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Jackson went big on his first flight! San Diego to Sun Valley Idaho and he loved it!! Mom was a little worried at first but rapidly relaxed when she saw how much he was enjoying the flight. He refused to keep his headset on and he was very happy once the fasten seat belt light turned off so he could take a look out the window:) 17150312-29E0-4537-BB20-A7043A520048.mov

Well, it work s and actually looks pretty cool... Plenty of room to push start- one pic with it pushed all the way in for start.

New here, been lurking for a long time and joined not long ago while in market for a long body and transition training to go with it. While I agree that having a CFI familiar with the type to work with for the transition, I am most concerned with the individuals involved right now. They have both been through a traumatic event and I can only assume they are either not active on this site or are keeping completely hush about it pending whatever litigation or subrogation is about to ensue in this ridiculous society we live in. I personally hope they are doing ok first and foremost, and are not struggling with blame at this point. I’ve been in a service industry (automotive) for most of my life and in the business this sucks to have happen (and it does). Bent sheet metal, however expensive is still WAY cheaper than loss of life and much easier to get over. My $.02 only.

The 1995 J I'm looking at is going to prebuy on Wednesday (C&W at CDW)! I have a hangar lined up that I should be able to get in come mid to late October. I'm trying to figure out an interim storage situation now. Assuming the prebuy goes well, I will be a renter turned owner in a week. Generally once I tie down (after a 2 hour block rental) at the school where I rent, I just walk away and have no idea what the planes are doing when nobody is flying them. I've never used a towbar, I've never put a plane in or out of a hangar, I've never pumped my own fuel, and I've never stopped at an FBO away from home base. I'm sure there is much more I haven't done or know about. I've got about 70 hours and there are just a lot of stuff that the training doesn't make time for. I have to do my transition training to make insurance happy, so I'm sure I can get some help with that stuff. It's a shame this stuff isn't covered in training. Useful pilot stuff... The plane has a Tanis and a battery minder, so I suppose some power strips to run those and one of those phone boxes so I can call and activate the Tanis since cold weather is on the way. But, given that I may own a plane next week, what supplies are must haves from day one? I assume a towbar is a good investment (didn't see one in the plane when I did the demo flight). And I'm sure I'll need some cleaning supplies. Maybe some chocks and the obvious fuel sump cup... I'm sure you'll all have a lot of shopping list items.

Yes, you make a good point about the car, but I'll counter it with an M20C is an airplane. It flies like an airplane. And now you've made me feel as though I must've cheated death by not having 10 hours of dual with Don Kaye 27 years ago. Maybe I should schedule with him soon just to be on the safe side. But seriously, I know of airplanes that are difficult to fly or have bad reputations. Most with good reason. I just don't think that older Mooneys are in that group, and I ain't no Chuck Yeager. And finally, I will always agree that a Mooney-specific checkout is worth the money. But I don't think a new owner is cheating death or destruction if he doesn't have it. He will have to do a lot of work and study on his own to get to the same level of expertise and safety.

Most of you are aware (by word or by experience at this point) of widespread aviation insurance rate increases across almost all lines of business. I've compiled a list of trends I'm noticing in the market: Light Personal Aircraft: Rates on retractable gear aircraft have gone up. Look for increases in the 5%-15% range if you are renewing with the same carrier. If you are renewing with a different carrier due to one leaving the aviation market, expect a 20-25% increase. Rates on Fixed Gear, 4-place aircraft have lagged on rate increases. I'm seeing 5% or so most of the time. Commercially operated piston aircraft (flight schools, charter operations, etc.) Most policyholders with good loss experience are experiencing rate increases in the 10-25% range. Operators with high loss ratios are experiencing increases greater than 25% if renewing with the same carrier. Operations renewing with a different carrier due to their expiring company leaving the aviation market are sometimes seeing rates double. One carrier has elected to non-renew all flight schools. Pro-flown turbine aircraft 10% rate increase for underwriter-deemed "desirable" risks. More than 10% for older turbine aircraft. Workers' Compensation Insurance Rates for businesses with favorable loss experience are going down. There is greater competition in this segment and some state work comp funds have decreased their rates. Repair and Service Operations Large increases in insurance rates (10-25% or more) Avionics shops Small increases in rates (about 10%) The insurance payout related to Boeing 737 MAX losses will far exceed global aviation insurance premium written. This is hitting the reinsurance companies. Most aviation insurance companies will be seeing premium increases for their reinsurance in 2020. Look for a sustained "hard market" through 2020 and then some level-off in 2021. The standard Property and Casualty markets are also seeing widespread increases and have been for quite some time. As always, please reach out if you'd like a quote for your aircraft or aviation business. Airspeed Insurance has some great developments coming in 2020. As part of a major agency management system upgrade, we'll be introducing a mobile app that will contain all your policy documents and include other great functionality. Parker Woodruff Airspeed Insurance Agency 214-295-5055 Parker@airspeedinsurance.com

Hey all, Rocket Drivers especially: my 86 Rocket fresh out of paint and interior today. Good as new, faster than new (almost) but 1/4 the price! What a machine!

