Leaderboard

Finally got a hangar for the M20E and am looking forward to doing my first oil change (on my own). I'm going to get some help from a local A&P, but before I do, I want to make sure I have everything I need. From what I understand, I will need: tie wire a tire wire tool filter cutter filter wrench What do you recommend? Any particular products you like? Thanks!

Even though I think that Apple really made an error by releasing the iPad Mini without the Retina display, and the faster processor of the iPad 4, I decided to purchase the current unit. I am sure that Apple will release a newer model in the next six months or so that will include the Retina display at least. So why buy a Mini now? I wrestled with this for a while, but decided that a Mini in a yoke mount at this point was better than leaving my iPad3 on the co-pilot seat. I prefer looking forward than sideways, and with my eyes in the plane of looking out the windscreen, with a slightly downward look to the instruments. More than once, I have experienced a touch of vertigo when turning my head to the right and downward to read details on the iPad3 laying on the seat. When I have had a passenger, holding the iPad, inevitably they will do something to lose the Foreflight app, or change the screen or orientation. When the iPad Mini2 comes out, I will buy the new one, and pass down this Mini to family or friends (following my custom of passing down iPhones and iPads - sort of the case of growing up with siblings). I bought the 16 GB model, with G3 data, to get the GPS version. I have a Dual GPS Bluetooth unit on the glareshield, but I want redundancy here. I used the Ram iPad Mini yoke mount. This is the same set of Ram devices that Sporty's sells, but I was able to purchase them at the San Carlos airport aviation shop (great place for aviation supplies). The yoke fitting itself is typical Ram quality, which is to say, well made and positive in grip to the yoke shaft. The connector is a double ball, spring loaded, connector which is easily connects to the yoke unit and the back of the Ram Mini holder which also has a ball. With this setup there are quite a few adjustments that can be made in height, distance from the back of the yoke itself, and from side to side to keep the Mini in the center of the yoke. I am not satisfied with the Ram Mini mount itself. It holds the Mini just fine, but the design appears to be more universal 7" tablet than specific to the very thin Mini. The upper portion of the holder slides up to allow the Mini to be set in and removed, and a built in spring holds the Mini towards the rear of the holder. The thickness of the holder upper and lower clips would allow for a case for the Mini, but I have no interest in a case. This is a dedicated application for me, and I am annoyed that I have to remove the Mini from the holder to turn it on and off. While the holder has some empty spaces, top and bottom, for cords, etc, the upper clip covers the Mini on/off button. I would guess that Ram will release a Mini specific holder in the future (or at at least I hope so). Getting back to why I want a yoke mounted Mini. I already have a GTN 750, and an AirGizmo mounted 796 in the panel for moving maps. They are both wonderful units, and the GTN 750 cross-feeds flight plans and other data to the 796. I want the GTN 750 to be relatively clutter free, so I use the 796 for XM weather and Zaon traffic display, as well as the 10 minute predictability path. Even though I am Instrument rated, and have flown instruments in all sorts of IFR conditions for years, at this point in my life I spend a good deal of time just flying VFR for the fun of it. Since San Francisco (Class B, Oakland (Class C) and San Jose (Class C) are all within a few miles of San Carlos Airport, my home base, I am forever choosing distances and altitudes to avoid incursions in these airspaces. Also I frequently fly to the Los Angeles area where airspace is highly complex, not to mention all the Restricted areas in-between. The GTN 750 shows the flight plans perfectly, and the general outlines of the Class B and C rings (highly distorted and convoluted in the Bay Area), but to get the altitude restrictions, you have to press (touch) the unit twice. Once in the "ring" area to highlight it, and then again to see the altitudes in a descriptive box. It is far easier to look at Foreflight's Sectional chart display on a Mini or full size iPad. This is really helpful for situation awareness, and I can adjust my flight path - vertical and horizontal, with great certainty that I am outside restricted airspace. Nice to have lots of tools specifically used in optimal ways. While Jeppesen's Pilot application has an interface that is very similar to the icons of the GTN 750 and 796, I really prefer Foreflight. When my Foreflight subscription comes due in February, and will again review the features of both programs. The Mini has smaller boarders than the iPad so the actual size of app data is closer than you might expect, and even with the non-Retina display, quite readable. In flight, I have the yoke mount set so that the top of the Mini is just below the bottom of the HSI. The only things that are covered are the rocker switches, which still can be easily used.

http://youtu.be/AYkWtlnnlbI Brief trip to try out a couple new cameras..(thats what i keep checking on the cell phone) camera has wi-fi connection to the phone...wasn't sure if it'd stay attached ! Later, M.

