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Well, I started this project off with just trying to get ADS-B compliant. Airplane is a 1963 C model. As they worked through my airplane they found so much wrong that I am surprised I could fly IFR at all. As you know a 1963 airplane probably has had a lot of work done to it and mine is no exception. But as things were removed and replaced over the years, the wiring was never removed. There were hot wires going nowhere. Other wires that should have been removed long ago that went nowhere. There was a static leak that I was unaware of...etc...etc... So I took the plunge and did quite the upgrade. Garmin G5 HSI, Garmin 530W, Garmin GTX 345 transponder, Garmin GMA 345 Audio panel, JPI EDM 900, new panel. The only unusual thing is that the Attitude Indicator is not centered over the yoke but that was due to the small area on the left side panel that you have to work with on the C-model and the number of instruments trying to pack in there. The panels were pre-made and available from LASAR if anyone is interested. Here are the pre and post photos for your amusement.

Our guy Nathan redid the safety for you guys to see - we all might need to show the poor guy some appreciation - shout out to him if you want! 34274164_651776465214589_949061504672464896_n.mp4

One of my favorite science fiction movies... Not representative of reality (what from Hollywood is?) but entertaining none the less. I was in flight school when this came out, and have to admit that all of us wannabes went to see it when it opened. 1986 - was it really that long ago? I'm sure I'll be sucking in my gut and going to the new release when it opens. Probably even wear my old pair of RayBans. After all, I LOVE science fiction. Cheers, Rick

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk75ps Iceman, the Later Years...

I have the Mountain High O2D2 in my Encore, fed by the on-board 112 cu-ft tank. I just completed flying 40 hours around the country at 16,000 to 17,000 feet, 2 people, and went from around 1500 psi to 1100 psi. If you have this system you will rarely have to fill, and you will never have to fill away from home. I also have a transfill system in my hanger and do my own fills. I also used it to "top off" my tanks. This was before the encore when I was using portable tanks. I soon realized that using the cascade transfill is much more efficient if your tank is close to empty. This is because you get a lot more oxygen out of your low pressure cascade tank if the target tank pressure is low. Once my low pressure tank was lower than my target tank and O2 flowed out of my portable tank and back in to the big tank.

Your observation and experience are unfortunate and not unique. I am a physician well versed in this area. I've done all the AME stuff except take the required 1 week course in Oklahoma (Ive been signed up twice-some work thing always gets in the way). This is what I believe to be happening: -AME's are FAA consultants and are acting as such. They are NOT practicing physicians when performing their "duty" for the FAA. Legally, as a consultant they have no need to carry malpractice insurance as they only recommend whether you qualify for a certain flight medical or not. -Basic Med does have a negative financial impact on AME's (less exams being given). They no longer have a monopoly on flight physicals. I have a 20 year history with an AME Colleague who wont even answer a simple AME question for me. An overt and blatant act to not support Basic Med-sad. -AME's are telling other non-AME physicians they are a high risk if they perform Basic Med exams (false and very misleading). -Primary care physicians don't understand what Basic Med is and what they are signing. -Basic Med is a congressional program, the result of a lobbying group (AOPA), not an FAA program. -Now just a personal thought......The FAA does not want to give up any control and has no interest in supporting a program that was essentially crammed down their throat by congress. Government agencies at their core seek for more control and power, not less. They can't help it. Like any change it will take some time. Personally, I believe the core concept of Basic Med make a lot of sense and is an improvement in care and pilot qualification at a much more reasonable price. A pilots physician should be more qualified to render an opinion as to the health of their patient. This program is also consistent with the DOT CDL medical certificate for commercial truck drivers. If it is of help to anyone, I am willing to provide Basic Med exams at Oshkosh is year. I will be there all week, hopefully camping close to the Mooney Caravan site. PM me if you have interest.

Alright - Attached is a video (the best I could get - it was pretty cramped and THAT's not my hubby ) of removing an oil suction screen off of an M20J. I'll also be posting a video of the re installation. He's using an angled open ended wrench to remove it (which helps). Let me know what you guys think? (Except for the little injury you can see after he gets it out - that's pretty typical too). 34272004_397351424078579_5656757535567249408_n.mp4

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Jerry just called me and we will get together and get this done!

