Leaderboard

I am the excited, proud new owner of N803RM, the 1969 Mooney M20F lovingly cared for by another MooneySpace'r for the past 11 years. A lot of you probably remember my "E of dubious provenance," and her ignominious end. I'm not going to slam that plane; if I'd been more experienced, she may not have ended the way she did. (I believe the Swiss Cheese model played out in that situation. I do think there were problems with the plane, but looking back - and as fully discussed with the FAA - there were things I could have done differently.) This is different. My "E" was a project. This F is turnkey. She needs nothing. ADS-B, WAAS, freshly sealed tanks, AP... she's equipped. Gorgeous inside and out. Purrs. Picked her up in Yosemite this morning, flew her to PRB for the 53(!) Mooney fly-in, then brought her home. Got a hangar for her at Torrance (KTOA). If anyone's on the field tomorrow, stop by, 1300-1900... (PM me for details)

We flew our 252 from Germany to the southern most tip of South America and back again between September 17 and March 18. This was our route: Many may have heard about our trip via fb, but anyway, maybe there are members here who haven't and are interested in a report. I've written continuously on a European GA forum, here is the link: https://www.euroga.org/forums/trips-airports/9174-to-the-end-of-the-world-and-back-the-whole-story#post_176978 (I hope it's OK to post a link to another forum here)

Long story and I will do my best to keep this short. I was a "Top Gun" era kid and the movie was essentially my baby sitter growing up. I remember my first airline flight at the young age of 4 on an L-1011 and from that moment on, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. In high school, I enrolled in Junior ROTC, got an Air Force scholarship to FSU (Go Noles!!), became an Air Force cadet in Senior ROTC, and in my Junior Year of College picked up one of 500 pilot slots handed out across the United States in 2006. I had a goal, a plan, tons of motivation, and I got what I worked for. One year later on January 9th 2007, sitting in a chair at Brooks Base San Antonio, I was advised by an ophthalmologists that I had a pretiy common eye condition known as an esophoria but that, unfortunately, I was "hard DQ'd" from Air Force flying. To this guy, I was just a number. I was literally 4 months from graduated college and starting Air Force Pilot training. Devastation does not describe how I felt and making matters worse, the Air Force was kind enough to send the information to the FAA (which is required and understandable) and I was forced to fight to keep my 3rd Class. At the time, I was already a private pilot with more than 150 hours so the fact that I was now facing a threat to my civilian flying, I was forced to spend thousands on lawyers and medical appointments. In the last 11 years, I have spent a ton of time fighting the FAA trying to prove that what they thought I had, was much less significant than what the Air Force told them. I was on a special issuance 3rd Class for 10 of those 11 years. I was able to continue recreational flying but was unable to fly commercially without a 2nd or 1st Class. Meanwhile, I spent 8 years in the Air Force as a Police Officer, got out, and became a project manager at a large public transportation agency in SLC making decent money. When Basic Med came out, I decided to give up hope and move on from the dream. Shortly after dropping my 3rd Class for Basic Med, however, I decided to request a Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA) one last time from the FAA. They approved my request and shortly after I got a 3rd Class free and clear. This was a big step considering I had been on a special issuance 3rd class for over 10 years...forcing me to submit paperwork every 2 years to the FAA proving that I was still healthy to fly. This process was especially aggravating because I had spent a lot of money on the best MD's in the US to prove that I was well within FAA tolerances for not only a 3rd Class--but for a 1st Class as well. The FAA chose to focus on what the one Air Force Flight Surgeon from 2007 had written on a piece of paper. Okay I'm winding this down. I got greedy this month and decided to press my luck for a 1st Class. I went to a new AME who was ironically, of all things, a retired Air Force Flight Surgeon. He called some friends in Oklahoma to ask what the deal was and promised to try to help me out. I received a call on Wednesday of this week from the AME, asking me to come sign my 1st Class Medical Certificate. As if my first born had just arrived, I cried when I got that stupid piece of paper. I was unceremoniously handed the paper by the office receptionist haha...she had zero idea what that piece of paper meant to me. So I'm quitting my great job that I have zero passion for this Summer and enrolling in ATP. I'm chasing the dream knowing that my fight with the FAA may and likely will come up again and again...every 12 months until I'm 40 and every 6 months thereafter. I don't care. I'm 33 years old and figure this is probably my only shot...I will regret not trying and even if this doesn't work out, then I will become a CFI and still realize the dream of flying for a living. What an office. Anybody have experience with ATP or even getting on with the regionals, working their way up to a major? Any current commercial pilots with information on current job prospects? General advice and recommendations are welcome from all.

