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My A/C failed on the Lancair and I found it to be the A/C drive unit shaft. After much searching I was given the name of a machine shop in a small town called Athens, WI, just west of Wausau. I was told the shop was owned by a Mennonite with exceptional machining skills and very fair pricing. During the work process the owner indicated a fascination in the fact I built my own plane and after talking about it with his kids, he mentioned they were excited as well and commented how much they desired to ride in a small airplane someday. I told him I would pick up the shaft when completed by flying my Mooney over to his local airport (3 hour drive, 35 minute flight) and would gladly give his kids an airplane ride. He had the shaft done in one day (Wednesday), and I had him make me a new pulley as well, which he completed this morning. Looking at weather, I asked if this evening would work to fly his kids and he stated that it did. He asked if a couple neighbor kids could get a ride too, and I said yes. I arrived at a local airport and had a greeting party waiting for me. The politeness (and curiosity) of everyone was simply amazing. I did two flights, with 3 kids each flight, flying over their houses and their small little town. On each flight the oldest boy in the front seat got to fly the plane for 5-10 minutes. Upon completing the second flight, I asked mom and dad if they wanted to go and they insisted I should get home before dark and they had flown before, but were amazingly grateful the kids were able to fly. Then one of the younger girls walked up and gave me a plate of some awesome brownies she made this afternoon for "their pilot". As I flew home I thought about the impact the flights had on these truly humble kids, who clearly live a lifestyle of a much more simple means (and I say that more out of respect and admiration than anything). Sometimes we get LUCKY, sharing what we love with others and then getting the rewarding, yet humble feeling I experienced during my flight home. Pretty COOL. Tom

And in case you're wondering... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

After a 15 year hiatus from flying I jumped back into it with both feet. 2 months ago I purchased my M20F and since my timing is always impeccable I have been trying to get through my BFR and transition time while dealing with the spring weather patterns and my work schedule. I finished up on Sunday April 30 flying around in unsettled skies with rain and even a few ice crystals thrown in. The only upside was that afterwards I had a new scratch in my log book letting me know that I was now on my own. Yesterday the weather and work patterns intersected again and I headed out to the airport. After a careful preflight I was sitting out on the run up area talking myself through all of the checklists and getting ready to go when a thought occurred to me. I said to myself "Holy crap you are alone in this thing. Don't do anything on this flight that will make the news." I flew around in my Mooney for 2 wonderful hours with no particular direction other than whimsy with just me to keep myself company. The flight was uneventful and memorable at the same time. I hope I never get to the point in my flying where I lose the feeling of awe while cruising around alone in the sky.

