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Up in the air again, I met up with a good friend who took some air-to-air shots. Had to slow the Mooner down and ad some flaps to be able to stay in formation, the other ship was a tad slower. Things of beauty, the airplanes we fly!

/shameless plug mode = ON The wonderful MSC's who support the Mooney Summit might be worthy of considering as vendors for your Mooney Parts needs. These great companies along with all of our sponsors allow us to provide not only help for downed Mooney pilots, but enable us to provide fantastic content at the Summit each year for your education and entertainment They are: Oasis Aero Premier Aircraft Southwest Texas Aviation AGL Aviation Daytona Aircraft Services I would be remiss to not plug them for all they have done for us as a community, along with Clarence who has little to gain and donates an oil change kit each year for our raffle. Do consider supporting these fine organizations who support the Mooney community. /shameless pluig mode = OFF

@Parker_Woodruff got me essentially the same rate as last year with my hull value reduced about 13%. Outstanding in this market environment. “Parker helped me lose just 15% on my plane insurance.“

Many people haven’t been keeping there distance and disregarding common sense. I believe if we all keep our distance, wear our mask, keep our hands clean maybe we could get going with the new normal. I just went away for a week, the hotel was cleaner than ever, the restaurant was 25% capacity they cleaned chairs everything after each sitting, workers wore masks. No maid svc therefore no one enters your room. If everyone does there due diligence we’re ok, but a certain small amount won’t

From Bob Kromer: Here are some thoughts. I was the one who did factory flight testing investigating what happens when a baggage door is left unlatched prior to flight. The test airplane was an M20K. I had a mechanical system installed where I could unlatch (from the shut position) the baggage door from the pilot’s seat during any phase of flight. We discovered absolutely no adverse handling qualities or aerodynamic issues when the door is left unlatched and should open in flight. Interestingly, several times when the door was unlatched from the inside it just stayed in position. But if a baggage door is left shut but unlatched and does come open during flight, it most likely will open at rotation during takeoff. The change in angle of attack during rotation allows the airflow in the vicinity of the baggage door to lift it upward. It’s a noisy distraction when it opens, but if ignored it is easy to return for a normal landing. There were no adverse handling qualities encountered in any of the phases of flight we tested where we opened to door, including takeoff, climb and cruise. The key thing we took away from our testing was if someone doesn’t latch the baggage door on preflight, it almost always opened very early in the flight. Usually during rotation or initial climb. And it was a non-event. Now, having the baggage door depart the airplane is another matter. How could this happen, especially at lower takeoff and initial climb speeds? I am aware of only one other situation where the baggage door actually departed the airplane when it opened. I believe it was for an M20K that we repaired at the factory. But this door came open during a high speed descent. When it opened, the heavy air loads at 160KIAS ripped the door from the fuselage and it struck the vertical tail. As it flew past, the baggage door struck the vertical fin and cut the skin, but with no further structural damage. The airplane came to us at the factory and we repaired both the tail and the baggage door/fuselage. We did a thorough inspection of the baggage door and cabin structure before and after the repair and found absolutely no issues that would cause a properly latched door on this airplane to come open. Incidentally, the owner later admitted that someone was retrieving luggage from inside the airplane during descent when the door came open. We think somehow that inadvertently unlatched the door from the inside, causing it to open during the high speed descent. So how could a baggage door on the airplane shown below actually come off at such a low speed and hit the tail? I don’t know, the air loads at takeoff and initial climb speeds are not that great. Was the baggage door hinge broken or worn out? Did the pilot fly really fast in a hurry to return to the airport? A normal baggage door, even if it opens, just doesn’t depart the airplane this easy. I’m happy it turned out okay. Bob

Leave it to a cinematographer to not only make a video of our audio panel informative, he's made it entertaining too! Hope you enjoy watching this as much as I did. SoCal Flying Monkey Mark Scheuer PS Engineering, Inc.

See, you can't do that with your regular wheel chocks! Yo could use a bandsawand cut the front off and double sticky tape it to the panel!

Yes. The full open position is draggy, noisy and kinda uncomfortable, but there's a detente on the canopy rails which is about perfect. On the other end of the spectrum, the Mite has a heater, but the stock heater is kinda weak. Most owners who need heat have enhanced it by wrapping a screen door spring around the exhaust pipe inside the muff to increase heat transfer. The screen door spring is generally available at Lowes, or Home Dept's PMA section.

I have already been using my Loran as a wheel chock.

I've found the King ADFs make great wheel chocks!

Just installed 2 GI 275s in my 1986 M20J (picked up the plane today) to enable me to not have to replace the KAP100 autopilot. One flight so far, the autopilot works great with the 275. I will shoot approaches this weekend. With the magnetometer and OAT, the system provides heading (vs track) inputs and standard rate turn indicators. Total cost with two of the Garmin USB chargers was under $17k and I can replace my KAP100 if it ever breaks.

