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I vote 1 for Anthony, Mike Elliott and Bob Kromer to be on the Advisory Board. I mean this in all seriousness and respect.

A year ago June Don Maxwell had a convention called MooneyMax in Longview. At that time I was approached by an individual attending the convention who asked if I would fly with him for some landing practice. I think he had just gotten the airplane a few months earlier. (It may have earlier than that). We flew for about an hour and a half. He was a very good pilot and I was able to supply him with some tips. As I recall we talked about Mooney as a Company and he had a lot of ideas. I've heard a lot of people who had a lot of ideas about Mooney. Nothing ever came of them. And so it was that I received the above notice. I went back to my logbook to see who it was that I had flown with that June day. It was Jonathan Pollack. Some people are more than talk. They do... I look forward to see what great things you can do with Mooney, Jonny.

It certainly can be done, and is being done elsewhere with Cessna Caravan's, I believe. If the factory was turning out refurbished, 0 time, 201's, I think there would be a market.

If you live in a world where everything is a fight then you see a fight. Im being goofy and you see elitist bs. There are some long running silliness on here like the long recurring parachute threads. So imagine like a drinking game where someone says parachute and everyone has to take a swig then reread in that spirit. I’m sorry you don’t have a place for silly and I’m sorry it offends you.

lean of peak.

I'm certainly no 231 expert but thanks to the folks here that are, I've learned enough to know what I'm looking for when shopping for a 231. I suppose this is more of a "buyer beware" kind of thing and just a general attitude warning. I've been calling a few places to inquire about various Mooney 231's that are listed for sale and everyone I have talked to has been helpful until today. This morning I called Scott MacDonald Aircraft to inquire about a 231 he has listed for sale. The ad doesn't list the engine model number or if it had the Merlyn waste gate or intercooler upgrades so I wanted to ask. His response was the following: - It has the TSIO-360-GB engine - No waste gate or intercooler - I read too much on the internet and it doesn't need them because the engine is just fine. - He has a lot of time in these and he's never had a temperature issue - For the price he has listed it at I can go out and buy the upgrades myself This is why I've been doing my research: to ensure I get the aircraft I want and not worry about its performance or longevity. I wasn't impressed with how he handled the phone call, his dismissal of my requirements, or his attitude towards me. He could be a good guy having a bad day - we all do - but as a result of that interaction I'm no longer interested in purchasing an aircraft from him (requirements not withstanding). I understand the aircraft can fly without those upgrades, but based on the information provided in this forum it seems like a smart idea to have them. I'm not in sales but I would like to think I wouldn't dismiss a customer's requirements but rather try to understand them and then guide them as best as I could (we didn't even get to the critical altitude changes or anything else because I ended the phone call). The search continues. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

He is a salesman first, and it must be really cheaply priced 231 - and maybe it is. But don't be misled by marketing BS like this: 130 SMOH LOWER220 SMOH TOPTSIO360GB12003 There is no such thing as a legal LOWER "major overhaul" nor a TOP "major overhaul" - an engine major overhaul is a legal definition with a minimum list of parts that need to be replaced. In reality those could be 2 separate IRAN's with neither of them resetting the clock on time since the last "Major overhaul". Its all in the details. Beware, you can buy a cheap plane, but cheap planes often become the most expensive planes to own and operate. If you want to keep your cost down, look for a more loved bird.

I think what really happened is that Anthony bought the company and despite earlier proclamations to the contrary is a manufacturing, marketing, and sales guy!

Thanks for the shout out @Deb /Dave. You have prompted me to get back onto this again. I have been tied up getting my Instrument rating over here but finished last week so I'll get back to it and finish this job, or at least progress it. I have working versions for the 310 STC and the J's as well as some slight changes on the original which just need to be quality checked. The OpenAsApp guys have also taken on some suggestions so the data entry is easier with an option to open each time with last used values.

It doesn't have to be a "new" plane, but a factory refurbished/certified plane would generate interest from many of the new folks who join here every month looking to buy their first Mooney. We were fortunate to be on a Zoom call with Jonny at the West Coast Mooney Club Conference and Retreat that Michael set up. I think everyone in the room was impressed, he was very excited and also very frank about the challenges moving forward. One thing he mentioned was the possibility of the factory refurbishing old planes. He also talked about somewhere down the line that the Chinese still want to build and sell Mooneys in China. That would be a very good thing. For a comparison from a vehicle standpoint, if GM didn't have the Buick market in China then Buick would go away, the US market just won't support the brand. Our Buick store only sells around 10 or so a month, a drop compared to the number of GMC's the same store sells each month. Similarly, the Chinese market could supply a lifeline to the Mooney brand if/when the time comes that they start producing planes again. For now however, it sounds like a focus on parts and service to get healthy. In the auto industry we say that Sales sells the first car but Service sells all the rest. I see some good decisions being made and hope it bodes well for Mooney.

