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I bought my 81 J model Mooney in New Mexico in 1998. It had been inactive for several years and the logs could not be found. A couple of days ago (22 years and 2,400 hours later) I received a call from a gentleman from a small town in NM. He said that his father had operated a one man aircraft repair shop for many years prior to his death about 5 years ago. While cleaning out the contents of his father's hangar recently he found my logs which he kindly agreed to send me. He refused any compensation--even the cost if sending the logs. We had a nice visit and he seemed like a really nice guy. He is getting a huge Honey Baked ham which I hope his family will enjoy. Like the title says, aviation people are the best.

Hello @Mooniacs, this is my first post, so a quick introduction first - I am 50 years old, live in Munich, Germany and just bought a N-reg Mooney Ovation 2GX here in Germany a few months ago. Got my PPL license about a year ago and was mostly flying banged up rental 172s so far. The Mooney is my first own plane, I am having so much fun with my bird. Best buying decision ever... Being able to read all the stories, tips and experiences here on Mooneyspace.com really helped me a great lot already. I am glad that I have joined here! *** One of the things missing since day one in my Ovation was a CO Monitor. I looked at a few options and finally decided on a little, properly priced and (in my opinion) nice looking solution. I have bought a SENKO SP2nd CO Monitor and gave it a good spot in my cockpit -> The utterly ugly TELEX hand microphone had to go - it now lives in the side pocket. Took me just a little time to CAD-design a connector that can be directly screwed on to the TELEX mounting place using the original screws. Also there is a little back-plate that gets screwed on to the CO Monitor, it just clicks onto the connector. Was easy to print in just a few minutes on my 3D Printer in PLA. I got the SENKO CO Monitor here in Germany for about 200 USD (180 EUR). The battery and the sensor lasts for about 2 years (manufacturer claim). It is small, 2 different alarms can be set at adjustable thresholds - I have set it to 30 ppm and 60 ppm. At 60 ppm there is a very loud alarm going off, it is shaking and rattling with LEDs flashing, so it cannot be overlooked nor overheard - I can hear it while wearing my A20 headset. So far I am very happy with it. Sometimes during the run-up I am getting a few ppms on the display, obviously a lot more if the storm window is open. During cruise it is always reporting 0ppm even with the heater on - quite happy about that Just gives me that little extra of security feeling I was looking for. I am happy to share the 3D connector model should someone be interested. Or if you are coming to my neck of the woods, stop by the house and I'll print you one. Happy landings! Greetings from Munich, Germany TC

GoPro camera mounts are an exact match for the clip on the back of the Sensorcons.

So just a few days ago I start the airplane. What is that beeping? Oh, it’s the CO2 monitor. Never seen that before, readings around 50. That’s not good. Then I recall that the wind is a direct tailwind, 10G20. And the window is open. Maybe that’s it. I taxi into the lane and turn 90 degrees to the wind. Reading drops to 0. Relief. I decide the airplane is fine and depart but keep an extra sharp eye on the monitor. All good, it was the tailwind. First time for that experience in probably 800 Mooney hours with a monitor.

Kinda wish I had the GFC700 instead of the STEC. It's just better. I don't miss WAAS. Nonprecision GPS approaches get me as close to the ground as I ever want to be in IMC. Love my Ovation2 GX and don't care about the resale value. Gonna fly it till (maybe just before) the wings fall off.

I give the guy credit for posting the details. He showed it was unlatched before he took off but he just missed it. He clearly didn't have to do that, so kudos to him for helping reinforce checking those kinds of details.

After reading the original post, and taking a Motrin for my headache, I realize I do not know jack squat about the electrics in an airplane.

Greetings back from Fulda, Germany :-) And welcome here! (I have bought a 1995 M20J aboout one year ago, and used to fly club aircraft for ~20 years before that)

Thanks for sharing this video. I've spoken to the CEO of Pipistrell and I plan to fly the Panthera. They've done a remarkable job with this plane, but until you actually fly a plane, you just don't know it it lives up to the hype. What I know about the Mooney is that its efficiency comes in a solid frame that has a slow roll rate making it really stable platform for IFR . All I can say is that we are looking at all these models and evaluating.

