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G&N took about 3 weeks total to gather all the parts, overhaul and send back. Almost everything internal was replaced with new, so total was $4200. Luckily most of the parts were available new with some research and digging, but one gear was advertised as 10 week lead time. They looked at it and said it was serviceable, so reused it. Obviously shaft and spring new as well as most of the other gears. Reinstalled this morning with my mechanic. Took ~3 hours (alternator, intercooler, starter, etc). About to crank it up and leak check, fingers crossed!

So some years ago I purchased a plane and the owner was keeping the tail so I had to go through the process of reprogramming the ELT and transponder. This led to me going to NOAA and actually updating the info on the ELT. I was reminded the importance of this a few days ago, when I got a call from law enforcement about an elt signal they had received and I was still the contact Apparently the owner, whom I know well and talk to, had not done this, and when they heard and identified the beacon they reached out to me to make sure there was no emergency. I asked several people I know with planes and realized most people do not know this and don’t go through the process If you have not done it with your current plane you really should . ps. It’s free

It is obvious the no back spring from Lasar was a test for the new business model. I am not surprised this happened. It will be better parrts availability albeit at higher prices. It is better to have parts you can source than no parts at all. I wish everyone sucess in this new arrangement.

I thought taxiing around with strobes on was a "Cirrus-idiot" only affair? Don't tell me it's made it to the Mooney world now!

Apropos? Looking at Kerrville on my iPad map app, I noticed this. Talk about downsizing… but I didn’t think it could be this dire.

Clearly it was a storm of prop-strikes.

After the plane being down for 7 months, I'm glad to be able to post some flying pictures. Wife and I flew from AZ -> MN, and then the plane immediately went in for annual. Two days after annual, after some test flights, we went from MN -> MT, spent the night and then flew in to Canada. Stayed a night in Fort Nelson, and then off to Whitehorse, filed a flight plan/called customs, and then to Anchorage, AK, to visit some friends for a few weeks. It's a different life here, and I love it. We flew a lot of the trip up high (10,000), but I got tired of overflying everything gorgeous and decided to stick to the Alaskan Highway route and fly a bit lower. On the last leg, in Alaska, we descended from 14,500 to 6,500 to get some scenic views on the way in to Alaska. Also passed Trent Palmer and his entourage somewhere in Canada, opposite directions and a few hundred miles of separation. I'd love to upload high-res pictures but I guess that feature is broken for me today, so they're compressed from another source online, then uploaded via url here. Spotting mountains poking out at 14,500. My first glacier sighting.. There will be more. Parked in the backyard.

I'll spare the details of my long plane search before reaching out to Jimmy. The short and sweet of it: I saw some good planes, I saw some bad planes. I met some honest owners, and a rather dishonest owner or two as well. Nothing was quite right for me. In my travels I had numerous people say "why don't you just call Jimmy Garrison?" So I did. Now I own a Mooney! Jimmy was very forthright and honest, and did not make any speculations. If he wasn't 100% sure on something, he would make that fact abundantly obvious but give me examples of "how it usually goes" based on his experience. Low and behold, that is how it went for me. He recommended aero-space reports for the title search and escrow. It was inexpensive, and Christina was great to work with. She found an old lien from decades ago, and got it released. She got the FAA documents in order and everything went through without a hitch, the first try. I am long winded and sarcastic (not very good pilot communication, I admit) and Jimmy is quite the opposite. Short and to the point. Despite this great descrepancy in communication skills, he was patient and tolerated my antics very well After making a verbal agreement and having the contracts sent over, I paused before signing. I had not actually seen the plane in person. I saw plenty of photos and had all the information, but I had a brief moment of panic. I realized I had relied solely on the reputation of Jimmy, a man I had never met. So I called him up at the last minute and said "I'm buying the first ticket to Texas to look at the plane, I just need to put my eyes on it before I sign this." He understood. Once I got there, I knew within 5 minutes that this plane was exactly as advertised. No surprises. I signed the paperwork right away. So I guess Jimmy is "as advertised" according to his reputation as well. In this case, the seller wasn't interested in interacting with the buyer, and I understand that. With Jimmy, that direct communication simply wasn't necessary. He took care of everything, and took care of me very well. I hope that I have my forever plane but if I don't, I'll be going straight back to Jimmy at GMAX.