Those of you who have been following the chronicles of Mooney Six One Zulu already know that she suffered extensive damage to the wing back in September when my partner ran off the runway while re-positioning her away from Hurricane Irma. Nearly eight months and tens of thousands of dollars later she is back home. Work was completed by Air Services at West Georgia Regional (KCTJ) and they took very good care of her.

I agree completely. Not in your position - but in your statement that this forum is no place for politics. I enjoy that we share knowledge together on airplanes, and specifically Mooney's despite that in all likelihood we come from all points from the political spectrum. If we let politics leak in, even a little, it has shown itself in the past to be impossible for us to continue to share mooney knowledge. And I very much want to continue to glean Mooney knowledge from everyone regardless of if I agree with you or not in politics. So lets keep it apolitical to allow this forum to survive!

If you are intent on rolling your Mooney, go get some real aerobatic training with a real aerobatic instructor in a real aerobatic airplane. Doing your first roll solo in your Mooney is STUPID! Stupid P. S. Don't be stupid.

I am guessing you all know where this is headed...... My plan was to replace the KT76a with a Stratus ESGi since I didn't have any WAAS position source installed. Between the Superbowl Traffic/TFR's and the wonderful winter weather in Minnesota I scheduled the upgrade for the first week of February. The plan was to remove the KLN89b and install the new Stratus in it's place. I also figured it was a good time to remove the ADF. That would leave the center stack free for a future upgrades. What I didn't realize was how much work was required just to pull the those three radios and run new Coax for the WAAS antenna sorry for the upside down image, no matter what I did the the photo MooneySpace rotated it upside down (note to admin, please fix or add rotate controls) Rather than pay to put the panel back together now and redo it again in a year I bit the bullet and replaced almost everything. Avidyne AMX-240 Audio panel, IFD-550 and IFD-440 navigators, and the Stratus ESGi ADSB transponder. Good measure I installed a used Insight engine monitor too. In a major case of "while your in there" I also had the attitude gryo overhauled and the vacuum hoses replaced, carpets were ordered from SCS Interiors, and I ordered the DIY interior repair kit from Bruce Jaeger to spruce up the interior plastics. I may be broke now, but it is an amazing transformation. I can't wait to fly to SUN-N-FUN and actually file /G. I didn't realize how bad the old KX-170b's were getting until I was able to pickup up ATIS 60+ miles out.

The only time we have a concern for running too cool is if you are not fully scavenging the lead. Avgas contains a lead scavenging agent" called ethylene dibromide. However the agent needs sufficient combustion temps (not necessarily CHT) to do its job. If combustion is too cool, it results in lead fouling of the plugs. Its true that the scavenging is most effective in the 350-400F range but so what, we hardly operate our engines to maximize lead scavenging. Most of us prefer to operate for maximum cylinder longevity which likes cooler CHTs. Although from a CHT perspective, lead deposits have shown to form with CHTs below 300F, typically we find this is only a concern with very low power ROP cruise where see both very low EGTs and CHT (CHTs of 250F and lower). But leaning to peak EGTs when operating at low power does much better and exposure to lead fouling is much less likely. Hopefully all this will be mute soon when we can run lead free avgas. This is just like the OWT that oversquare is bad for your engine! The bottom like on Mike is that all of his work is dedicated to educating the pilot community and has been for years. Its been a few years since he started Savvy to work with clients directly for fee, but his business model is all about saving clients money by educating owners on the difference between discretionary maintenance and required maintenance, saying "no" to scheduled maintenance that is neither required nor proven to be helpful - like cleaning injectors on annual schedule and giving the owner control back on their annual invoices by separating the inspection from maintenance and getting estimates for discrepancies before the work is started. He's also all about data driven maintenance rather then premature wrench turning and throwing parts at it. Of course he does not advocate all maintenance be done on condition and is a very vocal on the need to comply with timed Magneto IRAN inspection too. If that's cool aide, its the most sensible, logical and scientific reasoning I've been exposed too in the aviation world to date. All of us at Savvy are proud to be associated with him and all he has done for GA.

