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  1. The facilities and venue will be considerably upgraded over what was available to us in Panama CIty Beach. I think everyone will be very pleased. Our board has deliberated over the need of having a registration fee, but without the kindness of Ron Dubins' donation of condos, etc, we have concluded we will have to have a small registration fee of $99 per person. This is very close to what it cost per person to put on the event when it was in Panama City beach as it is, and now we will have a much nicer, open venue to boot! With the #1 beach in America close by, the activities of an international tourist destination and close proximity to the finest theme parks, this next Summit should prove to be the best yet for the entire family. Perhaps one of you high rollers can step up and donate 20K and we can eliminate the registration fee once again (Seriously, if you know someone that could, contact our donation chair, Rick Junkin, we can work with that!) The semantics and details of the registration will be available soon. Now, more than ever, the Summit will be an important event not to be missed.
    5 points
  2. Hey I certainly did not want to hack people off here, last thing on my mind. I have a strong interest in the factory remaining open and continuing support and I do want the good work at Kerrville to continue hopefully for many years to come. All I said is what I get from my people I coach (free of charge btw and in my spare time) who ask me about airplane ownership. I fly my C model with pride and I have helped several prospective first time buyers to go the Mooney way, as for their budget and their mission profile the Mooneys were and are the best there is. I have yet to own anything brand new in terms of cars or planes: I currently drive my 3rd only car (since 18 and I am 57 now) and my 2nd plane. With my income, I will never buy a new plane in my life, but I know people who have done that. The guy who sold me my plane in 2009 went onto a SR22 and now a Vision jet. But having been involved in aviation since 1983, I have seen the concerns and difficulties faced by buyers. And having the wife and family on board before they write a check is something which I regard as of paramount importance, lest either their stint with ownership is rather short before they are forced to resell or even break up of relationships. Seen both. And I know quite a few people who ended up going the BRS way in order to alleviate those fears successfully. Are they all whimps? Maybe in the view of some, similar to those who cave in and buy "boring" cars rather than fun vehicles or who give up riding motorcycles after the upteenth domestic dispute over it's dangers. I have also seen how people change dramatically once they have children, folks with a previously merry go happy attitude turn into ultra conservative and over protective parents who hardly want their kids to ride in a car, let alone in a plane. Again, I know quite a few pilots who stopped flying for this reason. I stand by what I said, if Mooney wants to compete in this market, and not only Mooney for that matter, they will need to address these concerns. While the M20 is undoubtedly one of the best airplanes ever developped, the design is aged and they will not be able to hang onto this one product forever. One concern I've had for long is also the lack of a entry level model equivalent to the SR20/22 line up. The M10 could have done that but apparently that design was very badly flawed. I am glad however to hear that the figures circulating on the net are false and the produced number is higher with sales pending. I hope they really will be back to work on Monday. (And yes, but hardly to the point, English is not my first language... my 2nd actually. I grew up and am based in Switzerland, so German is my mothertongue (both German and Swiss German) followed by English, which I speak in my daily life and French and Bulgarian. Thankfully I don't post in the latter two... there would have to be a lot more issues with my spelling then )
    5 points
  3. Heads up, George is a very long term Mooney driver and now Cirrus driver. Led AOPA Safety Foundation, Flew F-18’s in the NAVY, owned and M20F and M20S, now flies 767F’s for UPS. He’s been a subject matter expert and speaker at Mooney Summit twice. George loves Mooney’s and is just giving his facts and point of view as we all are. -Seth
    5 points
