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There's two issues here and sorry if I conflated them Ability/legality of purchasing fuel (with or without STC) Approval acceptable to FAA to utilize fuel in an aircraft (STC, fleet wide, field approval, etc) Is there something documented that says non-certificated aircraft have to purchase an STC? I was surprised that one could walk up to the pump at Watsonville (WVI) and self-serve G100UL. I see no provisions on the G100UL STC site for airplanes not on the AML to purchase an STC. As stated, one cannot apply an STC to an aircraft without a type certificate. I would use the term 'aircraft' if anything other than airplanes were approved. However, it may be that a company chooses to sell a 'data package' as part of some STC like process for a user to determine compatibility with non Part 23 / CAR 3 aircraft. The following statement has been made by GAMI on several occasions. "The reality is that every single [certified] spark ignition piston powered airplane is approved to use G100UL Avgas. Without exception. That approval covers about 98+% of all of the piston powered aircraft found in the FAA type certificate data base. “ There is confusion by many regarding the term 'drop-in' and 'fleet wide FAA Approval' which has likely led some to believe they can just fuel up their E-AB without verifying compatibility (either logbook entry stating it was determined to be compatible or re-enter phase 1 testing). The reality is that not all aircraft are permitted to use G100UL without additional steps (some likely are lengthy). Here's my understanding of it: Part 23 and CAR 3 airplanes <- On the AML, good to go with STC purchase and 337 form Rotorcraft <- not yet approved via STC (been in the works) S-LSA <- needs to be approved by manufacturer (e.g. RV-12) Experimental aircraft (E-AB, Warbirds),etc <- builder/owner has to determine compatibility prior to use (really need data/testing to do so) Special, Limited, Restricted Category, etc (e.g many warbirds,etc) <- not on AML, requires a field approval (via data) It's clear that currently not ALL aircraft are blanket approved and many may require special approval. Good description by the FAA here about pathways and approvals for special aircraft.

John, glad to hear you are doing this. I finished my A&P with the practical in October, 48 year journey, started working on airplanes as a 16 year old kid, aerospace engineer in a former life, most of the people that signed papers that I submitted to the FSDO were long dead. I qualified with a total of 30 months of life experience. I did not go to a class and passed the multiple choice test, did not learn a whole lot from that. I passed the written and oral without preparing for it, simply did not find the time while running my business, passed anyhow, maybe just grand fathered in, the real learning came and still comes from people that know more than me, old salts that have done this kind of stuff all their life. They are burnt out like anybody who is good at what they do, they smell a rat before it raises its ugly head, each of them has their own little tricks, that is where you really learn, you treat these people nicely they will share their knowledge. I have a local guy that does my annuals and who really understands my turbo engine, a Mooney guru far away on retainer for consulting, and an avionics guy about one hour away. These guys have forgotten more about airplanes that I will ever know. You learn from doing and from people that work with you, the certificate is just a license to learn. Enjoy the journey! -Fritz

Well, I sure didn't buy brand new; I bought everything associated with the retract system that could be unbolted, from a K model from BAS in Greeley CO, it was a bit more than $5K delivered but has everything associated electronically and mechanically. Plus pay Mooney for engineering documents and review, plus pay my A&P to install. The install isn't finished yet so there is not a final number at this point.

Call me crazy but that is not the original throttle cable. And, it is far too gone for repair considering the consequences if it fails Two options: 1) McFarland and they will help with building a legal new one 2) Any number of aircraft salvage yards will have a workable unit but it will likely be an original type (not vernier) In reality one doesn't need a vernier type anyway as most flying is done at WOT on 4 banger Mooneys. A new one is a "cost of operation" in the aviation world.

McFarlane can make a cable by duplicating your existing cable. There is a process that is described on their website: https://www.mcfarlaneaviation.com/customs/custom-push-pull-controls/

I recently bought a 1987 252/Encore conversion. The 77cf oxygen bottle was expired and I’ve been searching (mostly in vain) for the proper new or used brackets to use for a 115cf bottle (I was looking specifically for the Mooney part numbers). I finally found them on BAS and they are from this Bravo! Parts of her will fly again!!