Both pilots worked together and did a fantastic job in bringing this emergency to a successful conclusion. But don't think that they are the exception. Every time you get on an N registered carrier, certainly a major, you've got seasoned experts up front. They practice engine failures and depressurization scenarios routinely in the simulator. Many have a military background. While these two pilots should be commended for their professionalism I would submit that almost 100 percent of the crews out there would also perform at this level. You're in good hands Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

Here's a close-up of the center section I took at Paul's salvage hangar in Lakeport:

Perhaps we need a new list on the forum, Mooney registrations and serial numbers to avoid. We have the first nominee at the start of this thread. Clarence

I appreciate all of the feedback. Thank you to those who are defending me to others questioning my motives. As a dealer/broker, I get that occasionally. That's the primary reason I don't post here often. I'm not thin skinned. I just don't need the aggravation of being thought of as less of a Mooney lover because I happen to make my living selling them. First, I work for the owner and my desire is to put the most money in his/her/their pocket. That is the case with every airplane. Secondly, I work for a percentage commission, so I have zero incentive to sell this plane for a lesser amount than is possible. So here is more of the story. Then maybe my reasoning may come to better light and the decision to proceed will be justified... The scenario presented above is not all together out of line with reality with the exception of the corrosion on the spar. There is none. But a lot of the other worst case items are there. These are these value determinants and items needing repair (partial list). *Damage History: Not one gear up, but three. Plus an off runway excursion that caused a little damage. *Useful Load: 752#. Actual Number. Just weighed. That puts it about the worst I have seen (maybe THE worst). If you have sold as many Mooneys as I have, you will know that one of the first three questions a buyer has when he or she calls on a plane is 'what is the Useful Load'. The other two are Damage History and Leaking Fuel Tanks. So we got two out of three disqualifiers for most people right up front. *#1 Com inop (it the CNX-80 that is no longer supported by Garmin) *Transponder inop (it is the Apollo remote transponder that I don't believe is supported any more). *HSI inop *Attitude Indicator inop *Paint Poor. A lot of pealing paint *Interior Poor *Fuel Gauges Intermittent That is just a partial list. For those questioning how a plane that just went through annual is a candidate for parting out.... To Don's credit, he did not fly the plane because it did not have insurance on it. It was picked up from a broker in FLA and brought to him to annual. Don told me that the pilot did not mention any of the issues on the plane. I put the aircraft on my policy and flew it home after it was completed and that was when all of the gremlins from a good flight reared their ugly heads. I have a squawk list about 20 items long, most all of which would only be discovered on a flight. I believe 100% that the aircraft is airworthy (in the sense that is is mechanically sound and will fly from point A to point B safely). I flew it and as I mentioned in original post, the engine ran like a top and was/is actually the best part of the plane. But selling a plane like this is a major challenge. I am NOT going to sugarcoat a plane to try to get more than it is worth. In the past, when I ran across a plane like this one, I called another broker that I knew and told him to come pick up the plane and sell it for the owner (after I told the owner that I did not want to market the plane and that the other broker would be beneficial to them). I don't want to lie or embellish a plane to a prospect just to get a sale and with the disclosures I would have to put into this one, I am pretty sure the list of real buyers will be zero to just a few (maybe a guy who is on a C/E/F budget and will overlook the issues to get into a newer / faster plane). I have been doing this a long time, almost 25 years. I believe this plane will sell for something in the 90-100 range AFTER it is all fixed up. If it weren't for the damage and iffy logs, that number would be 110-120. If it weren't for the Useful Load, that number would be 125-135. All the numbers includes paint and interior plus fixing all the broken stuff or replacing it with more modern stuff. We are probably talking about 4-8 months of work and a lot of out of pocket expense to get to that point and in the end, you have a plane that is all prettied up with nice equipment but a 4 time damage / pathetic U/L and the hoped for selling price may be optimistic. I think the engine/prop/cowling has value and is about half of the total 'as is' retail value of the plane (maybe more than half based on the offer I got from a guy that contacted me from this posting). I believe that the control surfaces, seats, autopilot components, speed brakes and what can be scraped up from the panel will get it to full retail equivalent - something around $50K. That will leave the wing and the tail section that are basically going to put it over the top from a value standpoint. And yes, all of this may take a long time to sell. But I was asked to do a job and I'm going to do it to the best of my ability and with the owner's best interest at hand and if I have to work a little longer and harder to get it done, that's what I will do. So, now, if anyone would like an 'airworthy' 262 conversion at something north of $60K (which is what I am shooting for on the part out - looks like I have about $40K already in line), then give me a call before we start pulling parts. Thanks for all the comments. I will keep up with this thread and add info if needed. Jimmy

