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  1. They won’t let me fly their jet fighters anymore. The day after I no longer pulled 5-6 Gs (or more) multiple times every day, my middle started expanding. It hasn’t stopped. First my toes disappeared, and then the equipment in the Nether Regions disappeared except on outstanding occasions. My feet might as well be in China. My toenails are turning into claws. The ladies no longer look at my ass as I walk by. My eyesight has started to fade. I once had the best vision of anyone I ever flew with except Chuck Yeager. He could see another aircraft at 60 miles and I could not see it until 50 miles. And he was older than me. I guess that is why he was an Ace. The music has faded. All those years in close proximity of screaming jet engines will do more damage to your hearing than a rock band. The VA gave me some very nice hearing aids but I don’t wear the damned things. I don’t want to look like an old man. However, it can be a blessing when I piss off Silvia. My prostate started to enlarge and I have to pee every 5 minutes. Speaking of which: The pressure is too low, the hose is too short, and the nozzle is set on spray. I find it advisable to sit down to pee to avoid getting Wet Foot Syndrome. I know the location of every publicly accessible bathroom within 100 miles. My gyro tumbled and I have vertigo. I have had it many times while flying in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) weather but this is different. This is Visual Flight Rules (VFR) weather all the time. I walk like a drunken sailor. My golfing days are over. My back swing would put me flat of my back. A walker may not be far in the future. If I were to find myself on the ground in the middle of an empty Wal-Mart parking lot, I would not be able to get up onto my feet. The legs are just not there anymore. I would have to crawl to a shopping cart or fence to pull myself up. My smoking days finally caught up with me and I have emphysema/COPD. I used to cuss while climbing out returning from North Vietnam if I was so high that my Zippo lighter would not light so I could have a smoke to help me come down from an adrenalin high. I have had to go on oxygen in order to have enough to live. It is a real bummer to have to haul a bottle of O2 around with me when I go out of the house. I wear a nose harness at home and drag a plastic tube around and an oxygen concentrator out in the garage runs 24/7. The tube is always snagging on something or someone steps on the damn thing and it almost jerks me ears off. Don’t get me wrong. I like oxygen. I used to really like it after a night of serious partying when I had an early morning mission. As soon as I got into the cockpit I went on 100% O2 for startup, taxi, and weapons arming pit. By the time I had wheels up I was ready to fight. My sex life is 99.9% in my head. But I think that is pretty normal for the male population, which thinks about sex on the average about every 10 seconds. At least that has always been my average. And they won’t let me fly their jet fighters anymore. Getting old is a bitch. Some after Thoughts: Some people wonder why old fighter pilots (there are no Ex Fighter Pilots) miss flying high performance jets so much. A couple of examples: 1. I start up, taxi out and line up on the centerline of a 10,000-foot runway. I throttle up to full power, release the brakes and go into afterburner. There is a huge shove against my back that pins my helmet against the back headrest. The runway streaks under me faster and faster. At flying speed I raise the gear to get the wheels free of the earth. Flaps up. Sink down a foot or two until the end of the runway and then the field boundary flashes underneath and I pull the nose up to point to the sky and freedom. The horizon rapidly expands and after about three minutes and 6-7 miles above the earth I come out of burner, roll inverted and at zero Gs let the nose slowly drift down to the horizon. I look out the top of my canopy at the earth far below and think about all those pedestrian assholes down there that will never know what true joy is. 2. I complete my mission in North Vietnam and climb out South toward home base far away. I have to go to 53,000 feet in order to have enough fuel to make it. Once there, the adrenalin is subsiding and I turn off my cockpit lights to enjoy the view. There is not one light visible an the ground. But above: Oh my God!! It is unbelievable! The sight is not describable. Only God could have created something like this. The stars and galaxies are so bright that I do not need cockpit lights to read my instruments. This is something that an old fighter pilot cannot forget and it is only one of thousands of memories that only an Old Fighter Pilot can have. And they won’t let me fly their jet fighters anymore.
    5 points
  2. A K at 12K versus a J at 9K is 5 knots difference at best. Unless you get up into the FL's you aren't going to see that much of a speed advantage and generally to take advantage of getting above/around summer build ups you need to be in the teens at minimum. Personally given the mission you list I would lean heavily towards the J. K's are nice but it really doesn't bring any additional value to your mission over a J and brings a lot of negatives (2 more cylinders, turbo, generally less useful load, higher fuel burn, etc.).
