REFLECTOR: Re: Speeds in Velocities.

[J42AL@aol.com]

Fellow Builders,

At the outset let me say I have over 400 hrs. flying in Mooney's along with a 
couple of hundred hours in the usual training planes like Cessnas and Piper 
Warriors.

I can tell you that having flown the Factory Velocity first and a ride in one 
here and there (along with other experimental planes) I selected the Velocity 
because TO ME it handels not unlike a Mooney (a high performance aircraft) in 
many respects - especially in the landing and to a degree in the take-off 
phases of flight.

Like with any high performance aircraft, it takes the ABSOLUTE self 
dedication to procedures as the high performance aircraft are designed to 
higher & precise flying technics simply because of the characteristics and 
the power of the planes.

A Mooney, regardless of weather conditions will, if the speed is not hit 
PRECISE on the #s, float for ever in a day in ground effect and will eat your 
runway footage at a sickning rate. Even if the speed is nailed to the wall 
one can end up floating for some time if the flair is not initiated at the 
precise moment above the ground or if at THE precise critical moment IN TIME 
there is gust, a left over vortex from a heavy airliner on the parallel 
runway (drifting over to your runway) or even a thermal effect of coming over 
the #'s from a grass skirt or over a body of water - to the hot pavement. 

I had to take 12 hours of dual instruction in Mooneys before the CFI would 
sign off my log book so I could be insured flying Mooneys.

Short of learning the hard way in your respective Velocities I can only 
strongly suggest to those interested and for those with no or limited 
experience in high performance aircraft to get, by whatever means required, a 
couple of hours of dual flight instruction flying a Mooney (201 or 205), in 
the right hand seat, and only traffic pattern work, and have the instructor 
demonstrate to you the effects that non - procedure speeds on high 
performance aircraft will have on your flight - especially on landing. You 
WILL see the light.

I know, that, even though I have the experience in high perfomance aircraft I 
will take the Factories suggested 10 hour dual instruction on Velocities (not 
unlike airlines do when one of their pilots switches from a DC9 to MD80 - 
both simular aircraft but yet vastly different) and I intend to follow up on 
the occasional refresher course.

John Leder
XL RG (N203SM to be ) and in primer