When I saw the title my first thought was "At least you get to keep them in the hangar, I know some guys whose wife's keep them in a jar on the mantle above the fireplace..."

Spent the last 5 days with this awesome bird Even got a little right seat time

I am starting this thread to share some learnings for those of you who couldn’t attend. Spoke to the TruTrak guys on their autopilot. I like the unit but was a bit surprised that indicated airspeed climbs will not be available with the unit’s release later this summer. They said it would be introduced “within 2 years”. Spoke with the Dynon folks. Really liked the display and the unit’s capabilities. Asked about Mooneys and they said that their priorities are set by interest shown by potential buyers. Suggested if you want them to “do Mooneys next”, go tot their website and request it. Checked out the new Aspen E5. The display is sharper and brighter than the Aspen PFD that was next to it. PS Engineering introduced the 450B. It has the ability to handle 2 Bluetooth inputs at the same time. So this means you can have your cell phone connected for music and an iPad for the alerts from ForeFlight. Unit also has the ability to provide several warnings through the headset and even user programmed ones. Stopped by a booth where they are working on a HUD display. Told me they have been working closely with Aspen. If you have an Aspen, this will drive the HUD. I will be watching this one. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Friend of mine took these as we landed back in Tennessee. I took my manager and assistant manager to Gulf Shores for a admin retreat and to take a look at some possible new business locations. The friend that took these as we got home is not a professional photographer, but I thought they came out super clean and clear. old Mooney is looking pretty good to be 40+ years old. I'm the old guy flying. -Tom

That is silly Jim. Clearly this may not be what happened in this case but a slipping seat is a dangerous and possible failure mode that is easily prevented and this incident has raised the discussion. Why should we wait for an Ntsb report to have such a discussion and even address the problem whether or not it was the issue in this incident?!!!

In New Jersey that's not being pissy, it's being nice. ;-)

Newest future Mooney pilot. Emmalyn Cleo McKenna Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For one thing it's Busch. If "drinking his Kool-Aid" refers to using Savvy Aviation expertise and being grateful for @kortopatescontributions to this space then there are a great many Kool-Aid drinkers here, including me.

What I learn from that, is that's most likely exactly what caused it. We are all susceptible to "I've done this hundreds of times unscathed, I can do it again". But maybe not with a tailwind, or an unexpected wind gust or a distraction on the ground or in the cockpit or on a day that you just aren't 100%. 99 out of 100 is great in most endeavors, except flying. I feel more comfortable with a higher margin of safety. There are a lot of things we can't control, but what field we base at we can control. I also choose to base at an airpark, but the runway is 3800 feet long and 80 feet wide. Do I need it to be that long? Not most of the time, but if a few of my pilot imperfections surface that day along with something unexpected, I have a better chance of getting it stopped safely.

I really dont mind writing big checks to the Gubbermint, it means I did well for myself the previous year. I do, however, mind them wasting what I send them.

