Planeless no more! - Hypothetically ;)

Is the 430 WAAS? That's the only thing I'd want in that panel that (maybe) isn't there. I did some of my IR training with the Aspen and it's very nice.

Beautiful plane and glad you're wife's not spooked.
 
jsstevens said:
Is the 430 WAAS? That's the only thing I'd want in that panel that (maybe) isn't there. I did some of my IR training with the Aspen and it's very nice.

Beautiful plane and glad you're wife's not spooked.
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Affirmative.
 
Skip Miller said:
Congratulations!

Here is a PA-32 specific pre-flight checklist item for you. At the time I was flying a PA-32-300R Saratoga, essentially the same airplane.

I had pulled off the taxiway to do the pre-flight runup. I got to the switch tanks item, switched from right to left, and the engine died! I knew both tanks were full, too. I used the old maxim that if something has an unfavorable result, undo it! I switched tanks back to the right and it started right up. Time for some investigation! Taxied back to the FBO, shut down, Exited the plane and re-entered head first with my head down in the footwell.

The answer was immediately visible. The lock-out lever that prevents the pilot from selecting tanks off when selecting the left tank, is attached to the metal shroud surrounding the valve assembly. The whole shroud including the lock-out lever was loose. It was basically just sitting there. When I switched tanks, the valve lever moved from right to left to off.

I am glad that happened on the ground.

So my advice is to check the shroud frequently, and/or check the lever position carefully after switching - particularly when switching to the left.

-Skip
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I had already familiarized myself with this, as I'm hyper-sensitive to the whole fuel selector issue. But I went back out and checked that everything was nice and snug. Thanks for the tip.
 
Jim K said:
I had the exact same experience, except it occurred at about 500agl on final. Thankfully she restarted almost instantly when I switched back.
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Also thankfully you didn't hesitate to switch back! The PA-32 is not known for its gliding ability. No power, fully configured for landing, 500agl... Yikes! :yikes:

-Skip
 
Yeah, no kidding. I tried to fly final like I would in the Mooney and go to idle once the runway was made, and suddenly, the runway wasn’t made anymore. :eek: That’s gonna take some getting used to.
 
Skip Miller said:
Also thankfully you didn't hesitate to switch back! The PA-32 is not known for its gliding ability. No power, fully configured for landing, 500agl... Yikes! :yikes:

-Skip
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The most interesting thing I learned is that the noise doesn't really change from 15" landing power to no power. It took me a bit... the runway started to move up in the windshield, and I put in more power... until I realized I was at full power & still sinking. I did the same as you..... undo the last thing you changed.

New rule... don't switch tanks in the pattern. If it'd happened a few seconds later I'd have been in the dirt.
 
Nice looking aircraft, congrats!
 
Now that I'm home and can see the pictures on the "big screen"...
I see the Lopresti wingtips, flap hinge fairings, wing root fairing and hubcaps....somebody's spent some money on her. Does she have gap seals and gear lobe fairings too?
Got the magenta line painted right there on the side too....
 
No gear lobe fairings, but hubcaps :rolleyes: I’m not sure about gap seals. I don’t think so.
 
Nice Piper , congratulations on the purchase.
 
It's going to take some getting used to feeling like you're climbing even when you're in level cruise flight (compared to the mooney). It feels like it's at stall attitude when climbing above Vy. lol
 
Salty said:
Yeah, no kidding. I tried to fly final like I would in the Mooney and go to idle once the runway was made, and suddenly, the runway wasn’t made anymore. :eek: That’s gonna take some getting used to.
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They actually glide fine...with the gear up lol. Definitely a plane that likes just a touch of power in till the very end for a smooth landing.

Salty said:
It's going to take some getting used to feeling like you're climbing even when you're in level cruise flight (compared to the mooney). It feels like it's at stall attitude when climbing above Vy. lol
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That's a Cherokee thing. They love climbing nose up. It's always funny when I go back to a friend's Cherokee after flying my Tiger, which climbs 600 fpm nose level for the first 4000' or so.
 