    4 points
  3. Nice, if everyone would be smart about it, we could have kept the FAA out of it, but unfortunately that has not been the case.
    3 points
  4. I'm not the one who flew. Mooneymite was looking for a short flight to warm up the ole lycoming. It gave my son a chance to video his departure from our airport today with his drone.
    3 points
  5. My '74 also has ducting from the muffler shroud to the carb air box. My carb heat is definitely not just "cowl heat". It's as hot as the air provided to cabin heat (minus the longer ducting heat loss). In all these discussions of carb heat, I'm always perplexed by the resistance of some pilots to use the factory installed carb heat in accordance with the POH. It doesn't cost a penny and at altitude, the danger to the engine of unfiltered air is miniscule. My POH is pretty clear: Warning: Apply full carburetor heat when reducing power for descent, or landing. Pretty clear to me. Anyone who's left the carb heat on for take-off (NOT ME!!!! ) knows that takeoff performance is terrible, but in a descent.....it is not noticeable, particularly if you lean the mixture properly. So, my question is: why not use carb heat for every descent like the POH says? Hank, I realize our POH makes certain exceptions for a carb temp gage, but it does not say to not use it. Those with a carb temp gage may use "partial" carb heat. Unless you have a warning light, or watch that gage constantly, there's no assurance that carb ice won't sneak up on you while you're busy flying. It's free. Use it.
    2 points
  6. I wonder if it changed for later models. 1967 and before definitely had heat from the muffler shroud ducted to the carburetor air box.
    2 points
  7. With both oil and fuel pressure reading low you might have a grounding issue. These gauges measure resistance in the sensors but they are sensitive to resistance in the entire system. You might want to check the main airframe ground back at the battery. Even a small amount of oxidation where it attaches to the airframe can cause low readings in those two gauges and high readings on the oil temp and CHT gauges.
    2 points
  8. I've had one of the dongles for a couple of years and used it to play around with Software Defined Radio. As mentioned above it was originally designed to use with laptops to recieve TV signals. A few years ago a group hacked the drivers to it so that the user could set frequency, gain, bandwidth or sampling rate desired. It just streams the digitized IQ data back to the computer where software algorithms demodulate the data. Because the demod is done in software instead of hardware it doesn't care what the modulation scheme is. Not bad for a $10 device. This is the same device used in the homebrew Stratux. Here is a slightly better one that I have used to capture the 978 out transmission from my plane, it is FM modulated. I was able to demodulate and parse my information from it.
    2 points
  9. That's great news! I really liked hearing what you thought AOPA could do better. I agree with you! The "pre-Baker" years were tough. But there's been a lot of positive change in the past 24 months. Any time issues come up or you have a question, like the things you and I discussed this morning, please let me know. And that goes for all the folks on MooneySpace. If your an AOPA member, I (and everyone at AOPA) work for you! The new leadership within AOPA understands that. Doing right by our members and providing the best Media, Safety content and Advocacy efforts along with personal service it what we are committed to do going forward.
    2 points
  10. Now you get to paint a little balloon silhouette by the pilot's window. Four more and you're a balloon ace. Now you're going to go looking for them!!
    2 points
  11. Hi Mooney Enthusiasts, My name is Tracy Ball and my father was Larry Ball, Author of "Those Remarkable Mooneys". The book is currently out of print and I’m looking to reprint it. But the cost of reprinting it will be prohibitive as it will need to be transformed into a digital printer’s file. A small run of 2000 books is around $11,000. So before I invest this money or run a Kickstarter to raise it I first wanted to know if there was enough interest from in buying the book or an ebook. I’ve created a very short survey that will help me better determine interest. Please take a moment to complete it: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8YRX6W5 Thanks so much for your time! Cheers, Tracy Ball hello@tracyrball.com 503-805-1149
    1 point
  12. Back in my renting days, I rented a number of Cherokees, Warriors and Archers. The main difference moving to a Mooney (specifically the earlier models) is adjusting to the speed, landings and understanding slightly more complex systems (retractable landing gear, constant speed prop). Planning for descents requires a little more foresight since our flap and gear speeds are lower in the older Mooneys. I have been an F owner since 1991 but anyone I ever knew who owned a carburetor version has been happy. It isn't until you get to the turbos that you experience a significant performance gap. I would look for someone to give you a ride in the models you are interested in and see if they are what you are looking for. Unfortunately, I did that and couldn't get Mooney out of my head! Good luck and keep us posted on your findings. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    1 point
  13. sorry, 2nd link has more of the cost difference breakdown... Wasn't much difference. I love my K. I think the cost differences are primarily market perception and fear of turbos/cost concerns. K's in general, seem to have more standard equipment than similar vintage J models.