Has anyone else done something so stupid in an airplane that you reflect upon your ignorance and shake your head? Anything that you have done that you are ashamed of? Anything that blind confidence and that little voice that should be telling you "NO"! Was silent? I did. To this day I think back and just shake my head. Me a Certified Safety Professional doing the unthinkable. What was it? When was it? Where was it? Why "out" yourself now? Why not just leave it buried in the past as a bullet dodged?. As a life lesson learned. The great thread discussing "how you got into a Mooney" made me think back 15 years ago. A 40 year old pilot with <100 hours total time decided he needed a Mooney. He found one and after giving his wife an ultimatum of "I am buying an airplane you can either get on board or do what you need to do"...(Really?...Wow. That shows the mission desire was strong). This to a woman that had hung around with me for nearly 20 years and had provided two beautiful children... So, plane was located in Ocala, FL. A 1966 Mooney that the owner was looking to sell after owning for nearly 35 years...He even mailed photos (snail mail only way back then)...Photos in his attached hanger to his home. A price was agreed upon if it "checked out". Check out consisted of a flight around the pattern and a $700 annual. The location was Brunswick, GA. A one way ticket was purchased by the idiot author. Kind of like Cortez burning his soldiers ships...Only way home was "victory"(purchase)... It is December 2002 and the broker picks me up at the airport. The plane arrives the next day flown by a "rental pilot". He and I went up. I had ZERO TIME IN TYPE. I had read a lot about Vintage Mooney's. I showed "the pilot" what the disconnect was for the PC. "I thought it just flew heavy on controls"...Nope, that is the P.C. Swung my first J-Bar on several landings. (Didn't notice that the DG (the olde revolving mini gauge was out of commission. Whiskey compass was leaking too. No worries, I had a automobile Garmin GPS (Really?) Annual did not show what logs did that the accessories were original to 1966. The 1970's overhaul was really an AD for the CamShaft to be inspected...I was to impressed by the recovered seats...The Touch-Up paint job (on original scheme), the speed slope windshield and cowl closure mod to know what was REALLY important. The panel? Shotgun with no engine monitor. No shoulder belts. Original six pack engine gauges. The plane had been flow a total of 15 hours in last 15 years. The definition of a hanger queen... The annual (with an extra cost oil change) completed and "no discrepancies found" resulted in the deal being done. Even got a free seafood dinner from the broker...Next morning the transfer of funds was delayed and I didn't launch until 11AM. I taxied out and run-up showed a mag drop that was not acceptable. Taxied back to ramp and shut down. Was told that it just needs a good hard run-up. So I did...and all was well...(Right). Launched into a headwind (due to a frontal boundary that stretched from Gulf to Canada) and climbed....and climbed...and climbed. Broken up to 10000. So 10000 was where I leveled off. My groundspeed? 105knots. Flew northwest and a solid layer developed. ( I was NOT instrument rated) and had zero clue what weather was ahead. Got North of Atlanta and found an opening. No idea (beyond auto GPS) where I was as I was high above cloud layer. Fuel getting low...Break in clouds. Dive down through and "there is an airport". SEVERE crosswind on landing. Fueled plane. Checked weather. Launched. Again climb up to 10000. Pushed up to 10500. Saw a Learjet Go across from East to west at my altitude...Gulp. It is December. Gettting back to Iowa is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. It is getting dark. I get another opening with Evansville, IN and Kentucky showing on GPS. I let down. I see a wall of snow to the north. I look to my right and there are the runway lights for Evansville. I contact tower using sectional for freq and make an uneventful landing. The FBO was fantastic asking me if I need fuel? Yes. Do I plan to spend the night? YES! Do I need a ride to a motel? Yes. Would I like to drive through McDonald's and get some food? Yes? What time would you like me to pick you up tomorrow? 7:30? See you then. The front went through and the Mooney flew like a Mooney over blue skies for remainder of flight. So many stupid things that could/should have killed me on that ignorant "Get there itis" half assed, under trained/equipped maiden voyage in a plane that had NOT BEEN FLOWN...Much less flown for the first time by a Mooney driver. Would insurance have paid off for my poor wife when I angered in? Getting Mooney Specific training and a PreBuy by a Mooney Saavy entity...Walking away...Reviewing logs. Knowing how to review logs. Not being an overconfident idiot. It was not my time to die. Never Again. Fly Safe.

It was long overdue, but I finally got my instrument rating yesterday. I had a flight scheduled for this morning for business. Without the rating, the flight would have been scrapped and I would have spent 8+ hours in the car today. With the rating, off we go. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Super excited.. just brought home "ZB" and couldn't be happier.. I was lucky enough to have a friend of the mechanic who was performing the annual in February . He put me in touch with the owner who was thinking of selling, and we started chatting. Once he was ready to sell, he gave me the green light and I was on the next plane out to pick it up. It is a fantastic example of a M20J, and the best part was coming home to my wife and daughter there to greet me on the ramp.

Installed the finished cowling today. Propeller balance tomorrow with final work on Friday to have it ready for a test flight and customer pickup on Saturday. I have to say that I like it. Here's a couple of before and after photos.

I can't participate in this poll. It's very unlucky to speak about a no-hitter while it's in progress.

