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I prefer the Hot/Crazy matrix:

Logged 5.2hrs today flying to and from Mayo clinic in Rochester MN to pickup my father-in-law. Fog was horrible this morning and I had to wait in my FBO’s lounge. I did meet some cool professional jet drivers who were very open about answering a million of my IFR flying questions. On the way back, I stopped at Yooper RocketMan’s airport to drop off my passenger and then I crashed Yooper’s EAA chapter meeting. Had to leave after I realized that The Fog was moving in at my airport (44nm NE) and it was just past sunset. I ran full throttle and made it just in time; AWOS was 10SM CLR even though the creepy Fog was encroaching quickly. Within five minutes or so it went to 3/4SM OVC002. I have to give a shout out to Northwoods Airlifeline for flying my father-in-law to Mayo Clinic in Sunday. It was IFR all day and there’s no way I could have done it. He had to get there ASAP for last moment cardiac tests prior to his chemo blast starting in four days. Northwoods Airlifeline is such an amazing organization that does so much good for sick folks. The long long drive to Mayo is cut short by 1/4 each way thanks to the squadron of volunteer pilots and mission capable aircraft. https://www.northwoodsairlifeline.org Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

following your logic, every accident is the fault of the CFI as he should have "taught them not to do that' whether he is present or not. In fact, CFI's have been sued years after instruction because of, well, somebody's got to pay, and it is the job of the slip and fall industry to make sure someone does. This mentality tends to limit primary instructors to be young, ignorant, and assetless. And it makes me re-think my daily rate...just sayin... But to answer your question, yes he was there to give instruction. Was he there as a guarantee against preventing the Pic from having an accident? Here is where your perception of an instructors' role is skewed. More accidents have been prevented for sure by instructors, but instruction does not come with a guarantee we can prevent you from doing something that might get us both killed. Most of the time we can and do, but this isnt an ironclad guarantee.

On a soft field takeoff it is possible to have the airplane leave the ground before the POH specified rotation speed. When it comes off the ground depends on DA, wind, type of ground makeup. Soft field takeoffs should be a part of transition training with a Mooney Specific Instructor. Once off the ground it is important to reduce back pressure to remain in ground effect as close to the ground as possible to build speed up to Vx before leaving ground effect. It's a safe maneuver if you know what your are doing. I personally won't operate my airplane off of grass or what might be considered a soft field for a variety of reasons, but to fully understand the dynamic speed range of the Mooney it is important to practice soft field takeoffs. Remember, induced drag is reduced by nearly 50% when less than 10% of the wingspan above ground. For the Mooney that's 3 feet. So don't be afraid to keep the plane low in ground effect. I find most people don't keep the plane low enough. A word of caution; don't practice them at high DA airports with short runways. Use common sense.

Might be a little late for this, but we'll be doing a MAPA PPP in Ogden UT on Oct 4-6, which is an intensive 3 days of all things Mooney that includes extensive ground school and 2 flight training flights. Typically the flight training is geared towards completing the requirements for a Flight Review on the first flight. The second flight can be continued VMC work or an instrument rated pilot can work towards completing IPC requirements allowing a proficient instrument pilot to get both a Flight Review and IPC over the weekend. But this would offer some of the finest Mooney specific training, both ground and in the air in just a few weeks. I don't know if it is still possible to sign up though given its only a couple weeks away. But you can check it out at https://www.mooneysafety.com/ppp-registration/ If both you and your instructor attended, you'd get 4 of those 5 hours and your friend would get a great start to build on.

I have a 67 F and my prop will go course pitch at 1000rpm. If you’re unable to get a drop at 1700, something is wrong. If it came out of pre buy that way, I would be call the shop ASAP.

El Guapo: Jefe, would you say I have a plethora of piñatas? Jefe: Oh yes, El Guapo You have a plethora. El Guapo: Well, you just told me that I had a plethora, and I would just like to know if you know what it means to have a plethora.

Good for you to know your limitations. Like your prospective student, dont be surprised if the carrier will require up to 10 hrs dual for you to be added as insured. You have passed one of their big hurdles of having a complex. As you know, each airplane type has its' own characteristics that must be addressed in training, and you need to know what they are before instructing in them. General airmanship can and is taught in primary instruction and should be well mastered prior to transition training. Seek out a specialist yourself, then pass on your wisdom and what you learned from him.

