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After finding a great plane, being able to sell my cherokee, and weeks of loan approvals, negotiations, and pre buy inspections at Don Maxwell, I went to Longview to pick up my new to me Mooney M20C. MAN DOES IT FLY GREAT!! Thanks to Paul in San Marcos for introducing me to these wonderful birds. Thanks to her previous owner, Vic, who was a GREAT PLEASURE to work with. I Feel like we have made new friends. He and my cousin also helped teach my to fly this plane, however I learned really quickly they love to fly themselves. It was an experience however, to learn that you really have to stay ahead of them, as they travel fast and do NOT want to come down OR SLOW DOWN!!! I got the hang on the Johnson bar fairly quickly, and was greasing those landings in by the end of the day!! Here are some pics, AS PROMISED!!!!

I forgot to mention, I was faced with a decision on how much fuel to take in Puerto Rico. I was choosing between 80 gallons and a top off. I calculated that I should be able to easily get there in 60 gallons so 80 would have left a comfortable 2 hour reserve and save me $30 on the price difference between airports. Well you know what they say about having too much fuel... So I topped it in Puerto Rico. So when it came to the fuel situation while dodging thunderstorms, that was one less thing to worry about! I didn't have a second thought about burning more fuel going ROP to 75% power when I wanted to hurry around the storms while there was an open gap. We arrived to Ft Pierce with enough fuel to make Savannah with a reasonable reserve if the weather forced us to go elsewhere. Thanks Jose Monroy for the extra range.

Just watched the second episode of this new series. Good stuff. In my past career I was on our "Accident Investigation Team". While this show is obviously condensed for TV it is pretty spot on for the most part as far as the reconstruction of the accident data. Gives some good sidebar facts as far as how many acres of Alaska is only accessible by air and their dependency of aircraft. They stated the aircraft accident rate, I couldn't believe the accident rate was so high. Just lots of good info and factual. I've never been to Alaska, but they sounded pretty accurate in comparison to how a motor vehicle accident reconstruction is done. No crazy drama, just a good factual program. Worth checking out. -Tom

"The incident is not terrorism-related according to the airport statement." I beg to differ, to me, that is terrorism in a most cruel form. Taking the life of an innocent Mooney. On the other hand, if it were declared an act of terrorism, the owners' insurance would be void unless he had terrorism insurance.

The panel with the install kit was $325.85 plus shipping. It's a bit much for what it is, but Dan's usually got both 8 and 9 hole panels in stock and it's all done for you.

Super-Cop: Your Bird is Super-Bad-Ass. Vic was indeed a fine custodian. Lot's of NICE eye candy on panel. Great choice. I can tell you are a proud daddy. Nice to have a smiling Co-Pilot along. Not an absolute essential, but A HUG VALUE to enjoy the ride. Glad you are greas'n 'em and having fun. Fly safe! and keep

You have no sense of adventure, none at all!

Thanks guys; I couldn't find this myself on Spruce. I'm still looking for the literature but I think I can replace the insulator/boot/sleeve by simply removing the contact spring and carefully sliding the old one off, etc. I'm familiar with the spring replacement. Hopefully I won't have to replace or shorten the lead. Interestingly the defect has caused no functionality or performance issues but was detected during a LOP mag check at altitude. And even then I wouldn't have caught it without reviewing my JPI data on the computer. That one cylinder exhibits a significantly higher (~100F) EGT rise than the other 3 cylinders when running on that one mag. Swapping wire positions top/bottom moves the problem to the other mag. As I fly high and LOP often I want optimal spark returned to that plug. No hurry, but if you have the Slick manual .pdf I'd love a copy for reference. I'll PM you my direct email address. At your convenience for sure. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you sir! VERY pleased!

Any openings left?

I'm not quite sure this is universally true. Some vehicles have the fuel gauge on the side that the tank is on, while most cars built since 1990 or so all have a little triangle by the gas pump icon on the fuel gauge that points to the side that the tank is on. I have owned multiple Peugeot 505s and different versions of the same model, the filler would be on different sides.