When I lived in Denver my neighbors across the street told me their father (wife's) used to own a Mooney. She said he loved his plane. He had lost his medical from heart problems about 10 years prior and hadn't flown sense. He came to visit one day and they interoduced him to me and said I had a Mooney. I asked him if he wanted to go for a ride and he gladly accepted. The next morning we met at the airport and after preflighting the plane I showed him the door and asked if he wanted the left seat! His eyes got big as saucers and he jumped right in. I said "why don't you fly me to Leadville?" And handed him a sectional. He said Ok, put on my headsets like he had flown yesterday and started it right up. He flew the plane expertly including all the radio calls. When we got to Leadville he got the certificate, we got some lunch in town and he flew me back. He was a crotchety old guy and my neighbor said that he was never happy, but for the rest of his stay she couldn't pry the smile off of his face. He died one month later of the heart condition that grounded him. So, the only thing better than giving someone their first Mooney ride is giving someone their last Mooney ride.

I told my wife if I have to fly in primer a while before final paint I really need "Nose Art". I've had several people comment it looks "Military" in primer, so would look natural with Nose Art. I DID tell her it was going to be of this nature and she said "it's your plane, only going to temporary, do what ever you want. I think it's appropriate for the plane. Tom

For those of you who don't follow the Bugs and Suggestions forum, I've put together a map with pins indicating the approximate location of MooneySpace members. There are currently 99 members listed on the map. Most of them are in the US of course, but there are also some in Canada, Australia, and the UK. To get access to the map, you'll need to be listed on the map. To be listed on the map you need to have either a City or Airport listed under your avatar. The map will have a pin in your town or city, not specific airport. The map only lists screen name and city. No other information, personal or otherwise is listed. The purpose of the map is simple. When traveling to an area of the country, you'll be able to see which MooneySpace members are in the area and will have a screen name you can contact via private message here on MooneySpace. The map is searchable by screen name or city. This is not an official MooneySpace feature, just a personal project of mine. It was suggested by @Roger O and I've had assistance from @RLCarter on this project. If you have the link, please do not share it to protect the privacy of the members. If you'd like to be listed on the map and have a link to the map, send me a message or respond to this thread. Enjoy...

I just want to point out that the reason behind some of the discouragement you might hear. We all love aviation, flying, and even using our airplanes to go places. However, we also have the experience to realize when things don't quite work out. I don't think anyone wants to discourage someone from getting into general aviation or getting a Mooney for that matter. But I think they want to offer you an honest view rather than the grand view you might have thought or would come to from an advertisement. I think people are genuinely concerned for your safety (and the safety reputation of the GA community) and wish you success within those constraints. External pressures (get-there-itis) have been one of the leading causes of aviation fatalities. Inexperience, exceedingly quick progression through ratings, and getting too much airplane relative to experience are also a big part. Nobody here wants to see a pilot get hurt or even just a plane get bent up. Another delusion that prospective business pilots have about the utility of the airplane (besides ones mentioned) is that the plane will be used strictly for travel. Inevitably, a lot of flying ends up being done for the purpose of maintaining the airplane and maintaining the pilot's skills. I find myself flying for oil changes, maintenance, upgrades, repairs on a fairly regular basis. Some are lucky to have all of this available on their field while others have to or choose to go elsewhere for the services. The plane ends up spending a fair bit of time down for annuals, upgrades, and repairs. Then there's the time spent practicing. Even if you fly regularly, maintaining currency in different conditions and for instruments takes a lot of practice as well. You've gotta love flying the plane for the sake of flying the plane. Then all this supporting activity is fun and justified. If doing it strictly for work, that's a lot of additional time and expense in order to safely accomplish the utility.

I received this advisory from Addison tower recently, "Mooney, you have a 90 knot overtake on the preceding Cirrus." I wonder if the Cirrus driver went immediately into therapy or waited for his scheduled appointment!? Another fun Mooney flying day....