From a Turbo Lance owner, I can say you will not be disappointed. The comfort afforded to you and your passengers makes up for the extra 15 minutes of flight time over the other airframe. The utility of it will amaze you. I’ve owned mine for 6 years and have no desire to let it go. None. It’s perfect for getting people AND their bags anywhere Conus in comfort. Best of all, the bad guys will go break into the Mooneys and Bo’s because they know Piper owners are broke bastards who couldn’t afford a fast plane.
 
I'm kind of surprised at how slow the initial climb rate is with full tanks and just me. Seems to take a long time to get up to 300 feet. After that, it climbs really well.

Do you guys use flaps for normal takeoff? The guy I bought it from does, but I tried it both ways and prefer without. Seemed to get up a bit faster that way. I'm climbing at 94 (Vy), maybe I should do initial climb closer to Vx, 90 or so?
 
I usually use first notch of flaps. Gear up, positive rate, I slowly, over say 3-4 seconds drop the handle. Then Vy. I also have 80 ish lbs in the aft cargo when it’s just me or both front seats. If My AP is in there, 100 lbs. he is a big boy.
 
I guess I'll throw something in the back next time and see.
 
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Salty said:
I'm kind of surprised at how slow the initial climb rate is with full tanks and just me. Seems to take a long time to get up to 300 feet. After that, it climbs really well.

Do you guys use flaps for normal takeoff? The guy I bought it from does, but I tried it both ways and prefer without. Seemed to get up a bit faster that way. I'm climbing at 94 (Vy), maybe I should do initial climb closer to Vx, 90 or so?
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I don't use any flaps. Like you I tried it and prefer without. I can't say I have any complaint about the initial climb, although it feels like it takes forever to break ground. The book rotation speed seems a little slow. I feel like she climbs best at vy (duh) or a little faster. I usually climb about 110-120mph to get the nose down a bit.

I used to keep a couple cases of water in the back, but have more or less stopped. It seems like reducing weight has more effect on top speed than getting the cg aft.
 
Salty said:
Do you guys use flaps for normal takeoff? The guy I bought it from does, but I tried it both ways and prefer without. Seemed to get up a bit faster that way. I'm climbing at 94 (Vy), maybe I should do initial climb closer to Vx, 90 or so?
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I've gone back and forth on this. I went a long time without and now have gone back to one notch. I haven't like how mushy I feel coming off the runway. The one notch of flaps gives me a better feeling of lift.

I also usually only land with 2 notches instead of 3.
 
Jim K said:
I had the exact same experience, except it occurred at about 500agl on final. Thankfully she restarted almost instantly when I switched back.
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I have to ask, why were you switching tanks at 500 feet on final?
 
I go third notch on the fence.
 
Jeff767 said:
I have to ask, why were you switching tanks at 500 feet on final?
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I switched tanks as I entered the pattern and did my first "GUMPS". The engine ran on the fuel in the lines until I was on final.
 
Salty said:
We closed the deal yesterday on a 1977 Lance. We were shopping for a long body Mooney with either a big engine or turbo to replace our short body, particularly for our annual trip to AZ. But the market is horrible, and this Lance fell into our lap. It wasn't exactly an easy deal (reference the "buying a plane without logs thread"), but it worked out in the end. The wife sat in the back of the Lance and imagined sleeping all the way from Florida to AZ and said "yep, that works". It's a little slower, but a lot more comfortable, so we can make longer hops, which should make back most of the time lost.

Most important, the wife is "excited to go on our first trip"!

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Wow great looking plane!!! CONGRATS!!!
 
Beautiful plane! Congratulations!
 
Well, I threw 90 pounds in the back before the flight today and it felt much better. Some of that might just me feeling more comfortable, but I think it made a noticeable difference in pitch attitude.
 
A pleasant surprise today. Today I was getting traffic on the aspen and the 430. Apparently they wired a GDL39 up to them somehow. The downside is, for some reason, all the other flights I've done in it the traffic wasn't working....


IMG_4704.jpg IMG_4705.jpg
 
Hmmm. I put a flight plan in the GPS today for the first time, I wonder if that kicked something in the head?
 
Some performance numbers I collected today

4500 feet
24" / 2400 rpm = 158 kts TAS @ 18 gph
20" / 2200 rpm = 130 kts TAS @ 12 gph
 
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