Everyone, Thank you for the recommendations. I feel like an idiot for not realizing that I need the mixture to full rich when I run the boost pump. That will probably make the difference. Cheers, Roger

The Stec 30 is a great autopilot but it is basic. It is relatively bulletproof proof and thus very low cost to maintain. Like most autopilots 90% of the time you will use heading, alt hold & GPSS. However It will not intercept and track a course unless it is within 10 degrees of the lateral course. Thus you can not “arm” it with Heading/Nav. When on the localizer or following the magenta line use “TRK HI”. Bear in mind that It will hold altitude but will not intercept/track a GS. Same is true for an LPV. Verticle mode on an approach must be handled by the pilot which is no big deal. The use of GPSS will work to intercept the final approach course but then you must change over to “TRK HI” to legally fly the localizer. (Note: TRK LO is used when tracking a VOR to allow it to pass over the VOR without a lot of undulations. You will rarely use TRK Lo.) If you have a 2nd Nav you could set it to the localizer and monitor the approach while continuing to fly with GPSS. One hint to help with sensitivity is to set the CDI course width to less than the standard 5nm enroute on your GPS. You can download both the Stec 30 POH and GPSS from the Genysis site for details.

Let’s hope that there is a big increase in new pilot training starts. That would be good for GA.

Mixture full rich, then boost pump, then cutoff. I do 3-5 seconds boost in summer and 5-7 seconds in winter. Don't touch the throttle. Main thing for the cold start is after boost pump and going to idle cutoff then wait about 15 seconds in summer and 30 seconds or more in winter. This gives fuel time to vaporize and it starts right away.

Roger, try 6 seconds, exactly. Works for me every time, even with a marginal battery. Of course, I fly an E and they are super. If it isn't starting within a few blades, then spark, fuel and air--that's it. Very simple. Else, hie thee to a wizened Mooney A&P.

Just to be clear, are you boosting with the mixture to idle cutoff? That is more than likely your issue. You should boost with mixture full rich and then go to idle cutoff to start. With the method you are describing there is no fuel getting to the engine when you boost. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would hope after 31 years he made it to Captain rank. Otherwise he’d be a civilian and there’d be no movie!

That’s certainly the truth: Mooney fuel bladders aren’t self-sealing battle damage resistant internal tanks. They are plastic bags that hold fuel. A great way to keep said fuel in the wings, I might add! its only emotional because some personalities can’t accept that two different methods could be subjectively evaluated both equal or unequal for certain missions, despite set objective differences. Garmin vs Avidyne (or garmin vs aspen), bladders vs reseal, single vs twin, crab&kick vs. forward slip, turbo vs NA.....it’s funny to me, too, what gets some people worked up! One of the guys I instruct with likes to say the following in his briefs... “There are lots of techniques.... but mine are superior.” Of note, I don’t believe his techniques are superior.

If you have never watched it with the director commentary it is worth doing. You watch the whole movie with not only the director but the guys from Top Gun that assisted with the technical aspects and setting up the different sorties, they talk about the reason they did different things including the aerodynamics of the "flat spin" that killed Goose and why they used that, the guys that did the cutting and editing of the footage, etc... There are a number of cameos in the movie by the pilots that did the flying as well as Top Gun instructors that advised on the set and they point those out. I enjoyed it possibly more than just watching the movie itself.

The empty weight of my M20E with 64 gallon bladders is 1675. About 2% of that is the bladders which are 20+ year old and have been maintenance free. Worth it to me but to each her own.

Dude You know there are 12-step groups for this sort of thing, right?

Thanks AGL! I’m thinking I will put the bandaids on before I start.

Thanks Nathan! I didn't even know where the damn thing was. See? The expletives have started already!

Sure can you put the turbo on mine too?? Good luck with you business adventures we wish you well.

That doesn't make sense to me. Missing the camaraderie of friends and fun for a political reason? Life is too short for that. I expect to be there +1.

No, I don't think leveling it will drain more fuel out. If the sumps are completely removed, there should be very little fuel left in the wing. This conversation is bringing back flashbacks!

