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I finally found the airplane for the family. Excited to start training. We had a long 2 days of flying home, but we made it.

Someone is going to have to inform Aspen and Avidyne that their days are numbered since they are way too busy waiting on customers to notice it. By the looks of the hordes of people in both of their booths today at Oshkosh they aren't having any problems whatsoever. I had a question to ask Aspen about their new products and it took over an hour to be able to talk to one of the many Aspen reps since there were more people than their large display booth could possibly hold. Avidyne also was packed today. Their niche market started out to be slide-in replacements for the old GNS 430/530 technology, but one of the reps said today that over half of their business is now coming from those who are re-doing legacy panels are planning them around the IFD platform. It's great to see competition in the market! Everyone wins. When I walked by Bendix King's stand-alone building it looked like there were a lot of people there until I realized when I walked in that they all had light blue Bendix King shirts on. Very sad. If anyone's days are numbered, it's Bendix King's.

After a lot of work and a fairly big chunk of change this is my upgraded panel for my 89' Mooney 201. It features a Garmin 530WAAS, 345 Gamin Transponder (ADS-B In& Out). Regarding the 345, I opted for the density altitude/temperature feature. Very handy when taking off when dealing with high density altitude airports. This required a separate temperature probe. Garmin Encoder, JPI900 engine monitor (Love it). Century autopilot. I mounted my Wing X Pro 7 on my mini iPad. Not shown is an antenna pig tail where I can plug in my Icom hand held should I need a 2nd Comm. It is as close to all glass as I can afford. I fly approximately 150hr/year. BTW-all the instruments and Druck transducers are listed For Sale here on Mooney Space. Everything worked fine when removed. AOPA article August 2016.pdf

It wasn't today... or me at the controls but it was fun to vacation on the outer banks in North Carolina for the past two weeks! Flying around the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills and KFFA is a must do!

Hey! Let’s be fair. King almost has a KI-300 and they do make fine Swiss watches according to one guy here. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

he said two bag, not tea bag.

Oh, and thanks to GDS and Genesys/STEC for sponcering. Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

The first taste is always free.

What a great party! plenty to eat and drink and surely over 100 MSers and other Mooney folks. Thanks to Yves, Ned, Ute, and Diane! Mooney Caravan's assigned location must be the best spot ever in the North Forty. Just past the first wash house, an easy walk from the North Gate.

I've slept since then... but I think I was told in the Aspen booth yesterday that the new screen on display side by side with the current 1000Pro would be out in Nov. New, faster processor and much higher res, brighter display.

I agree that it is always best to simply pull the side panels and have a look- here’s a leaking sending unit.

"Upgrades of existing displays will start at an introductory price of $2,995." The Aspen rep told me that the only thing that would be changed out with the upgrade is the display unit - the present configuration module will tell the new unit what options and settings you have. https://aspenavionics.com/news/aspen-avionics-introduces-evolution-max-flight-displays/

We had a very good crowd. Thanks all that attended. Thanks for the help of Ned, Ute, Alan, Brenda, Dolores, Barry and a few others that help setup. Special thanks to GDS Aero and Genesys Aero Systems for their monetary help. We will post a financial report within a week. MooneySpace and MooneyCaravan are both getting a donation, similar to last year. Yves

WHAT A TURD OF A THREAD.

Well you are supposed to slow down and pull over for the cops. It has to be one of the sillier security theaters that are done. Like they are going to let loose with some 40 mm bullets and explode a small plane and have all that fall down on the general population. Dialing back the security theater around the POTUS would save lots of tax dollars.

+1 and that's not all! Some people wouldn’t recognize value if they ran into it! Look at all the innovation coming from Garmin. In contrast there's "zero" innovation from Aspen or Avidyne for that matter. Aspen is stuck on an archaic 13 year old display. They can’t even update their freakin’ display! Avidyne on an 8 year old box. Trying to latch on to the GNS success didn't work too well for them. The way I see it Aspen's and Avidyne's days are numbered. Once the new Garmin autopilots are out they're both going to be ancient history. Just like their boxes. Garmin owns the navigator and display market right now as we speak, and about to own the autopilot one as well. A and A better get off their proverbial and literal asses and do something... now. For the sake of their survival and for their customers'. Values of airplanes with their equipment will plummet and that can’t be good. The writing is on the wall. But unfortunately, as they have demonstrated, they just can’t compete. Cutting price can only go so far. Soon they won't be able to give them away.

