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Well guys and gals… as promised here she is! Flew her out to Apple Valley and Big Bear this week. She runs great. And FAST Put over 12 hours on her already and she hasn’t even gone through a quart of oil. Pretty stoked on performance so far. As everyone stated only time will tell if I made a good purchase, but at the moment I’m unbelievably happy. Fly safe, -Mellow

Finally managed to get 201 out of my M20J

left hand on center structure tube, right foot in foot well, right hand on hand grab front door jamb, swing your a$$ in and sit down Ultras from pilot side switch hands and feet, same technique

This actually seems like a pretty good article. When I thought I wanted to do aerobatics I would get air sick after about 15-20 minutes so the instructor told me to let him know as soon as I started feeling unwell and we would land. He said if you went until you were just barely queasy but didn’t vomit then it would build up your endurance (exposure therapy in #6 below). It worked. https://www.onemedical.com/blog/get-well/motion-sickness-cures/ There is some suggestion from the vestibular rehab literature that taking medications can be counterproductive because it basically blunts the responses to your brain that you’re trying to condition yourself to. That being said, if it’s just for occasional use as a passenger then meclizine seems like a good choice. I went on a whale watching trip a couple of days ago I think about half the people took meclizine - I could tell because they all fell asleep an hour into the trip.

The Battery Minder does a "topping charge" which your alternator does not and cannot do. That is why you never see it "fully charged" when you plug it in to the Battery Minder.

You might be looking for a problem that doesn’t exist…

Mine does that, too, and I can measure the batt voltage with a DVM and it's always fine. I don't know what criterion the minder uses to indicate the battery level, but I've just learned to ignore it.

@dominikos, how do the rest of your terminals look? Corrosion can certainly affect how the charging system performs and the images you’ve posted show corrosion.

Wonder if (and not an aerodynamics expert by any means) it has anything to do with more air going through the engine compartment and less back pressure drag? The slight opening in the cowl flaps might still be out of the airstream and not really add much parasite drag. And it will allow slightly more air flow or pass-thru and less pressure drag. (I think I have the correct term and "pressure drag" is term for the wall of air the plane is pushing trough.)

Unless you’re one of the 2 people with a 3 door Mooney, you’ll have to resort to getting in the hard way. What’s your preferred way to get in and out? Bryan has some recommendations and techniques to master:

Start at the master relay (connected to the positive lead coming off the batter) and work backwards toward the battery. Anything more in-depth should involve an A&P. My battery recently developed enough corrosion on the negative lead to cause starting problems. I theorized that during annual, having it off the smart charger for several weeks while repeatedly powering up avionics caused a small amount of corrosion. It was enough to compromise the ground. It would not cold start the engine but tested fine at the terminals. Light green powder on negative terminal. Removed, cleaned and reinstalled, no further issues.

All snark aside, my wife was an anesthesiology resident when she had our first child. A few hours into labor she was very nauseous, and we went several rounds of me arguing she should take the zofran based on my experience taking, and her being unconvinced despite having given it dozens (hundreds?) of times in the prior year. She relented, took the pill, the nausea passed, and she slept for 4 hours. I felt pretty smug! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ve heard that the biggest relief from air sickness is to fly the plane. But if that doesn’t work,

Like this one: Happened the second flight after annual… -Don

Unfortunately, that is the way some mechanics troubleshoot: replace a part. If that doesn’t fix it, replace something else. Repeat until problem goes away, or the owner runs put of money. Bad brushes didn’t fry your VR. That’s just an excuse for replacing the wrong part. Think about it: If bad brushes fried you old VR, why didn’t they fry the new one? And, would engineers really design a VR that was susceptible to alternator brush wear since it is expected that alternator brushes eventually wear out? So, you have a mechanic that is not good at troubleshooting electrical problems and also won’t fess up to a mistake.

Yeah, I agree it can mask a problem. I watched mine get its capacity checked (~2 hours on the tester), but if you’re not getting checked annually, starting the engine isn’t a great metric. Doesn’t really matter if you’re using a battery minder or not, starting the engine isn’t a capacity check.