Needs more attitude indicators.

So as most may know, my engine is scattered all over the country. My boss asked me to fly my plane out to buy off this motion system we are buying for a government project. Because he didn’t want to expose his employees to the COVID on an airliner. So @ragedracer1977 was gracious enough to offer me the use of his new ride. What an awesome airplane! Everything about it is awesome (till you get to the gas pumps) Here are some pictures from my trip from KDVT to KAGC. ( you locals can check it out, it is at Corporate Air for the next couple of days )

You’re gonna win the day with your post. Such an excellent story of humanity. Thank you for sharing.

If it weren't for covid we could have calibrated it this past weekend at the Summit. I have calibration gas that I was intending to bring to Airventure. Too bad we didn't think of it when Scott flew here a few months ago. If you really need it done you can send it to me or back to Sensorcon. Otherwise you can wait until the next time we cross paths, Airventure, Summit, stop in KONA, etc.. Cheers, Dan

He did say he filed a NASA report, so I doubt the video will work against him in any way. He ain't no Jerry. I'm with Mr. Steingar on this one, I try to learn from others' mistakes if I can force myself to. I did start locking the baggage door after RedSky's adventure. Of course, to each one's own.

This is the fuel and rationale behind many startups, unfortunately, to create something that can be passed off to a VC at a profit. Making a useful product or sustainable business seems to be not even part of the thinking in many cases, because it is often not that difficult to find a VC that doesn't look too deep into the details. I did technical due diligence for careful VCs in the wireless comm space for many years, and the number of bad ideas, bad science, or just con jobs out there was staggering. And then there are the guys with genuinely good technology and ideas that aren't good business people and get passed up because they're "not investible". It's amazing as much useful stuff makes it to market as actually does.

Showing your mistakes isn't a bad thing. Showing why they happen and how to deal with them can help other pilots. What other Youtubers need to learn is editing and how to make content smooth. Most Youtube videos are too long by far, and get quite boring. He makes his interesting and entertaining. In the end run that's what's really important. Folks are more likely to watch entertaining things than long boring ones.

I don't really have an answer for you... I have the same KFC150, KAS297B, IFD540. I also have GPSS through my Aspen PFD. The KFC150 has FD ALT HDG and APR all illuminated. In that situation it should fly on the ALT hold until it intercepts the GS and then pitch down to follow it down.

Similar situation, and a good video.

I think the two are different in the sense that an annual answers the regulatory question, "is it airworthy?" while a PPI is designed to answer the question, "should I buy it?" Sometimes the two questions overlap. Sometimes, they don't.

This is not correct regarding annual inspections. FAR 43 Appendix D specifically addresses the scope and detail of items to be included in annual inspections, as a legal requirement. Other lists can be used, but items in Appendix D cannot be omitted. Prebuy inspections are not regulated and can be anything arranged by the relevant parties, including no inspection at all.

That is what I’m shooting for. My forever plane. I feel the ovation will be just that

@Hank consider Archer Watches in St. Thomas, Ontario Canada for servicing your Omega's. He does excellent work and even makes a DVD-ROM documenting the servicing of your timepiece with a ton of hi-res photos. His prices were at least 50% cheaper than what Omega wanted. I'll be sending my back again in two-years for servicing. http://www.archerwatches.ca/service.html

The Omega was my daily wear for over 24 years, including over 5 years as a hands-on Tooling Engineer, taking apart 10-15 ton plastic injection molds, repairing them, making new pieces, etc. It held up well. Notice the sapphire crystal has no scratches. When Omega quoted 1.2 AMU to fix and overhaul it, I bought the Tag instead. It's not near the watch, but I couldn't justify nearly 3 AMU for another Omega. Maybe I should have . . . . It's 6-7 years old, and I'm thinking about it's replacement. There are some mighty fancy Mouse timepieces shown above, but when I hear "Mickey Mouse watch," this is what comes to mind. It was Dad's. This is my alarm system. Defense was taught being raised by a career Marine officer, photo not required.

