Michael, Great video. I am currently transitioning from a Mooney to a Comanche 250. Loads of panel upgrades are in my future and your video goes a long way in helping me to decide how to go about it. I like the way you explain things, very helpful.
Student pilot here. Thank you for posting this. Between lessons and studying, I’ve used RU-vid as a supplement. I’ve moved on from the highly edited videos that have great videography and music in the background. This type of video packs information in there. Great job!
Another excellent video. It answered all my panel questions, including some I didn’t even know to ask. I’ll read more about the Ron John panel upgrade; seems like a good investment, making otherwise obsolete early 60’s panel layouts relevant. Thanks Michael.
Hi Michael. Yesterday, as I was turning from downwind to base (to land at a Class D airport here in So CA), my attitude indicator tumbled, the heading indicator went off by about 30 degrees, and the vacuum pressure gauge went to zero. I landed without incident, and then flew home partial panel. Good thing conditions were VFR. I never expected that I would experience vacuum failure, but I did. I have a new-found respect for the vacuum system in general. You've owned the Garmin G5 for a few months now. Are you still happy with it? That will be high on my list of upgrades, once I get my own airplane. (still renting) Any thoughts or advice you have are much appreciated.
Hi William, Yes, there are a couple different Panel Suppliers you can use. Ron & Johns is one look here: www.comanchepilot.com/Advertisers/PANELS/panels.html. Also a young man named Kranston Kincaid (also a Comanche driver) who owns a shop down in Texas called Superior Aircraft Components and has a full in-house panel design and manufacturing operation his website is superioraircraftcomponents.com/ Mike
Yep looks that way. It was the transponder code from my last flight and considering the radar tower is visible over my shoulder at the start of the video it is possible it was "seeing" me. :-) Not a problem as the Moline scopes do not show anything below a certain height anyway.
Hi Jean-Claude, yes one of the previous owners removed it from the dorsal and put it on top of the tail. The only thing I did was change it to LED a few years back.
Morning Wayne, mine is a 1960. A 400 is in a class of its own and I really do not have any experience with one. One of the top Comanche shops in the States is Heritage Aero in Free Port, IL. www.heritageaero.com Cliff Wilenski (Owner) takes care of a number of 400s and would be the place I would go with questions. I don't know what part of Canada you are in, but he might be able to recommend a shop near to you that you could talk to for a Pre-Buy as well. Also there is a Facebook Group of Comanche owners called Piper Comanche that you could join, there are a number of long time 400 owners in that group that you could ask questions of. Also Kristen Winters (Lives in MInnesota) is on there and would be a good brain to pick. I know she is willing to travel to do Pre-buys. I wish I could offer more, but I hope this helps. Good luck with your hunt.
Hi Michael. If you have time, could you please talk about your favorite techniques for cockpit management, how you organize your checklists, charts (electronic or sectionals), preventing pens from getting lost, making sure your ATIS handwriting is legible, etc. -- How you stay organized during cross country flights? This is one skill I need to work on: Reducing the clutter in my lap during flight, and knowing exactly where everything I need is when I need it. BTW, I just finished reading Stick and Rudder. Thanks for recommending this great book!
Hi Peder, Nice I am glad you enjoyed the book. What I have noticed is every pilot has his or her own system that is developed as you gain experience. I don't carry much paper anymore. I use Foreflight on my Ipad and back it up with my Iphone. Foreflight is my Charts, Plates, Normal Checklist and note paper. I use a stylus, but if it gets lost, I just use my finger. :-) I do keep my power setting tables strapped to my leg and I have an emergency checklist in the old radio stack place on the left side of the Panel. The Emergency Engine Out Checklist is the only one that I have a cockpit flow memorized for. Everything else, I should have time to use the regular checklist. I keep trying to tell myself that I will never forget to FLY THE AIRPLANE First. I have never had an actual emergency so I am not sure how I will really act. The only time I came close to what I thought was one, was when I was real new (just solo'd) and I took one of the Clubs Skyhawks up. The Engine Oil Pressure Gauge was reading real high on take off. I got spooked told the tower I was returning (my voice must have gone up a couple octaves because they asked if I had an emergency, lol). I just flew a normal pattern and landed. It ended up being the gauge had an issue, nothing more. Staying organized will come with experience. You will learn what is important next, then what is next after that, etc. Once you get all that down, you will start thinking ahead of the airplane and will be able to use that excess brain power to do other things. What really forces you to do so is when you start IFR Training. CFI's are necessary, because they keep us from killing ourselves until we are ready. Talk to your CFI and ask for some tips.
Thanks for the advice. I’ll talk to my CFI about cockpit management. He’s a great instructor overall, and will likely have lots to offer. I’ll also ask him about the possibility of switching to an EFB, getting rid of some of the redundant paperwork. My CFI is more confident in my abilities than I am. He wants to press ahead while I find new fundamental skills I want to improve, such as becoming better at coordinated turns, or slow flight control, or crosswind landings. Maybe he’s right. I just want to be truly well-prepared before I take anyone up with me. Safety first, and all that. Again, thanks for your advice, which is much appreciated; never taken for granted.
Heard you mention Moline. I grew up in the quad cities. Live in Georgia now and looking to purchase a Comanche very soon. Enjoy the content learning the Comanche.
Hi Michael. In some of your other videos, I noticed that before each time you switch tanks (during cruise), you first switch on the electric fuel pump. You then verify proper fuel pressure from the new tank, before switching off the electric fuel pump. That seems a logical and prudent thing to do; makes sense to me. Where did you learn this step, and is this a standard procedure? I don’t see it in the Comanche POH. Is there a book I should read about Comanche best practices? (such as the Eckalbar books for Beech) What other such techniques am I missing? (Still comparing the Comanche vs. B33, C33, E33, and the V-series Bo. I like them all.) Thanks.
Hi Peder, I am not sure where I picked up turning on the boost pump when switching tanks. It could have been in a Cherokee that I was flying for a while, I don't remember. As for more information here is a link to the Comanche Tips page of the ICS website, these are articles/notes written by folks over the years and saved. Mike. www.comancheflyers.com/comanche-tips/
So the comanche is actually can fly in conditions of zero visibility and also perform ILS landing, but you need to do kind of manual landing cause the specific autopilot following the glideslope and course. Am I right?
Hi Michael, yes my Comanche is equipped to fly in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) conditions and the autopilot can follow a Localizer (course), or GPS equivalent, but I still have to control the glideslope. My current Autopilot will not capture and follow a glideslope. Once I breakout, I land the airplane like normal.
@@pipercomanche2506 so this is a very nice one plane, it has ILS systems on board, tip tanks, retractable gear, good speed, more or less roomy space... Seems to be good one for around the world flight, if I had one :) Any way, good luck Michael, fly safe!
Hi Sam, I have a 3 blade and have not flown behind a 2 blade, so I could not offer an opinion. Have you tried asking over on the Airworthy Comanche form, or on the ICS Maintenance Form?