  4. In 1991, my aspirations to fly and be part of aviation were finally satisfied, as my cousin and close friend invited me to be a fourth partner in a hangar project. My cousin, Dave Oliver, and Steve Phillips, who he worked with at a Fed Ex maintenance facility, had added a third partner, Bob Larson, (the founder of Northwoods Airlifeline) just prior to my opportunity. I complained that not only could I write the support check, I had carpentry skills and was capable of helping with the build. Just as we completed the hangar, Dave decided he wanted out for a pretty silly reason (that was his way), and Steve, who barely knew me, asked "I suppose you want out too?" I said emphatically NO. A partnership and friendship blossomed from there. Steve owned the beautiful E model Mooney I've posted pictures of in the past. He accompanied me in 1994 for the pre-purchase of my first plane, a C-150 (Steve was an A&P too). He flew me down to Falcon Field in March of 1996 to do the same blessing on my first Mooney, an F model. He flew with me to Seattle in 2001 to do the same on my Rocket purchase. I performed most the maintenance and annuals on all 3 planes over the years, under Steve's guidance and leadership. By the end of the years he trusted me to perform his annuals as well. We flew many, many airlifeline flights together, flew to Florida for a pre-purchase on my sister's Cherokee 180, and he flew it to Denver for her with me in chase (well, he was in chase to MY Mooney). About 3 years before finishing my Lancair, I talked him into giving up his last job, truck driving (he loved the road) to help me finish the Lancair. He asked how much time before we would be done. I told him 6-9 months. He never failed to remind me that ended up being 2.5 years. He also drove for my dealership, delivering trucks that were far enough away they would require an airplane ride from me once delivered. He took on another Lancair Propjet project, moving it to our hangar, to finish the instrument panel and wiring installation (Joe Trepicone's from Columbus OH). Steve was with me on two engine failures in the flight levels. He helped me by flying the Rocket down to TN when I dropped the Lancair off for paint and interior, and brought me down to pick it up when done in May 2018. We flew both planes to Houghton for a Young Eagles Event, and have flying stories long and deep enough I could write a book. He was my camping buddy at Oshkosh too. Most recently, he was "key man one" on the EAA Chapter hangar/concrete project I just posted about, there for every work session in spite of his own on going home re-siding project. 28 years ago he was new friend. 15 years ago he was one of my 3 best friends. For the last 10 years..... he was my best friend....... I mean BEST FRIEND! While in Florida this past Monday (came home Tuesday), he son called me and told me he died of a surprise heart attack. Man this hurts!!!! Tom Picture of Steve's last flight with his Mooney and him and his wife this summer at Oshkosh.
    4 points
  5. Yes, this hits home right now. As many of you know, my (or should I say our) good friend Dr. Bob Achtel passed away at the end of September. We had shared a home in Oshkosh 18 of the past 20 years with Ricci and Bob. The last two were the exception, as Bob's health had been failing. But I always thought he would break through and we would enjoy the good old days at Oshkosh again. That was not to be. The funeral was very difficult and burial even worse, but I knew I had get up and share my thoughts. Maybe they will help in your case. Here they were: I’ve known Bob for over 26 years having met at my first Mooney Pilot Proficiency Program in Fresno. Since that time, we’ve had many adventures together shared with both Ricci and Shirley. We all attended many, many AirVentures in Oshkosh together and shared the same house during those times. Ricci was the point woman for finding all the great restaurants around Oshkosh—and we needed her. It seems that every time we found a good restaurant it went out of business the next year. It got so we were almost afraid to pick a new one for fear of jinxing them. Bob always presented at several forums every time we attended, and that was lucky for us. It seems he had helped the lead person in charge of parking with a major medical problem in his family. After that, we always got the W lot, the best parking on the field. The attendees will miss his humorous style and the knowledge he always imparted, and we will miss that unbelievable parking. Bob had a passion for aviation, and loved to fly. I often flew up to Sacramento with Shirley, and while the girls went off to do their favorite thing, shopping, we would go flying. One time I had injured myself doing a preflight on a student’s airplane in Palo Alto. A few days later we made one of our trips to Sacramento. I mentioned to Bob that there was quite a bit of pain associated with it. He took one look at it, and we were off to the hospital where I got preferential treatment, since I was with him. On another one of our adventures we were flying Commercially to Minneapolis to pick up his plane after some maintenance work. Being frugal we were on a red eye. It was right after 911 and we needed to change planes in Las Vegas. After transferring planes we were ready to go. It was around 12:30 am. Then word came that security had been breeched and we were to get off the plane and the whole terminal was shut down. We waited around with thousands of other people until nearly 2:30 before we were allowed to go. We arrived in Minneapolis early in the morning, just in time for Bob to meet with a Company who he was trying to convince to manufacture pulse oximeters for pilots. It was Nonin and shortly thereafter the era of pilot pulse oximeters began. Bob was always on the forefront of trying to make our lives better. He was one of my best friends, and I’ll miss him—a lot.
