, I highly recommend a v35.

Thanks again for all of the great conversations and for taking the time to help and educate!
Your contributions are so valuable and much appreciated!
John


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 Post subject: Re: John From Santa Maria
PostPosted: 18 Sep 2018, 04:53 
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Joined: 04/09/09
Posts: 1308
Post Likes: +96
Location: Raleigh, NC KRDU
Aircraft: F33A
Welcome John, enjoyed reading your intro, nice planes too! :thumbup:


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 Post subject: Re: John From Santa Maria
PostPosted: 18 Sep 2018, 07:45 
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Joined: 10/05/11
Posts: 9553
Post Likes: +6410
Company: Power/mation
Location: Milwaukee, WI (KMKE)
Aircraft: 1963 Debonair B33
Welcome. It's fun to work on airplanes, but you're not the first person I've heard say the Aerostar engines can be less fun...

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 Post subject: Re: John From Santa Maria
PostPosted: 18 Sep 2018, 08:37 
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Joined: 01/02/08
Posts: 7202
Post Likes: +5102
Company: Rusnak Auto Group
Location: Newport Coast, CA
Aircraft: Baron B55 N7123N
Great intro, John! Now what caused your OEI 25 hours into your Aerostar experience?

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 Post subject: Re: John From Santa Maria
PostPosted: 18 Sep 2018, 09:48 
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Joined: 09/16/10
Posts: 8885
Post Likes: +1954
A super intro John, thanks for posting it and welcome! :thumbup:

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If you think nobody cares about you. Try not paying your income tax.


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 Post subject: Re: John From Santa Maria
PostPosted: 18 Sep 2018, 10:22 
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Joined: 12/29/14
Posts: 2047
Post Likes: +1507
Company: BeechFlyIn.com
Location: Huntington Beach, CA (KFUL)
Aircraft: 1971 Bonanza A36
Great read John. If you ever find yourself making a breakfast run (Camarillo?), let us SoCal pilots know!


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