To be fair, there are plenty of pilots here on MooneySpace I'd take instruction from quicker that a young, still wet behind the ears, CFI who doesn't have more than 100 hours outside of a 172. Just like a Private certificate doesn't make one a skilled pilot, a CFI certificate doesn't automatically make one a good Mooney instructor.

What he is talking about is this button: With either an airspeed or squat switch, if you put the gear in the “up” position (throttle in) and the switch indicates a fault condition (airspeed switch = too low airspeed or squat switch = weight is still on squat), you will get a warning horn. The red button allows you to override the safety features to retract the gear. The gear warning switch tied to the throttle activates a horn as well. This would activate if the throttle is out and the gear lever is up. The switch was not on older Mooneys and many of us with electric gear added it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I'm going to recount my Aerostar journey in segments. Here is the first. The airplane should be defined by the mission. Sometimes the mission is a want and sometimes a need. When I sold out my construction business in '99 so I could spend more time with my children, the need for a twin evaporated and a '98 Skylane did nicely. By 2005, my daughter and her husband were in D.C., my oldest son was at Davidson College in N.C. and my youngest at Northwester in Chicago. With my wife protesting the loss of the Skylane, I bought the Bravo. The value of turbocharging and getting over much of the weather made a big difference that even she had to admit. By 2013, two children are in D.C. and the other in Charlottesville with the expectation that he too would be in D.C. Our only grandson was there and the Bravo was getting lots of use up the Appalachian chain, north or south side depending on weather. There were many trips with low IFR and I'm pondering my lack of options should an engine fail. Then, there is a Columbia crash in those exact conditions along my route, low IFR, engine failure and no place to go. My want became my need. A twin or a chute? My wife voted for "nothing" else or a new or late model Garmin equipped Cirrus. I chose the Aerostar 601P. Pressurization was the deciding factor. I elected for the Aerostar because of the Lycoming engines. Two friends had owned 58P Barrons and they almost never flew for being worked on. Those airplanes were not junk and the owners could afford them. The 601P seemed to fit the bill. Speed and relative economy. The "big engine" A*'s burn lots more fuel, have lost more maintenance, and, in the real world give only about 15 knots more speed. For those that don't know, "big engine" is still the TIO-540, just boosted up from 290 HP to 350 HP. I flew my first A*, the one I bought and was amazed: the darn things really are THAT fast. Make no mistake, the 290 hp of the 601P will flat out leave a 58P in its wake. I always flew mine very conservatively, about 55% power and got about 214 knots in the mid teens burning 28 gph ROP. I installed GAMI's, as I had on all my airplanes, but she didn't like LOP at all. Mostly she just said "screw it" and slowed down like the Bravo. All for now. Jg

Thanks for the shout out about Northwoods Airlifeline! We are providing about 125 flights a year, which comes out to a flight every 3 days on average. Challenging sometimes getting them covered, but the patients really appreciate getting to major medical centers in under two hours instead of 6-10 hour car rides. Tom

The 1st picture is from the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook and the 2nd from Kirshner's Advanced Pilot's Flight Manual. Pages from FAA-H-8083-3B (Ground Effect).pdf Ground Effect.pdf

Perfectly said. I think we dont show much sympathy for a fellow Mooniac who probably has lost his airplane, or saying negative things about the CFI, or speculating on the cause of the accident. Imagine if it was you and your Mooney. You would feel terrible about the jokes. Let's show some empathy for a fellow Mooniac. And let's act consistently... people agreed not to speculate on the Mooney Caravan incident at Osh until the NTSB completed its findings. Let's show this owner the same. Is that OK to ask?