    4 points
  6. Ed, He was at the chapter meeting you attended after covering that last Airlifeline Flight for me. I refrained from commenting on this thread up until now because how truly painful this loss has been. That said, my community of Mooney pilot friends has made getting through this just a little easier. I absolutely appreciate every reaction and comment to my original post as I try to figure out how I’m going to get through tomorrow, his funeral. And to be clear, I’m a tough love type of old fart. Not real good at relaying my feelings towards people Fairly recently I was talking to Steve and mentioned him as “friend”. He looked at me and said “friend”? I retracted and said “best friend !!” Only then did he smile and was happy with my response. He clearly wanted assurance he “was MY BEST FRIEND” . Not sure how I’ll find the enthusiasm to attend another Oshkosh “Air Adventure” after losing him. It will NEVER be the same. Thanks, Tom
    4 points
  7. Ok, so last weekend I was flying from KNEW to KORL... we got a little behind and ended up getting in after dark, which I don't particularly like to do. Anyhow along the way I was playing with fuel flows at around 55% power, which theoretically means I cant hurt the engine... well I was in some bumps and messing with the mixture and I heard a "THUMP"... that got my attention. I still do not know waht it was but it was either a mild backfire or possible my phone sliding off the glareshield... I had it sitting on the eyebrow and after this thump I looked around to see it far forward against the window. It may have jumped up in the turbulence, who knows. So, everything is still looking OK, EGT's CHT's, TIT, fuel flow... everything is normal. I proceed on to KORL and make an uneventful landing. However, when I get out I am greeted by a line worker on the brightly lit ramp and as we are pulling bags he says " what is this discoloration on your cowl?" I perk up and go up to the front of the plane and sure enough on the front left of the cowl is a darkened area of paint. " it Looks like it got hot" he says. I hold my hand up to it casting a shadow on it and as far as I can tell, it looks like there has been a fire under the cowl atop the front left cylinder which has burned the paint. It is even tapered back to a point.... I'm thinking Ohh crap I have done it now. This CANT be good. I Immediately pull the top cowl and start looking around with a flashlight. I scour the area but I cannot see anything that looks amiss. Now I am really confused and even more worried. I keep looking... Nothing. I decide to investigate the paint again... this time I hold up a flashlight onto the paint.... no discoloration at all.... I turn the flashlight off, again discoloration.... So what gives? Well for any of you who have seen a Rocket, the modified cowl has a lump bulging out on the front left to accommodate the underlying cylinder. The ramp lights were casting a shadow from this hump onto the side of the cowl. There was apparently enough of an angle from the individual lights on the array that holding up my hand and casting a shadow on the area did not remove the effect. Damn, that is the most scared I have been in a while! Gotta love these little coincidences in aviation... I have plenty of stories that were the result of silly little coincidences stacking up like this to make me think I was stuck with a broken aircraft.
    3 points
  8. So much to say here. The M10 missed an unrealistic (and hidden) schedule, weight goals and speed goals as a result. Carbon fiber didn’t and won’t help it get as light or as inexpensive as aluminum (every OEM has proven that from small to Boeing ... corrosion is another issue). My team did a great job of clean-sheet designing, building and flying the POC in 14 months after the mock-up fiascos. LSA are NOT certificated and therefore are not in the same class. Adding a chute is a BIG deal as the opening loads are large and not in the same place as Flight loads. An M20 would lose >100lbs. of useful load. The M10 and M20 teams were intentionally kept apart (why?). If the original intent of the M10 was kept, it could have (and still could be) a great trainer/personal airplane. Composites, diesel and Garmin don’t meet the original intent (price point). Breathe.
    3 points
  9. I'll try to explain it, since my partner never quite got the hang of it. Only one cylinder is open at a time on the cascade! Connect to plane Open valve for the lowest pressure cylinder in the cascade Wait a while until the pressure equalizes. Close the valve on the cylinder you opened in the cascade Open the next highest pressure cylinder in the cascade. Wait until the pressure equalizes Turn off the valve for the active cylinder in the cascade. For a two cylinder cascade, your done, disconnect the plane. For a 4 stage cascade, repeat the process above two more times, then disconnect from the plane. As others have said, avoid frequent top-offs, and your O2 will go further. If you have enough O2 for your trip, wait until you get back to fill up. If your not sure, fill with the low pressure until you are sure. And if it is a long trip, just fill it up and don't worry about it, since replacing two cylinders in a cascade is going to cost a less than a single fillup at a FBO. And speaking of getting O2 filled at an FBO. It can be harder to find than you would think. I recall one trip where I had to fly the passes in Colorado on the way home. Usually I just fly over them, but that requires going above 14,000. A long story, but I came out to the plane in the morning and discovered zero O2 pressure on the pre-flight. And of course no O2 at the small FBO.