    1 point
  14. We never figured out if the Navy built the fences to keep the Russian spys out, or to keep the sailors in.
    1 point
  15. I agree and don't think its absurd but there's a limit to what AOPA can do to influence the way business leaders decide to run their companies. Since each company is different its up to the decision makers and their employees to decide what works best for them. What AOPA can do is tout the benefits of GA travel and the positive impact its had on business, both small and large.
    1 point
  16. I'm pretty sure, at least per the Dmax article, that the air gets heated via same muffler shroud that heats the cabin in all carb'd Mooneys. The article was very useful to my understanding after multiple A&Ps, including an MSC owner, puzzled over and misunderstood how the carb heat system in my '68C was rigged. To summarize: 1. Pre-'62 - No bypass valve on the carb heat box, so when carb heat and cabin heat are both off, the hot air in the shroud just sits there and overheats the muffler. 2. '62-'67 - Turning off the carb heat simultaneously opens a bypass valve on the carb heat box. It solved the problem above, but the bypass valve mechanism was finicky. 3. '68 on - No more bypass valve on carb heat box. Instead the bypass valve is moved to the cabin heat control on the right firewall. When cabin heat is off, some air is always exiting the shroud to the cabin heat control, where it gets dumped via a scat hose ending near the right cowl flap opening. When carb heat is opened with cabin heat off, I wonder if airflow out this hose slows or even reverses to prevent loss of carb heating capacity. Seasoned Mooney mechanics have told me that some unscrupulous mechanic previously "welded shut the bypass valve" on the carb heat box of my '68. In reality the factory probably welded it shut on their stock of older style carb heat boxes left over from the previous year when building my plane, which was the second '68C built. In any of these systems, I would think that using cabin heat would decrease carb heating capacity, and vice versa, but I don't know if it's enough to matter. Still, I wonder if it would be worth closing cabin heat if one got into a bad carb ice situation?
    1 point
  17. Well.....I just happened to doing the form for medical recently and had it handy. I would tell you I have an excellent memory for detail/minutia, but.....uh, what was I saying? After I retired from my airline job, I never figured I'd need to know flight time again, but when I decided to go back to paid flying, I had to fill out the "application from hell" that wanted every aspect of my flight experience listed....OMG! Don't give up your logs prematurely. You just never know.
    1 point
  18. DLT... Our family of four uses a N/A Mooney. Mostly flying the East Coast. Keeping alts under 12k' is just a comfort issue for them. 1000+UL, 100gal tanks, we typically make stops every 2-3 hours just after the halfway point in a long trip. There is a lot of sleeping going on. Sometimes taxiing before take-off... Not much different than being in the car... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  19. George, what I think we're looking for in this matter is advocacy, not with the IRS or the FAA but with the companies who let their lawyers run their policies. What if AOPA's legal eagles told management that the corp should reduce potential risk by prohibiting employees, e.g. George Perry, from using their personal plane while on company business? If that's absurd for AOPA why is it? If AOPA can overrule their lawyers why can't XYZ International? What sort of white paper can your marketing folks put together to help. Safety stats, insurance considerations, productivity considerations, testimonials... can we get some ammunition to help justify changes? One would think that the corner office folks who have a flight department at their beck and call should be naturally sympathetic to employee/pilots. Surely pilots as a class make superior employees. Why would a progressive company punish their present staff and hinder their recruiting by an antagonistic policy? I see an analogy to hiring vets. Just good business.