No requirement for them to scrubbtheir data.

I have a 68 G model with strobes only.

https://www.faa.gov/media/13821 Letter of interpretation from FAA. VERY convoluted, but 91.209b requires the use of anticollision light system must be used when operating the aircraft, except when the PIC determines that it compromises safety. What is weird is that the reg on the anticollision light state either a beacon OR strobes are acceptable. But the above letter somehow decides that they are parts of the same system (not what OR means) so both must be on if equipped with both. I can see the argument that the the strobes do a better job of attracting attention, so may go to Strobes - ON just before engine start, but will turn them off after starting.

Voltage regulators have power inputs and power outputs. The first thing to do is make sure you have power getting to the VR. Next se3 if you have power coming out of the VR. With the engine off and the master and field on, you should get near battery voltage at the regulator output. You could use Doc’s trick and check if you have field current by sticking a paper clip on the rear bearing. If it sticks, you have field current.

Maybe for Part 91 but what about for Part 141....

Don't reduce power, that reduces fuel flow and adds to the problem

+1 that the FAA, to their credit, does follow through on the registration data removal request . In my case it took a couple of weeks. Thanks again to @shawnd for posting how to navigate the website to submit the request! For all the folks who consider an LLC simply to hide their info (which can be circumvented with a little effort), this seems like a MUCH better solution. I submitted a request to https://www.aviationdb.com/ that they update their online information to reflect the public FAA information for my tail number, but I will be surprised if they do anything - anyone else have success on that front? Nevertheless, this is progress...

In straight and level on final ASI is good enough reference to the appropriate AoA and that's the speed I was referring to. But you are correct and more accurate of course.

Just use them before you hit the starter, then turn off at night if other planes are operating nearby. And you'll be glad you went LED all around! Brighter, minimal battery load, last forever so you'll never be caught with them inop when you want to fly. I was happy to junk my belly light after the bulb blew at an inopportune time, and bulb replacement was $40+.

I have a coffee grinder if you don't want to spend big bucks.

Check your maintenance manual. You probably have two regulators with a paralleling connection. To eliminate the possibility the wire is bad check the field wire at the regulator. The regulator may shut down for overvoltage. You have no annunciator indications?

At 29/23, 10.4 is not LOP on all cylinders in my engine. At 29./23 I suspect I would have to be about 9.9 GPH to be LOP. When you are LOP, fuel flow determines power. So 10.4 GPH = 142.4 HP = 64.8% (for a -SB) When LOP, lower RPM is better as the lean charge burns slower. So if you are at a higher RPM, you are wasting some of that fuel burn. Plus raising your TIT.

It all depends on what the "asking" price is. Many planes languish on the market with unrealistic pricing especially inflated prices due to emotional attachment. Just look at how many are sitting rotting away on the ramps around the country and when contacted to buy the price is way beyond reason. Its no different than housing- priced right houses sell, priced unreasonable they sit on the market forever. I'm not planning on pricing so as to sit on the market for months trying to squeeze the last dime out of the transaction. Time is money and it takes money to "carry" the asset until sale- the longer you hold it the less you net. You reach a point of diminishing returns. Price it right and it will sell, get greedy and it will sit- costing you money. Simple formula.

1) Running strobes on the ground at night is annoying to everyone around that is not inside your plane. 2) On some models running the nav lights in the daytime dims the gear down indicator making it hard to see. 3) With a beacon that you leave on, it is a quick check that you turned off the master. As you walk away, turn and see if the beacon it on. 4) Beacon on is a sign that the plane is live and the prop is turning or will shortly be turning.