Today I flew for the first time with the following avionics: IFD550 IFD440 IFD100 on each of two iPads. KFC150 with KAS297B altitude pre-select/altitude hold. The amount of information presented and the situational awareness is absolutely ridiculous !! I had the normal map on the 550 with synthetic vision on one iPad and the approach plate on the second iPad. The 440 is kinda redundant. And to think, back in the day I did my instrument training in a piece of crap rental Piper Arrow with 180 HP that would do 125 kts in a descent on a good day and we had to circle to get up to 9,000 ft to proceed along the Victor airway. It had no autopilot but two VORs, one with an ILS. Such an amazing transformation in our cockpits in just over a dozen years.

Flew up to Pendleton Oregon KPDT today. First time I've ever flown there. Went for a Doolittle Raiders Gala. It was super cool and seeing the B25 doing a lot of flying was great knowing planes that are well taken care of could fly forever, even if we can't. I got a video of the B25 taxiing right up to me after they went on a scenic trip with someone. Only charged $500 for it:) The sound of the engines running that close to me was awesome!!! Ended up having two other Mooneys parked there as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just got the news. My son Nathan just passed his private check ride. I've already got my insurance agent working to add him to my policy and find out what hoops he'll have to go through before he can fly the family plane. He wants to go all the way to professional pilot. I think he'll help make sure my M20E gets enough time in the air. Too bad the engine wasn't rated for 201 HP. Flying is more fun if you have someone to share it with.

Yesterday there was a post on here where a new member was asking whether $30,000 for a 900TT J model that had been out of annual since 2007 was a good deal. This airplane was not advertised and it was a deal he stumbled upon. He concealed the N-number obviously not wanting anyone else to mess up his deal. All that is fine - we all want a great deal, but then he mentioned how the owner is in the hospital in the last stages of cancer. The more I thought about this the more I thought how the person in the hospital could be one of us and it sounded like he was trying to steal it from the family at a time when properly determining the value of an airplane was the last thing on their mind. Last night I took at shot in the dark and replied with what I thought was the N-number to the airplane (N201FA). It could also be N201CA, but I think it's N201FA. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N201FA To my surprise when I looked today the post was completely removed - I must have struck a nerve. Out of the blue a few minutes later I got a PM from the one who posted: I'm not interested in this airplane. My only point to this post is that the free market should determine the value of this airplane for the family. If others here are in the market for a 201 project I would suggest checking out the registration (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N201FA). Then going to whitepages.com (http://www.whitepages.com/name/Richard-H-Sherman/Milford-DE/1iu4mqu) and see if you can reach the family to look at it. The more people that look at it the better the family's chances of getting a fair offer. It may only be worth $30,000 but if it was your family disposing of your airplane you'd want them to have a few offers to consider. Full disclosure: I bought the airplane I fly now from the widow. It had been advertised for months though and many people had looked at it. She was treated with the kindness and fair treatment that I would want someone to treat my family. I realize this is none of my concern but we are all watching out for each other.

Oh so close. Should have some completion pictures up by Friday.

So I just bought a 1966 M20E with The One True Landing Gear system. I did a rental checkout and four hours in an M20B, and I'll be logging some more time in that before I fly the Super 21 home. Gotta get ready for her. Setup an LLC and bank account, get a tiedown at the airport (Santa Monica) - which raises the question, which is better, a canopy cover (I've heard they can scratch the heck out of the "glass" and paint?), or those reflective heat shields inside the windows / windshield? Sun and wind are much more of a factor than rain, here... Anyway, I was looking for an F but this E came along with numbers I couldn't pass up, and my A&P says she's cherry. Excited! This will be my first plane; I have 300 hours on my 19 month old PPL, I'm instrument rated, complex and high performance endorsed, and in the last year I've logged >155 hours PIC, including 50+ hours in an Arrow and 50+ hours in an SR22. I'm ready for this next phase, and my days as a Mooniac!

These are the only cheap ones I have been able to find.