I appreciate that... maybe it is age based... I just turned 41! ;-)

Something would have to rip the cover off and then snag the lanyard to pull the hitch pin. That’s a lot of stuff in sequence. oh actually look at the photo again. The hitch pin is installed in the shaft. But the handle is tripped. It looks like the hitch pin was UNDER the handle. The handle couldn’t even be in the proper stowed position.

US Patents don't apply elsewhere in the world, so if an inventing company doesn't file patents internationally in countries in which it has a market, those markets are free to use US Patented devices. People have been doing the same here for years, bringing foreign inventions in and making money on them. And often patents are not written well enough to prevent a work-around where a knockoff won't violate the patent, so knockoffs often survive even when there's a patent if the patent isn't broad enough. Lived that world for a long time. It's a minefield and often not productive.

Cheaper than an annual inspection and probably catches more issues

things for a devil’s advocate to consider... When the airplane is in an unknown condition... Similar to flying with a load of ice... Change as few things as possible, shallow changes, get on the ground... Anything that is bent... Can become broken... Where the door is resting, can get worse... If the tail stalls... the plane becomes a lawn dart. Even Sully put the injured plane down, nearly straight ahead... How many choices do you get to make under these conditions? (Many) One wrong move, and your career as a test pilot comes to an early end... Do what ever you can to avoid becoming a test pilot.... if you somehow become a test pilot... minimize the number of tests per flight... You don’t want to find the killer variable, if you don’t have to... Simple changes like slowing down or adding flaps could end disastrously... flaps will change the airflow around the tail... resist taking on additional chances, resist making unnecessary changes... Dang... those Mooneys are built extra strong... PP thoughts only, not a test pilot... Best regards, -a-

Ok, so the bill of sale for my B is in the works and the settlement should be done this month. Once that is done, N74562 will be parts unless/until someone salvages it. So, the good news... I have been having a discussion with David (Sabremech) and the plans are for me to buy his plane (N2652W) and give it a new home! We’re working out the timing and the details but, knowing how David is, she’ll be in great flying shape. Yes it WILL have the new Sabremech cowling (drool ;o) I’ll be patiently waiting for David to get his FAA STC paperwork done for his new cowling. Once the stars align, we’ll get the deal done. David and I spent about an hour on the phone tonight going over the details and, needless to say, I’m excited. With all the speed mods, new interior, and all the great work David is doing to her to get it ready for me, I’m expecting an exciting flight back to Texas when the time comes. David and I spoke about him doing the annuals for the next couple of years with me doing an owner assisted so I can get to know the plane. I’ve always believed things happened for a reason and maybe this was the ‘plan’ all along. It’s going to be fun and I can’t wait to fly her... -Don

No worries on falling asleep. Just watch the TAS and GS. That will keep you motivated!! Tom

Videos are helpful in obtaining understanding

I posted this on another thread but it can probably be useful here too. Here is the price of the entire GFC500 price layed out, because other people reading are probably curious about itGFC500 AP control Panel: $2,800GSA28 servo: 1400 x 4 = $5,600Product Info Kit = $50Basic Install Kit = $2,000Pitch Trim Kit = $850Yaw Damper Kit = $850Labor for installation of GFC500 = $5,000Labor for Yaw Damper = $800Yaw Damper alone = 3,050Total = $17,950 -850 for pt kit -850 for yd kit -2800 for lack of 2 servos -800 for labour of YD -1000 for approx labour of PT. that brings it down to 11.5 amu that brings it to give or take 12k for just 2 servos and hooking it up to the GPS. There's a g5 for sale here that's 1800. You can install that yourself with the help of an A&P. Obviously your lacking all the approach benefits without the g5, but you can add that later. There's your 12 to 15k install for an autopilot.

I measured an M20J and found my cowl was 1" longer. Ideas appreciated.

Our Mooney is just coming out from annual inspection, and the clock bulb was changed. The mechanic found easier to access the bulb through the top of the panel with the glareshield removed. He didn't attempt to access by the ASI, but I believe this is also a good option for a quick access that avoids removing the glareshield. I 3d printed the changing tool with the file that Larryb shared above, and it revealed to be very helpful because it takes a lot of pressure to turn the bulb out. Actually, you need to press and turn 90º to take it out. But with all information shared here on MS and also with the web videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j5Bg05vLuE) about Porsche 944 clock repair kit, this was a painless job. You can see below pictures of the before and after. Our clock really shines now!!! Thanks a lot to all that helped !! (I still recall severall emails I changed with MooneyFactory asking for information on how to solve this issue, and reply had always been that they were waiting for the MD answer...!! one more situation where MS is a really powerfull tool for Mooney Pilots) Cheers Fredi

Here's what the inserts look like, incase anyone is interested.