At annual we found it's location well hidden on the oil cooler and not funny to remove just to check it. Also the connection on top of the probe was loose, and surely why it's not working as it should or at least near end of it's life. Didn't want to mess with it there since I didn't have a replacement. Yesterday I finally changed my Oil temp probe, with correct tools, time and headache... I did a quick ohm reading of the old and new probe. Old probe was around 780ohm and new was 620ohm in ambient temperature. Less ohm = higher reading on the gauge, so this appears to be correct. Will test fly next couple of days to verify. M20K 252 - TSIO 360 SB Part: Rochester 3080-37 Oil Temp Probe 5/8-18 Nf3 100-250F Cover sheet is removed...

unnecessary, probably a waste of money, unless you don't meet minumum legal lighting requirements https://flywat.com/pages/aircraft-lighting-regulations Low draw LEDs let you keep strobe and nav light switches on all the time, even before startup. The belly beacon adds nothing here. I had my factory beacon on the belly removed on my '68 and the hole sealed when I went all LED including stobes several years ago.

Actually it’s not about speed at all. Speed is totally misleading because it’s a bit different for every landing. Speed is different depending where you look ASI, GPS, or out the window. Some of those speeds vary with wind, temperature, or altitude. Some of those speeds vary with weight. The right speed one landing is the wrong speed on another and worse yet you’re being fed an assortment of conflicting speed information by your ears, eyes, and instruments. AOA is the only relevant and consistent thing for approach pitch reference.

Yeah, he's a good man. I bought my Bravo from him over the phone from Tucson. Never saw the plane. Ron Fisher, the mechanic also did a good job and helped me out. Good people,

I ran the field wire under an adel clamp to the back of the plane power alternator, and all that had shrink wrap on it, and 600 hours it hasn’t broken since.

I will tie it to the big wire with a nice relaxed loop to the field. What I see often is the field wire unsupported from the engine to the alternator.

There is no such thing as a “average pilot”. Just ask any pilot! lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My field wire broke at the terminal. When repaired, shrink tubing was added to attempt to provide some strain relief. There’s gotta be a best practice for a crimp/wire that fails as commonly as this one from vibration. ???

I’ve had similar thoughts but it’s taking a long time (years in some cases) to move some of the airplanes currently on the market for the price being asked. I’m wondering if you’d be better off wholesaling the airplane to someone like Aircraft Ownership Solutions if you want to get it sold and move on. Or perhaps GMAX has a list of buyers for folks that want to price it for a quick sell off market.

I’m no expert but isn’t there a field switch, possibly a fuse and a breaker that could cause problems too along with the regulator?

With the consolidation, maybe LASAR can afford (lower risk) to stock more parts instead of waiting until they have enough orders to support a production run.

I don't how much he charges, but I believe one thing to be aware of is that his fee is based on the list price, not the the negotiated price. So it doesn't affect him as much if the sale price drops from the list price. With that said, I've only been a buyer in interactions with him and I found him to be honest, straightforward, and helpful, which is more than you can usually ask for.

The TD500, manufacturer link below: https://teslong.com/products/td500-pro-articulating-8-5mm-lens-inspection-camera I got mine from B&H Photo though after the help I got from Teslong I might just buy directly next time. Hard to reach but they were very accommodating in replacing it. I offered to pay to fix since it was my fault but they just sent me a whole new unit for free. They have modular models where you can unscrew the scope. So if you bite it with a valve you could just get a new camera stalk. Forgot the name of the Savvy mechanic but he kind of implied he was recommending that over the Vividia these days. HTH, David

Silicone with nomex 3ply we mold has a lifetime warranty. i sell 300/500 per year The drain is molded into the ply with or without drain assy i rather do inflation or static door seals for pressurized aircraft. When there is oil or fuel contamination it's best to use ams3325 Flurosilicone liner.

I have arranged with Jimmy to handle the sale of my D model when I get ready to sell (NOT yet) and/or handle everything if my wife has to dump the airplane with me not there. Couldn't be happier with the arrangement.

Could you send me the manufacturer's name, address, and pert number for the one you used? John Breda

Jimmy sold my bravo for me and was a first class person and first class process, honest forthright etc.

Nice. I bought my plane through him as well. Definite issues with the pre-buy, but that was probably a surprise to both of us and no fault of Jimmy's. I called him recently to discuss selling my K for an Ovation and he told me that'd be a silly choice, that I have so much in my plane and on such a low time that I can fly it past TBO and get the same money for it, so he'd feel bad selling it for the price he could get for it. So he convinced me to keep my plane, which is appreciated.