Roger, There are cold starts, hot starts, and warm starts. For my '78 J: Cold start: Throttle 1/4" to 1/2" forward, mixture full rich, boost pump for 5 seconds, boost pump off, mixture cutoff, crank, when it catches.. mixture smoothly about half way to full rich, throttle back to 1000 RPM. If it doesn't start within a few seconds, start over but only use about 2 or 3 seconds of boost pump. Hot start: Throttle 1/4" to 1/2" forward, mixture cutoff, crank, when it catches.. mixture smoothly about half way to full rich, throttle back to 1000 RPM. If it doesn't start, proceed to warm start. Warm start: Same as cold start except only use the boost pump long enough to establish fuel pressure. That's usually only a second or two at the most. Have fun.

@CG Roger welcome to the forum - fear not, all questions are valid (and mostly met with valuable insight) there are topics here that will bring lively debate - others will bring experience and wisdom If ya think cold starts was something wait till you ask about hot starts and venture carefully into lean o peak......

email sent

Exactly how long are your appendages?! I’m 6’4” with a 36” inseam. If you need to move back 1”, it sounds like your legs are 38” inseam. Never heard of a 6’ person having an issue with seat positions. Just curious... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

You might check to see if you have rudder extensions on the airplane that you could remove. I think there were 1.5" and 3" extensions. Removing those may give you the extra leg room you need.

Both... Bladders are good. Modern Integral tanks are good. The only thing that will keep a fire from erupting is to not mention that either one of these great Mooney fuel systems is better than the other... It is possible that one is better than the other... but, that would take knowledge of the person making the decision... As in... which is better for me? So WCB, which is better for you? I went with the Piloto method... 100+ gallons of fuel in integral tanks... and it has made all the difference.... One of these days... i’m Going to add those fancy digital floats and a fancy digital monitor and a fancy waas gps to fully integrate with those integral tanks... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... Best rgeards, -a-

GET OUT! Again? Here's what was posted on the Mustang board recently: My Reply: Mooneys can have bags (bladders). They are an aftermarket item, no production Mooney was fitted with them to my knowledge. That said, if you want some fun, go over on Mooneyspace and post “Bladders are better than a reseal.”

(Not to rain on your parade, Roger...) Welcome aboard Roger... You might want to consider some transition training to go with that new ownership experience... Aside from starting the engine, there are a few other quirks that are better to be known before hand, then trying to figure out in flight... There is also a search feature here... you can learn a bunch of things... there is plenty written about hot starts... some written about really cold starts... I don’t remember any covering normal starts... difficult normal starts are usually connected with something not working properly... Getting transition training may be a way to have somebody knowledgeable with a Mooney help you identify what isn’t working properly... There is a lot to know regarding ownership and flying old planes... Transition Training isn’t just for newbies.... gruff old PP thoughts only, not a CFI... Best regards, -a-

When I fly to BOS via Mooney, it's always for 1 week. I always use Norwood, and take the commuter line into the city. Train is only a couple miles from the FBO and they usually drive me over (Uber works as well).

Welcome Roger! This is my cold start procedure in my J: Fuel selector fullest tank, mixture full rich, fuel pump on for 8 -12 sec then off, mixture ICO, don't touch throttle...its already at ~1000 RPM from previous shutdown, wait a few sconds, turn key. Ready with mixture rich once she fires. Don't need full rich mixture. Only as much mixture as needed. Not full rich. Lean brutally for ground ops. Fires up in one blade most of the time.

You must like horror films Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sweet!

All modern airliners have integral tanks. The reasons: Only cans of sealant need to be in stock at the MROs for tank repairs. With bladders you need to have in stock the bladders for each wing section for each plane model. Bladders weight is considerable more vs integral tanks, thus reducing payload capacity. Moisture trapped between the bladder material and airframe structure can cause corrosion. José

But that’s all my ballast.....[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not sure why this is an emotional topic. Some like vanilla ice cream, others chocolate. Both get the job done. I think you should look at the values/differences of both approaches and make the decision based on your assessment of what meets your need. I'm happy as an owner who has 27 year old bladders. They owe me nothing... As for the fuel leakage in an accident. It comes down to basic physics. If the accident momentum is high enough, nothing is going to keep fuel in the wings.