Hello MooneySpace - in today's sponsored post, I'll explain the coverage afforded by the Medical coverage on aircraft insurance policies. -What is Medical Coverage? Medical Coverage, also known as "Medical Expense" and "Medical Payments", is provided regardless of who is at fault in an occurrence. On most piston aircraft insurance policies, the coverage limit is between $3,000 and $10,000 per person, but can be as high as $100,000 per person on a pro-flown turbine aircraft insurance policy. This coverage is normally provided for no charge or a small charge, depending on the insurance carrier. Medical coverage is different from Bodily Injury Liability coverage in that no judgement or settlement must be reached for reasonable medical expenses to be paid to the injured party. The policy holder also does not have to admit fault or liability for the coverage to apply. Medical Coverage is also provided to the aircraft owner and any crew member flying the aircraft. What kinds of expenses does Medical Coverage pay for? Fees for doctors, surgeons, and dentists; Costs for ambulance, x-ray and hospital services; Fees for professional nurses; Costs for prosthetic devices. Funeral expenses if the passenger dies within a predetermined time from the occurrence. Keep in mind that this can be used toward the deductible on your health insurance policy. What are other benefits of Medical Coverage? - The biggest benefit of Medical Coverage is that it is money that can be used in good faith which can help avoid an injured party deciding to sue for bodily injury. It helps the policyholder meet the passenger's immediate needs in the event of an occurrence. Think about the goodwill that is formed when the policyholder can volunteer several thousand dollars to meet an injured person's immediate needs. - The coverage includes You, the owner pilot. Can I buy increased limits of Medical Coverage? Yes, most policies these days will have $5,000 per person as the standard limit. Most companies will offer a limit of $10,000 per person for a modest charge (About $40-80). Stay tuned for my next article on Passenger Voluntary Settlement coverage. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Parker Woodruff Airspeed Insurance Agency 214-295-5055 Parker@airspeedinsurance.com

I'm sure this will not change opinion of some people but nevertheless is interesting article to read about being what PIC, FAR and NTSB enforcement: http://www.peter-ftp.co.uk/aviation/misc-euroga/2018-83ndlr817.pdf

Have you never forgot to reset your trim and then applied full power? It's an event that you make sure not to repeat.

Sounds like a question for AOPA Legal Services or a flight attorney.

Risk management involves a number of steps. First is identifying the risks. Second is assessing the risks which is where the risk matrix (likelihood vs. severity) fits. The matrix is a tool to guide you to identify which risks are significant enough to require a risk management plan. Traditionally, risk management plan strategies fall into four categories: Avoid, Mitigate, Transfer, Accept. Examples due to a risk of icing might be: Avoid - cancel the flight. Mitigate - delay, or choose a different route below the freezing level, or use a different airplane with FIKI capability. Transfer - take an airline flight. Accept - mission is critical, press on. Skip

A good inflight mag check with a full 60 seconds on each mag is good for gathering data. Upload the data to SavvyAnalysis and see what it shows.

Are you sure that is not an inside photo of the lunar lander?

Interesting enough there is actually a definition for PIC: Pilot in command means the person who: (1) Has final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight; (2) Has been designated as pilot in command before or during the flight; and (3) Holds the appropriate category, class, and type rating, if appropriate, for the conduct of the flight. Carry on

If the airplane has dial controls I maintain Ken better be prepared to take some responsibility, or at the very least answer some questions.

And with all of these valid points: we have the FAA rules and regulations, the insurance Company and their Attorneys and of course the possible legal actions from the Owner/pilot, passengers and CFI. Protect your butt, He/she with the most to loose may loose, even if right.

You can promise yourself all day long and still lose your flow and have a gear up when real or simulated %^$# hits the fan. A gear annunciator will be going into our new plane. “It” happens. Promises or not.

Let's assume I'm properly rated and current in my airplane. I'll need a flight review, but not for another couple of months. I go for a flight with someone who is a CFI. If at the end of the flight, the CFI is happy to sign me off as having successfully completed a flight review, then it goes in my log book. If at the end of the flight, the CFI is not ready to sign me off for a flight review, regardless of the reason which could be anything from, "you need to learn to fly", to "we spent too much time over lunch and didn't get to do some of the skills"... it doesn't have to go in my log book. In fact the flight doesn't even have to be logged. And if the flight ended with me bending metal on the landing, it might just as well get logged as a $100 hamburger run. And the CFI was along for the ride.

This is the most fun I've ever had in the sky. The Moyes Bailey Dragonfly. It looks like a Quicksilver but is much different. I've got several hours in a few of these, solo. They are unbreakable and just too much fun to fly. The purpose for them is to tow hang gliders to altitude. So I've done a bit of that as well. A little over a hundred cross country hours in hang gliders. The grey haired gentleman in this clip is Bill Bailey who designed this aircraft. There are now several hundred of these towing hang gliders all over the world.