I told my wife if I have to fly in primer a while before final paint I really need "Nose Art". I've had several people comment it looks "Military" in primer, so would look natural with Nose Art. I DID tell her it was going to be of this nature and she said "it's your plane, only going to temporary, do what ever you want. I think it's appropriate for the plane. Tom

Drilling and fitting the new cowling skins today. Trial fit of the cowling assembly.

Do we use them ALL the time, why should we I know my plane, really. Lesson 1- use your checklist for everything **a trip from Gulfport Ms. to Wilmington,De, a mere 905 kmiles no problem. Weather checked, plane checked, pilot well ok, let's pack and go 7:00AM local departure time. Wife a little out of sorts don't worry we'll leave a little later. Ok off to airport, went to pay for fuel oops we didn't fill you up Mr B, ok fill it up. Preflight plane packed go pay for fuel, it's a little later I wonder if those storms will stay west of our course? Ok we're going, get CRAFT from the nice tower guys, use my takeoff checklist, my wife closes the door, that's not on my list, I fumble a little, Gulfport tower 423PS ready for Runway 14, all's good ----silence, not really first time for everything--- Gulfport tower aaaah my doors open, I'd like to return, left traffic cleared to land, jeez I never landed over 3200 lbs. I'll carry more power, wow lands nice and soft heavy. Close door, pump it up following my door procedures, Fran don't touch the door I'll get it. Lesson one use your damn checklist. Lesson 2 use your checklist for everything **Ok Gulfport tower is it ok to stay here on 14 until I check my door, sure no ones coming in, get back to me when ready, boy Fran she's a nice lady. Gulfport tower 423PS ready to go 14, your still in the system cleared for takeoff. GD the stall horns blasting I'm a weak old man now, using my muscles, well what's left of them, crap I didn't trim the plane,or use my departure checklist for departure. Got it re-trimmed off we go. Did NOT use my checklist for after landing, just hurried up Only 5 hours to go, lot's of time left to ponder what went wrong, why and what could in the next 5 hours. Luckily nothing out of the norm. After 30 years of flying, we're still learning, need to adhere to all our experience, all of our training and especially those lifesaving damn Checklists. Lesson learned use your damn CHECKLIST Anything you all can provide by not useingn of those things.

So while was polishing my Mooney today I was day dreaming about some nose art... What do you think?

Usually it would just be areas of decending air, If it was a power reduction it would require a trim change too. If it was an instrument error you wouldn't see a corresponding change in your ground speed. Maybe the next time it happens, turn off the auto pilot and hand fly the plane along with using the trim wheel instead of the button so you get a better feel for what is going on.

I grew up a USAF brat surrounded by pilots and airplanes. My family history had me wanting to fly for as long as I can remember. Great Grandfather WWI Founding member of the CAP Grand Father WWII / Korea U.S.M.C Uncle VTANG Father USAF

In general , Estates and or terminal patients , are not trying to squeeze every penny out of a dime , They are trying to liquidate assets so their family's don't have to deal with these things... I have purchased from estates and terminal patients in the past ....My suggestion , is if you are not going to purchase the aircraft , do not get involved...

Ken and his wife Edna went to the state fair every year. And every year Ken would say, "Edna, I'd like to ride in that helicopter!" Edna always replied, "I know Ken, but that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks." One year, Ken and Edna went to the fair, and Ken said, "Edna, I'm 75 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance" To this, Edna replied, "Ken, that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks." The pilot overheard the couple and said, "Folks, I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and don't say a word, I won't charge you a penny! But if you say one word, it's fifty dollars." Ken and Edna agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, But still not a word... When they landed, the pilot turned to Ken and said, "By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!" Ken replied, "Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Edna fell out, but you know, fifty bucks is fifty bucks!"

All, I'm pleased to share this news! After a ten day journey proving that I am still in compliance with my SI, my personal physician has signed my BasicMed form. I'm officially legal again! Matilda and I are back in the rescue business! .../ jack

I just had a beer - otherwise I'd fly to Wisconsin right now to park outside your hanger and get in line.

