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I think it helps to define your needs and also to understand what a yaw damper does. The main purpose of a yaw damper is to dampen undesirable roll-yaw coupling (Dutch roll) that occurs in some airplanes (notably swept wing jets) and they are often required for these airplanes. In addition, it will keep the ball centered during climbs, coordinate turns and improve the ride in turbulence. A Mooney does not have an objectionable Dutch roll, the rudder aileron interconnect helps coordinate turns, the ride isn't that bad in turbulence, and it's not that hard to keep the ball centered in a climb. So, the yaw damper is a matter of convenience, not a necessity. Given that, I think it is best to think about what you are trying to accomplish. In my case, I did not install the yaw damper in my J when I had the GFC 500 installed. My primary objective was reliability. The more stuff you cram into the airframe, the greater the possibility that something will fail. So, I didn't add anything I didn't need. Fortunately, the way Garmin architected the GFC 500 makes it really easy to add the yaw damper later if you want. So, it might make sense to try it without and if you find the ride uncomfortable, or your right leg getting tired, you can add it later. Skip

After 2years of work fixing the plane and trying to get my medical…like a month ago I got my medical and two weeks ago the plane came out of annual. And I’ve now finally soloed. It can be done in your own Mooney. Is it harder? A little. I flew a 172 a few hours as well and it was a bit more rugged and easier to fly. But it can be done in a Mooney. The hardest part for me is getting it slowed down and keeping it slowed down on final, and keeping it stable on the ground roll. Also, the brakes are terrible. Not sure if that’s just mine or not lol I really couldn’t have done it without some of you on this forum. Thank you so much for your help these last two years. Now I just need to put a bow on this and finish the PPL. Is almost spring! The video below documents my solo and my strangely problematic afternoon solo joy ride.

Regardless of 2 or 3 axis, you probably want to budget for the trim servo. Technically you can do a 2 servo gfc500 but you lose a good bit of automation because it will just alert you that you need to trim every time it trys to level off or you change airspeed. I don’t see a good reason to leave out the trim function on such a capable AP.

31 December 2021 I purchased and ferried an M20A half way across the USA to Montana. The performance of my new (to me) M20A, wood wing with metal tail, is astonishing having owned and flown a Beech P35 Bonanza for 11 years and 850 hours. The ride is extraordinary with a slightly dampened shock absorbsion thanks to the flex of the wing. The handling qualities are certainly not as light and crisp as the Beech, however, it climbs almost as well, and climbs higher that the IO-470N and is nearly as fast. I saw 155 mph TAS average cruise and with full fuel, 159 mph TAS early in cruise Solo with a full auxiliary tank. The bird will undergo a makeover and will make its appearance at Oshkosh 2022. TC Three Forks, Montana Look for N159KT

If you're staying with the traditional 6-Pack, can I suggest you consider the G1275. It is also a great device to drive a multitude of autopilots. It would also give you multiple views for you instrument flights.

Chiming in here. Last summer, I flew up to Oshkosh for a day (and left before the big storm) and on the way there noticed my fuel pump was sounding wonky during the pre-start prime as well as t/o and ldg use. Mostly pump rpm fluctuations. I landed in Monroe in the AM, Robb, the A&P and operator of Touch & Go Aviation removed the fuel pump from my plane, and then I jumped in a taxi to Browntown, WI to visit Aeromotors. The owner there took a quick look at the pump and exchanged it right on the spot, as well as gave me a tour of the operation and I was very impressed! 90% of the parts in the refurbished pumps are new and made in-house and the people there couldn't be friendlier. As others have mentioned it's a bit strange that they don't take credit card in 2022 but it's not a major inconvenience. I took the pump back to the field, Robb installed it, and then I flew to and landed at Airventure the same day.

