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I have been following the forums, though not as much as usual. For business and because I got tired of trying to coach everyone through getting in and out of the Mooney and putting on oxygen masks that ended up not being very popular, as well as the fact that our mission is long legged and the Mooney is great for 2 on longer legs but much less for more, I ended up buying a King Air this year. I was going to keep the Mooney as a weekend/fun plane to use with my wife (who loves it) ... but off I was in the US doing initial training, taking delivery, and working through the logistics of exporting an airplane and my poor Mooney Acclaim was sitting in the hangar alone. I felt bad for her. I also have a pilot on my payroll (but unfortunately not my insurance) who had flown with me many times in the Mooney and who I had let land a few times for him to mantain currency. He is a commercial, 1000+ hour pilot with most of his experience in King Airs and Senecas. I never liked leaving the plane in the hangar without running engine for more than 2 weeks, so I had him go out and run it up and just get the engine up to temp.... ....and then he asked if he could take his wife on a local flight around São Paulo, and I, not wanting to be a jerk, said sure. I then got in the King Air and shuffled off from Texas down to Florida where I arrived to a flurry of messages and several missed calls from said employee....and a picture of my Mooney with a severely bent prop. He bounced it and couldn't recover apparently so now my Mooney has been down for a month with the engine getting a full IRAN and my prop being trashed while I am trying to find another...(did anyone know there is a months-long backlog for props??? I didn't) ... Anyway, I haven't been posting because every time I think about it I get sick to my stomach but the moral of the story here is, don't let anyone fly your plane if they aren't current and checked out in it. I considered this guy "checked out" by me because we had flown together multiple occasions and he always had shown himself to be a prudent and capable pilot if not the best stick-and-rudder pilot I ever met. I never dreamed he would bounce it in instead of going around because we had specifically discussed the need to go around after a bounce on multiple occasions and not try to 'save' it. I have gone around at least 3 times in the last year after not getting myself into the best position and on at least one of those occasions he was with me....but he wasn't "current" and after the fact my wife was asking when the last time he had flown the Mooney was and I frankly couldn't remember. I should have just said no and let it go...being a nice guy has no place in aviation when the checkbook is yours. Before anyone get's onto me about the insurance, I thought about it. I read the policy, but I was lucky as hell to talk one of the three insurance providers here in Brazil to write me a policy on the King Air with extremely limited twin engine and turbine time and if I claim the insurance it is almost certain I don't get my King Air insurance renewed at the end of the year....same underwriter. The dude feels terrible and is chasing down everyone trying to get everything fixed, and he's a super nice guy. I just shouldn't have let him, or me, put ourselves in that position. Just say no.

Tint the rear windows with static film. Ram mounts for an iPad or two.

What you posted can be done for far less. In my opinion unless you bought a very unusual airplane but buying a good buffer and learning how to use it and buffing and polishing is your best return on your money, largely due to sweat equity. ‘My advice is do nothing beyond cosmetic things, fly it for a year and I bet lunch you’ll find out that most of the “must have” upgrades you will read about you can do without and really won’t miss them. Take that money and start building a fund to cover unexpected expenses, these airplanes are old and often require more attention than say a three yr old car

None taken. I started my own business 8 years ago after 16 years working for a multinational and it finally started paying off to where I could afford to upgrade. I bought a 1980 F90 so it's not like new iron, it's basically a classic compared to my Mooney that was at least built this century, but you're right. It is a wonderful experience and there is nothing like the smell of Jet-A in the morning. I will say this.....the Mooney is a Porsche 911, the King Air is a pickup truck....it get's you where you're going and you can take all your crap but efficiency is NOT it's thing and it flies like a truck. Very stable and smooth but if you want to turn it around you need a mile or two....the Mooney is like a fighter plane in comparison. Point taken though. My only other comment is that if you have a Garmin autopilot in your newer model Mooney, don't expect the same performance from an early 80s rate based autopilot...hehehe, that has taken some serious getting used to. Everyone talks about the ramp appeal of a King Air but there are a million King Airs in Brazil, I have one of two Acclaims and EVERYONE wanted to see it... Carusom, I talked to the MT prop people and have been thinking it over, I like the four bladed prop and it would be cool, I just haven't decided yet. I need to decide soon, though, because it's going to take a while either way. Who has the STC for the 310hp upgrade?

