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Bought a c150 4 yrs ago to train. I tie down 100yds from lake aero styling. Well those guys are great. You can only imagine all the Mooney's I see. My wife said "we need a faster plane" how cool is that. Started looking on line for an upgrade and ended up with a converted m20d. I knew a mooney would be a good choice for our mission since I was lucky enough to go on many ferry flights to pick up various Mooney's for service. After some issues the best thing I heard from the Lake aero guys was "you got a fast one" Looking forward to many years of mooney fun.

My wife gave me an awesome gift for our wedding. A short clip from an hour of fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6bFpBDceaE

Just a little more commentary. Corrosion protection is not a mandatory item. A good portion of our Mooneys were painted with Zinc Chromate paint on the bare aluminum. People who live near the oceans or in high humidity areas will have it done more frequently. I believe Brett's plane resided in Florida for a bit. Most of the work on my plane was done by a local mechanic or avionics shop not associated with a MSC. Why? Because most of the issues were either engine or avionics related and they tend to be more agnostic in nature. Where a MSC does make a difference is in Mooney specific issues, like rigging of the gear or flight controls. They have the tools and experience. But that doesn't mean a non-MSC mechanic can't handle it. Mine does. SBs are not mandatory. ADs are. Some SBs are no brainers. Like 208. But many SBs may pertain to stuff that is not on that particular airplane anymore. The same for ADs. An example, my F model had a recurring AD for the yoke shafts. I upgraded the yokes and shafts to the J style which means my logs reflect the change and that the AD is no longer pertinent to my plane. Hence my recommendation to have someone who knows how to review the current published ADs and a knowledge of the SBs to review the logs -- as a starting point. Just because it is in the logs, doesn't mean it was done correctly, therefore the pre-buy... Hope this helps.

For those who have had corrosion-x treatments, are they listed in your logs? Yes, every corrosion-x treatment my airplane had was listed in the logs. How often do you do corrosion treatments? Depending on where the airplane is based. Mine was done every year to every other year at a minimum. How many of you never have taken your plane to a MSC? I have utilized a MSC but I also am fortunate enough to have a very professional shop at my base field. Really!?! So if the salesman/owner said they complied with all SBs, you would take he word for it? All service bulletins that were complied with were listed in the logbook entry. Did you all just walk up to a plane, kick it's tires and say "yep, that's a plane alright, I'll buy it" Ummm, No. I think it's important to look at the airplanes entire life to get the "big picture". I can't over emphasize a buyers agent especially for somebody that is asking these sorts of questions. If you want the name of a great guy that is very reasonably priced please PM me. It will be the best money you've every spent and I guarantee he will save you more than you pay him!

Erik, will you please update the pictures in the gallery, every time I open the webpage I see that bush covered in ice. I keep waiting for the ice to melt but it never does.

At that low a power setting, and this time of year, that sounds about right. I usually cruise a little higher (7-9) in my '88 J model, but the numbers look very similar. I like my oil temp to get above 170 if possible, and this will typically happen running 2300 RPM and 24 inches of manifold. As many will tell you, you can run at higher power settings, and the oil temp will increase. There are those who say that you should run the oil temp to about 180 degrees for an hour to remove all the moist contaminants from the oil, thereby prolonging the life of your engine by reducing corrosion possibilities.

I have had the prop governor (H1) leak a substantial amount of oil from the internal seal at the oil pump. It will only leak when the engine is running. If you pull the left mag the fuel pump is pretty easy to get to.

Honestly, If your mission is flying for fun w/in 300 nm and less than 100 hrs a year then just by a nice M20J for less than $100K and use the remainder to buy a vacation home or a second and third airplane! Sorry, couldn't help myself!

If one tank has all of the remaining fuel, one can be sure the they are landing on the fullest tank. I'm in the "run dry" camp. However, I became accustomed to it as a kid flying long XCs with my Dad. I can understand how some might be reluctant to do it; for me it's a non-event as I've been in many AC that have burbled and came back to life.

I know that my giving rides in a plane that easily cruises at 150 kts at 9 gallons per hour raises a lot of interest in the brand - I have two friends shopping for their very own.

well .... i beg to differ .... a J model with serial number 24-9593 must be a rare specimen indeed

Someone on ebay has been selling new lenses for $90 per pair. Often the display just needs reseating in its socket when digits are missing.

Full throttle is good. Also some flap and a decent amount of air in the tires. And get on a treadmill Merry Christmas all. I'll check this thread New Year's Eve...

You guys are awesome, thanks so much.

The title of the post says it all - personal mins. Bottom line is fly within your comfort zone and capabilities. Understanding that the DRIVING factor is the PILOT not the machine. The key is developing your own decision making process to balance the particular risks associated with the current flight. I will fly night IFR, I will fly IMC over mountainous terrain, I will fly to mins.....but all three at once (most likely no). Always look at the multiple factors (wx,fatigue,proficiency,etc) piling up against you. When that happens its time to step back and re-assess- how can I reduce/eliminate the risk. Even if it means a night on the couch in an airport lobby in the middle of nowhere. Sure I'll shoot an approach to mins in the Mooney, but only when the deck is stacked in my favor considering all other risk areas of the flight. There is a huge difference between punching through the SoCal marine layer for an ILS to mins at Santa Barbara vs shooting the RNAV to mins non-radar, in the mountains, at night, with IMC conditions at nearby alternates. First scenario is cake, second is putting yourself in a corner. If you're going to set a number (circling mins or 800/2, etc) the important part is your decision process as to why to picked that number (currency, experience level, unfamiliar field, new equipment, etc). Fly within YOUR limits. Consider your 3 C's (great technique, thanks). Pre-think your go/no-go criteria while your sitting on the couch drinking cocoa this winter rather than on-the-fly when you're suffering from get-home-itis! Remember - no matter how fancy your new glass cockpit or how capable your machine the weak link in the chain will ALWAYS be the PILOT. GIve yourself the gift of some IFR proficiency training this Christmas.

I worked on a homebuilt for several years and learned a little about woking with composites. My C model has a 201 cowling mod and had the cracking upper cowl so I added a layer of bi-directional inside the cowling on a 45 to the cracks as they ran longitudally along the top center of my cowl. I believe it was .58 S cloth, also put one layer of 45 cloth in the center part of the cowl where it arches in a point running back aft. I always had Aeropoxy 2032 and 3660 around for the kit so I used it. Repairs around the fasteners? I used a little cotton flox with the same. On the inside of the cowl I didnt but should've used peel-ply because it wouldve given a much smoother finish for the baffling to rub against. Engine baffling wears out faster on a rough finish. I ended up resanding all the areas the engine baffling fits against, then replacing all the rubber baffling. This greatly helped on engine cooling. Someone posted previously about using polyester resin..... no one uses it on aircraft. http://www.amtcomposites.co.za/sites/default/files/media/howto/Advantages%20of%20Epoxy%20over%20Polyester.pdf The resin/hardner must be mixed more accurately or you'll end up with either a gooie mess that will never cure or a part that turns brown and brittle, I've seen Vinylester mixed hot enough to spontaneously combust. Another thing resin has very little strength by itself and a layup that is too wet is heavy and brittle, its going to crack again. There are books on this. If you are going to take the time to make a repair take the time to read up on it, talk to folks in the know and make a proper repair.