Is there confusion with Vx in our vintage M20s? I say yes, absolutely. Permit me to elaborate. I don't own an E model, but I sometimes give training in them. I have a copy of the 1966-67 M20E "Super 21" Owner's Manual dated March 1967 for S/Ns 832-1308 and 67001-67062. I don't see "Vx" or a "Best Climb Angle" speed published anywhere in that manual. If someone can post a screen shot from that manual or a later M20E edition showing a published Vx, please do so. Best as I can tell, Mooney simply didn't publish one for the M20E, and that's what I teach. But I want to know if I'm wrong. In any case, I do own a 1976 M20F model, and the October 1975 revision of the M20F Owners Manual has a Climb Performance table which charts both "Best Angle" and "Best Rate" climb speeds. It claims the Best Angle speed is 94 MIAS/82 KIAS at all altitudes, while showing Best Rate to vary from 113/98 at sea level to 96/83 at 16K pressure altitude. But... that chart has a Conditions section which says those speeds are with gear and flaps up. In contrast, the Takeoff Distance chart specifies wing flaps in the takeoff position, and the "Normal Procedures" says not to raise flaps until clear of obstacles. It also says not to raise the gear until you can do so safely, which obviously means at least the first few feet of takeoff occur with the gear down. Conclusion: the chart in the M20F Owners Manual which specs a Best Angle climb speed isn't actually applicable to takeoff and obstacle clearance! As a CFI, this leaves me with a dilemma in teaching proper short-field technique in vintage Mooneys. While I don't necessarily claim it's the "one true way", I teach short field takeoff technique in vintage Mooneys with flaps set to takeoff and gear down until 50' AGL; then we raise the gear, then the flaps. Using takeoff flaps matches what the Owners Manual prescribes. My rationale for leaving the gear down thoughout the 50' climb is, during the roughly 6 seconds it takes to do this while pitched for Vx in that configuration, I want the pilot fully focused on pitch control, and spring-loaded to shove the nose down if the engine takes a holiday (or even hiccups). Neither of those things is well served by taking one's hand off the throttle and trying to raise the gear, especially in a Johnson bar Mooney. So what speed should one use for this 50' climb with gear down and takeoff flaps? The M20F Owners Manual doesn't say. Even if I changed technique to raise the gear "instantly", I still don't have a published Vx with flaps set to takeoff, which is what the manual prescribes until the obstacle is cleared. Therefore, one has to determine Vx experimentally. My partners and I have run this experiment several times in our M20F, and we find Vx with takeoff flaps and gear down at our home airport (KLMO, elevation 5050), is about 73 MIAS. Yes, 73 MPH indicated. Yes, that's uncomfortably slow. Not only is it uncomfortably slow, it also requires an uncomfortably high pitch attitude and deck angle. It really does achieve the shortest distance over a 50' obstacle, but it's a vulnerable configuration, and none of us like it. When we practice true short field technique, we expect our students (and ourselves) to immediately lower the nose to a Vy climb attitude as soon as the obstacle is cleared. Note: many pilots I work with on short field takeoffs hold Vx far too long. The mythical 50' obstacle isn't much higher than the top of a tall hangar, and since you're going to be climbing in the neighborhood of 500 fpm, it only takes 1/10th of a minute to get there. That's about 6 seconds. By all means, clear the obstacle, but it hardly takes any time at all, and you shouldn't keep staggering along in a high pitch attitude after you've done so. It increases risk for no good reason. I've spoken with other Mooney drivers about our findings, and none of them have hard data to dispute the 73 MIAS number. But some of them say they're just not willing to use that slow a speed and that high a deck angle right after liftoff, and it's difficult to argue with that advice. Were I a DPE evaluating a candidate's short field takeoff performance in a Vintage Mooney, I'd have no quarrel with a candidate who told me 80 MIAS was their best tradeoff between performance and safety, even if a slower speed might achieve a slightly shorter obstacle distance. One thing I try to drive home to my students about takeoff and landing performance numbers is that if tiny variations in speed or technique are actually the difference between going into the trees or not, you've already committed the cardinal sin of a judgement error. Just my $0.02, interested to continue reading what others have to say.

Back to basics.....

After converting to the Lycoming engine, the Mooney Mite "not only looked like a baby fighter plane, but flew like one." Al's personal logbook shows more hours in a Mite than any other aircraft.