Thanks! I see it now on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073JCMTW2/ref=vp_d_pb_TIER2_cml_lp_B08DMRDKPS_pd?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_p=030646fb-9c33-48cd-b6f4-975e331926a6&pf_rd_r=CXARZBNY4ERFRZTP1FDD&pd_rd_wg=ksYpE&pd_rd_i=B073JCMTW2&pd_rd_w=6e8l1&content-id=amzn1.sym.030646fb-9c33-48cd-b6f4-975e331926a6&pd_rd_r=3d1f2514-2a73-4984-837f-7dd6b057c479) It looks like it would also come in handy if a front seat passenger slams the door after being told not to

Just wanted to throw up some pictures of my 65’ E interior job. I’ve been working on this on the side while I was doing my panel upgrade in 22’. I ordered SCS carpet in brown and Airtex upholstery in biscuit (ordered at Oshkosh, delivered in Dec). Seatbelts were down by Aviation Safety Products in GA who did an awesome job and about one week turnaround. My wife did the vinyl work using our Sailrite sewing machine including the boot around the controls (post 65’s got that plastic cover), wind lacing around all openings, and the armrests. My aircraft did not have the headrest built into the seat structure, so I fabricated them out of a square tube, 1/2” diameter aluminum tubing , then riveted it all together. All of this was way more work than anticipated, but that’s airplane sh#t for ya…..

In the USAF they used the Barany chair, nicknamed the "spin-and-puke". It's a seat on a turntable with a hand rail that goes all the way around the seat. It is normally used during physiological training to demonstrate the effects of head motion on the inner ear while in a dynamic (spinning) environment. If you've ever played "Dizzy Bat" you get the idea. For the folks experiencing air sickness they got "desensitization training" that comprised spinning in the Barany chair and moving your head up and down on command. Not a pleasant experience even if it doesn't make you sick. If it didn't work, you were done. I'm guessing there is a kinder gentler approach to this now. And that's all I will say about that. The centrifuge also had the nickname "spin-and-puke" but you only got that training if you were going to fighters, with the G loading profile matched to the G limits of the aircraft you were flying, or going to fly. I saw a few folks not make it through the 9G profile and lose their assignments. It was recurring training at one point, had to go to the 'fuge every 5 years if I recall correctly. Good training, but in no way should it be equated with fun. Cheers, Rick

How I got in was left foot first and sit down with the right (damaged one) leg still on the wing, slide in to the pilot seat and drag the leg in, bending it enough to get past the gear well was the hardest. Getting out I drug my butt out onto the wing bringing legs out last, turn 90 degrees, close door and get off the leading edge. Standing and walking off the training edge would have been much harder, and more likely to fall.

Why not L45 - PRB - KWVI? That would have you flying up the valley instead of over the mountains.

Now we need a pirep before & after part/spec change preferably at or near VNE+0

Last Saturday when went to shoot some approaches I put on my Lightspeed 30 3G headset. It’s old, but it works (other than annoying me more than once when the batteries failed without warning inside the FAF, resulting in a huge increase in noise just when a distraction is particularly unwelcome). When I checked the sidetone, there was none. Wiggling the wires resulted in intermittent sidetone. Checking with my safety pilot confirmed that the mic was intermittent. I switched to my Peltor 7004 backup set and completed the flight uneventfully. Lightspeed has an excellent reputation for customer service, but they can’t support products forever. A quick check online confirmed they no longer support the 30 3G. So I may be in the market for a replacement, depending on one possible repair establishment (still waiting to hear). And now for the rest of the story…. The Lightspeed is my backup headset, which I was using because my Quiet Technologies Halo headset was in the shop. I bought the Halo headset at least ten years ago at OSH. The wires at both plugs had separated from the insulation, despite the strain relief fittings. When I stopped at the QT booth at OSH last July and told the proprietor, Phil McQuillen, what had occurred, he immediately told me to send them to him. QT has a refurbishment plan, explained on their website ($135 for a complete OH, other repairs billed when the headset is returned). Being in the slow season for flying here in the northwoods, I popped the headset in a USPS Flat Rate Box and mailed it, and an explanatory letter, on 2/6. It arrived at QT on 2/8 (nice work, USPS). I received the repaired headset on Monday, 2/12 (a mere six days after I shipped it off), along with a note indicating there was no charge for repair – not even for return shipping! Talk about one-upping Lightspeed for customer service. The moral of the story: Stop at the QT booth at Oshkosh next July and check out the Halo headset. It’s price is amazingly reasonable, the service is outstanding, and everyone I know who’s bought a set loves it. In fact, they often buy a second set after their SO swipes the first one. Dave

It’s pretty handy for sure. You just have to be careful with cheaper devices as more than a few of them use the USB-C port but don’t implement the USB 3.2 spec meaning they are just dumb 5v power supplies. There is also USB4 which is also used on the USB-C connector. USB4 can apparently go up to 48v and 40Gbps of transfer rate! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB4

It’s worse in Cruising sailboats, many or most boat yards have a “Field of Dreams” where people buy old boats with the idea of fixing it up for that World cruise that they have dreamed of for years. Very rarely do they ever make it out of the Field of Dreams, the amount of work and expense is orders of magnitude more than was hoped for. It’s sad really, just like walking past the old Bonanza with flat tires etc., slowly rotting away. Depresses me when I see that. I Love it when people rescue an old airplane as they are a limited resource, all the Mooney’s that there are, are all there will be.

