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  1. AlleyCat67

    Took a Waymo (driverless car) this week

    Wait… it travels the speed limit? What good is that? The main advantage of a cab is being able to travel 55 in a 30 zone while the driver argues with his cousin on the phone.
  2. AlleyCat67

    IFR Flight Plan Starting at a VOR?

    Gotcha. My error was thinking that ATC would give me a “cleared XYZ upon reaching <altitude>” after I reported being able maintain obstacle/terrain clearance. Like you say, they would instead issue my IFR clearance immediately at my present altitude, together with a “climb/maintain” to...
  3. AlleyCat67

    IFR Flight Plan Starting at a VOR?

    This is helpful - thanks. But the distinction between "maintaining terrain and obstacle clearance" and "maintaining VFR" isn't completely clear to me in this context (I did read 7110.65AA). Certainly if I depart an uncontrolled airport after receiving my clearance on the ground, I'm...
  4. AlleyCat67

    IFR Flight Plan Starting at a VOR?

    I’m not arguing with or criticizing ATC. It was my oversight for not considering the MVA and cloud bases when planning to pick up the clearance enroute. However, I’m guessing I’m not the only one who doesn’t usually pull up the FAA MVA charts during flight planning, so it’s a useful lesson.
  5. AlleyCat67

    IFR Flight Plan Starting at a VOR?

    Just to tack on a lesson learned from this week's flight. Because of high headwinds aloft, I decided to depart VFR, stay low, and pick up my IFR outside an enroute airport (KMTV). The plan was to cruise down at 2500' until just before MTV, then pickup my IFR and climb to 4000' for the...
  6. AlleyCat67

    Took a Waymo (driverless car) this week

    I’m surprised it didn’t ask you for a tip anyway.
  7. AlleyCat67

    Grumman Cheetah/Tiger with CS prop?

    The MT electric prop is available for the Tigers. The main benefit is improved climb, especially at max gross weight. I think the consensus is that it doesn't improve cruise speed at all. You might also checkout the Facebook pages for Grumman Pilots Associations and Grumman Tiger and Cheetah...
  8. AlleyCat67

    iPad choices, small single engine GA

    I don’t have cellular, so the only GPS info comes from the onboard GPS via Bluetooth. While this hasn’t been an issue, it’s always in the back of my mind that an electrical failure that takes out my GTN650 would also take out my iPad as backup for navigation. So I keep my iPhone with Garmin...
  9. AlleyCat67

    Connecticut flying clubs

    No advice, but there are a few Facebook groups that might be helpful. There’s East Coast Private Pilots, and I think there’s a New England Pilots group also.
  10. AlleyCat67

    RR tracks: How close is too close?

    My cousin’s house is that distance from tracks in Roanoke. The rumbling of the train is ok, but the grinding & screeching of the brakes is pretty bad. Makes a bigger difference where the house is located via-a-vis crossings, urban areas, depots, etc.
  11. AlleyCat67

    Coming in hot

    This is one FAA recommendation that I've never understood. If you are taking off to the east and your on-course heading is to the west, the safest option is to join the downwind just like the other traffic in the pattern, and then just continue to the west (out of the airport environment)...
  12. AlleyCat67

    New youtube channel idea

    I like the idea of interviewing old timers and preserving their stories. Probably not a moneymaker but who knows?
  13. AlleyCat67

    Amelia Earhart’s Long-Lost Plane Found?

    Pretty sure it’s MH370
  14. AlleyCat67

    using available weather data to determine "VFR on top" possibilities

    FYI you can also view forecast soundings in Windy.
  15. AlleyCat67

    How often do you fly with a CFI or instructor..

    What skills do you see degrade between flight reviews? Basic plane handling? Or more on the side of flight planning & decision making?
  16. AlleyCat67

    DTO Tower Controller and Pilot Argue On-the-Air

    I spent 20+ years in the Federal government, and your points about the contract are spot on. The customer isn't the flying public but the FAA itself, and the performance metrics almost certainly don't have anything to say about politeness or over-the-air demeanor. The good news is that...
  17. AlleyCat67

    Applying graphics to tail

    Thanks for the replies everyone. Sounds like the consensus is that vinyl is the easiest option. I’ll check out aerographics.
  18. AlleyCat67

    Applying graphics to tail

    My airplane is certified (AA-5B) but I thought this forum would be a good resource for my question. I recently had the Tiger repainted, and am thinking about adding a graphic element to the tail just to make it more interesting (right now the tail is just white). I see a couple of different...
  19. AlleyCat67

    Success rate of off-airport deadstick landings

    When my prop passed 2000 hours I asked my A&P if we should think about replacing it. He said “no, you can keep running it until it shows signs of impending failure”. I asked him what those signs might be and he sort of shrugged. Didn’t give me a lot of confidence.
  20. AlleyCat67

    Newport RI recommendations

    Bristol and Tiverton are both nice and within a 30-40 minute drive of Newport. Congrats to your daughter!
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