The Bendix switch in my M20C had 6500 hours plus when I sold the plane. Not long ago I read about a fatal accident. The pilot turned the mags off and took the key out. A few moments later he turned the propeller slightly. The engine stared and ran for about two blades. It was enough to kill the pilot. The FAA investigation found the ignition switch worn enough that the key could be removed without the mag being grounded. This is a very scary, even if rare, possibility. It makes the dual switch set up attractive.

Hey JT! I wanted to thank you for your kind note and words of encouragement. In fact, I located this post on my own a while back and meant to respond but as you can imagine it was easy to get sidetracked. So please accept my apology for the long delay. To your point, I think it's important that the Mooney Community have access to the company. As a Mooney owner I never felt a connection to the company even though I relied on the engineers, metal workers, electricians and other artisans every time I turned the key in my 201 or Acclaim. I'd like to change that dynamic and as you've probably gleaned from my interviews, reconnecting to the Mooney Community is a priority. In the coming weeks we'll be building out a new website and it will allow me to communicate with Mooney owners and advocates more directly. Eventually, the site will also invite participation from the Mooney Community so everyone can have more of a seat at the table so to speak. As you correctly pointed out, we're working to get over this "first hill." I'd be dishonest if I told you it was easy. There is a reason Mooney finds itself in the position it's in and it will take an awful lot of work to undo some of that and get us going in the right direction. But the one thing I am confident of is that Mooney is still the best single engine piston out there and always will be. "Like flying a Ferrari in the sky" I like to say. That reputation still has some gas in the tank and I promise to do my best so that Mooney can rise again. In the meantime, we'll keep the parts going and look to offer improvements to the fleet. I probably won't have time to respond to all the questions and suggestions I expect will be posted, but I promise, I will read each and every one. Thanks again, JT Best, Jonny Pollack

Not a real advertising, but I laughed a lot and thought I should share.

Gotta love that wife..semper fi

That's right, but a wild ride is only hair raising. A wild stall in IMC because the aircraft suddenly pitched up when the engine was depowered and the pilot did not do something about it, is upset recovery time.

I had the problem with my KFC200 when I first got it. What I learned to do was to put the AP in APPR mode before the FAF. At least that is what I recall. Since I do that all the time now, I don’t remember having the problem for some time. If you are inside the FAF it may not couple at all, and when it does it will be abrupt. I think part of the problem is that the GPS will have switched to its resolution for the final, which is tight, and the AP, being inside the FAF, makes fairly abrupt moves both vertically and horizontally to get to the glide slope and final course. Outside the FAF I have not had it pitch hard up to catch the GS.

It does look like Dynon is going to be the go-to solution for folks looking for an alternative to Garmin. The more I think about it the more I'm leaning toward just putting in their glass system once their autopilot comes out.

I was involved in a start-up company that we sold in July this year. It was my experience that the investors and VC's on both sides were more interested in the "deal" and not whether it was a good fit, or even a viable product.

I've only been sold once. Not just the plant that I worked in, but the whole blooming company. About four years later, after replacing lots of upper management and reorganizing a lot, the new owners tried to sell the company for 25% less than they paid. After 18+ months of not selling, they spun it off instead. Last I heard, the spin-off was doing well.

That happens a lot . . . . If Company A feels threatened by Startup B, they buy them out and the superior new product goes away, driving sales of the original Company A product. Except now, where the Company A product is outdated, cost is too high relative to its use [can't put in an autopilot that costs as much as the rest of the airplane!]. So we get left with nothing . . .

That's quite the combination box! I'd never fill up the left, and severely overflow the right . . . . But then, I've always been a knifehound! This is my latest, the chromed-up knockoff with a tassel, and a real one going the other way. Dad's Toledo blade with ivory handle will continue to live in protected storage. Good news! My wife agreed to hang it on the living room wall!!! And yes, the tassel is coming off.