Paul couldn’t agree more there are many of us who went from trainers directly to our Mooney’s , I’d certainly rather and did get my IR in my Mooney with 70 or so hours in my log book, once you become adjusted to faster speed ie need quicker thinking the Mooney is no different as long as your on proper speeds

And here I am just hoping the prebuy goes well. Hopefully I will be following up with photos!

in your transition training you should make it a point to go somewhere you've never been, get self serve fuel, and check out the FBO. you said you never pumped your own fuel or visited an FBO, so having an instructor with you will make it easy the first time (not that it isn't already easy, but it's not something everyone does in primary training). then go fly the sh@$ out of your new plane!

Take off and go somewhere the plane won't get beat up with the hail that's sure to come with it. LOL

Me too ,but mine drowns out my wife snoring

If you’re fairly sure the Dynon system is in your future I’d just get a adsb out right now. You should be able to get a used 330es for $2.5k installed. The Dynon adsb in will cost around $1k so the extra $3k could go towards the AP.

Our friends daughter hitched a ride with us to see her mom for the weekend. I told her to hold the wheel while to took a photo. She didn’t know I had it on autopilot and was taking her job seriously:)

Andy, See if this is in line with your thinking... When I first started flying a Mooney, I was on an extremely tight budget... There was no TT money... 10hours dual and 10solo prior to passengers... A then recent accident was documented... a CFI stalled a Mooney doing a go-around in a new to her plane... The flight didn’t end well... (sense the understatement...) So If there is a budget for TT... Use it. Get the complete learning package... It takes too long to figure the whole thing out by one’s self... especially if the pilot doesn't Have much experience beyond the C152... Some people will be much better at it than others... The pilots that are not working in the aviation industry are probably at a much higher risk... Of course... I was a PP with low time, and not a CFI... and not working in the aviation industry... we have also also seen an MSer with military flying experience, experience a departure stall and land in somebody’s garage... So... I am happy to recommend some decent TT to anyone that comes by... in a similar way I recommend PPIs... Spending a few bucks up front, can save a ton later on... Somewhere around here was a CFI looking for some tips so he could train another pilot... a great request... but you can feel every link of the chain coming together... Hard to say what is proper advice for the entire audience on MS, today... and when the thread gets read again, in the future... So... Get the proper TT... that fits your budget that fits your experience that fits your needs in general... use a Mooney specific CFI if you can use a Mooney specific CFII if you are going to be flying in the system... Use your checklist Keep the ball centered I enjoyed the TT for the M20R... so many systems to get to know... I had a decade of M20C and 1k hours already... Gotta do what you gotta do... Its not like the Mooney is unsafe compared to the other planes... It becomes much more safe (for some people) with proper TT... PP thoughts only, not a CFI... or mechanic... Best regards, -a-

Hmmm.... I could agree with the "finish you training in the rental 172" part of his advice. It will be faster to finish it in the 172, but I can't agree with the rest of it. When I was finishing up my PPL (all of it in Cherokees) I was talking to the owner of the flight school and telling him I was planning to buy a Mooney. He basically gave me the same advice, to wait a few years, maybe buy a Cherokee first and get a couple hundred hours in it. Mooney's are fast, more difficult, etc... The school owns a Mooney and he has a lot of experience flying it, so he was coming from a position of knowledge, not OWT. I appreciated his advice, but did not follow it. I did make one long cross country from Southern California to Phoenix in a Cherokee, it was so slow I sometimes feel like I am still flying that trip... I had a total of 58.6 hours (all in Cherokees) when I bought my Mooney. I received my complex endorsement after my first flight in my Mooney. I had 10 hours (required) of dual transition training in the Mooney before flying solo. It did take me about 8 hours before I was feeling comfortable in it and by the 10th I was ready to fly on my own. Mind you not feeling like a pro, but feeling like I could safely fly it on my own. There was another 5 hours of required solo before flying passengers. With my 15 hours in the Mooney under my belt I took my wife and son on a short flight to French Valley for some dinner. With another 6 hours under my belt I flew my wife and son from SoCal to Lake Havasu for lunch and then took a long sightseeing flight back over Anza Borrego. A week later we really stretched our legs and flew up to Mesquite for my wife's father's birthday party. Since then we have been all over. Frequent trips to Phoenix (which is a lot faster in the Mooney than the Cherokee), frequent trips to Salt Lake, multiple trips to the Idaho Falls area and as far north as Yellowstone and also up to Redding in northern California. The highlight was this past Summer flying from California to North Carolina and back. When I look at the almost 350 hours I've flown the Mooney in the past 2 1/2 years, all I can say is that I'm glad I didn't follow his advice and slowly putt around the skies for a couple of years before buying my Mooney.