I was told yes - every 500 hours or so, vibrations and harmonics cause things to move. Think of it as an entire engine/powertrain balance. Or at 2400 RPM you are moving st .24 inches per second but the rest of the ranges, 2500, 2300, 2200 are all around .04, then you now have an indication of an internal engine issue, like a cam love or lifter issue. Also, the prop cal be set for your preferred cruise RPM, to ensure you have the least amount of vibration where you'll cruise most. I'm curious what Cody says as well, but after my recent results, I'd get my prop dynamically balanced if it's been 10 years. -Seth

A little fried squid is a great appetizer before tucking into a large piece if beef. Or a roasted duck. Don't have any upland birds available down here, unless Nobodyndrops in for a visit. Relevant Question: I know my prop has been balanced at some point in the past (Hartzell 3-blade). It was before I bought her in 2007. Is this really something that should be redone periodically? How can the balance change if the prop isn't losing any material? No nicks, no dressing, still pretty smooth leading edges. Cody???

I think you can find them in both rubber and cork. O&N sells cork ones for their bladders that have a hole pattern the same as the factory sender. Also pay close attention when installing them, they have a 5 bolt pattern, but 2 of the bolts are closer together than the others. Make sure all the holes line up.

It is has been a while since I posted on MS. There already is a discussion of this topic in the archives, but the short answer is that the two conversions 261 and 262 use a reprint of the 252 POH (except for references to 24 volts). Just adding a Merlin waste gate, while certainly useful, does not create a "252". I believe that there was a supplement to the 231 POH for the Merlin waste gate. The 261 262 conversions have proven to be excellent aircraft. I owned one for 18 years and it gave me good service.

The power comes into the gauges at the terminals labeled "IGN". Each one is connected to the previous from left to right looking at it from the back. The malfunctioning gauge is on the far right ("B" in attached photo). It is getting power via a wire from from "A" to "B". If you put a jumper across those terminals you can bypass a potential bad connection. I've also attached a small section of the schematic for the gauge cluster. Sorry the quality of that image isn't very good but it shows how things are connected. Keep in mind that the schematic is showing the orientation from the front. On the photo I've also added a red circle where it looks like there could possibly be an issue. Is that ground wire in the circle making contact with terminal "A" or any of the connected wires? It is very hard to tell in the photo.

I also have the numbers for the screws for your tank panel

I have my manual at my hangar, about 30 min from being there. Also, I sent my transmitters to a place in lock haven for overhaul and new gaskets are $7 a piece from them. Shoot me a txt and I will get you the part numbers. 386 383 9680

There are a few recent posts regarding the new mechanical pump high fuel P situation. Finding them may be helpful To see the number that are going on in a similar time frame.... Best regards, -a-

I keep my membership up to date and get my insurance through AOPA and I like the service I receive, also like the daily news emails and the weekly ones as well. really enjoy when I get the magazine one of the things that bugs me about almost all of the GA community and AOPA is no exception is that much attention is on the really high end personalities and not much on the regular folks that barely make enough to do this incredible hobby I think if the aviation community would focus a bit more on this it might encourage more people to look into joining the ranks. I would like to see AOPA and EAA spend some money outside the church of aviation. (Look at Cessna advertising in NASCAR and NHRA)... Instead, they spend all the promotion budget on preaching to the choir. And lets be honest the only way we will continue to be allowed to fly is if there are enough of us to vote for or against a Politian and as we dwindle in numbers we will also in being able to pressure govt. to not take away our freedom.

The value usually kicks in after some small detail like a heart attack or something similar... That's when you become really interested in their point of view towards the class III medical. The guidance you get about the SI is worth ten years of membership. Things your primary CFI never knew to tell you about. You get all that and a hat. I really like AOPA. Knowing an important person at AOPA makes it even better. Knowing that important person really has important GA skills at his core is the best. Plus he is the kind of guy that modernized an old Mooney. Plus the old Mooney guy come back from serving his country oversees and goes Long Body. Briefly... AOPA guy with deep Mooney experience, has a bunch of shamu-looking plane and F/A18 experience, chooses an LB Mooney as his personal steed. I feel really well represented by AOPA. If I don't, I send a pm... what a country. Best regards, -a-

Can't say I've had the challenge of twins, but car seat in the back is very doable. Rear facing car seats for infants with someone to be able to tend to them is not as easy. You may try one in the back rear facing and one in the copilot a seat with the seat in the aft most position and mom in the back seat (behind you) to be able to get to both of them. If you do have a forced landing impact is from the front and you'll want to have the little ones rear facing in the plane just as long as you'd have them rear facing in the car. It does make a difference. Infants neck soft tissue mass is minimal and strength is non existent. Agree on on the baby banz. They're decent. Now that ours is 2.5 she wants to pipe frozen through her pink headset all time time. It's toddler opium I swear. Dont forget to get them a little baby logbook- they're a lot of fun.