The mechanics of the gear systems are pretty robust. The electronic sensors, and indicators, arguably not so much. Indeed, for whatever reason, people have posted a rash of gear warning problems lately. To understand your problem, you really need the electrical schematics for your particular make and model, located in the Service Manual. Note that different Mooneys have different gear warning systems. Among the electric gear models, the systems are similar, but not always exactly the same. If you or your mechanic don't have the schematics, you're just guessing. Same about advice given here - the more directly said advice references the schematics, the more likely it is to be right. I have a set of schematics for M20J S/N 24-001 through 24-0237. Based on that, I'm going to guess your problem is either a malfunctioning/mis-adjusted squat switch, or landing gear doughnuts that didn't expand enough after liftoff to trigger the squat switch. That seems to fit the conditions you described. The logic of the system according to the schematics is that if the gear selector is moved to the up position when the squat switch "thinks" there is still weight on the wheels, the gear horn will sound, and the gear unsafe light will illuminate. Since the gear is still actually in the down and locked position, the gear down light will also be illuminated. Note that while it might be a good idea to clean the limit switches in the belly, they likely have nothing to do with this problem. Suggest the first thing you do is examine the condition of your main landing gear doughnuts. Does the gap measured at the retainer collar exceed the limits in the maintenance manual? You measure this with the airplane on the ground and full fuel in the tanks. No disassembly is required, so you can measure it yourself - no A&P required. When were the doughnuts last replaced? If it's been a long time since the last replacement and/or the retainer collar measurement is beyond limits, it's likely the doughnuts are slow to expand on liftoff, and therefore aren't triggering the squat switch. In this case, the gear can fail to retract immediately after liftoff, but will eventually retract if you simply wait a while for the doughnuts to expand. Sounds like what might have happened to you. If you're sure the doughnuts are in good shape, you'll need to get with a mechanic and put the airplane on jacks to test/adjust the squat switch. There is just too much that can go wrong fiddling around with the squat switch while the airplane is on the ground.

Your “vent” was a wonderful “tribute” to your friend. Vent received. Vent appreciated. I look forward to the conclusion. Another “Good Guy” that flys will be missed by those that loved him. Always hardest when young are lost... Truth be told I should have flown last weekend, but it was hot/humid and weather had convective predictions for going up and return. Didn’t pan out on poor weather.

Make sure you keep both engines well maintained. 3700 pounds on 160 HP on single engine operation is not the same performance as a Mooney (2700lb/200hp) on takeoff, specially at altitude and hot. José

Great Pirep, Vance! Knowledge is power... some people are uncomfortable with flying because they don’t know enough about how a plane works... We have a special program for those people... it is called ‘right seat ready’ If interested... Jolie / @mooneygirlmight be able to fill you in on some details.... Thanks for sharing... Best regards, -a-

Anthony, Stephen, I am not Jolie but having seen her at several Mooney International shows, AOPA Fly-Ins, AirVenture, MAPA and numerous other flying events I'll observe that she has to be spending a meaningful amount doing aviation volunteer presentations. Panama City Beach is airline distance from Oceano CA and I'm sure she has to draw a line somewhere. The Summit structure which we all love involves no registration fees, free meals, and top expert presenters. Ron Dubin's generosity allows Summit to comp rooms for presenters but as far as I know no one receives an honorarium or is reimbursed for travel. OTOH, I don't think Summit has ever or wants to start charging for a special presentation like RSR. (Jan Maxwell and Jolie have given their presentation several times across the country charging a nominal fee to help defer travel costs.) I am a big fan of Summit but I am not on their board and I'm not intending to speak for them. Mike, Seth, or Lee might chime in.

You can if you don’t have any of the old man problems. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Coming home . . probably 5-10 knots too fast.

After lots of comparing, we have decided to install the JPI EDM-900. After installing TSO'd Volt/Ammeter, will be able to eliminate cluster gauge, yielding space for Accutrak II if one is available. Space above the cluster gauge will allow mount of IPad. Thanks to everyone who provided input and advice. Much appreciated. Three week delivery to finish replacing pilot's side panel with six pack.