I flew an IO-360 for 2 decades in my E-Model, two different engines over that timeframe. There are two very plausible possibilities. Easy check - intake tubes; look carefully for cracks, and ensure that the intakes are secure on the engine. You could have a torn gasket there; look for oil coming down onto the intake tubes. That said, the IO-360 is notorious for it's weak link - the fuel servo. If you have never replaced it, and it has more than 1,000 hours on it, you might want to check there. The way to see if the fuel servo is starting to fail is to see what sort of RPM rise you get on shut down. If it rises considerably on shut down as you pull your mixture back, you need to pull the servo and replace it. A 100+ RPM rise in RPM would be significant as you pull the mixture back to shut down. If you have a problem getting EGT to rise and maintain a constant temp inflight, that's the fuel servo. On the ignition side of things, you want to look at your plugs. They last about 350 hours, maximum. Take that into consideration. You can clean them, gap them, rotate them, bead blast them, but after 350+ hours on an IO-360, you're living on borrowed time. when was the last time your magnetos were overhauled? It's suggested every 500 hrs. Finally, clean your injectors. That's an easy fix. If you find that your injector nozzles are worn, you need to replace the injectors. Remember that there are only 3 elements here to be concerned with - air, spark and fuel.

Surefly is in the process of certifying an adapter to use with the Horizon tach. A magneto's P-leads signal is AC, the polarity reverses every time it fires. The signal output of the Surefly is DC positive.

Hi Hank - I spoke to our parts dept. We do in fact manufacture these but the model numbers are different for the older models. Have you been in touch with a Mooney service Center? They should be able to order them for you. Jonny

Be very glad, @Pasturepilot. My C uses this, it's more fragile and easy to bend (especially the longer one on the door).

Good to have that information. Thank you. N98GA is a very nice ovation.

Hi Hank - Happy to ask our parts dept. Stand by! Jonny

Early morning flight last Wednesday. A good day for Hot Air Ballooning.

It makes annual inspection pretty easy. Just remove all screws except 4 (leave 2 about a foot from each end, one on each side). Roll a stool or slide a box underneath, remove the last screws, unplug the antenna (push, twist, pull off) and slide it out. Reinstallation is the same, prop it up and connect the antenna, start some screws, then get them all started before trying to run any all the way in. Yes, I've been seating screws and remembered the antenna just back out most of them, remove some at the back and reach in . . . . The antenna is a big white one, with a quick-disconnect coaxial cable. This is the inside. Looks like I cleaned off grease drippings from the jackscrew--gotta get fixed up for photos, right?