    1 point
  20. They won’t let me fly their jet fighters anymore. The day after I no longer pulled 5-6 Gs (or more) multiple times every day, my middle started expanding. It hasn’t stopped. First my toes disappeared, and then the equipment in the Nether Regions disappeared except on outstanding occasions. My feet might as well be in China. My toenails are turning into claws. The ladies no longer look at my ass as I walk by. My eyesight has started to fade. I once had the best vision of anyone I ever flew with except Chuck Yeager. He could see another aircraft at 60 miles and I could not see it until 50 miles. And he was older than me. I guess that is why he was an Ace. The music has faded. All those years in close proximity of screaming jet engines will do more damage to your hearing than a rock band. The VA gave me some very nice hearing aids but I don’t wear the damned things. I don’t want to look like an old man. However, it can be a blessing when I piss off Silvia. My prostate started to enlarge and I have to pee every 5 minutes. Speaking of which: The pressure is too low, the hose is too short, and the nozzle is set on spray. I find it advisable to sit down to pee to avoid getting Wet Foot Syndrome. I know the location of every publicly accessible bathroom within 100 miles. My gyro tumbled and I have vertigo. I have had it many times while flying in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) weather but this is different. This is Visual Flight Rules (VFR) weather all the time. I walk like a drunken sailor. My golfing days are over. My back swing would put me flat of my back. A walker may not be far in the future. If I were to find myself on the ground in the middle of an empty Wal-Mart parking lot, I would not be able to get up onto my feet. The legs are just not there anymore. I would have to crawl to a shopping cart or fence to pull myself up. My smoking days finally caught up with me and I have emphysema/COPD. I used to cuss while climbing out returning from North Vietnam if I was so high that my Zippo lighter would not light so I could have a smoke to help me come down from an adrenalin high. I have had to go on oxygen in order to have enough to live. It is a real bummer to have to haul a bottle of O2 around with me when I go out of the house. I wear a nose harness at home and drag a plastic tube around and an oxygen concentrator out in the garage runs 24/7. The tube is always snagging on something or someone steps on the damn thing and it almost jerks me ears off. Don’t get me wrong. I like oxygen. I used to really like it after a night of serious partying when I had an early morning mission. As soon as I got into the cockpit I went on 100% O2 for startup, taxi, and weapons arming pit. By the time I had wheels up I was ready to fight. My sex life is 99.9% in my head. But I think that is pretty normal for the male population, which thinks about sex on the average about every 10 seconds. At least that has always been my average. And they won’t let me fly their jet fighters anymore. Getting old is a bitch. Some after Thoughts: Some people wonder why old fighter pilots (there are no Ex Fighter Pilots) miss flying high performance jets so much. A couple of examples: 1. I start up, taxi out and line up on the centerline of a 10,000-foot runway. I throttle up to full power, release the brakes and go into afterburner. There is a huge shove against my back that pins my helmet against the back headrest. The runway streaks under me faster and faster. At flying speed I raise the gear to get the wheels free of the earth. Flaps up. Sink down a foot or two until the end of the runway and then the field boundary flashes underneath and I pull the nose up to point to the sky and freedom. The horizon rapidly expands and after about three minutes and 6-7 miles above the earth I come out of burner, roll inverted and at zero Gs let the nose slowly drift down to the horizon. I look out the top of my canopy at the earth far below and think about all those pedestrian assholes down there that will never know what true joy is. 2. I complete my mission in North Vietnam and climb out South toward home base far away. I have to go to 53,000 feet in order to have enough fuel to make it. Once there, the adrenalin is subsiding and I turn off my cockpit lights to enjoy the view. There is not one light visible an the ground. But above: Oh my God!! It is unbelievable! The sight is not describable. Only God could have created something like this. The stars and galaxies are so bright that I do not need cockpit lights to read my instruments. This is something that an old fighter pilot cannot forget and it is only one of thousands of memories that only an Old Fighter Pilot can have. And they won’t let me fly their jet fighters anymore.
    1 point
  21. Russ, did this get resolved? If not, call John Bodenmann at the CMI service center in Mobile. 251-436-8670. He has new harnesses in stock (the Gold Seal ignition harnesses are around ~$400'ish), can take your payment and ship out immediately. Needed one replacing on my former IO-550G several years ago (before I bought my IO-550N8B through them). I've purchased consistently with them for over 6 years, and have always received top quality service and professionalism. Personally, even if they do supply individual wires, spend the additional money and get the full harness. Sleep better at night.