It’s not over, until it’s over... - Y. Berra It looks like we are about to witness the future of world wide machine manufacturing up close... If we get bogged down in the small details of what is better A or B... or, They can’t get it done because... or, They need a gross margin of X... Or, Servo driven engine controls don’t Or won’t exist in Mooneys... Really? Ask that auto lean guy / MSer @takair how about a Servo driven step? It looks like we have never manufactured anything in a regulated environment... Yet MS has a few STC writers on board... Engineers that work under the FAA’s domain... We have enough legal expertIse to build owner supplied parts successfully... The FAA isn’t all bad, evil, don’t get it done people... they actually have some good people and systems... Every now and then, Somebody shares some enlightenment... What works for them.. How they did it... MS is not only owners of ancient Mooneys... There are some brand new Mooney owners here as well... It won’t make anyone new friends by tossing out un-nice statements like... ‘ I would never buy a new Mooney...’ Plenty of choices available... Plenty of opinions too... It gets less interesting when the barbs come out... It doesn’t help anyone, not even the barb thrower... What’s it like being a barb thrower, and not knowing it...? There was this young buck once, in a high office... who chose the moon... he chose the moon, and the other things... not because it was easy, but because it was haaaard.... A few years later, it was done... people bogged down in negativity, probably didn't get invited to the party... PP thoughts only, looking towards the future, life is too short to get bogged down... Best regards, -a-

Folks please, Africa is a continent. It has 54 countries. Some of them (like South Africa) with advanced industry. For those of you familiar with the NTC market, MGL avionics and Sling aircraft are South African products - and wildly successful at that internationally.

Nice to finally be able to see the result of lots of hard work by a consortium of Mooney owners including our own Jan Maxwell and Soeedo wearing DMax. Expect great things. It is nice to finally be able to share the great news. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/aircraft/mooney-reveals-new-ownership/

I’d race my 252 across the Atlantic to come and get that !

Quality and continuous improvement... from top to bottom... It is part of the company’s culture... What they need... is a carusoam on their team... Best regards, -a-

I have a J and will be in Troutdale this coming weekend. I probably won’t have time to get lunch but if you wanted to sit in it and go for a flight let me know. The F and J are the same cabin so maybe you want pre F for a short body? I think the front seats in a J and E are the same width. But someone can correct me if I’m wrong. I fly with 4 adults often and can still get 5 hours of endurance if fuel on board. Three people with luggage. I had an 8.2 hour flight last month and landed with 9.9 gallons of fuel on board. God Bless Al Mooney!!!!!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you Jim. That was very kind. I try (not always successfully but I do actively try) to come here with any version of that right-left dichotomy. I’m here talk about airplanes - and jet packs, parachutes, fishing, scotch, cars, camping. Sometimes Silliness. But mostly airplanes.

Personally when my wheels leave the ground and I have established a climb, gear is coming up. I’m not using the runway anymore. It’s not useable to me :-)

For the benefit of future searchers, I've retyped the announcement here. The version on the Mooney website is a giant image, and not super search friendly. (Note I've fixed the Kerrville spelling, just in case you're searching for the word "Kerrville.")