Does it have shoulder harnesses? If not, that would be my first upgrade.

I think you mean CO.

You beat me to it. I was ready to make a comment like, “yeah, how long will it be before I get tired of coaching my pax to put on their O2 masks before I decide to just say, ‘screw it, I’m getting a King Air’”. Obviously no disrespect to the OP intended. :-)

@Pierre07Sounds like the alt hold board has some issues, possible transducer failure. Normally when they fail they drive hard up or hard down but always the same direction, fast and aggressive. There is a slight possibility the static line to the transducer could be plugged. You can unhook the line and try selecting alt hold on the ground with the gyro close to level and FD mode active. If the bars drop rapidly my guess is there is a fault in the flight computer. If you can use the vertical modifier in the control head to set a climb or descent and the aircraft maintains that attitude most of the system is working. If using CWS to establish level flight with everything in trim and then you add in ALT hold the FD bars deviate and the computer chases, everything points to the alt hold board.

Thought of another one, that little air scoop that flips out of the window. It’s like $35 bucks and down here in the South it is a must have year round.

@A64Pilot has given you some very good advice, but in the spirit of answering your question, I'll throw out a couple. First, get a good CO monitor. It may be the difference between life and death. I would recommend the basic sensorcon unit linked below. Use discount code: Aircraft2021 and get 20% off. No need to get anything higher than the basic model (I got the top end and the only features I use are the ones included with the basic model). https://www.sensorcon.com/products/av8-inspector-co-av8-co-01-carbon-monoxide-monitor-for-aviation?variant=39342748237894 As for your grips, just get regular bicycle grips. I have yet to touch any yoke that is more comfortable at any price. The black ones show less dirt over the years. Use Amazon smile and forward your donation to Mooney Summit Inc (or a charity of your choice). https://smile.amazon.com/BV-Handlebar-Bicycle-Cycling-Handle/dp/B06XCFGXHV/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bike+handlebar+tape&qid=1634222518&sr=8-2 I know it's super cheap and seems silly, but you want a pen or pencil handy when flying. I found one of these works perfectly. https://smile.amazon.com/Pen-Pal-Holders-Adhesive-Removeable/dp/B01M046PID/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=rubber+pen+holder&qid=1634222749&sr=8-3 I also added cup holders which come in handy. But I just don't use them nearly as often as I thought I would. I typically only fly with drinks in plastic bottles with lids. YMMV. https://smile.amazon.com/Camco-44044-Adjustable-Drink-Holder/dp/B000EDQR4G/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=foldable+cup+holder&qid=1634223039&sr=8-3 Finally, just a note on the LED lights. They may not be as "plug and play" as you'd like. LED's are polarity sensitive and I found a few of my original lights were wired in with reverse polarity, so LED lights don't function in those. The good news is, after replacing the ones I could, I have plenty of spare incandescent bulbs to replace those as they burn out. Also, the overhead torpedo lights don't function well at all with LED lights.

Easy to change the gasket. Watch out for the washers, screws etc. If not done properly, the fuel level indication will be screwed up.

I use this device. The pain goes away in about 30 minutes and you forget about the urge to pee.

I recently discovered the passing of a great aviation AND Mooney enthusast, Fred Quarles. Fred Quarles purchased the M-18 type certificate and made the plane available to the public in the form of a homebuilt in the 1970's (Mooney Mite M-18X). It appears that the type certificate is available for sale by daughter Ellen Michelle Quarles via a post in the Mooney Mite Owners Forum of MooneySpace.

Cricut Maker Machine, Champagne - Walmart.com get this, all the stickers and overlays you could ever want. give it to your wife as a gift, she'll be so happy she'll make the stickers for you

LOL. Yeah, long day. Monoxide, dioxide, trioxide, whatever it takes.

The main issue is getting the minder to close the relay and keep it closed. I don't think very many people have been very successful doing that, and the instructions with most minders say to wire the minder directly to the battery. Trying to keep the relay closed also presents a constant current load to the minder, and they're not putting out a ton of current, anyway.