    1 point
  22. Have fun! The turbo should come in handy where you are. I'd recommend an experienced Mooney instructor to teach you the ins and outs of the F. There's a list at the back of The Mooney Flyer (www.themooneyflyer.com), as well as some here. Check out MAPA (www.mooneypilots.org) and see if there will be a Pilot Proficiency Program reasonably near you anytime soon. The MAPA website has a review posted of a non-turbo F, written by a former Mooney test pilot who rose to VP of Engineering for Mooney. The F should run ~20 knots faster than your 182, on about 2/3 of the fuel. It's not as much of an SUV, but should still haul a decent load. Full fuel will be a lesser percentage of useful load, too. Before you buy, have a mechanic you trust review the logbooks. Visit and fly the plane. Then get a Pre-Purchase Inspection from an A&P with lots of Mooney experience. There will be many suggestions here, depending in where the plane is currently located. Enjoy the search, and let us know how it goes!
    1 point
  23. I highly recommend the Donaldson filter. Costs more but lasts longer. No messy oil involved. I swear that when we switched we picked up another inch to an inch and a half of manifold pressure during cruise. I think it supposedly does a better job of filtering the air too.
    1 point
  24. Darn it! I've been doing both things wrong! I crab on final then use rudder in the flare to align with the runway and aileron to stop the drift. The other thing I do wrong is use throttle for speed control. Whatever works.
    1 point
  25. I think the useful life of them depends a lot on how well they are routed and supported. Also if you have a spark plug that opens up with high resistance the voltage is going to increase to the point that it can spark to something. It can either spark through the insulation on the wire to the shield or spark through the adjacent windings on the mag coil damaging them.
    1 point
  26. Turned a 2.5 hour drive into a 45 min flight to go see my former flight instructor who is now a seaplane pilot in Juneau. Things noted. "This is all the travel?" while playing the flight controls. me "That is all it needs" The control inputs of yanking a Beaver off the water does not work so well in flying a Mooney off the runway. He pretty much got the landing... a little hop. The wife was reminded of the benefits of fast air travel
    1 point
  27. I would like eight, preferably black. My red "Battery" looks good. One labeled "radio master" and these in the picture...
    1 point
  28. In 10 years of M20C flying I experienced carb ice once. In the spring with light rain with clouds 500' overhead. RH was 100%. MP dropping out slowly over time was pretty noticeable. Power was restored by adding full carb heat. Over time the MP would drop out again. As a Mooney pilot, I would prefer to not use full carb heat for only one reason. The intake is small and MP is less. With the carb temp gauge it is much less of a guess what is going on and more of a read the gauge deal. Use of Partial carb heat without a gauge is dangerous because the resulting icing can overcome the carb with no way to Resolve the blockage. 'carb heat' is a bit of a mis-nomer. Warmed Alternate air source is more in line with what it does. As Hank points out the air source is warmed by the cylinder cooling fins near (400°F) (fins not air temp). Not like heat coming from the heater muff wrapped around the 1000°F exhaust pipe. Hope that helps shed some light, -a-
    1 point
  29. That topic is harder to write about than it is to actually fly. Flying a well executed slip is a cognitive challenge. Writing about it is cognitive overload... I think I basically confused the two types of slips with a slip vs. a crab. David mentioned using it to slow down. As Hank pointed out there is a forward slip and a side slip. One is used to dissipate huge gobs of energy. The other is used to handle X-winds during landing. Important for Mooney pilots.... When entering and exiting slips. apply the controls smoothly in both directions. In other words, it is easy to dump the rudder input. The tale will wag quickly. Something to avoid while low and slow. Guessing... (Forward?) slip is used to dump energy...? Example: Full left rudder and lowering the right wing with ailerons. Your passenger has a great view forward, by looking out their side window. Same thing can be achieved with full right rudder.... Turning the plane sideways (sort of) to the relative wind will slow you down. (Side?) slip is used to align with the runway while landing in X-wind. Lower the upwind wing using ailerons, maintain alignment with the runway using rudder. Know how much drag the rudder is generating. You will be slowing significantly more than usual by doing this. Did I get any Closer? This is for conversation purposes only. I am only a PP, I am not a CFI. Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  30. "Crab" is when your passengers look out the side window to see where you're going. I've had up to 40° crab in cruise before, making a burger run. Just point the nose wherever it needs to go (into the wind some) so that you move in the direction you want to go. I generally try to fly a 1/2 mile pattern, and about halfway from wings level on final to the runway I transition into a slip. There are two kinds of slip: losing excess altitude or speed, and crosswind landings. To lose excess altitude or speed, just bank one way and push the other rudder. You'll steer out the side window like when crabbing, but your descent rate will increase and your airspeed will get slower. This is a "side slip." When landing in a crosswind, you don't want to land in a crab, it will side load the gear. So use the rudder to point the nose down the runway. Now the wind is blowing you off the side, so use aileron and bank into the wind and steer yourself into alignment with the runway. Ailerons will hold you over the pavement, rudder will keep you pointed straight down it. This is a "forward slip." Unless, of course, I have the two slip names backwards. I never could get the names straight, although functionally they have never been a problem. Too high, slip or go around; too fast, reduce power and slip, land long if possible or go around; good crosswind blowing, slip to land. The big point of contention about crab and slip in a crosswind landing is when to change over. Some of us do it soon enough to be in good control early, some like to wait and "kick in" the slip at the last minutes,hoping to get it right, not side load the gear or dart towards the edge if the runway. Its fun practicing side slips at altitude. I used to do it for 1000' to each side, just to get comfortable with it. Climb high, aim towards something distinct and distant, kick full rudder one way and steer towards it with aileron. Watch the VSI & ASI, vary the I outs and see what changes. After dropping 1000' switch directions. Oh, don't have anything laying around loose when you do this . . .
    1 point
  31. Bracket filters come from the manufacturer "wetted" with a sticky oil of some sort. I don't claim to understand why, but presumably the foam and oil combine to provide appropriate filtering. My mechanic advises squeezing the filter with a clean shop rag prior to installation, to press out "excess" oil. Not sure this is required in the modern era, but there was a time when Brackett filters had issues with too much oil in the element as packaged. Anyway, this may be the oil you're thinking of. We treat the filters as disposable, we don't clean and reuse them as you might do with a Challenger (K&N) filter. I do wash the sticky oil off the aluminum filter cage and the intake air box with mineral spirits when changing the filter, but I always blow them completely dry before installing the new element. That "clean line" you're seeing is associated with the cage that holds the filter. I don't have a separate photo handy, but if you look in the first photo, you can see a little bit of the cage behind the filter element. The back side of the cage has a couple of strips of aluminum to give it some structure, and the line you see is where one of those strips covers the filter element. I think you're right that it protects the element from whatever is deteriorating it.
    1 point
  32. doable but I'm sure they would not like it.
    1 point
  33. Says Tony with his thumbs in his ears, fingers waving, saying nanny nanny nanny!!!!!! Good post Tony.
    1 point
  34. I can't imagine anything more reassuring than 20 consecutive annuals at one of the elite top tier MSCs.
    1 point
  35. +1 to this. Vertigo can come from a variety of things and at some point we all experience it.
    1 point
  36. Some issues not discussed openly... 1) Constant wear of some of the control parts while being stored outside in a windy area... 2) Damage caused by 'violent' full deflection of the control surfaces hitting their stops. 3) Anything that can be forgotten connected to a control surface must allow for safe flight. This is for anyone that has tried to taxi while tied firmly to the ground... 4) Some of the coolest devices come out of Don's hangar! Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  37. Frustrating when stuff like this happens, but as you mentioned less frustrating (1) when the airplane is on the ground not in the air and (2) not stranding you hundreds of miles from home.
    1 point
  38. Right now my 540 gets a traffic sensor error every 5 minutes or so, traffic goes away and comes back. Rather aggrivating. I put the 9000 in the right stack, mistake...should have moved something over and put it above the 540. I will probably do that especially if it doesn't start playing nice with the 540. It's only money, damn it !! :-) too much angle and it's a long way to reach and touch one small dot.
    1 point
  39. N201MKTurbo was right. This was in fact the correct cap for the map lite switch. Thank you so much for your help! Hopefully, others may find this thread useful if they are looking for a replacement cap as well.
    1 point
  40. Sorry I couldn't make it! Was in NC this weekend. Will be putting together a breakfast later this month and will post. -Seth
    1 point
  41. I guess we are still on track, marauders girls haven't showed up yet.(I wasn't going to bring it up but the problem seem to be solved now.) You are correct. Some autopilots can handle this, it's the same as having a crosswind. Some autopilots seem to struggle, it may be some internal settings. In an A36 I flew for a customer I had to set the course pointer five degrees left every time to be on course, otherwise it would happily fly one dot to the right every time.