I grew up with all kinds of animals including lots of dogs. As an adult I've come to the reluctant conclusion that most dog owners are not qualified to own dogs.

Great event. I left around 1:30 and Mooneys were still arriving. What struck me was not only the friendliness of the Mooniacs, but how well the aircraft are kept up. Great paint, great panels, and pride of ownership. I was also pleased to see younger pilots and their families. As one of the oldest pilots to fly in (83), it is gratifying to see the interest level in the newer generations. General aviation is not dead, at least not in the Mooney world. Can’t wait for the next get together.

Mine quit at 200ft post maintenance due to FOD going through the #4 cylinder. I suspect the FOD rolled to the back of the intake when I pitched up. I declined an intersection departure on a 10,000 ft runway and landed in the field at the end. The seemingly overly cautious decision to decline that intersection departure may have saved my life and the airplane too.

As a general rule, do not take airplane purchasing advice from a CFI.

Well soon we hope to block users that are running AdBlock extensions from accessing the site at all. Sorry, either be a donating member or agree to see the ads. One or the other or you are not welcome here. Ad blockers are going to kill the free Internet as we know it. Sites like this rely on revenue from either advertising or donations...without that we are not going to pay for and spend our time operating it.

I happen to know for a fact that 78905 has 2 tailpipes, and that Stuart was in El Monte searching for a new mistress, at the Beverly Hills Car Club, his wife and daughter were with him, and his wife Crystal deemed the mistresses too costly so then they left, did a close flyby of the Hollywood sign then proceeded north to San Luis Obispo. Hope that helps

I never thought any of the very good discussion on slipping seat rails was ever meant in the context of what MUST of happened to the pilot but merely a good possibility - as good as any of many possibilities. But one that brought up a very good discussion of how to be on guard for it. All very positive IMO and entirely appropriate since this is when folks are most interested in learning from what if possibilities. FWIW, I have had my seat pop out twice on takeoff. Luckily I had the benefit of exactly this type of discussion many years ago. It was from exactly such a discussion as this that I got educated on this issue well enough that I was prepared enough to stay safe. The best precaution IMO is as @Skates97 says above, be sure to actually push down on the seat locking mechanism to make sure it's in positively when you position your seat. Not just let it pop into position. Then secondly, and most importantly, make sure you let go of the yoke while your seat is slipping back to rear seat. As long as the aircraft is properly trimmed for takeoff, you'll only soil your underwear by the time you get your self back up front since a properly trimmed aircraft will be okay for a few seconds. But this underlines the importance of being properly trimmed for takeoff. But it was exactly one of these hypothetical discussion inspired by an accident that educated me enough to be prepared and I am sure this thread will likely save some one else in the future that wasn't aware of this till now and learns about this as I did. Just let go of the yoke as @MyNameIsNobody said above. (although I didn't understand the part on the releasing the seat belt since its attached to the seat - anyway I don't recall needing to undo the belt to pull myself back up front). I am a bit embarrassed it happened to me twice before I replaced all seat rails. But the first time I blamed it more on not having the seat positively locked into the holes. But the second time I realized the holes were just too rounded/worn. I didn't need further convincing with a third event and at the next annual I was down for weeks as I replaced all 4 seat rails which not an easy a job. Our seat rails do appear to be identical to Cessna's which have an AD that requires them now to be replaced on schedule of hours - no longer on condition with a go-no go gauge.