If after that first bounce you decide to stay with it, give the plane a bit more throttle, and let it settle back down when it's ready....or so I'm told

I use vinyl tubing from Home Depot to slip onto the quick drain. Buy a double-ended tubing connector with barbs on both ends; sand one end for a loose fit, shove the other end into the tubing. The heavy brass will hold the tube down in a bucket/bottle while it drains [i use empty laundry detergent bottles]. Then wipe the ends of the tube clean and push the looser-fitting end into the tubing making a leak-free loop and lean it against the hangar wall. Next time, just pull it apart [that's why one end of the fitting is sanded down] and it's ready to go, just make sure the little bit of residual oil inside doesn't drip on the floor when you start.

Heartbreak Ridge "What do you think of this exercise Gunny" " I think it is a Cluster Fk, Sir"

I indeed will chime in and apologize for the late reply. First off, happy new year to everyone! I wish you all a great 2013. I used to own a 1967 M20F - Great airplane did everything the J did but 10 knots slower and substatially less expensive. However, I am still amazed at the number of small imporvements outside of just aerodynamics that were made between 1967 and 1983 when my new bird rolled off the line. I concur with pretty much everything Bob and Brandon have stated above. The Missile is a great airplane and you should think of it as a baby ovation that is the medium length body, and thus a few pounds lighter on 300 HP. Remember, each Mooney is hand made (you know) and each. The good -Speed - My oh my, 175 knots all day, 180 easy, 185+ if you want to burn up the engine. That's zero wind. Into headwinds you still are in the 150-160 range and with a good tailwind, 220, 230 ground speed. -Avionics - unless you have updated your avionics I am amazed a the difference between the Missile and my F model just in the panel alone. Auto pilot (amazing to have an autopilot after only having a wing leveler in the F), much better Nav functions, the backup radio is a KX165 (vs my primary KX155 in the F) and a Garmin 430W in the panel. Just to update those avionics in the F model would be north of $25,000. I also installed an JPI 830 and have been quite impressed with it at purchase (I overhauled my engine at purchase). I also put an aera 560 with XM weather into the panel interconnected to the 430 as a backup and for weather in flight. It is a great little machine. Avionics differences are amazing. -Gross Weight increase - My F had a useful load of 1017 pounds - now I have 1068 pounds -Long Range Tanks - I have the Monroy long range tanks and can fill 98 gallons of fuel. Full Fuel sill leave me with nearly 600 lbs in the cabin. -Aquisition cost - best bang for speed in the normally aspirated world on the market -Great engineering - Rocket is a great company - they are very nice when you need help and again, they put a lot of time into the STC. They did the Rocket conversion first, and the Missile was an add on, but still took a lot of hours of testing. The engine mount is a thing of beauty and the way it is mounted counteracts the tourque even better than some ovations. Less right rudder needed but no rudder trip as some of the newer Mooney Aircraft have. -Full feathering prop - better glide distance, fantastic climb, great top speed -Aerodynamic clean up - it really is amazing how much it's cleaned up over the E/F. the clamshell gear doors, cowl, air intake for cabin air in the tail, windsheild - everything great like the E just more streamlined. Negatives: -Fuel Burn - It is much more than your E model and you start thinking per hour what the cost will be, until you realize the distance traveled is greater, so the actualy trip costs are only slightly more. That being said, if you power back, which you normally wouldn't do on a long cross country (unless you had a heck of a tail wind) because why go slow in a Missile, you can get better fuel burn and higher MPG. -Weight - the plane is just heavy compared to your E. Especially the nose and you'll notice that on landings and manuvering. It's not bad, but just not as light on the controls as the F or E are. Anyone with a six cylinder engine in a Mooney and flew the four cylinder engines know the difference in nose weight. It just means epsecially during landings to have