It is my experience that whenever there is an issue with engine roughness running LOP in my 231, the first place to look is the ignition. The engine always runs more smoothly and deeper into LOP without a hiccup when I get it back from annual and the plugs and mags have been checked. More often than not it is one of the mags. That’s the first place I would look, the mags, then the wires and the plugs. Sometimes the connectors that plug into the mags get corroded, that will do it.

I think all the above advice is on the money. I remember transitioning from an Archer (which is, for all practical purposes, a low-wing 172) to a Mooney. I learned a few differences, which I'll share with you to hopefully speed along your learning curve. 1) Mooneys love to fly. Flying them is easy. Landing is a little trickier. In a 172 you can be 10 miles from the airport and 8000 feet above field elevation--just point your nose at the runway numbers, cut power a bit and you'll be fine. Don't try this in a Mooney. It won't work. Plan you landings way out (I use 6 miles per 1000 feet of altitude loss as a quick rule of thumb) and plan to be at pattern altitude about 4 miles out, terrain permitting. Make sure your transition training includes a cross country at reasonable cruise altitude (6000-8000 feet). 2) If you fly too fast, Mooneys really do NOT want to land. If you fly them by the numbers, (for the J about 72kts on short final) they aren't that different than a 172. But if you fly 10-15 knots quicker than this (maybe less) and try to put 'er down before you run out of runway, you will quickly find out the Mooney flies nothing like a 172. Set reasonable runway length limits to start and then shorten them. I just landed at KBID, 2500 ft, a few days ago. No problem, turned off early. But don't try this until you have a lot of Mooney hours under your belt. So FLY THE NUMBERS and NEVER HESITATE TO GO AROUND. Very few accidents occur because of a timely go-around. Several occur because pilots didn't execute a timely go-around. One of the corollaries of this is that before you solo a Mooney, make sure you are proficient in go-arounds. Fly with a CFI and practice several. Have him surprise you with a "go-around" command. Trust me, I've surprised myself with a go-around command many times. With a J there is a fair bit to do pretty quickly when executing a go-around--power, attitude, flaps (wing and cowl), then gear. Not hard, but you want to practice. Then keep practicing. Then practice any time a landing doesn't feel right. 3) Stop by a few Mooney Service Centers. Find a plane on jacks with a scraped up belly. Promise yourself you will never do this. It's easy when flying a standard pattern to check GUMPS. Make sure you do the same when tower directs you to extend downwind 10 miles because of an F-16 and Osprey on final, then you have to do a 360 on base to avoid a flock of vultures and then your alternator dies on final. Just my two cents. Find a good CFI to get transition training and it will be doable. Good luck.

Yes, Anthony, I have had a bunch of education, but never took Statics. I managed to wade through all my W&B calculations, for a net useful load gain of 2 pounds due to errors, and less than 1/2 inch in CG. Actually, except for rounding errors, the only change was where my avionics shop managed to overlook one sheet back in '04, which then tainted all the numbers up until now. So, mainly an exercise in futility, except for the satisfaction of knowing it is right, and I now know how to do the calculations.

Remove the panel and apply flat black Krylon. Replace the panel. It will look great!

Do a Citabria instead. Tailwheel fun, Arm out slow or light acro. A “real” engine out front.