What you describe has nothing to do with the airspeed safety which prevents gear retraction when airspeed is too slow. That safety switch merely over-rides a pilot action to move the gear switch to retract by accident while still on the ground. Assuming no one touched the gear switch, and you didn't exit the runway at too high a speed to side load the gear, what you describe sounded like is a maintenance issue with insufficient pre-load on the left main allowing it left main gear over center latch to fold over with with very little side loading just as @Jerry 5TJ described above. So with those caveats, this would have nothing to do with the pilot(s) nor the air safety switch. Plus if it was from the pilot moving the switch and failure of the air speed safety switch all 3 gears would have likely folded - not just the left.

Your question might’ve been better in the Avionics section. A lot of that stuff is all over the place right now as people upgrade their panels. Your best bet is to check average values from eBay and then just post the stuff for sale in the Mooneyspace classified section with your price for each, or best offer.

I have that part of my interior out. I’ll send you a picture of what it looks like

The 1965 models had a blind turn coordinator for the PC autopilot. The roll trim was a silver knob mounted at the center of the pilot yoke. With the later model yokes in this plane, they couldn't do that so it may have been mounted to the panel. A short test flight, does the PC work? Does that knob control the roll trim? A 55 year old modified airplane, some of the paperwork is going to be missing. It is not a perfect world.

The "PITCH" button you pull to activate the pitch portion of the Brittain for alt hold.

I am PAE based with a M20J, East Condo Hangars. I can match Bob's offer of a 201 tour, but no ride opportunities right now. PM me for my email and number. The Mooneyspace topics are Google searchable.

That's similar to my Bravo as well and what I plan for. I'm 17-18.5 GPH and normally run 28-29/24 depending on headwind or tailwind. The long range tanks definitely assist in extending those Mooney legs even farther...makes it tempting.

Here are two pictures of the down lock block which I replaced this annual. There is a lip half way down the hole which kept catching the gear lock mechanism. It’s so nice to have it replaced and knowing that the gear will go into locked position every time without having to jiggle it into place. Thanks again to everyone who participated in this effort!

Exactly this. Missing the door itself wouldn't be a big deal. And damage caused by the door striking, and then leaving, the tail assembly (wherever it hit) probably wouldn't get worse. But looking back and seeing the door wrapped around the horn would make me want to move the elevator as little as possible, lest it shift and wedge further and cause more restriction on input response. You don't know when your situation might get much worse. In this situation, I'd also be happy to be on the ground post haste.

I'm so often impressed by how much some of you notice in photos. While I've got my cowling off, I'm going to snap good photos and post them just to see what I'm missing. MS rocks...really.

We immediately lost lift and declared an emergency with ATC who had us on a basic service, lucky we were within distance of a 770ft grass / gravel strip between some solar panel farms. Other than the damage to the elevator and hatch looks like we were extremely lucky to walk away unharmed............With the debris on the wing and the new hole in the fuselage I could feel the extra drag (you can see me fighting the yoke with two hands in the video) the AC wanted to roll right and pitch nose down, it was a challenge to keep her level It reads to me like he did assess the flight characteristics and acted appropriately.

Unless you have a king or century autopilot, it doesnt really make sense to install a gi275. The g5 hsi is way cheaper than the gi275, but if you want it can be done.

Sounds like you covered it.

Hi, yes. Not sure if that’s a doubler on the back or not, couldn’t tell. Just want you to have a safe airplane. My inspector eyes couldn’t help themselves. Take Care! -Matt

18.2 GPH in cruise at 29/24 when I do the math on fuel usage and cruise time. Similar to @Danb I figure 25 gph for the first 45 minutes (when climbing above 20k) and 18.5 gph for cruise.

I have a JPI 830 connected to the front port on the pilot side of the case. It reads about 10°F higher than the OEM. It is stable and the response is the same as the panel gauge. It reads 170 - 180 during normal operation. Long climbs to 8 or 9k altitude during the summer heat and the oil will get to 205°F but quickly comes down to 180 in level flight. Something is wrong.