better "touch" for the final flare. I'd be worried flying into a grass strip in most Mooney's but especially the Missile. I would be less worried about my old F (gear doors have better clearance and the nose as stated was lighter). -Cost - the IO-550 is more expensive to maintain than an IO-360, has six cylinders vs four, and a slightly shorter TBO, though it should make it past TBO as part of that was for certification purposes (other aircraft with the IO-550 have 1800 and 2000 hour TBO yet the Missile is 1700). Toss up: -Manual gear - I did love my manual gear but now I don't worry about my shoulder (I've had it surgically repaired for other issues) or wires/people/fingers geting caught in the Johnson bar - I did love the manual gear. -Speed is great, but you need to plan ahead even more, makes you a better pilot but can get you into trouble. Yellow arc is the same as the J, so you cruise right up along it and can easily be in the yello arch during decent unless you really power down. -Auto lean mechanism - It's nice to have this feature for a given altitude, but it's also something you want more control of sometimes. -Speed brakes - I had them on the F (really - former owner put them in) and do not have them on the Missile - it just makes me plan a bit more. Sometimes they'd be nice to have, as the Missile really is slippery, and speeds up as all Mooney's do when going downhill, but planning is the best solution. -Bladders vs reseal. I had bladders previously installed in my F - never an issue - great peace of mind. I now have wet wings and do have the uncertainty in the back of my mind that a reseal of all four tanks will be on the horizon at some point in the next 5 (wishful thinking) to 25 years. I do admit that at some point I'm probably going to get a share of some smaller tail dragger (citabria) or LSA just to be able to putter around at a low fuel burn, but for my mission, the Mooney Missile really filled the shoes quite well. When I added up paint, unknown probable corrosion repairs (you find when painting), a few speed mods, panel update (GPS in panel, auto pilot, engine analyzer) to my F, I relized even with the money, I'd go maybe 155-160 knots (my F was fast at 147-148 all day, sometimes 150 knots) but still have a 1967 F model value wise. So I sold the F, and use the difference that I was going to spend over the next 3-4 years and that's pretty much about what the Missile cost me. It's a great airplane and I'm always amazed what those extra 35-45 knots do to a long cross country. The fuel tanks make it possilbe to have long range, and also to tank cheap fuel if you find it anywhere. Let me know if I can answer any other personal questions. If Brandon's airplane has not yet sold, get in touch with him. The missile is a great plane. Another possibility would be a Mooney M20S Screaming Eagle conversion with the 310 STC on the engine. -Seth

I have the GTN 750, and an Air Gizmo panel mounted 796. I "tap in" the route on the GTN 750 while sitting in the aircraft (usually after playing with my routing options on Foreflight before getting to the airport),. The GTN 750 then cross feeds the route to the 796. Also, I feed XM weather (and music) and ZAON traffic to the 796. This way I can keep the GTN 750 map uncluttered, and still have all the vital data available. This may sound over the top, but I am still considering setting up an iPad mini in a yoke mount, to be able to have a different moving map presentation, (such as IFR Low charts), and because I like Foreflight so much. I have been keeping an iPad 3 on the co-pilot seat, but this is a bit clumsy. I do like Foreflight's Class B rings with altitudes on their Sectionals as it is easier to get the data that way then the two stage process for the GTN 750. My only hesitation at this point is that the Mini's screen is not the Retina display, and I would expect the next iteration of the Mini to both change to the Retinia display, and the faster processor of the iPad 4. I am planning to replace my 430W (now under the GTN 750) with a GTN 650, as I have really grown to like touch screens and shallow menus. This would provide a reasonably consistent iconic interface between the GTN 759, 650, and the 796. I will keep with Foreflight as I like that software better than Garmin's iPad app.

Have 1974 M20F Exec. Looking to upgrade. Would like to know more.