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If you do a good job of installing it, an inspector will likely never notice.

That streamlined design was installed on the last of the F models, including our 1976 M20F. That's likely sufficient "approved data" for any mechanic to be comfortable installing it on any F model.

My F has a fixed step. I rather like not having to worry about any mechanism having issues. I can live with the 'massive' loss in speed

No need for jacks to open the belly panel. Our J numerous times the flaps wouldn't come up on the ground, unless you gave them a little bump with your hand. Our mechanic cleaned the contacts eventually and no problems in several years.

Yes, agreed, the times I've landed x-wind with partial flaps have been problematic -- so always full flaps.

Don't get too comfortable with Duffy's comments in August about not planning to privatize ATC "“I could spend my time the next three and a half years fighting over privatization. I’m not going to do that,” The minute it becomes apparent that they have grossly underestimated the cost to update the Nation's air traffic control system, this flip/flop administration will immediately be singing a different tune. Crony capitalists will appear and offer "ideas" that appear to reduce the cost to the Administration. And don't forget it was Duffy's boss that suggested privatization of ATC in the first term. And don't expect your do nothing/incapable of independent thought local Representative or Senator to help out. The shut down is already renewing calls for privatization.... Opinion: The shutdown exposes the need to privatize air traffic control - Anchorage Daily News The Shutdown Exposes the Need to Privatize Air Traffic Control - Articles - Advisor Perspectives (reprint from Bloomberg without subscription needed)

Hello Everyone. Had to stay away from the airport a few weeks. I am planning going tomorrow to check the microswitch and apply some contact cleaner. I have never opened the belly panel myself. Any special advices? Would the plane need to be jacked in order for me to open the belly panel?

There is a simple solution which I think the "bright kids" at the Private Equity companies consolidating aviation services will soon figure out. The FBO's and airports will charge a substantially lower fee/rate if Owners allow the use of "automated billing" in order to get a "discount". Or, if the FBO needs to hire a kid with a clipboard & binoculars or same to watch cameras or install number reading tech cameras to bill Owners manually, then the Owner can pay a much higher fee - maybe 2X or 3X higher. Owners will be all over and in favor of automated billing in a heartbeat......

Ok, as I'm thinking about redoing my seats I'm very interested in this topic! The foam price out of Oregon Aero is INSANE! Even Spruce seemed pretty brutal at nearly $50 for a small (16" x 18" x 1") piece of polyurethane foam. Some Google Fu came up with this: https://foamonline.com/product-category/foam/high-density-foam/?srsltid=AfmBOoq_4fImxf8F-pwv6sd49M5iHxJUYYXLBsJ_uc57-msi8pPxYCAq $6 for the same size sheet! That seems a bit more rational! To my CB mind, anyway You'll note there is some reference to some flammability testing standards at the bottom of the page; I have NOT looked into their equivalence/suitablity for aviation requirements. But I plan to!

As opposed to the "User Fees" charged by Private Equity owned aviation companies that are rapidly continuing to consolidate the aviation industry? You don't think that they will "keep jacking them (their User Fees) up, up, up?! Data - Thoma Bravo/ Jeppessen, Foreflight and OzRunways, FBO's - Sterling Group/Lynx Tallvine Partners/Odyssey Aviation Igneo Infrastructure Partners/Infinity Aviation Vantage Aviation/Dominion Aviation Apollo Partners & Tiger Infrastructure Partners/Modern Aviation etc. Logistics/Handling - Sterling Group/PrimeFlight Aviation Services

I’m doing X/C 20w50 and Phillips Anti-Rust (10%) in mine vs CamGuard right now. I can use Victory and Anti-Rust once I have about 100 hours on my engine… -Don

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/conForFoan.php Different colors are different levels of squishiness for your posterior.

It's probably tiny. But not everything requires regulation. And even if you insist on mandating CO detectors, you can do it the way they regulate flashlights, "having at least two size “D” cells, or the equivalent." (we can probably get rid of the "D cells" language). No panel mount. No TSO. Just something that works. But the NTSB agrees with you. They have recommended that the FAA mandate CO detectors meeting certain minimum aviation performance standards. They even cited all 31 accidents over a 38 year period that were attributable to monoxide poisoning. Most of those involve fatalities or serious injuries. So far, I've seen no action on that.

Think this is not a one and done, friend of mine had his seats done by well renowned aircraft upholstery shop, claims they are less comfortable now than before, buy the best certified stuff you can, have it cut to match what is in there, listen to what the upholstery shop recommends, try it for a couple of hours, then redo it if you have to, seating position and shore hardness of foam is a very personal thing, my airplane has lumbar supports in the front seats, when I bought the plane they were both broken, after I repaired them I really started to like them, bring them out more and more towards the end of a long flight, you may come up with a fixed lumbar support made from really dense foam material, enjoy the journey, no seat feels as good as the one you have upholstered yourself

When I re-did my seats a few years ago (with a local upholstery shop) I sourced and ordered 3 densities of confor/memory foam as I felt that was the best available for comfort and crashworthiness. IIRC it was ~$1500 just for enough foam for 4 seats without any labor cutting and assembling. Buy the best you can for comfort and safety and cry once. Enjoy the renewed seats for many more years.

what would you say the percentage of GA piston planes flying today have a great CO detector with live readings displayed in your face? I am not talking about that scratch and sniff POS....

Check your local upholstery shops. If nothing else, buy new foam and use the old foam as a template to trace the shape, then cut it out. P.S.--there are some good upholstery videos on YouTube

Im mostly following this as im interested in doing my seats as well. Here’s some thoughts… Get a local upholstery shop to do it and ask for burn certs or astm documents. Should be fine. Or get the company that people order from scs i think? They will build up cushions.

Check your local upholstery shops. If nothing else, buy new foam and use the old foam as a template to trace the shape, then cut it out

Hello all, during my coming annual I was hoping to get my front seats redone. The covering on them is still fine, and I'd like to keep it (it matches with the rest of the interior), but the foam underneath is compressed; I would also like to get the seating position to be higher by maybe one inch by putting more foam in. Problem is that I called Oregon Aero, and they quoted me an incredible price, around $2200 per seat just to make cushions for me. (Without any installation or anything, just to have the molded foam cut.) That is way way too expensive for what I want to do. My question is what other options do I have? Is there a way to source aviation-approved foam to install in the seats? The plane is a 1970 M20E. Thanks.

I might be interested in buying the AP for spares. Would you mind messaging me with some pictures, and any additional info, such as overhaul dates? It would not be immediate as I am still learning my plane, haven't even turned the autopilot on in flight yet.

@birdofjoy I apologize as this isn't helping to answer your question- but I noticed what looks like an altitude preselect. Is that a Century 41 Autopilot as well? I'm curious about your setup as I learn about my new (to me ) plane that is sporting a C41 and 530w. I was considering going with the IFD540 down the line, maybe an Aspen... actually, your old panel is a lot like what I was considering.

The shop didn't have to run any wires for my upgrade. If you have a G500 series and legacy compatible autopilot (KFC, KAP, etc) this is a great deal.

Not correct... there is the Lycoming anti-scuff additive and that is different than the anti-corrosion package of Camguard. I run Phillips 20W-50 year-round with Camguard. I added Camguard after ~25 hours post-overhaul with my second oil change.

I flew a Cirrus for the first time last Sunday. It was empowering in that it made self- love more appealing than fighting a ballooning and noisy... plane.