I just moved it to sit on top of the fiberglass... I think some electrical tape around the bottom of the gps puck would help. Or get a new one that has plastic all around the puck. This particular antenna is a cheap one I had on the shelf from an old stratux build. I guess I had that one coming.

that is a real problem because the 730 is not a replacement for your primary oil temp and technically your primary is required for flight. The front part of the engine is where oil gets the hottest - at the end of it journey from the rear to the front. Still what you describe doesn't sound normal. If it's real, then oil pressure has to be dropping with the increasing oil temp, otherwise it's an indication issue. Nobody wants to spend lots of $ on old OEM guages - perhaps instead it makes more sense to instead install a modern TSO'd engine monitor like the 900. Lots of benefits for the cost and it adds resale value to your R. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Some summary points... 1) Red Sky is an awesome pilot... 2) Red sky’s SIC is even more awesome... 3) Unlatched doors let the fun begin right at rotation... around 65kias or mias depending on what you are flying... 4) unlatched doors usually open just a couple of inches... at first... 5) An open door usually comes with quite a windstorm... with lots of paper flight plans moving in a circular fashion... aunty M and Dorothy can be heard in your headset... 6) To lock the door or not lock the door... answer this for yourself... lock it, go inside and open it... it all goes back together when you are done... let me know how it works out... 7) I stopped letting other people close doors... always open, or always closed and latched... never in between... 8) Nothing more rewarding than loading four people into the plane... and having SIC get out so you can go close the door... that day... you would pay extra for the second front door... 9) Flying a plane is a constant test of the human brain... expect the brain to try and let you down... 10) Fortunately... When the plane does something funny... expect the brain to really come through fo you... 11) Next steps... Take the check and go shopping, or swap the old tail for a different tail, see what’s available at AAA..? Way to go Red Sky! Best regards, -a-

Actually, I'm pretty sure that's a DC-9. The Douglas Corporation tested different colors and found that "Robin's Egg Blue" was most visually ergonomic so they used that.

Good morning MooneySpace! Airspeed Insurance Agency is happy to announce that we are bringing on a new agent this morning. Paul Havelka @Paul_Havelka joins us from Grove, Oklahoma, just east of Tulsa. Paul has a background in offshore oil service and recently sold his Piper Cherokee. It's yet to be seen what airplane will replace it, but I think a Mooney is high on the list. Paul and I will be working closely over the next few weeks to bring him up to speed on Airspeed's business flow & operations. He has a few accounts lined up, so we'll have plenty of his own prospects to use in making sure he starts out on the right foot. Airspeed has experienced a successful startup and that is much in thanks to the great support we have had from MooneySpace. In fact, we insure about 1% of the registered fleet of Mooneys right now and that number grows weekly. Have a great week, everyone! Parker Woodruff Parker@airspeedinsurance.com 214-295-5055 (office) Paul Havelka Paul@airspeedinsurance.com 918-314-6139 (direct)

I finally got my plane back after the avionics upgrade. This is my panel prior to the upgrade: Here is the scary midpoint of the upgrade...It was quite unnerving seeing the panel in pieces and I was wondering if they could put it back together: Luckily for me, they knew what they were doing and here is the panel today when I picked it up: The upgrade was precipitated by a failed KI256 during an IFR flight late last year. After much research and a pause due to the release of the GI 275 earlier this year (I briefly contemplated 2 GI 275s instead of the Aspen but opted to go with the Aspen unit and a GI 275 as backup as I felt the presentation and features on the Aspen were more complete and fit my flying better - and since the G5 was not TSO'd as a backup and would need a field approval which I did not want to risk during these uncertain times). The KI 256, KI525, RC Allen backup AI, magnetometer, KCS55A remote gyro, vacuum pump and electric backup vacuum pump and related wiring came out. This was replaced with the Aspen Pro Max with an EA100 for interfacing directly to the KFC150 and a GI 275 backup ADI . I also upgraded the 430 to WAAS to better talk to the GNS530W. This install saved 27 lbs!!

That’s wonderful but I don’t already have two G5’s so I’m not prepared to lay out $25K for an autopilot.

With every passing month this saga becomes more and more sad.

There are many ways to land an airplane depending on the circumstances. For normal landings, however, full flap landings should be the norm--especially at high DA. At the slower speed there is much less energy to be dissipated and much shorter landings can be made. In my opinion all landings should assume a short field. so when you actually want to land on a short field, plenty of experience has already been gained. If done correctly, with practice, you can roll the mains onto the runway without even a chirp.

I haven't landed with the landing light for about 30 years. My old F would burn out the landing light on landing, so I started turning it off before I touched down, and it never burned out again. I guess it has something to do with jarring the hot filament. Anyway, I did it so much that I found it very weird to land with the landing light on. The tower sometimes freaked out when I turned it off, but I would tell them it was OK. I just used it to taxiing. Some airports don't have taxiway lights and it can be hard to taxi without a light. My breaker would blow after about 5 minuets and it was getting very annoying, so I went out and bought a Whelen light. I leave it on all the time now and it never blows the breaker! It makes a great taxi light! I still turn it off on final. I will learn to land with a landing light one of these days.