@FastGlasairreally interesting approach here. Is it a fan that actively cools the LED? If so is there feedback / indication if the fan fails? how is the strobe function controlled? Can it be used like a regular light without strobe function? Is strobe function on a separate switch/circuit? I could see flying in IMC distracting if you have to toggle the light on/off to cycle through the functions to get it to turn off Is there pAR 46 unit as well or does the smaller footprint fit both PAR36 and PAR46 fixtures? A lot of the Mooney’s with cowl enclosed landing lights would likely need modification of the enclosure to be able to accommodate the 90-degree plug. If there was an adapter available to go backwards along the long axis of the unit, it would fit a lot of the Mooney’s I’d think. Given I paid $300 for a light that is very reliable but honestly not that bright, 3x the beignets of whelens best offering is certainly a step in the right direction

if you don't hook them up to the annunciators in the center stack, it raises the question if those two annunciators need to placarded INOP

Hmmm . . . . Below 70°? Never in Florida!

the key point, regardless of who makes the equipment, is to check the status of the avionics when making an insurance claim

It's more than a claim, we have Lab certified documented proof. In fact the same Lab that Whelen (Lopresti / WAT) has used for their recent competitor comparisons graph, where we got all their data from their published graph (see below).. There is no comparison, in performance, quality of manufacture and repairable/upgradeable. Includes an additional mode, included standard strobing affect mode for optimal collision and bird strike avoidance. https://www.xevision.com/led_aircraft.html https://www.xevision.com/movie/XV36-LED-7UN-fly.mp4 https://www.xevision.com/movie/VID_20210710_225154_mod.mp4

Yep, I have started to trim just on the top of the nose up line when it's just front seat passengers. Makes a big difference in the pull required.

@The bishopI have that lens available brand new. Email me at gallagheraviationllc@gmail.com or give me a call at 1-833-425-5288. I'm a Whelen dealer. James Gallagher

Is your truss dented, or just chipped?

Per another page in the M20F POH, below, it doesn't look like there is an appreciable difference in IAS vs CAS (<1 mph) for the range of airspeeds we are discussing:

Thank you gentlemen, I appreciate your help.

Makes sense. I misunderstood the purpose of the requirement to have the CBs accessible by the pilot, I thought the main purpose was to protect against failure in the device, and to provide a way to reset the device.

Do a search on yaw dampers for the logic of why people find it nice to have… Forever planes are getting them… Light IFR planes, on a budget… probably aren’t getting many updates like this… Best regards, -a-

Beware of buying such tools on e-bay however. I only but them when they are essentially new and check their settings after purchasing them. For those that have Vintage airplanes, the dial type 3/8 torque wrench (which you will need an adapter female 3/8" to male 1/2" to fit into the Mooney tool) to look for, and which you will need to use with the Mooney gear tools is made by Precision Instruments in the Chicago area. They have been making ther=se fro Snap-On for many years and cost new less than 1/2 the price for the same tool from Snap-On. They can be purchased new on Amazon for about $150.00/ (I just bought two - one 1-150 inch lbs and 1-300 inch pounds for the nose gear and the mains on e-bay - like new and in specification for less than $100 each. Using 2 wrenches keeps you in a range where you have an easier to read scale. John Breda

Now would be the perfect time to send off your control yokes to Hector at Aero Comfort and get them covered to match your new interior. https://aerocomfort.com/mooney/

Oh this is absolutely unacceptable. I would go ballistic. Being someone who usually uses my plane for transportation purposes, often times to go to work, I would be pissed to say the least. Have you put “No Parking” signs outside of your hangar door since this happened, Anthony? I’m fortunate this hasn’t happened to me yet but where my hangar is there’s really no reason why someone would park blocking my door. Location location location. When I first bought my plane in 2012 they put me on a row behind, and slightly further away, from the runway. That hangar was essentially in a lane between two sets of T hangars. It was a nicer hangar than the one I opted for which faces the tie downs and has two ingress and egress points. I had the option of keeping that first hangar but decided against it. Knowing how people always park their cars and planes outside of their hangars I didn’t want to deal with that. I knew it would be a problem getting in and out with the occasional “Can you move your car or Skyhawk, please?” So I opted for the not-so-nice hangar with horrible carpet under the tail and wings and kitchen vinyl under the gear. I hate it. But it’s much more convenient and I’m almost never blocked in by anyone’s plane and certainly not by anyone’s car. P.S. - I removed the kitchen vinyl and laid down Rustoleum Rock Solid and it looks great under the gear now. The carpet is still there. Baby steps.