I mean road feel when I said handling. The Mooney feels really nice and pleasant to fly. I don't think the Cirrus is a joy to hand fly at all. The Mooney is no aerobatic plane so if we are comparing to an Extra 300 for handling as in aerobatic capabilities, forget about it. I don't mean forgiving as in bullet proof for a beginner like a Cessna 150 so as a forgiving primary trainer, don't do it. Or even a Diamond DA20. I used to own a Diamond Da40. I liked it a lot. Actually I liked something a lot about just about every airplane I have ever been in, but I have not liked everything better about every plane. DA40 is a good balance between forgiving plane suitable for primary training and still a decent cross country machine with decent speed. Mine went 145tas on an IO360. The DA40 was a very nice handling airplane from the stand point of it did have good road feel, but not as good as the Mooney since I considered it too twitchy so tiresome to hand fly cross country, more like a dune buggy ride vs the Mooney audi stable type ride. I also loved the center stick of the DA40 but I also hated it since I found it much more difficult to accurately separate the two axis of control when doing a cross controlled landing in cross winds. I found the seating to be very very incomfortable. Hard seats at a fixed angle that would make my back hurt over flights more than an hour and I have seen others complain of that over on diamondaviators.net - and for a tall person, it just does not have enough leg room so a three hour flight left me like a pretzel. Egress is fantastic in the DA40 with those great gull doors. Fit and finish is like the cirrus but better in terms of perfect lines. They were absolutely the worst company in the business in terms of supporting their customers. For that reason alone I would never buy another Diamond product. I have seen comparable complaints over on diamondaviators. They do have excellent products. Oh and the DA40 has the best safety stats in the business with or without a parachute. The DA50 looks great but for the company I wouldn't go near it. And for that much money if I were spending I would buy something turbine. Like I said, every airplane I have been in I have loved and some things I haven't about them. Mooney is the one I have chosen for my own quirky likes and dislikes is just right for me for over ten years now, and for the foreseeable future.

I’m so happy for this wonderful community and franchise! Wonderful!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have been biting my tongue about the GW increase since before I was in Bathurst in 18 and met you Victor, but NDA prevented me all this time from saying anything about it. Now that Jonny has put it in the public domain, this could be a real breath of fresh air into Mooney. I have seen the prototype parts mounted on the wing and nose to allow LB's 3768# and it can be a retrofit. Ill let Mooney fill in the details as it is their place. Lets just hope they push the ball over the finish line. Problems sales have identified with Mooney 1) GW .... this would check that box 2) No parachute .. Autoland would check that box 3) Arrogant competitors ... box checked 4) Better sales/delivery experience ...still needs work 5) Price...lower than competition, box checked. 6) better presence at events (darned we came close a couple of years ago to having one in Australia but Jeff Magnus was "shot down" on the idea) 3 years ago Lance Phillips tried to implement a customer advisory board, I am glad Jonny now sees the need.

Its finally available for those interested.

http://www.mooney.com

Hi all, Got my plane back from an unrelated maintenance item that most likely required these access panels to be removed. When I got the plane back I noticed a slight amount of extra elevator control friction and when outside the airplane I heard a rubbing noise and then eventually saw the entire belly pan flexing down as the elevator was moved. After some digging I found out one of the small access panels forward of the rear most belly panel near the foot step had a screw that was too long. It appears the screws are different lengths and this was not noticed when they were re installed. I dont see any major damage to the tube other then paint missing, but I wanted to get some opinions on what to do going forward. Is there a specific paint I can use to touch this scratch back up? I assume the scratch isnt so bad that the whole tube needs to be replaced? Thanks, Dylan

Courtesy of The Mooney Flyer, page 5, September 2020 edition. (www.themooneyflyer.com) Hopefully, some good will come out of this. Mooney Update - August 21 Jonathan Pollack is the temporary CEO of Mooney. He has been running Mooney for the past 6 months. No additional details at this time. In the short term, Mooney will only be providing Parts & Service; not building airplanes. There is only a 10% gross margin on the Acclaim. They need to right the ship before restarting the manufacturing of airplanes. Current owner wishes to manufacture Mooneys in China and Africa. Mooney is fixing the G1000 issue. They will also offer a “carbon cowl”, saving 15 lbs. Jonathan wants to increase the useful load by 400-500 lbs. He did not have a timeframe for this. This opens the possibility for a ballistic parachute or increased cabin space. Mooney will joint venture with an outside company to refurbish and recertify those airplanes. This could result in more affordable M20s. Mooney wants to create an Advisory Board including the Mooney Community. We think this is a good step.

Dudes, my insurance is high enough now. Race cars and buildings are one thing, but Mooneys, lets let JD, Don, Lynn, Eric, PJ, Jake, Et al. deal with high customer expectations. I bought that prevogen stuff... , just cant remember where I put it.

They would be very very good and would run the company like it should

Might want to talk to Mike Elliott. He is on top of everything Mooney. He is a walking dictionary of Mooney safety, planes, parts, obviously flight instruction, Mooney ownership, managerial people, and just about everything you can imagine. The only thing he lacks is an AP - IA.