Bought this J in March, but didn't get a chance to go on a trip until a couple of weeks ago due to work commitments. Flew a triangle in the Southwest: San Diego - Las Vegas - Bryce Canyon - Santa Fe, NM - Sedona, AZ - San Diego. Mod. turbulence on each leg, gusty winds and density altitude landings and departures had me worried that the wife would never want to go on another trip. Fortunately she's now hopelessly addicted to airplane ownership and is itching to go on another trip. Neither of us had been to Bryce Canyon before; jaw dropping views, pictures don't do it justice, and we were both very taken with Santa Fe, and will definitely visit again. Landing in Sedona is a blast, and was my first time landing there in 16 years. Fun route as the longest leg is only about 2 hours. Here are a couple of pictures of our 201 parked up at BCE and SEZ.

My upgrade should be completed tomorrow, and flighted tested in the afternoon. Juuuust in time for Oshkosh. Final picture when completed. Old and new shown. SVT when the airplane can be pulled out tomorrow for GPS position that is needed for the SVT.

Buy the newest you can comfortably afford up through the J. Above that, you have to decide whether the turbo is needed or worth it to go to a K. Above that, the decisions get tougher, as you have start deciding whether you want bigger engine vs economy. You will be happy with whichever one you get, and likely only slightly envious of the next steps up. And watch the different individual planes within these parameters. Again, buy the best example of the level you can get. Lastly, try to figure out what equipment you "must" have. Letting the prior owner pay for nicer avionics, A/P, etc. is MUCH better than "adding it later".

The tech says approximately 5 lb weight gain Griggs Aircraft charges $1500.00 to install 10 gal add on

sorry got cut off for a second Mooney 6 Bag 54 gal 1 set = 6950.00 2 set or more = 6650.00 Mooney 8 bag or 64 gal 1 set= 8875.00 2 set or more 8475.00

by leaving gaps it allows you to go back and insert some really neat ones in between. We had F105s, F100s etc.

I usually sit around 5-6 psi in my carb C

Thanks guys. Yes I am familiar with the air stop tubes. I read about them on Mooneyspace! That is probably the best, simplest and least expensive solution, although not quite perfect as ideally I'd like to know how much air is in the tires. The STC thing is the biggest sticky wicket, not something permitted in the FARs I realize. I figure if someone gets an STC for something, me altering it willy-nilly is not quite kosher. Although as far as taking liberties with such things, I guess drilling a hole in a hub cap may be pretty minor. But I just don't know what kind of unintended consequences might result. I don't know what those spinning wheels are doing when they tuck up into the wells. Except getting tangled up in the bird's nest. Perhaps a mechanic can tell me if there is a hazard or a liability risk. I'll have to come to judgement on this. Ultimately I'd like to paint or powder coat the wheels and get rid of the caps, and let form follow function. (The wheels are in really bad cosmetic shape). But of course that means....money. Incidentally, this site has been great and tremendously helpful since I decided to buy a Mooney, and looked for one to purchase. Now I just have to figure out how to quote and respond!

These guys are slackers! No video of the arrival. No pics of the get together. All I can think that would create this behavior is pizza and booze... how dare they! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Thanks for the info. You definitely have a panel to die for. I have 2 Garmin 430's one with Waas and I like your panel lay out better than mine. I will check on the L-3. I like that screen display for traffic also. If it's the same price as the Garmin I would go with the L-3.

That sounds GREAT! Our CFI tour guide warned about squirrelly winds due to the surrounding trees, so have your game face on. KFFA is in excellent shape and the parking ramp and pilot area is nicely done. I'd definitely land there for sure and will probably do the same cross country in a few years. On the ground at KFFA, you will be super close to the monument and don't have to worry about driving and the traffic. I highly recommend staying for a few days for the great seafood! We ran out of time to try all of the restaurants.