Same, mine always shows less than 100% after a flight.

I use @mike_elliott 's technique. When I'm instructing someone new on how to board, I add two things. One-don't touch the door. Two- stand on the wing walk and look down through the windscreen and grab the bar with your left hand. #2 is helpful. Otherwise, they fumble around banging the visors.......

One of the greatest pilots to have ever lived and one of the greatest fighter pilots of WWII was plagued with motion sickness when he began his flying career. The man was Bob Hoover. He got through it by doing exactly this....flying and flying a lot. Not saying it will work for everyone but apparently it worked for him. He did it by pushing himself through aerobatic maneuvers and flying at the edge of the envelope in his airplanes. Not sure I would suggest that to just anyone but maybe if you just keep at it and fly as much as you can, this too shall pass.

At an APS seminar, the GAMI Guys said they tufted the engine in a Bonanza, and put a camera in there. Just as you say, the airflow was not at all what was expected, and in some cases, flow was reversed.

Or helm the boat. I think it helps partially by giving them something to do, but also because they are looking at the unmoving horizon. Worst thing they can do is go below or read a book, I think because they aren’t looking at the horizon. Looking out at the horizon is really important I think, learning to hover a helicopter your not looking at the horizon and it made me sick. Boat wise I’ve heard that getting in the water stops it, but not for my Daughter anyway, on her check out dive I learned that you can puke through a regulator, who knew? The little reef fish loved it. She doesn’t dive now

No, but I think uncle Orville mentioned it one time….

They covered a friend of mines when his went out, about the same parameters as you…

The system is pretty simple. DC current is supplied to the alternator rotor through the brushes creating a magnetic field rotated by the engine. The stator coils surrounding the rotor have an AC voltage induced in them by the rotating magnetic field. Diodes rectify the AC creating DC voltage at the alternator output. The output voltage varies with the time rate of change of the rotating field, so voltage would increase with rpm without a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator samples the output voltage and adjusts the field current which varies the magnetic field controlling the voltage. Since the alternator is attached to a vibrating engine, loose or broken connections seem to be the most common failure.

I was up early this morning to go out and train a student who had just upgraded his panel with three GI275s and the GFC 500. Weather was predicted to deteriorate with strong winds by early afternoon. True to the forecast we landed at Hayward about 12:30 with winds gusting to 31. There were some issues with the installation so I spent some time calling and talking to the installer about what needed be fixed. San Jose is fairly close to Hayward. I took off to return home a few minutes before this Metar. I was off the ground in nearly a helicopter takeoff distance. The flight back was "Sporty" to say the least, but quick with winds at 1,500 feet at about 46 knots. This was the perfect day for the YD. I was glad to be alone, since turbulence was close to severe all the way back.

Ginger soda and Biscoff cookies. There is a reason why airlines stock both.

You’re learning about old aircraft electronics. Some A&Ps are good at it, but many are not. You need a digital voltmeter and one of the troubleshooting guides like posted above. With the airplane off you can do most of the fault isolation yourself. While you’re at it, check the connections on the alternator carefully for wear. Those connections are notorious. You can also follow the voltage from the vr to the alternator and from the alternator out. Do this really carefully because the engine is running. You’ll likely need to follow the voltage through the system and find out where the problem is. I went through this a couple years ago and it got pretty expensive before I troubleshot it myself, found a corroded connection and fixed it. But at least I got an education and a new VR and alternator out of the deal…

Plane Power publishes this guide: Troubleshooting Guide For Externally Regulated Alternators.pdf

I have posted this before, but it is worth mentioning again. Keeping your battery on a battery-minder is a good thing. But it has the possibilty of masking a problem. It is possible for the battery to appear great, but go down rapidly when disconnected. Like when you fly out of town for an overnight. It is wise to disconnect it for 48 hours occasionally to see if it drops. Your IA is supposed do a capacity check at annual, but I suspect that many do not.