For those of you who work on your own airplane but don't always have someone present to help you remove and reinstall the lower cowl, here is a YouTube video which shows how to do it without chipping paint or scratching the spinner. This jack makes it safe and efficient and it's easy/cheap to build.

Hey All, Formally 503Guy, moved to ID fully so figured it was time for a name change. Picked up N18GX yesterday from Jimmy G - super stoked to be back in the air! Jimmy is a class act and the transaction was a breeze; shouts out GMax. Holler if you see me around!

Yes, confirmed that it was the correct bearing and race (Timken Bearing 08125-20629). Here is a picture of the bearing that we replaced. I ended up getting a wheel assembly replacement from Altair aircraft: https://www.altairaircraft.com/products/40-87-mooney-m20j-cleveland-nose-gear-wheel-assy-5-00x5?_pos=3&_sid=2923ba4e2&_ss=r

According to onlinecomponents.com, the V3-2451D8 switch is discontinued and the recommended replacement is a V7-5F17D8

Is this it? https://lasar.com/switches/stall-switch-v3-2451-d8 I don't know how Honeywell's part number system works, other than V3- is the basic pin-plunger microswitch, and the -D8 is for the 0.188" wide quick-connect (spade) terminals. Otherwise it'd be fairly easy to try to find an equivalent or crossover just using the specs, but the -2451 doesn't appear in any of the documents that I can find. If somebody could post a pic of the assembly with the switch part number showing that would be better to get it right. The good news is that nearly all of the V3- and V7-, etc., microswitches are the same dimensions, so finding one with sufficient specs will fit and do the job. It's not like it's carrying massive current or a big voltage or anything. I'd also add that sometimes when these get intermittent it's just the connections on the spade connectors. Working them around a little or seating them better might be sufficient to getting it working again.

My $0.02 as an armchair (recliner couch, actually) lawyer regarding the legality of BUYING G100UL: ANYONE can buy the fuel from a vendor without a GAMI STC and there is nothing GAMI can do to the buyer about it. Your contract is with the fuel vendor, NOT GAMI. No way for GAMI to sue you, the buyer. If GAMI wants to stop the practice they will need to sue the fuel distributor/vendor and make THEM police the purchase of G100UL. Seems like a pretty poor marketing strategy to me. The whole STC thing is a red-herring with regard to the PURCHASE of the fuel itself. The STC is required by the FAA, NOT GAMI. GAMI holds the rights to the STC and can, therefore, charge for the STC. The STC is required by the FAA for CERTIFICATED aircraft, but NOT EAB. Therefore, fueling a CERTIFICATED aircraft WITHOUT the STC is going to invoke the wrath of the FAA, not GAMI. Unapproved modification. Period. EAB is on their own although if 'bad things happen' the FAA will go after them for failing to adequately test the fuel. All IMHO

You can find the cleveland catalogue on line. Find the correct wheel for your plane, then click on the part number and it takes you to a breakdown of all parts. Typically it will list the parts for A,B,C in a table, with different part numbers for some of the components. It could be a different bearing, different wheel half etc.

The races are a shrink fit. Getting that loose would require removing material from the wheel. Have you verified that the bearing is correct part?

Stall warning vanes on lesser aircraft get bent accidentally. Mooney stall warning vanes are hardened to prevent this, and if you try to purposely bend it, it will resist right up until fracture. Because a bent stall warning vane is not accurate . . . .