IIRC, the only EDM 700 series that requires the remote annunciator lights is the primary EDM 711 if it is not mounted in front of the pilot (there's a defined area in the installation manual). I don't think there was another primary 700 series that would have that requirement...

Thanks for all the help everyone! Hopefully the answers will present themselves. Obviously nothing critical but I like to know my machine!

I have a friend who is a drug dealer. She says she is embarrassed about some of the things she has to do to these doctors.

What a shame. It's always hard to make sense of things like this. My flightaware data on my airplane is so OFF from reality. I often watch todays popular youtube accident commentary and wonder... if I crash, how long before they are ripping apart my innaccurate flightaware data? Also Dan G the other day was calling pilots with 3000+ hours complete NEWBIES. I feel like 3k hours is plenty to know right from wrong. Regardless, RIP.

Yes it is it's your for $125. You can send me your address and send the money via Venmo to @Curtis-LoPresti. I will pay for the shipping. Thanks Curt

As a very satisfied Avidyne owner, I just can’t imagine why Avidyne isn’t bending over backwards in this situation??? Oh...never mind, I think I got it now

Frank you have an agenda. You haven't posted all the information on here that you did on BT so maybe you can update us on current your Avidyne asset status and how it came to be. You didn't have to slam Avidyne and the people that own Avidyne equipment to notify us of Avidyne's transparent (slightly hidden) policy. Why not just state that if you buy a used Avidyne product or any ones product to check before with the manufacturer on the status of that equipment. And to add that if someone has an accident or incident with their aircraft to make sure that their insurance covers that loss. Personally I would never buy anything off of you because your propensity to hide facts that maybe circumstantial to the buyers advantage. Sophistry! As I stated on BT I think Avidyne has stepped up and given general aviation a huge advantage on choices. They've risked their funds, time, research and reputation to supply a very worthy competition to Garmin when a few others have backed away. I have had excellent service from Avidyne and Chase as well as our local avionics shop (Brant Areo).

@Frank B., I’m not an attorney so I had to look this stuff up: slan·der /ˈslandər/ noun LAW the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation. I did take a business law class one time and I think they said that as long as the statements you make are TRUE then it’s not slander. Historically, the people I’ve met who throw that word around have tended to not be the victims of slander but instead seem to be suffering from a narcissistic injury and they throw that word around to make themselves seem like they’ve been horribly wronged when in fact the opposite is often true. The statement “I didn’t attack X” shortly followed by several attacks on “X” doesn’t sit well with me either. I’m certainly not @LANCECASPER’s “keeper/house mom” (whatever that is) and he’s certainly capable of defending himself, but when I see truly bizarre behavior coming from someone I don’t know attacking someone I do then I sometimes comment on it. I think if someone had helped me out in the past and publicly disagreed with something I said then maybe I would try contacting them privately instead of throwing a bunch of wild accusations at them just because they disagree with me. That would almost border on slander…

Yeah I hope to have a Whelen LED recognition light sometime this year - probably second half of the year.

I bought the 81 M20J before I started lessons. Except I did learn to fly in the 1970’s but gave up for several reasons. I took lessons and soloed in a warrior…then the rest of my flight training was in the Mooney….paid 65k…insurance was $2,750… that was back in 2017 a year after my wife died. In the next year I fixed up the plane, valued at 135k (but actually spent 100k in upgrades…after I got my license insurance went down to 2k…while everyone’s rates went up, my premium stayed at 2k because I got my instrument ticket…that’s where I am today with over 800 hours

The weather was below minimums and we had to go missed on our last attempt to get together for our first group lunch. We've been in the hold waiting for another attempt. Let's try again. The location, day and time are the same as that fits the preference of most of the respondents to the survey. So, mark your calendars now! Sunday, March 13, at 11:00 EDT. The Corsair Café is a relatively new restaurant that opened (of all times) during the pandemic at Terre Haute Regional Airport (KHUF) in Central Indiana. They have gotten excellent reviews and I look forward to trying this place. We've got a private room reserved. We had several people say they liked some of the other choices, maintenance tips, safety seminar, and/or tour, and we'll plan on doing something along with lunch for the next get together when we have more time to plan we'll see what else to do. This one we'll make it simple, just a social gathering. Please pass the word to others who may not be visiting this website regularly. See you soon! Michael