UPDATE: Was able to go out to the plane today after a great Easter Holiday with the family and inspect the issue. After reading your comments, I am very thankful to be able to be here after what could have been bad. I first removed the inspection panel but nothing visible we could tell besides the soot aft of the access panel on the cowl as shown in the picture above. We continued to remove the cowl and my mechanic just happen to stop by the airport to drop something off to a hanger neighbor. Great timing! We got the cowl off and no visible signs of anything on the inside of the cowl - nothing burnt or discolored as evidence of anything - to the cowl. After a quick look at the turbo and V-Band clamps, all is tight and no indication of leaks or cracks which also confirmed my pre-flight check at the beginning of the day. All was very solid and in-tact. Following the exhaust up, we found the source pretty quick - it was the exhaust gaskets blown on #3 and #5. In fact the outboard exhaust stud and nut was missing from #3 completely. #5's outboard nut was backed out and not tight at all. It appears that these exhaust gaskets were the "no-blow" style as they were still in-tact but will not be re-used. Very lucky to not have caught fire or worse! We are ordering all new NUTs and Gaskets for all 6 cylinders even though we might only need to replace 3 sets of them and at least several studs to replace the missing ones and the ones that need to be replace for removal of the system. I have the part numbers for the Gaskets (630365) and the Nuts (22022) - "using two gaskets per exhaust port, concave sides together" per the Continental SB14-8. I need to find the replacement stud part number. Anyone have that manual digital for the TSIO-360-SB they could PM me? Or a link? My A&P that happen to be out at the airport on Easter Sunday and gave me an hour of his time to take a look said he has the manual in his office and could get it tomorrow. He said after replacement of these parts we would pressure test the exhaust system for leaks and compression check the jugs. I have learned some very good lessons in this deal and hope someone else does, too. Engine monitors are invaluable - trust what they are telling you and process the information to stay as safe as possible. Thank you everyone for your help in the opinions and insight into the possibilities of what could have been a lot worse.

After my last post I felt a little remiss about not mentioning the safety issue of continued flight. Thirty minutes is a very short flight that probably most would be tempted to continue. But recognize a loss of MAP as experienced here is very significant. A small leak, whether induction or exhaust, will not typically cause a significant loss of MAP. A large leak is more likely with significant loss of MAP, and consequently if its exhaust the threat of fire is very real and there is no more time critical emergency than fire. All this adds up to the need to divert to a nearby field before things get much worse. Maybe it turns out to be a minor induction leak, but you just never know. Luckily these kinds of turbo related issues are pretty rare, but we need to diligent about getting down if and when they do occur. Sure don’t mean to be critical of Bryan in this instance, this was really meant for others that have yet to experience such an emergency. Hopefully very few will. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Okay I bumped the thread a few days ago when I found it, but ended up not having a chance to write my follow up as I expected. Here goes: The plane came through annual with flying colors. The seat rails are slightly worn, but not bad enough to require immediate attention. Everything else was great. I would have to check my logs for an exact number, but I have flown her about 140 hours since purchase. When I started taking off the hatch covers for annual, I saw why the old salt Mooney guy declared her as the most corrosion free plane ha had seen in 30 years. There is a lot of advantage to keeping a plane always in a hangar and that hangar being in a dry climate like Kerrville, Texas. I still, however, need to find someone to do the interior and make her as presentable inside as she is on the outside. The VOR’s are both off by 30+ degrees. Problem is not the splitter. We found a dirty connection in the bulkhead below the tail, but no way to test it yet. Hopefully that will solve it or I might have to replace the antenna and/or coax. They will sign off and turn the plane loose Monday, so I am anxious to go check the VOR’s. This is frustrating because I use the 430W, but I think the VOR’s need to be healthy for the secondary means of navigation for legal IFR flight. Once she was on Jacks, I was able to see how the landing gear lever fits into the retainer lock. I was able to handle the gear fine without twisting the lever. I only needed to push it forward with the button pressed to release it. This still concerns me, because I have pushed it forward in flight with no good results. It has taken a twist of the handle to get it loose. We will see. After a year with the plane I have gained confidence in her and with her. She flies wonderfully, seems to be rigged well and have gotten used to the smoky ASI. A member here has offered the ASI that he will be removing when he puts in a glass panel, so I will have it painted for my speeds and get that in before my IFR certification due in July. We have not traveled as much as we have wanted, although we have been to Galveston and a few shorter trips. We have had many obligations that have kept us from traveling as much as we would like, so hopefully that will be different this year. We want to give her plenty of medium and long distance exercise. My stepson in law bought a Baron in North Carolina, so I expect to take him there to ferry it home. That will be something like 700NM so I am looking forward to that. I hope to make a few pleasure trips shortly thereafter. SO...... a year later and I am still smitten with my Mooney.