A big thank you to @LANCECASPER & @PaulM for putting all the pieces together. Some additional remarks regarding typical G1000 installations found across Europe. Since Sirius XM services are unavailable in Europe, the GDL69 is of little to no use. However, it remains installed mainly to avoid confusing/messing up the G1000 system (otherwise we would have to install Charly weights instead ;-) IMHO for the FS210 install, the wiring to GDL69 RS232 #1 and all configuration should be done for the exact same reason: to prevent any confusion within the G1000 system. Because we lack ground based ADS-B services that provide traffic or WX information, we can only receive ADS-B position signals from equipped aircraft. As a result the GTX33ES is typically installed in our G1000 Mooneys instead of GTX345R i. For traffic information the GTX33ES is often complemented by an AirAvionics AT-1 or one of its predecessors connected to the G1000 MFD which provides traffic information via Mode-S (proximity & altitude only), ADS-B- in, FLARM in and sends out ownership position via FLARM out. The AT-1 configuration of G1000 RS232/AirInc423 is provided manually anyways (no config file available): ADS-B in (traffic only) AT-1 ADS-B out: GTX33eS FLARM in: AT-1 FLARM out: AT-1 (with antenna diversity) FLARM is particularly useful, as there is a significant amount of glider traffic between March and November—most of which is invisible to radar. (One notable exception was a glider riding a wave at FL270 in the Frankfurt region; he was on radar frequency, but that’s another story!) For satellite based in-flight WX Information we often utilize an Iridium satellite transceiver provided by Golze Engineering (typically no G1000 MFD integration) Long story short: since the GTX33ES SW is provided by 0401.37 we typically don't have to fiddle with GTX345R updates or different gtx.rgn files. Of course we have to do the wiring from FS210 to MFD RS232#3 as described above and provide the configuration with CONNEXT Format 1 in/out. Last but not least remains the question which exact "magic" Cirrus configuration file is required (if any at all).. Let's get this integration done! Best, Matthias

I’m not sure, but that throttle cable doesn’t look factory. I could be wrong. Regardless, as N201MKTurbos suggests, you could try spraying some silicone spray, or maybe some LPS2 in the to see it if the button can be freed up. If that doesn’t work, McFarlane is still your best bet. They can provide you with the paperwork to fulfill the requirements of an owner produced part. It wasn’t that long ago that McFarlane had only the mixture cable PMA’d for vintage Mooney’s, and I did the paperwork for the throttle and prop governor to replace all three at the same time.

Shoot some lube around the button and push it a zillion times. It will probably loosen up. In this case, too much is just right. Also shoot some where it goes into the panel. You have nothing to lose.

We are an authorized installation specialist of Surefly. No buyers remorse yet. Lots of fans.

That’s weird. Never seen that before. What does the bore look like? All I can figure is the bearing seised and spun the race.

I read this differently. E-AB aircraft sometimes use different techniques, construction, and materials than certified aircraft. Given that GAMI went through the STC process and isn't openly sharing what materials were tested and how, this makes the use of an alternative fuel from this pathway more difficult for an E-AB owner/operator to determine if it is safe for their aircraft, especially for early adoption where there's limited field testing. If you decided to forgo the STC and just "fuel up"...what liability coverage do you have from Vitol, GAMI, or your FBO? Even if you obtain the STC, what testing did you do to ensure that G100UL is safe in your airframe if you can't reliably refer to similar product testing that GAMI may or may not have performed? Regarding whether it's legal or not to purchase fuel without purchasing an STC is a distant concern compared to the above in my mind.

I have no idea. It came that way from the shop.

Don't know how to combine, but I have 2 tabs. Fuel calc and everything else

Shhh. There may be wives reading this forum.

Negative. NEVER bend ref vane on a mooney. It’s hardened steel and will snap.

Will do soon

Same - and one thing I bet a lot of people on here discovered: Once you learn how to properly maintain an aircraft, you can maintain cars to make them last virtually forever as well!

Speed tape!!

FWIW, your A&P will determine whether 337(s) need to be filed. I know of no regulatory requirement to file a 337 for this repair. There does not seem to be agreement among the relevant masses that a 337 is required to remove an STC, if this was installed with one, but you do hear that opinion a lot. Some argue that the original, pre-STC configuration is already approved, so if removing an STC restores it to an approved state, that's...already approved. I don't think many people file a 337 to remove a Brackett air filter (which requires a 337 on many airplanes). The other side of that is that the TC is altered by the 337 and altering it back requires another 337, for the record keeping if nothing else. I don't know of any clear regulatory guidance either way, just opinion. YMMV, your A&P/IA's opinion is the one that counts.