Fair warning… CO2 is a harmless gas we exhale on a regular basis… sure, having too much CO2 can make you feel crummy… and your beer seem fizzy… CO is a gas that is really harmful, and has been known to kill aviators, and people sleeping in their houses… People miss the point of how dangerous this gas is… OWTs for years have trained pilots that you will recognize it coming on in several different ways…. Realistically, as humans… our chance of recognizing it depends on how slowly we get exposed to it… Dan’s near death experience… proved that the source of CO can start unrecognizably, and become overwhelming in the amount of time it takes to climb to altitude… So… A CO monitor is an incredibly important device… There are really good and low cost portable devices that work reliably in airplanes… The chemical dot stuck to your instrument panel is known as a placebo, it will make you feel as though you have done the right thing…. It is great for companies that rent airplanes out… they don’t get poisoned when it doesn’t really work… The usual home protection devices don’t offer the same level of protection… Read up on the basics of CO poisoning… and how many hours it takes to get the CO out of your system…. And how your cognitive capacity declines as your CO level increases…. Know that a common source of CO delivered right to the cabin comes from worn/broken heating systems… our usual annual exam doesn’t always catch the pattern of wear and tear that leads to breakage… Our best defense is to have an alarming, sensitive, CO monitor… with a nice display of the CO reading… This discussion is a common occurrence… there isn’t enough education on the topic… pretty much an ownership 101 kind of topic… stuff that doesn’t really get taught in aviation 101…. Out with the goofy dots… they don’t work in a timely fashion… they don’t alarm… they get stale… they aren’t part of the instrument scan… Recognize by the time you own an airplane… your ability to smell tiny amounts of exhaust in the cabin, has gotten away…. Your hearing has declined and your eyesight has changed as well… About once a year… somebody posts a thank-you note to Dan Bass… because their Sensorcon CO monitor alerted them to CO finding a way into the cabin… Find Dan’s story… he has been sharing it widely for a few years… If you feel buying a real CO monitor is a waste of money… Buy one anyways… clip it to your seat belt… you can keep an eye on both of your useless devices at the same time…. PP thoughts only, not a teacher… Best regards, -a-

There is the practical test to ACS standards, and there is the best way to fly the airplane. They are not always in agreement. For a more in depth discussion, see https://www.advancedpilot.com/articles.php?action=article&articleid=1842 and also many excellent articles at https://www.nar-associates.com/technical-flying/technical_flying.html Skip

I did not know I had an air speed or a squat switch? The only switch I am aware of is the throttle position and Johnson bar switch? The squat switch would be the simplest solution. Squat switch in series with the BK audio. Using the contacts that would open the audio feed from the BK when squatting. I asked Alpha Systems if I could get a newer control box but was told no.

Lycoming SB 446 and AD 80-04-03 requires the use of LW-16702 (TCP) in certain engines. TCP is an anti-wear agent that works by promoting an oxide layer on the surface of metals. The oxide layer is sacrificed during startup to protect the metal beneath until there is sufficient oil film for boundary lubrication. After shutdown, a new oxide layer forms. This action reduces wear, but does not completely eliminate it since the oxide layer is formed from the metal itself. TCP is a significant health hazard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricresyl_phosphate Lycoming SI 1409 permits its use in all Lycoming engines. LW-16702 is not a corrosion inhibiter. Camguard is an corrosion inhibiter with other properties. It is not a permitted substitute for LW-16702 by those engines affected by the AD. The idea behind the oils with LW-16702 added was to avoid the hassle of having to mix in the additive with every oil addition in engines required by AD to do so. I believe both Philips and Aeroshell blended oils use TPP which is similar to TCP but supposedly less hazardous to your health. Continental and Lycoming are agnostic about what oil to use so long as it meets their specs (which ALL aviation oils do). Aeroshell 15W50 is a semi-synthetic blend. There is some anecdotal evidence that it might not be the best choice for engines that do not fly often. I replaced the engine in my 1994 M20J in 2018 at 1100 hours and the camshaft was spalled. The engine had been IRAN'd previously at about 750 hours in 2003 for a spalled camshaft by the previous owner. Both previous owners had used A/S 15W50. I don't know if that had anything to do with the camshafts or not, but I'm using Phillips 20W50 and Camguard and no LW-16702. Skip