As the proud owner of a K 252, I second this statement. I wouldn't give up my 252 for a J, but then I fly above 15K ft. more often than not. Make your decision based on the altitude you typically fly...

I like the plan, looks just like my "phase 2" (Phase 1 shown here). I would highly recommend replacing the rocker switches with new.

Had to go look, noticed that 4-17/23B fits the KingAir, takes a big boy to drag a KingAir around by hand

My stack includes both a GTN750 & 650 and when I had this decision to make I still went with GTX-345 panel mount. I really wanted to put it in the avionics bay to clean up the panel, but didn't simply because of all the reported bluetooth connectivity issues reported here in Mooney's. And I don't even need the bluetooth connectivity to the 345 on ordinary flights because my primary connection is to the FS-510 which gives me everything including ADHRS from my G500 to my ipad. But I wanted the GTX-345 connection as backup connection for ADHRS data in the very remote possibility of losing G500 ADHRS. Its not even my first level of backup, its my 2nd backup since my first real backup is the panel LSI-500. But I didn't want to risk losing bluetooth connectivity to it in the back after hearing about numerous people complaining about intermittent connectivity. Most definitely I would have gone with the avionics bay remote mount if I could be guaranteed I would have the same reliable bluetooth connectivity but there are no guarantees. Also despite not needing it, I have still have the ability control the 345 from both the 750 & 650. I don't really see a problem with a loss of real estate on the 650 either. Probably because I run my 650 in the default nav page exclusively. From that page, the flight plan page is one touch away by touching the active waypoint. All the important features are as well including OBS and CDI functions. My 750 provides the moving map, since the 650 is the wrong unit for a moving map IMO. Even flying with students where we typically only have the smaller 650, we still keep the 650 on the default nav page for the nav data fields and we'll use the ipad for the moving map situational awareness. That enable using the GPS's nav data fields to fly instruments with precision. (Even most of the rental fleet I teach in these days comes with a GTN 650, most have upgraded from the older GNS boxes, and many even now have the GFC500, yet most of the vintage mooney's I fly in including the early J's still don't have a IFR GPS or WAAS, but every pilot flys with an iPad) I am based under a busy TRACON so I often do change transponder codes in flight and personally it really doesn't matter which way the code gets inputted in. But if I had a single GPS go out with a remoted 345 I doubt I would feel that compelled to fly it till I got that fixed anyway. With a single GTN, I'd expect such a failure to most likely also take my main comm and nav radio as well. Just say-in as that failure mode doesn't apply to my dual GTN panel.

I first flew with my dad when I was only a few months old. The first time I used any hearing protection in an airplane was the first flight after my PPL checkride (17th birthday). My dad gave me a set of telex headsets for my birthday present. I had 1000-1500hrs in single engine GA between the ages of 0-17 with nothing but open ears. No tinnitus.. yet.. Tinnitus is quite common with age, not always a result of exposure to loud environments. I tried hard to keep some kind of hearing protection on my kids, but I was largely unsuccessful. Once they hit about 2-1/2 or 3 they started to prefer the headsets. They love hearing them self talk, sing, yell, etc.., pilot Isolate on the audio panel is a must! Glad to see the future aviator enjoying the ride, It's the only way to grow up! Cheers, Dan

Looking at the video,it didn’t appear to be a ground loop...more like take off started in severe xwind.right wing low,airborne at very slow airspeed,continued right bank into ground with no aileron control

After many years of Mooney ownership I have used about every towbar there is out there. If you do need a tow bar, here is the finest available towbar you can get for the Mooney https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/bogibars2.php Its far superior to the Mooney factory towbar, lighter, much more secure in its attachment making it much easier to steer as you push the plane back.