I had the exact same thing happen twice on an Ovation I owned ten years ago. The fuel setup was checked by someone that knows the IO-550 intimately. We tested the Champion (massives) that we took out and all of them failed, with very high resistance. We ended up changing all of the spark plugs and it never did it again. If your fuel set-up hasn't been done by someone that really knows these engines you might start there. Although it wouldn't hurt to check the resistance on your plugs. On troubleshooting it's not always just one thing. Example, you might have been off for a long time on the fuel but your plugs were ok so it was working out. Now if the plugs are higher resistance it's to the point that you can't keep it running at low power settings.

This is one of the very rare instances where I consciously break St. Busch / St. Deakin's commandments. The safety consideration of not having to move three levers in the correct order in a potentially high-stress situation of a go around due to a bounce, "baby on the runway", or something else wins, in my humble personal opinion, over the cylinder longevity consideration. As a matter of fact, in the end of descent the cylinders are comparatively cool anyways.

How did we go from troubleshooting a failed flap relay to avionics power relays to starter relays to golf cart parts?

Sorry, this is the first thing that came to my mind, and I could not resist.

Here are photos of mine. It is an F so could be different.

Sold with certs only way to get 8130 is to purchase through mooney . I sell too many shops per there I.d. And length all over the world. And various mooney shops Check with your mechanic about ac43.13 m20 overhead vents homemade non finished ends vs finished ends

I just hope they survive so I can install GAMI injectors. Still in the ToDo column on my shopping list

Years ago I bought this really high end Italian oscillating belt sander. It worked really well for a few years and then the oscillating part stopped working. I took the machine apart and found this helical worm gear made of bronze. I hunted for the company only to find out they had gone out of business years ago and if I couldn’t get the gear the machine was scrap. Well, a new machine of this size and quality was over 20k so I started looking… I ended up finding a shop in Columbia (the country) that would to produce the part for $75. I ordered three of them and zip tied them into the machine near the gears… I’ve used one more set of them and apparently this was a part designed to wear to spare the more expensive parts. sorry for the tangent but my ocd required me to complete the story… point being, I’m not going to retire any machine I own for some part that I know I can figure out a way to replace. I understand there are some things on the plane like a turbo housing, or a crank that are far too complex and critical to produce yourself, but the FAA treats too many things as critical, that just are not so on our little planes. Good machinists all pride themselves on being able to do complicated things, and they are extremely knowledgeable about metal and its properties, those gears are not that hard to manufacture, and I’m willing to bet if you knocked on enough machine shop doors you would find somebody willing to make them.

Mooney M20 Control Wheel Shaft Fatigue Cracks Notice Number: NOTC3947 The FAA is investigating the report of a control wheel separation on a Mooney M20C aircraft due to fatigue cracks in the control shaft or control wheel attachment hub. This failure might result in momentary loss of control of the aircraft until the pilot or copilot is able to regain control with the second control wheel. This may reduce the capability of the airplane or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions to the extent that there may be a significant reduction in safety margins, especially in certain phases of flight, such as takeoff and landing. The FAA’s Aircraft Certification Service recently issued an Airworthiness Concern Sheet (ACS) to highlight this concern and the ongoing investigation including a photograph of the failed part. The FAA is recommending operators visually inspect the control wheel and provide information including description of damage, available photos, airplane serial number, and time in service since installation. To view the Airworthiness Concern Sheet please select this link or paste the address into your browser: https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2024/Sep/2024-09-25_Mooney_Control_Wheel.pdf If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Aircraft Certification Service through Jacob Fitch at Jacob.Fitch@faa.gov.

It did when I owned it.

You need to put a hula skirt on that thing! You must be missing a bolt in the back.

Andrew Hyett, A.K.A. Hyett6420, died at 4:43 Zulu this morning in London. In October 2023 he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and given 6 months to live. He took the 6 he was given and added 9 more of his own to it through his inherent ability to over achieve. With his husband, Andrew Dunning, by his side through all of those 15 months, he lived and enjoyed what time he had. From flying his beloved Mooney, G-OBAL, to a WW II Supermarine Spitfire, he took to the skies as long as he was able. I was privileged to fly on 2 such Mooney flights with him last year and will never forget them. There will be more information coming on his service at a later date, but I wanted to let everyone know we lost a good friend today.

The issue with mine is that the wheel bearing (new) is loose in the wheel assembly which is not airworthy according to my IA. Not sure how that came about.