Long time lurker, finally sucked into posting. Been a Mooney fan since I started flying in January 1991. Most of the reason is because I'm from a small town not far from the factory, but some is because the vertical stab is placed correctly. Spent 20+ years in the Air Force, gained about 2600 hrs on the E-3 as an aircrew member and I stopped counting GA a long time ago. Retired last fall, went to work for USAA and relocated to a bedroom community of the factory (Boerne, Tx). 5-yr plan is to save for the right J, but an O2 might be in the picture. Just the wife and me now; son is a Army officer, daughter is a school teacher. The J makes it possible to see our son wherever he is CONUS in a decent days flying. Great community here, and happy to be a part of it. @carusoam,@Hank, no need to asks me to introduce myself now. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

An Irish World War II Spitfire pilot and Flying Ace, was speaking in a church and reminiscing about his war experiences. "In 1942," he says, "the situation was really tough. The Germans had a very strong air force. I remember," he continues, "one day I was protecting the bombers and suddenly, out of the clouds, these Fokker's appeared." There are a few gasps from the parishioners, and several of the children began to giggle. "I looked up, and realized that two of the Fokkers were directly above me. I aimed at the first one and shot him down. By then, though, the other Fokker was right on my tail." At this point, several of the elderly ladies of the church were blushing with embarrassment, the girls were all giggling and the boys laughing loudly. The pastor finally stands up and says, "I think I should point out that 'Fokker' was the name of a German-Dutch aircraft company, who made many of the planes used by the Germans during the war." "Yes, that's true," says the old pilot, "but these Fokkers were flying Messerschmitt's."

Hard to do that reliably year-round with winter weather up there, and spring storms in the plains. I know of a former Ovation owner that commuted from OH to CT regularly but he had lots of experience and FIKI TKS on his plane, and needed it. And still didn't make every trip on schedule. To go from zero to owning a capable plane and flying that trip on a schedule is a tall order, but not impossible. There will be times when you cannot fly due to weather, or plane maintenance so you'd still have to fly in the tube now and then. I'd recommend you just start learning to fly in a rental and see how you like it before deciding to jump straight to planning to commute. If your sole motivation is to be able to commute, then you might not enjoy it and spend a lot to figure that out. If you've always dreamed of flying yourself, taking fun trips with family and friends, etc, then just start learning now! Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