I now have about 15 hrs on the panel, and a bunch of approaches, three in actual. I really like this setup. Flies beautifully, with no issues. Integration across all elements is impressive. What I have learned so far: - Incredible flexibility. Configuration options are dazzling, and it took a while to get into a rhythm of how to set everything up enroute and in transition to the approach segment. I do like the SynVis, by the way, but I do a lot of flying on the mountains. In the plains it would not be worth it. - The terrain DB takes a bit of time to verify, so I now turn on the Master (which powers-up the ADI and MFD) and wait until the terrain DB verification finishes before turning on the Avionics Master. This avoids a terrain config error. - All of the comm and configuration issues with the KFC 225 are resolved, and the GPSS tracks much more accurately than with the KI256/KI525A combo. Plus I like the ability to dial in headings/CDIs digitally. --> INTERESTING FINDING... The 275 HSI and MFD CDI sources can be switched to any NAV or GPS in the GTN 750/650 stack (i.e. GPS1/LOC1/GPS2/LOC2), all sources appear to be active at all times, and the KFC225 nav source is determined by what source is selected/displayed on the HSI, NOT the CDI setting on the 750 or 650. For example, if I am on the final approach segment of a RNAV GPS LPV approach that has an overlapping ILS and if I also tune the 750 to the appropriate localizer frequency, the 750 outputs both the GPS track and GS and LOC/GS signals at all times (I know this b/c I can display, GPS1 on the HSI and LOC1 simultaneously on the MFD). Same for GPS enroute and offtrack VOR sensing. It appears that the CDI on the 750 can be left on GPS, and for an ILS approach switching over to the ILS is done simply by switching the displayed source on the HSI before the FAF (before selecting APR on the 225); it does not appear to need to be necessary to switch the 750 CDI to VLOC from GPS. So it isn't clear what purpose the CDI button on the 750 serves, since changing it has no effect on the state of the HSI or by extension the guidance being sent to the KFC225. There is the matter of manually switching the 750 output into APR mode for GPS approaches, but that seems to work as before. I spoke with Garmin tech support on this, and they said this seemed right, but they also said the CDI state on the 750 should be changed as appropriate anyway without being able to offer a reason why. Perhaps a future software upgrade will address this in some way. More to come, and I will be happy to answer any questions from anyone contemplating this upgrade. Cheers - Bob P.S.> @Fly_M20R I know I could have eliminated the steam gauges but I did not deliberately b/c I have been in a dramatic unusual attitude in IMC (AP failure put the plane rapidly into a climbing steep turn) and I find it is much easier to confirm what is happening in that kind of situation from moving and pointing needles than from reading and interpreting a tape. Plus the KFC225 still takes its altitude data from the KEA130A (the GI275 KFC225 support does not include altitude), so that had to stay in any event. The instrument I am going to replace next is the GI-106B which is wired to the 650. I am eventually going to swap it out for the EIS and eliminate the Moritz cluster. I thought having a alternate VOR head would be useful, but with the flexibility of the MFD, it isn't at all. In fact, the 650 senses the 275s, and disables the bearing select on the 106B, deferring to the bearing select in the MFD or HSI when LOC2 is selected.

I had an Annual done instead of a prebuy, figured a shop signing their name was worth the extra cost.

Very nice mount! great spot to keep an eye on it and hopefully hear it. Congratulations on the O! For those of you with Sensorcons they are working on a mount that works with their standard clip on the unit itself. I just received a prototype version and it's very nice. Hopefully they will be offering it in the next few months. Cheers, Dan

WAAS is an icing on the cake kind of thing... Since an ILS can get you pretty close to the ground... But, not all airports have an ILS... Getting more WAAS approaches for every airport seems to have taken a lot longer than originally planned... Compare a simple O1 solution to getting WAAS... 1) Buy used 430w from Alan... somewhere around 5amu... 2) install it where the existing BK radio is... 3) Use the already existing HSI/ILS display... 4) Then join the discussions on dive and drive, +V, and that kind of thing... 5) Check in with PMax to see what is available for upgrade parts for the G1000... there seems to be a limited supply coming in from various places... The icing on the cake is as good as it gets... You might find that the FIKI system is one of those extra icing things too... If it is a work machine... all that icing has a payback... If your weekend flyer hasn’t seen an approach to minimus in a long while... the pay back may be measured in decades... In case I wasn’t clear enough.... I would love to have a G1000W panel... in my FIKI Acclaim of the future.... Best regards, -a-

Hey V1VRV2, hypertech, Mooney217RN, and danb Thanks for the awesome write-ups and feedback. Obviously aviation word of mouth is extremely important so I'm super excited to see positive reviews. I checked Mooney Flyer and I do still show up in Virginia but I'm low on the list because of alphabetical order. Hope to fly with all of you again soon!

This with Maroon tip stripes?

My C model was weeping when I got it from the right tank. i flew it for a year or so until it got worse and started dripping. I used the Maxwell method to find the leaks and stripped just those areas before patching them myself with my A&P's oversight. That has been a couple of years ago flying from a grass strip and still weep free. Maybe I was just lucky but I would not let a weep scare me off from an otherwise good plane.