Well, It's been quite a while since I've posted on this subject but thought this weeks progress might be interesting for some of you that have been interested in the project. All the body work is done and now it's getting some color. A lot of the prep work for the interior has been completed during the last 6 weeks as well. I have a very unique paint scheme that Cris at Scheme Designers "NAILED" and Brad (Airframes, Inc) and his painter are very excited about. Something different than the typical airplane paint scheme. I will elaborate later as that takes shape on the airplane, but for now we're at least getting some colors. Tom

You need six seats to carry 4 adults cross country. You’re looking at the wrong type of airplanes. You buy a 4 seater for 2 people or 2 with kids max. Cessna 210, Saratoga, A36 is what you need to be looking at. You won’t buy a coupe sports car to drive the whole family on vacation in.

Beautiful flight home tonight from the TX Mooney Formation Clinic at KHYI (San Marcos, TX) back to Arkansas.

If 6 are good, 8 is the best! Clarence

I flew the highest time 747-200 that ever existed, or maybe ever will exist, about 2 weeks before it went to the scrap yard. N748SA, (ex PH-BUH) had about 135-137,000 hours and ~26k cycles..... All the way across Africa and a couple thunderstorms. My buddy Mark was the FE on the last flight, to the boneyard at Mojave. Over AZ, the old girl wasn't done yet, they took her up to FL450 (wrong way) and set off the clacker at .92 Mach.Still had some thrust left over. It still made book speed and fuel flow...Then the long, slow, decent down to Mojave, and floated the landing, she wasnt done yet, , for one final stop. http://opennav.com/forum/airchive/5200853 http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1348429

I know what you mean, one of the best things in life is a dog.

LLC is a waste of time and money if you're a sole owner.

I don't want to get into details but your statement could really be no further from the truth if it tried. The fact is that I don't want ANY politics here and when members report it I deal with it. I do not look through the site for offenses - I rely on people reporting it.

Big coincidental event today. I took my F up for its minimum weekly workout for some steep turns, slow flight, stalls etc. checking security of my seat rails is always before starting engine. It was secure. I took off and headed out of the airspace, set up for cruise and went into a steep turn. Halfway through the first steep turn, my seat slid back about a half notch. I re-secured the seat and thanked the Lord that it didn’t happen on takeoff. I flew around for 30 or 40 more minutes, then decided to move the seat one more notch forward because I thought it would be possible that my usual notch could have something in it that wasn’t letting the pin fully seat in the hole. After landing, I moved the seat and found a small piece of gravel in the hole. Check the pin holes are clear guys!

Its not a fair question for me , as I am an A@P and do my own maintenance and decide on what to defer , The Bonanza is a lot easier to work on , with lots of room and a cowl that opens like a cars hood....... All things considered I think they are comparable , with the exception of the overhaul cost , The Bo engine is 25% more at overhaul , They say cylinders last longer in the Lyc. but I haven't seen it , because I usually run at 60 to 65% in either.... As far as holding value , its all about condition..... Its better to buy more plane and grow into it , than buy less and then have to upgrade in 5 years...... Look at your mission , Mission decides airframe , not the other way around...... The fact that I did not get crucified on this thread , probably means I am on point in my descriptions....... And I do enjoy my Mooney....... I just enjoy my Beech more......

First, my name is Kevin and I am a 200hr private pilot that has basically only flown a Cessna 150 converted to tail dragger. Recently I made an offer on an M20E and lost out to a higher bid (A big thank you to Brian Nelson (orionflt) for his assistance and knowledge for that offer). Afterwards, I continued my search until I found a C model that met my needs. The only thing was that this aircraft was over 1,300nm away. I decided I would hire a local instructor (Bob Cabe) and fly it home the next day. Long story short, after 3 hrs and 14 take offs and landings on Saturday 3/24 I was checked out and ready to fly it home. I flew my father, who is a pilot also, down with me to San Antonio on Friday night so I could have a copilot for the trip home. Sunday 3/25 we were finally able to take off at 1pm. We made it 415nm and decided to stop for the night at Vicksburg MS (very nice place too). Yesterday, 3/26 we flew the last 918nm home. The trip home was great (averaged just over 135 knots and 9.8gph) minus a vacuum pump failure (took out the autopilot and I hand flew it the rest of the way) which I will address this weekend. Anyway, pictures are worth a thousand more words so here you go...