Maybe I've been lucky, knock on wood, but I believe airplanes done right can be an investment. Just like Porsche 911's. Obviously if the economy goes off a cliff, then all bets are off until it recovers, which it always has. I love to study the market for Mooneys. And the more I watch and study it, the more it makes perfectly good sense. First, buy an airplane that is high in the desirability range, in other words that is properly equipped, well maintained, and flying regularly. This airplane will cost less to maintain. If you start in a good place, it's easier/cheaper to maintain that good condition, than it is to get to that place via upgrades, deferred maintenance, etc. It's cheaper to keep the train moving, than to get it moving in the first place. Second, buy a plane that is unique in that it doesn't have a newer option. The J is the best NA Mid-body Mooney ever made. The J is the pinnacle of that range. There isn't anything newer that compares. The E is the same for the short bodies. But the mid-bodies are not as much of a leap from the short bodies and do solve a well known issue, back seat leg room, and therefore an E selling for J money is going to be difficult. It's different going to an Ovation. The long bodies don't do anything except solve the W&B problem posed by the big engine. Therefore a J for Ovation money doesn't mean the Ovation wins the deal automatically. C's are going to be capped by the value of E's. F's will be capped by the value of J's. 231's will be capped by the value of 252's. E's are somewhat capped by the value of J's. But the J and the 252 don't have a natural ceiling and therefore we see them climbing in value faster than any other Mooneys in the fleet. J's do much better than 252's though just because there is a much larger market for NA planes than Turbo planes. My first Mooney was an M20C and the CapEx was +$2K after two years and 400 hours. My 252 is doing a lot better than that. In all these calculations, I remove the OpEx from the equation. OpEx is what I pay to play. Obviously buying a well maintained airplane means the OpEx is likely to be less than one that has to be brought back from the brink. But at the end of the day, I fully expect to make a profit on the CapEx. That bucket might not grow as much as some other investments, but if done right, it will grow. And the buckets growing most quickly and consistently currently are the late model J's and the 252's.

I looked at that airplane in late July. I looked at the plane and the logs. The hidden value is what was done after the gear up landing that does not meet the definition of a major overhaul. The detractors, in my book, were the useful load and speed cost of the three-blade propeller (looks way cool though), and the deficient panel without IFR GPS. That said, I made an offer of $90,000 on the plane and after a week with no response, I withdrew the offer. I would have bought the plane had there been a counter offer of $94,000 or less. I am glad I was ignored; I close escrow tomorrow on a different ‘83 J with an A3B6 engine, electronic ignition, pre-Oiler, engine heater, better panel, and more useful load for 10k less than I offered on the other. The airframe time is higher at 5600 hours, but all that really means is that it has flown 100 or more hours per year during its life - a feature, not a bug. I am looking forward to flying again and my 2nd Mooney.

The other possibility is the ignition system. Leaner mixtures get harder and harder to ignite and will highlight any weakness in your ignition system. Like @Shadrach mentioned, you can see a second EGT rise past peak, although I think this happens if one of the spark plug fails to ignite part of the time. Then you will see a gradual increase in EGT as the weaker spark fails to ignite the mixture more and more frequently. Kind of like what happens if you do a mag check, but that fails one of the sparks 100% of the time. This would only result in a little roughness and a little loss of power, certainly no worse than doing a mag check. One suggestion might be to test your magnetos. You can do a quick and dirty test by removing all the spark plugs, then checking how far each lead will spark to the airframe while someone cranks the starter (CAREFULLY!!). IIRC, you should be able to get a 1/2" spark if your mags are good, less than 1/4" may be a sign of weak mags or bad e-gap timing from wear. Don't quote me on those, and obviously don't try it without help from someone who's done it before. Alternatively, if you know a mechanic who has a mag bench test setup, it should only take him an hour to remove each mag and check them.

Wow! I thought you meant like the guy who did my annual this year: 9 weeks to do the inspection Another week to let me know he was done 2 more weeks to get me an invoice Lots of things done incorrectly Several jobs done without notifying me or obtaining permission Several jobs done that I specifically instructed not to do Labor charge for annual, plus additional 2 hours for washing the airplane

If my Mooney was to fail that prop check at run-up, I would taxi back and talk to my Mx. Questions to ask yourself so you can steer the converstion: - Did you hear a change in Prop noise (may need to take those Zulu or Bose off) that would indicate the tachometer is not working properly? - How long ago (flight time and date) were the prop and governor overhauled or replaced? It could be a minor problem or something a little more serious you don’t want to experience at 500’ just off the runway!

I've broken each of these rules in the last 30 days.

Gravel runways in good condition aren't going to be problem as stated above. I've used gravel runways in Alaska as well as dirt in Baja mexico every year without ever damaging my prop. But its good pilot technique that prevents prop damage. To prevent damage keep the yoke all the way back while taxing and on the takeoff run only add power in slowly as you build up speed on the takeoff run; specifically avoid jamming in the throttle before your moving down the runway to prevent the prop from sucking in FOD. And if you don't have a FOD free runup pad to use, dispense with the traditional runup in place and instead just do a basic mag check as your building speed in the initial takeoff run, preferably by the first 1/4 of the runway and well before the halfway point, by isolating the mags just to make sure you aren't taking off with a dead mag or major roughness; you should still have more than the second half of the runway to abort. Two pilots up front makes this a lot easier to accomplish.