I am at a small town rural airport. I was renting and not specifically planning to buy, but I was trying to get people to get together to buy a piper cherokee as either a club, or maybe co-owners of about 2 or 3. But I was doing this slowly because I could rent. Then in 2007, the world economy crashed and so did the local economy. The school I was renting from went out of business, and no one wanted to buy a plane. And the general attitude toward airplane maintenance had been declining. So for these reasons I realized that if I wanted to keep flying I needed my own airplane, plus especially to keep it up maintained to a standard a bit higher than the ratty machines you often find around here. So I bought a Diamond DA40 at a fantastic price (because now it was winter of 2007-2008 and anything that was in the luxury item category was dirt cheap that year again because of the crash). I flew that for 2 years and loved it. And I loved owning my own plane. But I wanted something more capable. I mulled over twins but decided a high performance single was more what I needed and wanted and that my budget would accommodate without telling any of my kids that they can't go to college. I had a few times ridden in an M20C and loved it. But I was looking for airplanes with tks - I only need inadvertent since I avoid ice but in the north east, sometimes ice seems to happen despite your best forecasting and and use of the forecasting products. Rarely have I been wrong, but occasionally, thank goodness for tks, and anyway, it gives me peace of mind all the time that there is a backup plan. SO this narrowed me down to Cirrus, a retrofitted 182, or Bonanza or Mooney. I was never too excited by 182's but they are no doubt fantastic airplanes for what they are. Cirrus - I rode in my friend's SR22 and he was proudly demonstrating everything about it, and I came out of that ride thinking I definitely don't like the cirrus for its poor road feel, and some other reasons too. So it was down to Bonanza and Mooney. I was surprised to find that despite being over all bigger, the Bonanza has poor leg room for a tall guy. So now I was shopping for M20. I was keeping my mind open to any M20 with tks that was in fine shape and a good deal. Although I was thinking turbo in case I ever did find myself in ice I wanted excess power to get out quick even if that means climb. Although if I had found a good R or missile with tks I certainly may have gone there. I loved the concept of the rocket, and found a nice specimen - again at a good price, now in 2009, because the economy was still poor and airplane prices were largely suppressed still. Although selling my 2003 DA40, I got back more than I purchased it for. So I purchased an M20K rocket after just a test drive and a repurchase. And it was at the time a lot more airplane than I anticipated. everything happens so much faster. Over time and with training you eventually get used to that speed of things and its fine. For several years I was maintaining it and improving the avionics (edm830, adsb transponder, p2audio system, overhauled all gyros, and new electric backup attitude, 406elt, overhaul tks pumps, overhaul most components in kfc autopilot) and adding stc speed mods etc, but still thinking in the back of my mind I might end up selling it eventually so a bit reticent to update the interior and paint. Well last year I had an expensive corrosion fix, and at that time I decided to fix that and invest in this plane like I am keeping it for at least 10 more years. SO I updated all new leather interior, lr tanks, and it is in paint right now getting stripped and painted and new wind screens. And leather yokes. So in about a month I will have the shiniest rocket in the fleet.

I've been searching for several months...was right here this whole time. Very fortunate to get it. Ink should dry Fri if all goes well. Pics soon!

So, what does your flight track look like when you take your 13 yo over the practice area, hand him the controls, and tell him he can do what he wants? Well, something like this... (He really likes trying to do steep turns) It was a beautiful evening

Probably went to check to see if his chute was still stowed properly... Best regards, -a-

I know we've all seen the video clips but here is a long beautiful video from the photographer. There are some beautiful views of the Ultra over Canyon Lake and the Texas hill country. This is our usual practice area when @bucko, @"Chocks", I and others get together to fly formation. Enjoy

That tire has a lot of life in it. I had a partner once and I could tell how many landings he did by the number of flat spots on the tires. If I replaced the tire on every flat spot I would be doing it weekly. Remember, the brakes are only for hold short lines. Land short and slow. The goal is to not use brakes on the runway, but if the end is rapidly approaching, do what you have to do.

Pending pre buy, this baby is mine! All logs are present from day 1. Paint is probably an 8. Interior 7. Wheel wells clean as a whistle. No corrosion evident anywhere I could get to without pulling all the inspection panels. Flew like it was on rails. Put it in a bank and let everything go, it just went hands off. Trimmed for cruise at 24/24 was close to 170mph indicated at 3000msl. No play in the empennage. Speed brakes worked perfect. Did a few touch and goes. Lands nice. It just looks really good. Belly was clean and dry. No oil drips anywhere. I'm excited!

I think I've seen something like this before but I could not find it. I've never been one to name inanimate objects but I know a lot of you do. That made me thing what I would name my airplane if I was going to do so. I decided I would probably have to call her "The Call Girl". The reason being that both a Call Girl and a Mooney are usually good looking, you go to them in anticipation of having a good time, and in either case it's going to cost you a lot of money. I rest my case.

Still love the cheek panels for maint access!

Looks beautiful. Great job!

In life, first comes the test. Then the lesson.

I bought one. The first Mooney that I flew had my name on the title.