It's just another case of unnecessary STC, as adding hubcaps is certainly not a major modificatjon per the FARs. But if you buy STCed parts to install, you gotta follow the instructions and file the Form 337, Major Modification paperwork. Estupido! But you can always do like Don did, and make your own (owner-made parts are OK, since new Mooneys all have hubcaps).

FWIW, my last flight for about an hour...

Here is my completed panel in my F.

This is sage advice. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bob, If I were you I would start watching carefully over my shoulder at all times. I would be afraid someone would try to bump me off, to get a shot at the purchase from your estate.

Thank you. What I want is someone who may have already taken a look or knows the airplane for sale. If someone has looked at N333MT in Alabama and decided it was not for them, perhaps they can provide valuable information about the airplane. I am not looking for opinions on whether it is a good value based on the ad. I am looking for someone who has seen, photographed and touched this airplane. As you know, I recently went to look at a 231 that was completely misrepresented. I can help and save someone the expense of looking at this airplane because I have seen it and touched it personally. Hopefully, there is a Mooney owner in Alabama who knows this M20F N333MT and can help. Thanks again!

Hawk at VDF

...so, if the gear is not operating correctly, how did you know it was going to go back down? Wouldn't this trouble-shooting best be done while up on jacks?

Ooof. There is a plenum on the right cabin kickpanel that feeds the right floor eyeball vent that was intended to be used as a source of cooling air for the avionics panel. However, all bets are off if you have an electric radio blower, since that would be installation specific, I imagine.

Chris, not me. The boost pump was rebuilt less than 2 years ago, if I remember correctly. On this forum it has not been recommended to use the dukes pump any more than necessary. This flight is asking for it to be necessary. There is a filter at the boost pump. It was cleaned at the last annual. Also, is the FS450 transducer allowing fuel to go thru, or restricting the fuel? Engine pump was never touched in the years that I had the plane. May be old. Be safe, what is your but worth? Ron

Just ordered mine. Thanks.

We're in row 524 North Forty with the Mooney Caravan. Come by and check it out this week. My paint job - '66E - (Hawk) is 3 weeks old. Took him 3-1/2 months but he's very thorough. I think the price is very competitive for the quality and attention to detail. $12,500. was what he quoted me in late 2017. That was for white and four trim colors, all Imron, all but the white are metallics. Joe is a classy guy. He should be in a new, bigger shop by November and be more efficient.

The hubcaps my hangar elf manufactured have a provision for adding air without taking them off. I have an adapter/extender that temporarily screws onto the stem after popping the button out.

My friend and his wife bought a car in Nampa Idaho. It’s about a three hour drive, step in their friend with a Mooney and cut their trip down to an hour. And the Honda dealer was just down the road from the airport. Good times, and I got to park next to a 201 when we got there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Depends on the source. Might be as simple as fuel gauge sender gasket seeping. Might get by with a patch, might need full reseal or even bladder installation. But reseal vs bladder is kinda like religious belief, just like many other common issues. I chose reseal because it patching twice did not work.

Looks really nice, love what you’ve done to bring a great plane up to standard, Twins. You lucky rat!! Good luck

The upgraded installation (and it definitely is an upgrade from the older G500) was finished last Friday just in time for Oshkosh. I'm still figuring out how to make the best use of its capability. There is a lot to it and much more flexibility as compared to the G500 I traded in. Altitude and vertical speed preselect is much faster than the old way of doing it. Deciding what you want to display can be done easily on the fly as compared to the G500 that required a lot of menu selecting and button pushes. Turns out my problem with the lack of geo-referenced chart display was a database problem. The flight charts database had not become current yet, and while it displayed charts on the dedicated Charts page it did not display on the Map Page until today when the new charts became effective. I'm looking forward to all the new software updates on both the G500 TXi and GTNs. If the ability to reverse the size of the PFD and MFD is pilot selectable, that would be a great addition. I'm not sure from the reading of the update if it is pilot selectable and, therefore, a fixed reversal.

Aviation or boating forums are the only places where you will see "only" and $60,000 in the same sentence. [emoji4]