Ah! Another Swiss guy coming to NY in a Mooney! Check out terriblecharlie who lives in Zurich and flew over in July in his Bravo. In fact he left some stuff in my hangar for a week. Where you going in NY? As for gravel - what gsxrpilot said.... in frigid climates concrete tends to heave. I think your Mooney can do it - remember good soft field technique.

But then you'd need a Field Approval from the local FAA to do that for an alteration of the STC BTW the FAA guy says he'll do a Field Approval on that. The question remains "what can the FAA do if the owner just follows the STC"? Its already approved that way. Can he just negate the approval and violate on that basis? Just thoughts for discussion

I have the wingtip skybeacon.... and that is exactly what the install manual says to do. So we wired it up like the manual said and put the placard on like the manual said. Why on earth should the local FAA guy be getting involved if there is an STC etc and approved install manuals that cover this???

Look up the “Legal Eagle”. You can build one for like $5000. Or just buy one for $4-7k. They look very fun to fly. Extremely simple. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's what you said. @Jim Peace pointed out that is an over generalization and therefore not correct in all situations. You've been back peddling and qualifying the statement since, as you should. So Jim was correct.

Of course, the other thought is to get the Mooney, and instead of parking it while you learn in the Skyhawk just do your lessons in the Mooney. You'll want a CFI who has lots of time in Mooneys, especially to keep you from pranging your new airplane. But why learn in a Skyhawk when that's not what you want to fly? Yeah, you'll probably spend a little more time as a student, but then again you'll need transition training once you get the thing. Says me it'll probably be a wash. If you've got spawn I'd go for one of the mid bodies, like an F or a J. Kids have this horrid habit of growing up.

Whatever you decide on, I would keep $10,000 in reserve for possible unseen expenses in the first year of ownership. Could be maintenance or you decide you really want/need an upgrade of some kind. Tom

At 00:10:00 the left mag is checked then back to both at 00:11:00, then right mag at 00:12:00. No roughness with either on the ground. In the air the Right mag exhibited some roughness.. Hmm at 00:10:00 it looks like the EGT's seem to follow the same trend to me..

Rubbing alcohol

Egads, for taxi I lean to the point where I can't get more than 1100 rpm

Only related to some of the issues shared in this accident... Some PP thoughts... How much time do you get to check engine instruments? How do you asses your bird is producing full power? I get a glance at MP, RPM, and FF, before the ASI comes alive... maintaining centerline becomes an added challenge... Everything else was checked before and during the run-up... don’t forget DA in the preflight checks... DA will affect your power and T/O length by a known amount. Don’t forget to look it up! Side note... OilT won’t rise fast enough to tell if the oil stopped flowing... The important thing to know is where you need to be at the halfway point... then act... We have an arrester cable like system on each Mooney... raise the gear. You will either be flying, or scraping to a shorter halt then you ever have before with the wheels down ... either would be better than rolling through a fence and out into traffic... Set yourself a goal... 1) where is the halfway point? 2) where is the nearest field straight ahead? 3) Throttle in... quick glance MP, rpm, FF... no fixation allowed, glance and go... 4) AS alive... if ASI doesn’t come alive... your choice... Stop or use alternative means. GPS makes a good alternative for later use... 5) halfway point... flying, or nearly flying and still accelerating... 6) Short runways demand us to be our best and prep the alternatives prior to T/O. 7) Going down a short runway and accelerating normally is an already uncomfortable feeling when the trees start getting larger in the windscreen... 8) If you haven’t been through this decision process before... Find the video of the K that runs through a fence and into a berm at near flying speed. (The K’s issue was it was mechanically not producing full power, long enough to know better) 9) Warm summer months, short runways, and a loaded plane... know your numbers before the throttle gets pushed in. 10) This list of points is not intended to cover the accident in this thread... PP thoughts only, not a CFI... trying to get some talking points in while they are still relevant...