Michael The best airport in San Juan for GA is Isla Grande TJIG http://www.airnav.com/airport/TJIG. It is very much like a GA airport in the US. With FBOs like Signature and Millionair on the south side. Customs is provided by the FBOs right on their ramp with no wait. TJIG is right on San Juan Bay with easy access to the Old San Juan. At San Juan International there is no good facilities for small piston planes. Unless you know specifically where you are going to park. If you are returning back to the US non-stop from PR you will need to go through the Department of Agriculture inspection to insure you are not bringing fruits that could be contaminated. The inspection is free and quick. José

Don't forget, Piloto has some local knowledge of PR, and we have at least one other MS pilot on the island there as well. Rest up, settle in, recover and then enjoy... No need to rush home,. The crummy weather will still be here waiting for you. Best regards, -a-

She may think that but it is loud, a host of app's you can download onto your phone to get DB's in the cabin and it is going to be 90-100+ in just about any airplane I have ever flown in at pretty much any power setting. I have the distinct advantage of driving John Deere tractors as a kid, graduating to a Twin Commander (straight pipes) with no Headsets, and then running around jet cargo ramp's with no hearing protection. So these days nothing is very loud for me, but then again I can't hear much.... Can't stress how much you miss it when it goes, use protection.

We're in San Juan. Imodium, Advil, and Depends got us here. Didn't have to use them. Update soon.

I'd personally figure out a way to secure 2 car seats. Having never looked into this I wonder what people use for hearing protection? edit: looks like em's 4 bubs might be a good option for hearing protection...not your question but I was curious.

Notar, Check this thread... Priced less than <0.2AMU... Check your specific details. Best regards, -a-

I'm thinking of printing and framing 61H on my wall. Who will know it isn't my O... Best regards, -a-

I'd have that picture framed and hanging in my office if that was 1151V. It's every pilots dream to land there!

LOL! Mike -- N4361H right there in with the big boys.

My wife is learning about all the different kinds of airplanes. What better place than Maho Beach in St Martin to go plane spotting!? West Jet - Boeing 737-700 C-FIBW JetBlue - Airbus A320-232 N598JB Continited Boeing 737-724 N15710 201ER Mooney M20J N4361H KLM Boeing 747-406 PH-BFA

The relays called out in the IPC: SAZ-4201E http://www.texasindustrialelectric.com/relays.asp SAZ-9201 A-1 cross to STS-S12 http://www.skytecair.com/Solenoids.htm 6041 H 105 A http://www.peerlesselectronics.com/store/products/6041H105.html http://www.ebay.com/itm/EATON-PN-6041H105-12VOLT-200-AMPERE-DC-POWER-RELAY-COIL-FSCM-81640/182051727617?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140602152332%26meid%3D411ce3de0c5941ec866d789043b20e30%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D201066102837 http://www.skygeek.com/eaton-aerospace-6041h105-relay-12v-1-15-electromagnetic.html (don't ever buy from Sky Geek!)

I would hope not. Wouldn't want someone fall down from not enough air blowing!

Did anyone hang on the fence when you took off? Hee hee.