    3 points
  10. I'm sorry for double posting - but the following seems better suited to this thread so I just cut and paste my own (and add a bit more). From a certification perspective - it would be less trivial to put a BRS in a Mooney than a Cirrus, or retrofit to a C172/182, because of the retractable gear and also because the gear are quite firm with picks rather than cantilever - I would think. From the gear perspective I would think the gear need to be down since part of the BRS idea is it still hits the ground hard enough that special seats are part of the Cirrus system and I don't know how that would work in a Mooney with our firm gear even if down, and would new seats be needed - if so perhaps highly sprung seats could make up the gap? And I doubt that the system would be viable with gear up since that would be quite a hard pancake landing indeed leading to spinal compression injuries - perhaps fatal ones - so any BRS system would have to be coupled to gear actuation mechanisms. Luckily Mooney has pretty quick gear swing probably on the order of the speed of a relatively low altitude BRS deployment and landing. All this weight aside. I do think all this could be overcome from an engineering perspective - but I don't know if from a price or certification perspective. Then the weight thing - that too could be overcome if enough changes are afoot. For example - I am very impressed with the EPS V8 graphite diesel. 400hp on 15gph and that is accessible at cruise settings nonstop. That would make a 265TAS Mooney. So imagine you can actually cruise at 265-270kts? instead of just brag 242 kts at take off setting that no one does. Or cruise at 225 its at 10,000 ft. Then the speed differential becomes so extreme that well its more like a TBM kinda speed. BUT that is not the most important part - at 15gph for that kind of speed - you can either still have your 130 gallon that makes KJFK-KLAX range - or - you can truly carry a small amount of fuel now to make for enough weight to travel with 4 people. And to lighten up - a new wing - a carbon fiber wing - smoother-fasterr, lighter, faster to build, maybe cheaper? Build the wing outsourced in a specialty carbon shop. Maybe even off shore and bring it to Kerrville as a build shop - maybe rent the 747 beluga for the supply chain (haha). I am just amazed by carbon - I have carbon bike wheels. I rowed all summer in a carbon rowing scull by fluid design - we are talking a 27’ boat weighing in at 14kg, including hardware - ok it is a paper thin rowing shell but amazingly strong to resist me a heavyweight full power and stiff but still durable - AND easy to build and repair - this very same boat in its history fell of the truck - literally the team didn't tie it down well to the transport truck and it fell off at highway speed and was broken badly. But being carbon fiber a local craftsmen repaired it so it seems as good as new. Carbon fiber work is a highly trainable skill. I would think if they can do a front cowl, then they could do a full wing as yet another bolt on replacement to the factory build. AND we are all very impressed with the new auto land autopilots. A much better solution if we are talking pilot incapacitation than a parachute. Saving the parachute for other extreme scenarios. I am not selling parachutes as safer but I am fully sold that parachutes sell airplanes and I am sold that if Mooney should survive they need to jump on the BRS train. AND MT 4 blade prop - for weight - 35lbs - for cool looks - and smooth cruise.
    3 points
  11. I did this exact thing today, called them up on the phone and discussed the situation with them. Turns out, they have could have a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with these airspace’s and some can clear you and some cannot; most of the time the approach controller does not have the authority to clear you thru the D without “coordination” with them. Now, asking, most of the time they are willing to call the tower on your behalf and get the clearance but not guaranteed. You are still responsible unless they “clear you” explicitly. The ownership is on the PIC to get a clearance. Thanks for the responses. Again, I always go around them, VFR, as I know it is not in violation. Now I know how to go thru them if I want, VFR.
    3 points
  12. Very sad. This may all be true that Cirrus has kicked Mooney's butt. However, the Acclaim is a beautiful airplane. Personally I would take a new Acclaim over a new Cirrus.
    3 points
  13. This is a really good review and my guess the new sim will be very well done.
    3 points
  14. Indeed. George is talking about how his Cirrus with TKS has a 1200 pound useful load and a new Acclaim with TKS has about a 925 pound useful load. You can basically stop looking for reasons Cirrus outsells Mooney 100:1 right there, because that's it.