On another note, I'm still looking for the opportunity to get some quality dual with any of those guys. Now with just over 1000 Mooney hours, it would still be worth the time and cost to fly with a really Mooney master.

I really like having a remote transponder. It's not something that gets or needs much attention during a flight. And so I'm glad it's not taking up panel space.

Hi Clarence, et all, This is in the hands of the attorneys now, which is why I have been quiet. Prior contacting an attorney, the engine shop offered to repair the engine, but only if I would fly the airplane to them, have it flown to them at my expense, or have the engine removed and shipped to them at my expense. I did not think any of those options were fair, under the circumstances. I will post an update once the issue is resolved. Thanks to everyone for all the comments, they were really helpful. I knew what I thought was the right thing for the engine shop to do, but before I jumped to any conclusions, I wanted to know what "the majority" thought - I wanted to be fair to the engine shop. Kindest Regards.

Like always, Anthony, a great synopsis. I will clarify, though- when I bought my first M20C in 1992, I was a Private Pilot with a very fresh instrument rating and only about 125 hours total. That first Mooney taught me a lot!

I got to see it twice, once in Vegas right after I passed my IR and most recently at Oshkosh. It was a thing of beauty. I’m a little heart broken. Mike and Draco did a lot over the last year to energize aviation!!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That looks freaking brilliant!

Oscar, great video as always! Using a Mooney to promote tourism, Fantasticó! I have used my Mooney for business... But, not quite as directly as this. Thanks for sharing. We’ll have to see if the surf boards are going to fit in side the Mooney... Traveling anywhere has some added risks... the more you travel, the better you get at it... Won’t make much of a difference inside or outside of the US... Best regards, -a-

That looks even better! And these do too... with the gravity switch... really looks like you can tell what mag is selected, just by looking! -a-

Beautiful family! I’m looking forward to taking my son (first ride up soon). Yours looks about the same age? 10month-year? Take care, Aaron Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

+1 on Zef... My M20C got one to replace the sticks and stones and springs device that came originally with the plane... Easy install into the same space, same wires, same same.... completely improved performance... The original VR stuck on... boiled the battery, and melted the generator’s solder joints... Look up the options that you can install with that... remote status lights on the panel would be beneficial... Old PP memories of My M20C... I wasn’t so old back then... Best regards, -a-

What model do you have, I probably have one or 2 zeftronics sitting on the shelf. You have my number Brian

sounds like fun, hope it does becomes an annual thing like ours! maybe i will be able to get out to it some day.

Actually a CVA(cerebrovascular accident) pp thought only, not a doctor!

Zeft has just worked....I have no comparison. Whatever it cost it is worth it.

An A&P has no obligation to report issues to anyone but whoever is paying him, unless specifically required to in certain instances (e.g., filing a 337, etc.). Formal inspections results don't go anywhere but the logbook and to the owner/operator, and even then discrepancy lists are given only to the owner/operator and don't go in the logbook. This system is pretty good in that it doesn't discourage people from getting their aircraft maintained or going near an A&P or IA. If there was a risk that the airplane could be grounded or undesirably reported every time it went near an A&P or IA, a lot more maintenance would go underground than already is, and that would be a bad thing.

Be careful not to become complacent and accidentally have hot mags. My check is that if I don't see the keys on the glareshield or in my hand, I don't touch the prop or go near the engine at all.

I love flying at night. The air is usually much calmer, visibility is greater, there's less traffic, and I can easily navigate by the stars and the lights of cities and towns along my route. I can usually pick out my destination airport when I'm 40+ nm out, something that's impossible during the day. Plus, it's just so peaceful and beautiful at night. That said, I take a few extra precautions when I fly at night. I fly as high as practical for the length of trip. I try to stay within glide distance of a "good" landing area (interstate highways or airports). I do a very thorough preflight, preferably before dark. I keep a red headlamp on my head and another flashlight clipped to my shirt. I use flight following for all cross country flights, even very short ones. I only fly over "flat" terrain, no mountains. And most importantly, I try to stay current and proficient at it, easier to do in the winter when it gets dark earlier. Approximately 1/4 of my landings are at night and 1/5 of my total time is at night. Everyone should have their own risk matrix and I won't try to tell anyone theirs is right or wrong. Stay safe up there!