I thought I would follow up with a PIREP on the Alpha AOA installation on a Mooney GX as original poster. After reading reviews and understanding that Garmin would probably never integrate a solution into the panel I bought the Alpha AOA. With it I got most of the options, heated probe, heads up display, and an IO connector that would allow you to set another AOA for full flaps. Maxwell installed my AOA. I believe it was his first if I am not mistaken. The process seems somewhat simple and I would imagine most A&Ps can probably accomplish the install. Mark, owner of Alpha is good in that he will work directly with you and your A&P IA and council you through each step. You can see the panel that holds the AOA probe and where Don installed it on the right wing. Note: Alpha says start the probe at 50 degrees. There are small locking pin locations that allow you to set the probe at various angles in regards to the wings chord. As Robert says in preceding post, do not waste your time at 50 degrees and proceed directly to 40 degrees for our Mooneys. You will most likely need to get a round file and round out the metal mount plate such that the probe can move to the 40 degree pin as the metal on the plate will block it that far of an angle. My control module to adjust the settings was put in the panel where a blank insert on my Mooney existed. This may be the location for FIKI or other but on my plane it was a blank insert. That actual control IO module is laying under the glareshield in the center of my dash. Once you set your AOA on test flights you will probably not use the control module in the panel much. I was sold an IO to enable you to sense another AOA, that being the full flap AOA. In order to hook that feature up you must have a positive on off sensing switch for full flap that the Alpha AOA connects too. For a GX Mooney you do not have this sensing of full flap. The G1000 is the indicator for your flaps being full and there is nothing to connect to so mine is not hooked up. This is still TBD as Alpha was working with Maxwell and that portion was not figured out yet. But, the unit works fine without full flap sensing and I have learned that instead of a full blue circle when in full flaps I shoot for a upper half blue arc for that particular AOA. The AOA indicator was mounted to the center post as we feared cutting into the glare shield. But after a few hours I realized it is best positioned on the glare shield as Mark at Alpha states. It was an easy installation for the HUD. The indicator is actually mounted under the glare shield upside down and projects up onto the glass. I can flip the glass up and down. Since I installed the AOA I feel like speeds on landing are much more accurate. I shoot for an upper blue arc when crossing the numbers. So far I seem to touch down at a better speed with less float and shorter roll out. When climbing I do not climb at a great enough angle to effect the AOA but if I was doing short field or greatest climb rate then I can climb per the indicator. I tried to 50 and 60 degree turns to see if the AOA would indicate near stall but was doing them at about 110 kts and never did the AOA show anything close to stall. The AOA should not be used in lieu of good training and skills but all in all I think it was a good investment. Russ

Oh mine is full of minor typos. A big error is that cruise charts by altitude are mislabeled and out of order so someone at the factory corrected them with a pencil. I find the performance numbers are a bit optimistic in terms of cruise but not terribly so, maybe 2-5% in some areas. Climb performance is close, maybe a little optimistic at gross. Few, if any of us cruise at actual sea level. However, I have departed my 701' airport on days in the winter when the DA -3000' or lower. If I'm alone and west bound on a windy day, I'll stay low if the bumps aren't too bad. So I have spent a fair amount of time cruising at DAs between sea level and 2000'. I run WOTRAOLOP whenever I do. It yields impressive speed with fuel burn similar to what my ROP cruise would be in the 7500'. I've made 300+NM trips without getting above 3000'AGL.

I suspect that a lot of the noise, as well as cabin heat comes from the firewall. It's tough to insulate those irregular surfaces behind the panel, rudder pedals, etc. My '66 had the original (filthy, oily, hydraulicy) insulation hanging loose in that area when I got her. I've been in there a half dozen times working on it. Need to be a jockey sized contortionist. Dave, would you venture to guess how much your improvement was due to insulation vs. window thickness?

Save the $$, weight, and complexity of install. Get stock and wear a headset.

You almost had me there. I'm looking at your speed across the ground and I'm thinking you are bucking a heck of a headwind. Then I realized what I thought was C panel was a Piper panel -- the rest fell into place from there!The audio wasn't too bad. Still would like to hear your thoughts after a few months of ownership. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Ouch. But I did have pretty strong headwinds. I think it one point my ground speed was 82kts. I've been there in Cessnas and Pipers. I remember flying between Syracuse and Buffalo one winter night. I was IFR but in VMC. I could see the cars on the Thruway going faster than we were. The controller came on the frequency and asked if we wanted to change altitudes. I think he was worried he would reach retirement age before we got to Buffalo. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm curious as to why the shock assembly, P.99 of the M20 parts manual item 21, 530028-501 was removed from the aircraft per a letter sent out by Mooney years ago. Seems like it would help. Any ideas? Thanks, Barry