+1 for the CO monitor… Start building the reserves… that first annual is getting nearer… Best regards, -dad- (Fatherly advice only, not related).

I find it gets in the way, I just stick my hand out.

And this is why so many disparage the hangar elf concept . . . .

If you go to the newer ones you have to replace the yoke (control wheel), the shafts, and the actual yoke (#1) in the picture because of the way the control shafts mount. I upgraded mine to some off an M20R. I have my old ones just sitting in the hangar and there is a push to talk wired into the LH yoke. If you're interested we could work something out. I can send you pictures probably this weekend of it.

It is a spooky first post! No binding in the controls whatsoever. Passes free and correct. I've had someone move the controls while I watch the rod move and it comes nowhere near the metal opening (moving ailerons, rudder and elevator). I have no idea how it ended up banging/tearing that portion. @M20Doc had the only explanation that makes any sense to me.... Thanks for the help!

+1 for Flightline. I arrived at 10 pm and they were as efficient and friendly as if it were 10 am. Skip

I've flown in to KNEW / Flightline 3-4 times the past couple years. Always professional and the fees are very reasonable. You'll have to call for current rates, but in the past $10 or so a day I think.

The problem with owning a TC is that without a Production Certificate what you can do with it is limited, you may have the rights, but lack the capability.

New switch covers.

Interesting, Could we get it and offer "plans" on MS for anyone willing to build one?? Would be nice to do for the M20 as well.

Common challenge for Most M20Rs… You will find that somebody put an alternator really close to #5… This somehow blocks airflow to that cylinder… That same someone built up a faring that blocks even more air flow… The union of hangar fairies, more than a decade ago… decided to cut Quarter sized holes in that faring to allow air to flow through it… Miraculously, the airflow improved, and cht#5 was lowered…. The fairies rejoiced and spread the word… Oddly, the fairies covering their tracks… blatantly called the mod a pixie hole…. So… nobody knows the origin of said pixie hole… there are many pics of their work, yet no undoctored pics of hangar fairies actually exist… Check in with your mechanic… for best methodology of cutting a hole in fiberglass, with out bumping into things behind it… PP thoughts only, about hangar fairy rumors I heard about once… Best regards, -a-

usually the horizon KI258

Naturally, only do it when the fuel level is below the sending unit hole. Someone else will have to tell you how many gallons that is.

Greetings all, Mooney Summit VIII is postponed to an as yet to be determined date. As communicated previously, COVID-19 has continued to be a major concern as infections have declined and surged throughout the past year and a half. While we find ourselves in a different position this year than last, the nature and timing of the current surge has made it impossible for us to forecast a responsible execution of the Summit in October. We’re very disappointed in reaching our thoroughly considered decision to postpone the event but know it is the right call for the Mooney Summit and our fellow Mooniacs. We hold these events to save lives, and have applied the same decision making processes we use every time we fly to ensure we have considered and mitigated all identifiable risks to the best of our ability. Our mitigations fell short, so we made the decision to postpone. All registered attendees, presenters, and sponsors will be receiving a separate email with details on options for dispositioning registration fees and contributions. Thank you for your understanding and continuing support of the Mooney Summit. Fly safe and stay healthy. Rick

I don't know, @M20Doc I'm sure knows. I was just swapping out the old senders with CiES senders so didn't touch the pickups.

You have a bad ground on the battery or one of the other main ground straps. So basically the whole plane is trying to ground through the stall horn which of course is too much amps and pops the breaker.

My 75 F had an odd base that was not standard. I could not find a matching bulb so the elves had to get involved.