So I swapped out my 4522 incandescent landing with LED when I did my oil change. Got up to the airport tonight to get a comparison. First off I bought the light from PilotShop.com. When I opened up the light last week I noticed an inch scratch on the front of the lens. So I emailed PS and they got a new one sent to me that day without receiving the old one. I would of had the new one two days ago but UPS miss sorted it in Portland and sent it to Bend. One thing I don't like about the light it has a plastic lens, not glass. The new one has a few small scratches on the inside. Kind of weird but I wasn't going to wait around for a third. When I had the cowling off for the oil change I took the time to clean up the dirt and grim on the landing light hole and painted it gloss white. I figured it could only help reflect the light. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out. The hanger I'm shinning the light on is 90' from the front of my plane. Stepping off the incandescent light it was about 8 paces wide, the led light was close to 20 paces. Standing in front of both lights the led was much brighter. I really couldn't be happier:) I also replaced the cover lens on the cowl from knots2U. Thanks to Rbridges for sending me to them. I probably won't be doing any night flying in the plane till I get some more hours in it, but I know my landing light will not be turning off again:) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Little 30 mile drive today to go and look at the Bluebells in a wood north of London under Lutons Class D. Approx 80percent of the wild bluebells in the world are in the U.K. I'll let the videos and photos do the talking Enjoy IMG_4647.MOV

Andy, Tom was a close friend of mine. We flew BE-1900's at the same company back in 1988 and we had maintained a close relationship ever since. You are very right, Tom Camman is a soul who would definitely give you the shirt off of your back, help you with anything you needed, and would never judge you afterward. His wake, services and following hangar party at Orlando Sanford were very well attended. On top of 25000 hours in his log books, this established professional had 8 type ratings, owned two airplanes, knew those airplanes inside and out, and was an Airbus Captain for a large airline. I was going to stay silent on this thread, however as I grieve his passing I feel a responsibility to remind everyone that, what happened to this fine gent, can happen to ANY OF US. We, ABSOLUTELY, must always be diligent in the way we operate our airplanes, cars, boats, or participate in any other risky activity. One of the reasons I am writing this, is that I have a Mooney friend who is not on this forum, who nearly killed us both with his lack of checklist use combined with very poor maintenance management. I won't say anymore on the subject except that he and I are still friends and I have delicately coached him over the years. I ask everyone here to please heed my words, and take extra time to: 1. do proper weather briefings 2. make sure you keep your aircraft in excellent repair - I still can't believe what the MSC found on my first annual when I bought 231LR 3. get yearly recurrent training And most importantly, leave your ego at hangar door when you prepare for a flight. Every singe one of us has people we love and who love us dearly. And we do not want them to mourn our early and needless loss. Fly Safe, Walt

CEO changes are always messy. And they can be instigated from both sides, either the CEO or the Board. It's really difficult to say here what may have gone on because the facts are murky. What is known is that Mooney just announced the certification of the Ultras and also sent a conflicting message about the M10 series, both announcements which just happened at SnF a few weeks ago. The immediate departure of Saxena so soon after these announcements makes me think this particular change was instigated by the Board, but again, the reasons are hard to guess. For some reason, he wasn't satisfying investor requirements, but perhaps they wanted to keep him on until they got the Ultra's certificated so as to not worry the FAA. That would be in my thought process if I were the Board. As to everyone's various opinions about the Ultra models and the marketplace, I would encourage all the naysayers to put yourselves in the CEO office and think about reality. A lot of investment has been sunk in upgrading the manufacturing process for the Ultras, and FAA certification has just been won. That's your pony, boys, and you've got to ride it as best you can. The cost of an Acclaim Ultra is less than an SR22-GTS, and if marketed correctly it can appeal to a particular audience. I know I would buy an Ovation Ultra before an SR22, parachute-be-damned, because of the operating costs and the cool factor. Those of us on Mooneyspace don't buy new planes (most, anyway) but we need other people to do that, so we can eventually buy the used ones. For this reason alone, we should ALL be rooting for Mooney to succeed.

I bet the number of accidents that have been prevented through convenient laminated, off the shelf checklists exceeds the number that was caused. If everyone had to hold their POH open every flight for checklists, many more people would skip it and there'd be more problems.