From Jenny Brandemuehl Hi All, No update to report on the CEAs on Mark's thighs. They haven't separated yet from their dressing covers today so the doctors couldn't see much yet. We continue to wait. I'm grateful his heart rhythm is stable, blood pressure got soft and they gave him albumin and blood. I'm curious and will ask the doctors at what stage in skin grafts will Mark's vascular system recover enough so that his blood pressure becomes more stable? Family friends Marcene and Harlow were in town and came to visit Mark today. He definitely recognized their voices and smiled. It was so good to see him respond. They've known Mark since he was very young. I've discovered talking to the nurses that they think Mark's room has the best music! It's also been a conversation topic among the nurses. Laura, one of the traveling nurses who has the biggest heart for Mark and our family said that the Mumford songs on Mark's playlist inspired her to go the the Mumford show in Phoenix last night. She said the opening song, Guiding Light made her cry thinking of Mark. She was so excited about sharing her videos of the show with Mark today. He smiled at her today too! She leaves her 3 month assignment at the burn center to return home to El Paso. She'll be one of the nurses we're going to stay in touch with after we leave Phoenix. The nurses here are among the best in their profession and truly care about us. Many years ago Mark, Adrian and I were going to a big music festival at the Monterey County Fairgrounds especially to see Mumford. (Mark and Adrian are big fans). Mark was going to fly us from Palo Alto for the show but we ran into fog and he wasn't IFR rated yet. (fly solely based on instruments). We couldn't land in Monterey or Salinas and had to fly back to Palo Alto and drive to Monterey. It was an adventure and totally worth it. We were all pretty wowed by Mumford - they are great live. It was a busy and full day for Mark today.

Okay, I guess I'll be contrarian again. When I bought my first Mooney in 1992, my 5 hours insurance checkout (and complex signoff) was with a CFI friend who had zero Mooney time. But I viewed that checkout as having a license to learn, just like the Private Pilots License. I learned the best instrument procedures by flying with safety pilots. I learned how to land well by doing a lot of landings. Would a Mooney-specific instructor have eased that transition? Sure. Was it essential? Obviously not. Maybe it's this day and age of helicopter parenting and over protection that has affected all of this. My car is more complex than an M20C, for God's sake. Maybe someone can tell me that what is so important (or different) about flying a Mooney from any other of @Jim Peace "lawnmowers with wings".

I had the honor of taking my daughter Michele Rodgers on her first flight with me yesterday. It was a beautiful evening over the San Fernando Valley with views clear out to Catalina. It’s so great sharing my love for flying with family and friends. I can’t wait to take her up again. #westcoastmooneyclub #MooneyZoom Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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

Unless the manufacturer has been issued an FAA PMA for replacement parts, their statement of meets TSO..." is worthless. The only way they can claim it meets the TSO C3b for lights, is to submit them to the FAA for approval, then receive a PMA, which will be the certification basis. Then you need an installation approval, if the PMA is not worded as "direct replacement for 7512-12 lamp", or similar. To make it simple, the ONLY current FAA approved drop-in LED navigation lamps are the Whelen Chroma series.

NP, feel better soon!

Who is flying right seat while all the selfies are going on? Their eyes are straight ahead! Thanks for sharing the pics. Best regards, -a-

Zef customer service was helpful. I bought a new zef when I thought mine was dying. I was wrong, was the cb feeding power to the zef building resistance. Are you sure it’s your vr going? Do you currently have an old mechanical one? you should troubleshoot the voltage into the vr vs battery voltage first, and field output at the vr vs field input into the alternator first. If either of those two combinations has more than about 0.5 drop, it’s not the vr that’s the problem.

People often say that Mooneys do not go down and slow down. This is very much the truth. However, they actually go down quite well if you slow down first. The next time you think you’re way too high, try slowing to about 60kts (a touch more if you’re heavy, a touch less if light) and then maintain that airspeed, power off with pitch only. A Mooney will descend like an elevator when power off behind the drag curve. It’s good practice for proper short field technique.

Our litigious society takes an inordinate amount of joy from our lives, whether it be the joy of teaching flying through our jobs and everything in between, we as pilots carry 1-2m in various insurance, I’m a small lowly accountant and carry a couple million in malpractice insurance, I’ve given up my audit practice this year after 40+ years providing the service. The compliance costs including insurance is totally ridiculous. People bitch at Doctors, dentist, veterinarians,accountants and lawyers due the unbelievable high rates that must be charged to comply with crazy regulations. Back to instructing I assume to be properly covered eg, like Don mentions he’d have to go to Lloyd’s of London or various other means if at all available just to teach the art of flight, a sorry litigious world has been created