Gear Up Costs
I think theres another possible cost of a gear-up that might need to be considered-losing the airplane if the insurance company opts to total it after a gear-up.
I have read articles in the past about how insurance companies make this decision and as our airplanes get older, I expect that it will become more of an issue. As an example, the caption for the lead photo in the article says that repair costs for a twin could reach $100,000. Thats about what my airplane is currently insured for!
Thus, it seems likely that if I ever make a gear-up in my Baron, itll be the last time I get to fly it. The next trip will be to the salvage yard.
Richard Lindsey
Memphis, Tennessee
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MAPA Ownership
MAPA was founded in 1972 by Mark and Bobbie Harris, who still retain ownership of its parent company, Association Management, Inc. (AMI). When health issues forced Mark from day-to-day management of MAPA, he formed AMI, along with two other investors, in order to assure that the association would continue to support and serve its members regardless of his involvement.
While the Mooney Airplane Company does support MAPA and MAPA members in a non-financial manner through technical efforts, it has no ownership or management responsibility with the association.
Falcon Insurance Agency is an advertiser in and editorial contributor to our monthly magazine the MAPA LOG, but also has no financial interest in the association.
Trey Hughes
Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association
www.mooneypilots.com/
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Chelton Follow Up
We display heading in a tape across the top because this is standard HUD symbology that, in conjunction with the pitch scale, creates a grid against which the pilot can estimate the position of elements in the outside world with correspondence to the same elements displayed on the screen. You will notice that the heading and pitch scales match in their resolution or pixels per degree-10 degrees of pitch equals 10 degrees of heading.
For example, traffic, the top of an antenna or a mountain peak appearing 20 degrees left of the heading pointer (referenced up to the heading scale) and 5 degrees above the horizon (referenced laterally to the pitch scale) will appear at the same coordinates out the window of the aircraft. This works for navigation symbols (waypoint “hoops”) as well.
If the heading is displayed in a conventional “Basic-T” configuration, as on the Garmin and Avidyne products, this correlation of objects on the screen and objects outside ahead of the aircraft is not possible. However, since they dont display elements on the screen that correlate to the outside world, this is irrelevant to their products.
Since our objective is “what you see is what you get,” we have to use the HUD symbology that has been developed to correlate with a view beyond it. A synthetic vision display without this symbology arrangement would deprive the pilot of the “one-to-one” correlation or “conformity” benefit.
Im glad you mentioned product support in your article and give it attention in your reviews in general.
Product support is so important, in my opinion, that it can overshadow great technology. To ensure that we remain in the lead from a support standpoint, as we do from a technology standpoint, we recently created a new vertical product support division within our company that is dedicated to service after the sale. This includes a Vice President at the top, technical publications, 24/7 technical support, warranty and repair, dealer training, customer flight training and AOG logistics.
Gordon Pratt
Chelton Flight Systems