The problem is many don't know what properly is. Anthony @carusoam believed for years that the first pump was to pressurize the system and the flaps didn't actuate until the second pump. This misconception and others have been often repeated and or mentioned because many of the systems (simple as they are) have not been properly installed, bled and adjusted. The new owner of an old Mooney does not know what he does not know...nor would an A&P that is not intimately familiar with vintage Mooneys. Functioning properly to many simply means the flaps go down when I pump and come up when I flip the return switch. That's good enough to get by. Really functioning properly means precisely 4 pumps from start to lock out, no slop in the system and 10-12 seconds to return to the up position. I would bet there are many birds out there that do not meet the standards listed above. As much as I like the system, I now understand why so many do not.

70 hours now with the new set-up. A few thoughts: 1) I am very happy with the location of the GFC500 at the bottom of the center stack. 2) the GFC500 is a very stable and reliable and intuitive A/P. Integration with the GN750 and G3X makes flying IMC single pilot effortless. I feel very confident with it. 3) Still debugging the fuel gauges. Found out the stock gauges do not work with the Garmin G3X. Had to replace them and am still debugging that. 4) Happy with my choice of shops. Partly because it was local but Holder Aviation has been very thorough and responsive to all of my requests and needs. 5) I don't miss the yaw damper. Maybe I don't know what I am missing. 6) Flying more and longer flights. The mental work load is about 50% or could even be 33% compared to the old set-up. The only thing I am not completely happy with is the layout of the engine monitor gauges. I keep searching for information, but maybe I will get more used to it as time goes on. 7) Perhaps the best upgrade was the sheepskin seat covers! Best value so far. Some things I would have done different: 1). I would not have refurbed the G430 unit. Instead, I would sell it and replace with a simple back-up com. It takes up panel space and essentially is a fancy radio now. I don't even program destination in the nav. 2) I would have looked harder at the G500TXi vs the G3X. By the time I added the engine monitor and all the integration with the 750, I think the final cost would have been about the same. Although I am not sure and not sure what capability I would have gained. 3) I would not have kept the old air speed indicator and altimeter. Original plan was to keep the turn coordinator too. But it was kaput. 4) Not start a complete teardown and build up just before a pandemic PS MORITZ boxes and probes still available. Get them while you can.

Sorry if this is more of a trip report than a flight! Wife and I were looking for a Covid escape and had planned a trip out west for our 28th anniversary. However, a business opportunity came up in the Great Lakes area. So we changed plans and flew from Pell City Alabama to Mackinac Island. I stopped in Fort Wayne to check the weather and took off after a short stop. We arrived in Mackinac Island with ceilings reported at 700' following a King Air on Approach. Had to throttle back for spacing (hehe) and broke out about 1000'. Short 3500' runway, but pulled off mid way. Took a horse and buggy taxi to the airport (called ahead in Ft Wayne). Then spent 2 days on the island at a lovely hotel and biked and hiked around the island. No cars allowed, just airplanes! This is a very doable stop in a Mooney - highly recommend a weekend end trip if able. There was one other Acclaim on the tarmac. Then flew down to Traverse City to spend some time with a friend at his house on Lake Michigan, played some golf and had a nice dinner. The next day, we did a scenic tour over his house then dropped him off in Toledo on the way to Cleveland. Great business meetings in Cleveland area then flew home this morning, leaving early to avoid possible storms along the route. The flight home was about 4 hours - the longest ever for my wife, and IMC much of the way. 6 days - 6 flights a lot of fun.

FWIW Teflon will cold flow. If you set the damaged seal on a table with a ball in the seat and set a fairly heavy weight (5 lbs or so) on the ball, it would probably form a tight seal in a few days. You could verify using a microscope or a loup. Might not take that long.

I like all this positive and hopeful future Mooney talk!! Go Mooney and go Mooney ideas and go Mooneyspace! Oh yes....... and go Jonny go go go !!

and the factory will have to produce new planes to keep the PC and TC alive. In what form remains to be seen as are all the details of ownership, roadmaps, etc. I am sure as funding is in place, programs will be rolled out and made public. We are all so appreciative that the Company is not so "defunded" that survival is not even an option at this point.

Jonathan Pollack is a Senior Managing Director and Global Head of the Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies group and is based in New York. I don't know if this is "Jonny Pollack" Blackstone should be a familiar name to the Mooney group. Some other names you might recognize.............. Kevin Hawley Kevin Kammer Barry Hodkin In any regard, I am extremely excited that Mooney is continuing as a company and will build and support the Mooney community into the future.