The problem with airport dogs off leash is the distraction to the other pilot that don’t know how amazing and perfectly well trained these dogs are. When they prop strike a taxi way light or clip a wing taxing because they are watching someone’s off leash dog worrying that it may run out and getting chopped up it cost the dog owner nothing!

Thanks to an AMAZING turnout from AMAZING Mooniacs with AMAZING Airplanes! great fun. Thanks also to Richard Simile of Delta Aviation for bringing the Ultra! I want one! And Greg Baker and Damon Trimble of LASAR. lets do another fly-in next weekend! phil

Hi everyone. The West Coast Mooney Group fly-in is really coming together. We have about 50 planes registered for our fly-in this Saturday and 90 + people expected to attend. Phil Corman @mooneyflyer was kind enough to put a Fly-In information sheet together for everyone who will be joining us on Saturday. I have added a few things of interest to it regarding the raffle prizes and our sponsors Aircraft Spruce & Specialty & LASAR. We have over $750.00 worth of prizes being raffled off to our members to help us with the food and fly-in costs. This is going to be a great day and I look forward to meeting everyone on Saturday. Thanks again to Phil @mooneyflyer and his wife for all of their hard work taking care of the logistics in planning the food and airport venue for us. It is much appreciated. See the Flyer Link Below Mooney Fly-In Arrival Info.jpg.pdf

I think it's great you are reinstating your CFI s...all except the part about training your wife!Not sure how that will workout current wisdom is a husband should never attempt training a wife in anything

Welcome aboard. Cessnas, really? They put the wings in the wrong place for a start. Your photos dont show enough really to make any comments excpet if the pucks are cracked ON THE RUBBER then they need replacing. If they are older than 10 years old replace them anyway. I have a J and last year she was stripped down and rebuilt. There is a load of photos on OBAL refit if you do a search in the search box above. Shows the fuel tank covers that you are concerned about. My only question on that cover would be, "why was it removed?" There is also a thread around PPi and what it should include that was done quite recently. Have a search for that as well so you make sure your PPi covers the things that we have recomended. As for this group, the very best bunch of seriously Mooney disease infected people i know, they even put up with this Brit and have learnt his sense of humour. The Mooney disease is extremely contagious and can be caught purely by seeing a picture of one so make sure you are immunised accordingly.

The take home message at this juncture is that humans and the decision making process are both fallible. This accident occurred to an experienced and capable pilot and professional. My condolences to his family and all who knew him. My he RIP. Our minds can play tricks and we must have a healthy respect for what we can do wrong in all endeavors, especially in aviation. We do not know at this juncture what went wrong, whether it be caused by weather, impatience, stress, something mechanical or other causes. This discussion is kind of like a physician thinking through the differential diagnosis when seeing an ill patient. The mental and academic exercise helps put things in the order of probability and helps to relearn that which you think you already know. But what one can too easily forget is that faulty decision making can occur at the spur of the moment, when over stressed, overworked, tired or for other unrecognized reasons. Like the physician, the appropriateness of his decision and treatment is confirmed when the labs, X-rays, and pathology reports and available. In this case it is the NTSB results determined to the best of their abilities. I was at a MAPA Pilot Proficiency Program 1 1/2 years ago. One of the instructors asked how many of us have second thoughts when we get into our planes. He congratulated those that raised their hands. That questions was the one question that was the most memorable for me of the session. Smart people concentrate on what they do not know, not revel in what they think they do know. Skepticism is many times healthy and in aviation, it is necessary tool. Be careful out there as faulty decisions can be made without one being fully aware it has happened, and be mindful of the accident chain. John Breda