They speak perfect English

ANY GA aircraft will take off on its own if the trim is set to, there is no negative angle of attack or other force that must be overcome to initially get one off of the ground. I pull back pretty heavily, pretty much full up initially until the nose wheel comes unstuck and then hold it off by slowly releasing back pressure until she flies. Pretty much a soft field technique, but I’m coming off of grass, and all nose wheels are inherently weak, and taking the weight off of them on a field that may have a hole etc is not a a bad idea. ‘If I flew off pavement, I’d likely do the 5 lb method, which is pretty gentle, but gets it flying quicker than letting her fly herself off.If your having to horse the thing into the air and hold back pressure to climb, then your trimmed too much nose low ‘Simply put, trim sets an airspeed, say 85 kts for example, power above required to maintain level flight at trim speed and the aircraft climbs, less and it descends, speed will vary some, but should remain about the same. Bottom line after takeoff and in the initial accelerating climb, very little force on the yoke should be required, now when gear and flaps come up it’s normal to need to trim nose down as the center of lift moves with flap retraction

The link was already posted, but here's a picture of a Travel John, not to be confused with the hard plastic Little John. Super easy for a guy to use, and not difficult for my wife with a little repositioning in the seat. It has an absorbent gel packet inside and also a zip lock at the top. This is very similar to, and actually better than, what the military supplies to fighter pilots. and the link, shamelessly copied from Richard's post - https://smile.amazon.com/Travel-John-Resealable-Disposable-Urinal/dp/B07Y5QSXQZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=travel+john&qid=1634058082&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVDZBT09HVEJVUTJEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzEzMzA0M0lYNUNPODJGVzJBNiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjA4ODM0MTZSU0JURVBFNk42VyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= Cheers, Rick

Thanks "C" the cylinder in question #1 is the cylinder that we just overhauled 2nd to low compressions at annual. with the limited view one could see the crosshatching. It was the small pooling of liquid presumable oil that was the head scratcher. more to come

So, there I was, just driving to the store and minding my own business when I get a call from a number I don’t recognize. I was expecting an appliance delivery so I answered and a nice gentleman tells me he’s from the San Jose Flight Standards office and asks me if I’m the owner of (my N number). I figure he knows the answer to this question and it’s public record so as I’m debating between hanging up on him and calling the AOPA Legal Services team or playing along I say “yes.” Then he says, “I’m trying to follow-up on some ADS-B data, do you know what your airplane was doing on September **?” At first I thought he was calling because my ADS-B signal was intermittent and thought it was weird that they would call about it but then I suddenly remembered what my plane was doing that day - getting a pitot/static check. I told the nice guy at FSDO and he said “That makes sense. I received a complaint about a stationary ADS-B target that was going between sea level and 30,000 ft so I had to follow up on it.” I guess the controller saw the target and initially couldn’t tell whether or not it was real so he got a little upset. The FSDO guy thanked me and said he would talk to the shop about how they were shielding the antenna and said not to worry about it. I shared with him how happy I had been to learn that the random call I had just received was from FSDO and he basically said “yeah, no one is happy when they find out it’s us. We’re no ones favorite.” I thanked him for his service and then called the avionics shop. In 30 years of flying my first call from FSDO and hopefully my last!

Exactly what skip said ( @PT20J). Also remember that approaching takeoff speed, your rudder is pretty effective. Being light on the nose is not going to cause directional issues unless you cause them with the rudder. On the other hand, being heavy on the nose can cause problems as skip described.

It is not a good idea put forward pressure on the yoke during takeoff. The M20J is plenty nose heavy and adding forward pressure will make the steering even more sensitive as the wings begin to take weight off the main wheels eventually leading to a “wheelbarrow” loss of control if you carry it too far. I find that former Mooney factory test pilot Bob Kromer’s technique of holding about 5 lbs. of back pressure during takeoff leads to the smoothest rotations. You need to relax the pressure as the pitch comes up to climb attitude and then the trim will hold it there if you had it set right. If your squirrely handling is only on takeoff and not landing, then the airplane is probably fine. I would try Bob’s technique. It is normal for the steering to get more sensitive as speed increases. Remember also that the steering and rudder are hard connected unlike many other airplanes that have bungees, so if you are holding rudder for a crosswind correction you need to let the rudder center when the nose wheel touches down. Also, there are springs connecting the ailerons and rudder, so aileron input has some effect on steering. Skip

I wonder why everybody wants to change out their landing gear indicator lights to LEDs. I had a 67 M20F for 19 years. I flew it for 4500 hours. I never replaced those lights, they kept on going. Is that not reliable enough?