Expect more details... Try not to hold spelling errors against them... We aren’t doing very well ourselves... There is a limit though... For the BK fans that had to read the WAAS navigator brochure... spelled WASS... Somethings get a little wacky every now and then... It is most important what they say, not how they say it... Stay focussed the good times are about to rock! -a-

Today we spun the new engine with no spark plugs in it to pressurize the oil through throughout the engine. Tomorrow is the first engine run. So excited to get going again. New Surefly, and just about everything else is either new or newly overhauled: turbo, fuel servo, prop governor, cylinders, pistons, bearings, valves, cam shaft, 2nd magneto, ignition cables, overhauled MT-12 prop, baffles and aluminum airflow deflectors, exhaust tubes, and more. The engine has never looked so well organized, clean, tidy. Wish us luck! (I apologize in advance for the rotated photos.)

Thanks for the quick comparison. Given you can get a reasonable DA40 for ~220K, with Garmin glass panel, it's interesting. But in that range, you can probably get a Bravo or an Ovation.

That's one way, but does your brain really work like that - and I don't mean that with any disrespect at all - because we all work/think differently. But in my little brain its very simple - 2.1 NM for every 1000' AGL. Some of Mooney's though are only 1.9 NM for every 1000' agl but 2 nm for every 1000' AGL is a good approximation when not on the edge. Then there are the range rings for a quick picture - supported in both FF and GP. Now I am one of those that followed Richards & Andrews recommendation on the jackets. update - but in the D converted C, I am pretty sure the glide ratio evaporates over water to just 1:1!

People have really strong opinions about the flames. I bought the plane because it was the first plane I found with the equipment that met my mission profile that wasn't snatched up before I could actually see it in person. A few Mooneys I got a call back on with an appointment to see the plane on the weekend saying sorry someone already bought it. So I think the flames actually helped me a bit there and scared off some potential buyers. At first I was a bit embarrassed by them, but as I flew the plane around more, people would notice it on the ramp, and kids would always point with a big smile on their face as I taxied by. I grew to be a little bit proud of them as part of the personality of the plane.

after a quick scan of this thread, here's a brief summary: mooney doing 'stuff' tesla bad no tesla good news flash: africa is a continent jetpacks > mooneys crocodiles are scary the old chute vs twin autoland debate no matter what mooney does in the future, is there anyone here on mooneyspace who's in the market for a new plane? any NEW plane? anyone? just curious.

Mike, thanks for all you do. I just sent in a donation that should take Alan up to his $200 pledge. @Alan Fox, I hope you still have a little money leftover for some cobbler and ice cream at the next Summit.

I can't speak intelligently as to how to calibrate the TIT function in question, however I can offer that we use type K thermocouple and our systems are calibrated at 23uV/°F (microvolts/ degree F). Additionally, type K is mostly linear and works well due to its useful range. The area where type K is not so linear is well outside of normal CHT or EGT/TIT ranges, so it is really irrelevant.

Go goGo Jonny go goGo Jonny go goGo Jonny go goGo Jonny go goJonny B. Goode !!

I thought i would would post an update....we are almost there. Shiny things, shiny things..... Thanks to @G-SLOT for the photos. So almost two years late she will be totally rebuilt. Next Friday is pick up day.

Great news! Would love to see an expanded UL extended to early J's (figured why not throw this out there)

If you try to cut a slot with a Dremel, use a carbide wheel, and also use a piece of thin metal (hard, thin steel or other metals can work) about 0.040" thick or other appropriate thickness given screw head geometry. Drill a hole in the metal and place it over the head, so that if, and likely when the Dremel tool slips, it will ruin the protective metal and not the airplane skin. John Breda

The same thing could be said for the US or any other place in the world. I have many years of first hand experience doing business in Africa. I lived there as a kid and have traveled to many countries in Africa on business countless times. Mooney doesn't need to set up manufacturing in every African country and city. They'd need one place. And there are quite a few good options.

I had a nice flight on Sunday night from X60 (Williston FL) to KGGG for some maintenance at Don Maxwell. I’m always reminded how great it is to fly at night when conditions are good. I was cleared direct on takeoff to destination and flew at FL200 initially and then climbed to FL220 to avoid all clouds. Just me and the airliners up there.