Did you get the old parts back? I always ask for the old parts back, you own them after all. I like to see what’s wrong and make sure they didn’t ruin the parts during disassembly. I have about a 50/50 chance of actually getting them. I’m always suspicious when they won’t do it.

I started my refresh training in C172 then moved to low wing Pipers and eventually a Diamond DA40. I was surprised at how instinctually things came back. My instructor would comment, "nice slip" or "nice s-turns". I would say "oh yeah, that's what those are." I just did it instinctively not even realizing it. The first couple of landings in the Bravo were nervous, but I greased the third one and then the dozen or so after that. The avionics is the big mystery right now. All glass. Also, learning to operate a turbo/complex system in the Rockies. It's a beautiful day here in COS. So, I'm about to go do some solo pattern work.

my flight today was three hours in the simulator learning Garmin glass in a dual G1000 setup. Did 6 coupled approaches, including 3 LPVs. The vertical navigation is pretty amazing, but there's a lot of cross checking between the inputs into the flightplan and the AP, and checking that all the right modes are active/armed on the AP.

Yup - not that your problem is complex. But stick to MSCs for annuals and bigger work. Dave does all my annuals (N87 is 20min away from me - I'm sure Weber is great too). Avionics is Todd at Lancaster - very happy with their service and work - scheduled for more in June.

Here's a video of the repaired assembly. My J is a 1988 model. Apparently higher serial numbers have a different set up. Flapswitch.mov

Thanks very much for the thoughtful comments. My default would be to replace it, but they are nowhere to be found! I will give Continental a call. Maybe they will share information about their source and provide an alternative part number. If I come across that info, I will certainly share it here. -R

http://mooney.free.fr/Mooney SB SI/283a.pdf The original V clamps were only spotwelded and should have been replaced within 10 hours of the service bulletin. On the riveted ones you were limited to two re-torques. Those original v-clamps giving out were responsible for at least a couple fires and deaths on Bravos. On the Bravos regarding pricing for the clamps: The exhaust V-Band clamp part number is Lycoming 40D23255-340M which sells for over $1200 (http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/lycomingcouplings.php) However the Mooney service bulletin (http://mooney.free.fr/Mooney SB SI/283a.pdf) says that the equivalent Aeroquip part number NH1009399-10 can be used. Aeroquip makes the above part for Lycoming - they are the exact same part. Lycoming names them as their vendor on this part on this service instruction: https://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/files/Assembly and Torque Procedures for V-Band Couplings.pdf). The Aeroquip part is a lot less at Aircraft Spruce (http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/engineclamps.php). @AeroEng regarding the clamps for the Acclaim let's see if we can find out who makes it. The service bulletin does say to replace it (https://www.mooney.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SBM20-299A.pdf) but doesn't mention anything about how many re-torques are allowed.

If they sent the letter with a blank check with instructions to fill in the amount…that would get my attention.

Here are the pictures I promised-I used mil spec circuit breaker switches with switch guards. They are good for a 1000000 cycles. and sort of remind me of the switches in an old Alfa or Jag-sort of a generational thing. I was worried about a switch breaking a switch in the middle of no where and not being able to get a replacement quickly.

I know this isn't super relevant to the Bravos as it's a completely different engine than the 252's. But here's an example of engine parameters at FL230. The 252 is just really well suited to operate in the FlightLevels.

Foreflight also has a descent to destination datablock at the bottom that you can select to display in the same way you do groundspeed, ETA, etc. If you want a constant 500 fpm descent to destination just wait until the number tick up to 500 then begin ur descent. If you begin descending faster the numbers decrease and vise versa. I find it helpful.