I second the Travel John. No worry about spills. https://smile.amazon.com/Travel-John-Resealable-Disposable-Urinal/dp/B07Y5QSXQZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=travel+john&qid=1634058082&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVDZBT09HVEJVUTJEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzEzMzA0M0lYNUNPODJGVzJBNiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjA4ODM0MTZSU0JURVBFNk42VyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Hank, indeed, my forever C is now totally glass. I fly it around the East Coast and while I am serving abroad in Central America. I was reading the posts and I was thinking what is it that I don't have in my C that I would like to have and would motivate me to upgrade? First: Space in the back seat... Would be nice, but my plane is OK for three. Four makes it a bit crowded and heavy. But then how often do I really need space for four... my wife hardly ever wants to fly with me. So it is mainly my two sons and I. Second: Speed. My C is among the slower ones in the group. I would love to be able to plan for 150kts... normally I plan 135kts. Have tried many things but until now no avail. But then, do you really need those knots... ??? Third: One thing that I really would like to have is a turbo. I feel that that upgrade would make a difference. I fly internationally quite often, and MEA of 10,000 feet are normal. If you add to that temperature you normal C runs out of power rather easily. I checked on the turbo upgrade and very hard to get... Fourth: Panel... I decided that I wanted to have a solid IFR platform that would allow me to fly all around. My original C was not well equipped for that mission. So I started to upgrade the plane and here I am. I spend so much money on it that I would never be able to recuperate what I put into it, but then, I like flying around with all the available tools. Five: Looks. There are some very nice C around. I was lucky to get a good one, but after owning it for some years I decided to repaint it and upgrade the interior. It looks even nicer. To summarize: If I had to start from scratch I would try to extend myself and buy a E or a J, but otherwise, I am very happy with my C and I plan to playing and adjusting it over time to make it a even better platform for my mission. Oscar

Your M20K 231 uses a GE 330, which is 14 volts. 28 volt aircraft use a GE 327. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/gereplacement_11-04016.php

OSU, You and the team do such a nice job answering questions! Thanks for sharing all the details… Best regards, -a-

What he said....

The KI209A has two different CDI inputs(composite and resolver). The KI 209 only has a composite input and 12 pins. If you are going to use the KI 209 you need to go to the KI 209 page on of the install manual. There is only 6 connections to the 209 from the 355.

My KI209A has a 50 pin connector Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Friday, August 27th Zephyr Aircraft Engines delivered my engine today and it sure does look nice! Included with the engine came a very professional level of documentation, nicely presented in a notebook with document protectors. The notebook contains a copy of my invoice with a detailed parts listing, Zephyr’s Warranty (2 years / 500 hours), detailed engine break in directions, a new Engine Log Book, an AD Compliance Record, and the 8130 forms. The total cost of their overhaul to new parts limits was $22,800. This figure included 4 new Superior Millenium cylinder assemblies, a new Lycoming Camshaft kit and all the other parts that Zephyr automatically replaces as part of their overhaul criteria. My total came to $26,600 because my crankcase was found to be cracked beyond repair by DIVCO. DIVCO offered a yellow tagged crankcase for $3,800 to Zephyr and they gave that to me at cost. A new crankcase would have been an option but Zephyr said that availability was an issue and they had no problem with a used case that DIVCO has gone through. I deferred to their judgement. Someone asked about my crankshaft which was delayed but eventually repaired by Rick Romans, Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His Record of Repair indicates that the crankshaft was magnafluxed, grind the rod and main journals m .006, renitride, plate flange, repaired the seal area as per a Lycoming Service Bulletin, repaired pitting of front main journal, compliance with another Service Bulletin and all ADs. If the crankshaft had been beyond repair, that would have been another issue (read $$$$) to resolve. That is a potential problem that we all face, whether we go for an overhaul or a factory exchange engine. Lycoming requires you to certify your old crankcase and crankshaft. Either way, you are on the hook for these things. Since I had paid Zephyr a $9,440 deposit up front, that was deducted from my $26,600 bill leaving a remaining balance due today of $17,160. Our project total is now up to $36,204.50. We still have the engine monitor expense and the cost of reinstalling the engine before we are done. Stay tuned! I do have to admit, this is one nice looking engine…