The good news is that if an entity comes after you because "good judgement" was not exercised, the burden of proof will be on that entity to demonstrate you were not in compliance. That gives the letter a lot of CYA power for owners who choose to do their own maintenance. In practice, except for oil changes, I don't touch anything without letting my IA know. I want to keep a good relationship and make annuals super easy for all involved.

Has happened to mine a few times, I now carry aviation grade ring terminals and wire crimper with me. In a spot, the ones from AutoZone will get you home… -Don

Ding! Ding! Ding! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! This was the issue, now fixed.

My passenger didn't freak out, but he did say later that he was afraid the engine would die, too. Then I reminded him of the magnetos, and he was, oh yeah, you told me that. I've done emergency extension in the air once (training) and on jacks once or twice. I remembered how it works (move lever, observe lack of green light; pull breaker; move side wall slider to engage the crank; unfold handle and start turning). But you have to pay attention to which way to turn the crank, i started the wrong way--push forward, not wind up towards your shoulder. My seat cushion interfered some with the cranking, and 50+ turns is a lot. Pattern was 1800, so I climbed a bit above it, holding ~100 mph and just extended the downwind until the floor indicator said "Gear Down" and was all green. Took a break around 40, then finished up and turned back to the airport. My biggest concern was a no radio landing at an unfamiliar field. I circled once to descend to pattern altitude, which left me on upwind, lowered flaps (they seemed to be slow), then the gear didn't go down. When I came back to land again with the gear down, I did see a plane ahead of me make a touch and go (saw him on final while I was on downwind, turned base after he passed me). Normal landing, taxi to parking, and two guys ran out of the FBO telling me that "everyone is looking for you, including the FAA." Hmmm, maybe the transponder set to 7600 didn't transmit? The display was lit up for almost 10 minutes before going dark, I dunno. So I called Flight Service, told them I'd landed safely and to close my flight plan. A few minutes later I had to disappoint a very nice city cop who showed up because Memphis Center had called the local 911 . . . She didn't get to make a heroic rescue of my already-parked airplane. But try finding a rental car in a small town on a holiday weekend! Two and a half hours later, we turned the courtesy car back in, which they loaned us after we made a reservation on the phone . . . . The drive home (~4:46) wasn't nearly as fun as the flight up (~1.5 including the extra gear-lowering and returning to the airport time). I'll call back on Monday morning and talk to the on-field A&P. Right now, I'm just tired. I'd like a cold adult beverage, but it would just put me to sleep. I much prefer the boring flights, here to there and back again, no stress, no excitement. Keeping level altitude and constant airspeed while cranking on the sidewall is all but impossible, so I added a buffer to both and flew as straight and level as possible while cranking.

It is almost always the field wires. Check that first.

You can’t. You need to order through an MSC. I ordered mine through LASAR, but the order was fulfilled by Mooney. LASAR didn’t have these fairings in stock. Vantage plane plastics still makes these fairings, you just need to send them your old ones to have them replicated. They can’t sell them as an “off the shelf” part because as it was explained to me, they don’t own the PMA for them, but can replicate user supplied parts. Call them and ask, the lady I spoke to was very helpful.

You cannot order directly from Mooney. You have to order through a Mooney Service Center. They are listed here https://mooney.com/contact-2/

I am not sure what the issue or anomaly you are seeing but the G5 ADI is supposed to be connected to the main bus and start as an ADI the 2nd G5 (HSI) is supposed to be connected to the avionics bus and start as an HSI (unless it senses from the CAN bus that there is no ADI connected in which case it starts as an ADI)

My 1986 M20K 252 did not have one. I added one. Both for safety as a warning and as a quick check that the master is off. I leave the beacon on all the time

My request was also successful. HOWEVER, somehow this database https://www.aviationdb.com/Aviation/AircraftQuery.shtm, which presumably uses the FAA database, still has all of my personal info displayed. Maybe it will eventually time out?