Every day is the perfect day for the YD in a V-Tail Bonanza

My impression was that Cirrus marketed their planes to (broad generalization warning) high net-worth individuals with low piloting skills. Given that population, both the fixed gear and chute make a lot of sense. So does the extensive Cirrus-specific training. It’s not a dig at Cirrus, just my unscientific observation. I know a Cirrus pilot that had a catastrophic engine failure in an SR-22T over Santa Ana. He declared an emergency and landed at John Wayne. He’s also a highly experienced pilot and said he never really seriously considered pulling the chute because he knew he could make the field under control. If he had been a 150 hour pilot then the chute pull would have made a lot more sense and probably would have had a similar outcome (for him, not the plane). I guess I don’t get the problem with losing a bunch of Cirri to chute pulls. Seems that is just part of the design.

No question there. I am pro chute but perhaps a touch more hesitant in what constitutes a “pull now” situation than your average Cirrus driver. I’m not sure that chutes are having a statistically significant impact on fatalities per flight hour vs non equipped aircraft. Outcomes for all emergencies are even harder to capture. My father’s in flight engine failure is not recorded anywhere but in our logs and family lore. One thing is for sure, chutes are certainly having a statistical impact on aircraft sales.

Maybe higher fleet turnover is better than higher pilot turnover?

Really? You need something to hold the hose to.your quick drain? I just use 3/8" silicone hose from Home Depot and push it on. I have a 3/8" hose connector on the other end, to make it heavy.to.stay down in the bucket. When I'm done, I hook the.hise together in a loop. One end of the barbed connector is sanded down some, so that I can remove it fairly easily for the next time. Don't sand off too much, or it will come.apart and leak oil everywhere when not in use!

No way I would fly with or recommend flying with scopolamine. It can cause visual disturbances, sedation, and (rare) neuropsychiatric side effects.

No go. ”A very effective drug, scopolamine, (Transderm Scop) is worn behind the ear as a time-released prescription drug that's effective for up to three days. Visual disturbances and even some mental side effects can result from the use of scopolamine, so it, too, is prohibited by the FAA, as are promethazine (Phenergan) and trimethobenzamide (Tigan).” https://www.aopa.org/go-fly/medical-resources/health-conditions/ear-nose-throat-and-equilibrium/motion-sickness

If you want shorter N number, avoid multiple syllables: 2MG is shorter than 7RJ

I want to personally thank those of you who have supported the Mooney Summit's Bill Gilliland foundation to assist downed Mooney Pilot's families thru the Amazon smile program. It was a small, but meaningful help to keep our abilities to serve the Mooney Community going and of course will be missed. Going forward, we will simply have to rely on the direct kindness of our community to support this great charity. iwannadonate@mooneysummit.com paypal or zelle will get the job done And I do want to thank Mr. Bezos for having the program for us little guys for a period of time. While it may not have been impactful on their scale, rest assured the lives we have touched and helped have been very positively impacted.

There are so many views expressed here on our forum and all are important. Each comes from experience and some of that experience comes with past pain. What others gain is the ability to learn and weigh decisions. Our dear new owner here used what he learned from other's experiences and has made a decision he can live with. I'm looking forward to hear about his experience and his journey with this prior loved airplane that will be loved once again. Congratulations on your purchase and the beginning of a new love affair. Now, where are those photos of this beauty?

I took everyone’s advice on here and am thankful for all of it. So even if you think I made the wrong decision - thanks for letting me know what to look out for. I looked at the risk, decided it was right for me, and pulled the trigger. For reference - Borescope and compressions were immaculate. I called all the previous mechanics that worked on it, did my due diligence and found out about the entire history of the plane. Checked the tubular structure, the wing spars, literally everything that was listed and recommended on this post and with a 3rd party mechanic the seller agreed to fly the plane to. Everything came back in great condition. Mechanic even told me he would buy the plane if I didn’t… Only thing I didn’t check was a cylinder which my mechanic and I agreed is probably a large undertaking for a seller. I negotiated the price, and am comfortable with the reality that this might be a dud engine in a year or two. To me - I am getting a plane that I can invest in and mold into my perfect aircraft. Which is what I want to do. I might even be getting the deal of a lifetime - but I’m not betting on it. I’ll follow up with you guys down the road of course, but I think I’m buying a decent plane at a reasonable cost. Will still follow up with photos as well!

Pics coming soon! Will be having it ferried to my home airport next weekend. Transition training already set up with a local CFI that is a Mooney owner as well. Insurance all set (pretty expensive because I don’t have much experience in make/type). Registration all set as well - bank handled it for me. Will be following up with an updated title search down the line to make sure everything finalized correctly. thank you! Incredibly stoked