    1 point
  42. We can discuss and analyze vertigo and it's causes until the cows come home. We can minimize it, and yes, head movement and inner ear is what it is all about. Try to minimize the onset best you can. If you think you need to look down, then by all means, look down! The fact is, vertigo can set in at any time, and we need to be ready regardless of when or why. Trust the instruments, cross check to make sure nothing is wrong with the instruments, and ignore the false signals from your brain telling you to do otherwise. Fly the airplane according to the instruments.
    1 point
  43. Should start to see the new Mooney Summit site by the end of this month. I'm still working some backend and internal logistics.
    1 point
  44. Yesterday was a beautiful day for flying in South Florida, albeit a bit windy. A cold front had just passed, and the barometric pressure was 30.24". We practiced some approaches with 35 kt crosswinds, and 90 degree crosswind landings 15G25. We also got gas at KFMY. Note the beautiful clear blue sky. (Fuel price isn't so bad either!)
    1 point
  45. Finally I get to drop off my plane to the radio shop on Tuesday to get my iFD540 installed. At least until the bill comes.
    1 point
  46. I purchased a new set a few years ago that had 90 deg brass boots on the plug ends. The 90 deg bend lets the wire exit without a sharp bend. They have held up very well. At the time they were manufactured by a small company called skytronics. They have since been purchased by Kelley.
    1 point
  47. I have contacted Aircraft Spruce. They have customer service online with limited tech support. I sent the details to at least see if they can source these wild geese. I'll copy the response when I get one... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  48. You do realize that you can replace a single wire lead on a harness? It requires some special tooling but they sell spare wires in different lengths to do the job. If you still have your original set it my be an option for you. If your harness was not old and just one wire got damaged, such as chaffed, that is the thing to do. If its an old harness then I'd replace both mag harnesses which are sold as a kit. Aircraftspruce has a big selection and your current magneto type and plug type (i.e. Bendix vs Slick mags; not engine model) will direct you to your kit options available pre-fab'd for your mag, plug type and engine model. It really comes down if you want to pay more for a nice colored leads (as I did).
    1 point
  49. My useful load is just shy of 1,000 at 991. If you have a 231 in good condition, your annuals should run 2-3,000 per year, but on a periodic basis there will be more costly repairs. Alternator coupling is about $3,500, alternator itself is about the same. Vacuum pump about $500. Magnetoes a little more than that. They have a reputation for needing a top at about 1200. I did a field overhaul on mine at a little over 1200, I believe the need for it was there when I bought the aircraft at about 650 hrs., it had not been well managed by the prior owner. A 231 requires a good deal of manual management of MP and mixture, even with a Merlyn (semi-auto wastegate), and good temp management. The prior owner or whomever he loaned the plane to did not know what they were doing I don't think. If you want inexpensive, don't go turbo. Buy a J. But if you want not too expensive and a truly great aircraft for long distance travel, the 231 or a 252 would be your bird. I am going to the Bahamas in a couple of days, from Minnesota, my third time in my aircraft.
    1 point
  50. I have a 231 and know several people who have them. It is a very nice airplane, normally has a good useful load for a Mooney, and is cost efficient. Fuel flow at cruise is generally in the 12 something gallon range for 75% power (i.e. 12.5), for 165-175 kts true in the flight levels. The issue or group of issues with the 231 is that it was Mooney's first foray into turbo's and high altitude flying (high for us lowly pistons). There are a number of things in the aircraft that are underdesigned for this purpose and that were corrected in later aircraft. The alternator is a direct drive, and the clutch is prone to failure. I replace mine every 500 hours as a precaution. There is one vacuum pump, although you can add a standby, it is also a 500 hr. item. If you fly in the flight levels, the magnetos wear faster, and should be replaced or rebuilt at 500 hrs. I love mine, however. I am flying it to the Bahamas later this week - you guessed it, in the flight levels. It is not uncommon on a west to east trip to see ground speeds of 230 kts, my fastest at level cruise was 275 from KPIA to KFDK. The speed flagged of a little as I got to the east coast, but it was a short fast trip. The turbo also allows flying above the popcorn cumulus and thus out of any turbulence.
    1 point
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