    3 points
  15. Aircraft has been sold.
    3 points
  16. From a certification perspective - it would be less trivial to put a BRS in a Mooney than a Cirrus, or retrofit to a C172/182, because of the retractable gear and also because the gear are quite firm with picks rather than cantilever - I would think. From the gear perspective I would think the gear need to be down since part of the BRS idea is it still hits the ground hard enough that special seats are part of the Cirrus system and I don't know how that would work in a Mooney with our firm gear even if down, and would new seats be needed - if so perhaps highly sprung seats could make up the gap? And I doubt that the system would be viable with gear up since that would be quite a hard pancake landing indeed leading to spinal compression injuries - perhaps fatal ones - so any BRS system would have to be coupled to gear actuation mechanisms. Luckily Mooney has pretty quick gear swing probably on the order of the speed of a relatively low altitude BRS deployment and landing. All this weight aside. I do think all this could be overcome from an engineering perspective - but I don't know if from a price or certification perspective. Then the weight thing - that too could be overcome if enough changes are afoot. For example - I am very impressed with the EPS V8 graphite diesel. 400hp on 15gph and that is accessible at cruise settings nonstop. That would make a 265TAS Mooney. So imagine you can actually cruise at 265-270kts? instead of just brag 242 kts at take off setting that no one does. Or cruise at 225 its at 10,000 ft. Then the speed differential becomes so extreme that well its more like a TBM kinda speed. BUT that is not the most important part - at 15gph for that kind of speed - you can either still have your 130 gallon that makes KJFK-KLAX range - or - you can truly carry a small amount of fuel now to make for enough weight to travel with 4 people. And to lighten up - a new wing - a carbon fiber wing - smoother-fasterr, lighter, faster to build, maybe cheaper? Build the wing outsourced in a specialty carbon shop. Maybe even off shore and bring it to Kerrville as a build shop - maybe rent the 747 beluga for the supply chain (haha). I am just amazed by carbon - I have carbon bike wheels. I rowed all summer in a carbon rowing scull by fluid design - we are talking a 27'' boat weighing in at 14kg, including hardware - ok it is a paper thin rowing shell but amazingly strong to resist me a heavyweight full power and stiff but still durable - AND easy to build and repair - this very same boat in its history fell of the truck - literally the team didn't tie it down well to the transport truck and it fell off at highway speed and was broken badly. But being carbon fiber a local craftsmen repaired it so it seems as good as new. Carbon fiber work is a highly trainable skill. I would think if they can do a front cowl, then they could do a full wing as yet another bolt on replacement to the factory build. AND we are all very impressed with the new auto land autopilots. A much better solution if we are talking pilot incapacitation than a parachute. Saving the parachute for other extreme scenarios. I am not selling parachutes as safer but I am fully sold that parachutes sell airplanes and I am sold that if Mooney should survive they need to jump on the BRS train.
    2 points
  17. Another thought, Maybe Mooney wasn't purchased for the sales and profitable cash factor, but rather for the technology and mfg. processes. They have both now. Bye, Bye........
    2 points
  18. It seems that BRS would be possible in the new Ovations and Acclaims. Some UL may have to be sacrificed, and it seems that increasing the UL would be where Mooney should concentrate it's efforts (landing gear, plastic tail?). Mooney could also be more proactive in clarifying the distinct advantage it has over the competition. All that efficiency translates into lots more $ (not to mention time) saved over the competition, and that's never been made clear. For instance, 10 kts of higher speed translates into 20,000 nautical miles traveled over the life of a 2000 hr engine. Same can be said of fuel weight and range, you don't need as much UL because you don't need to carry as much fuel to go the same distance compared to the competition. Also, isn't a faster plane safer just by virtue of the fact that it's in the air less, less exposure? Certainly the airlines can testify to that. Nothing on the website, or in comparison articles that I can find. It seems to me the new Ovations and Acclaims could afford to give up just a bit of that hard earned airframe refinement to allow at least some people to feel a bit safer. Does anyone know if Kerrville has investigated the possibility of an installation? Jim
    2 points
  19. It does not care. It is not compressed to the liquid stage.
    2 points
  20. Obviously not at the ramp in front of the FBO but yes the airport will manage and I’m sure the FBO will set up a Mooney parking area. I think Tampa St Pete area will be great for the Mooney gathering. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    2 points
  21. To put that in perspective, those 120 million molecules amounts to 0.00000000000001 grams. The cylinder wall lose magnitudes more than that when they are honed. I wouldn’t sweat it. Tom
    2 points
  22. Have been eating my popcorn and watching this movie. A real suspense thriller (with comedy overtones). No one knows anything as to what is really happening at Mooney right now. All I hear hear is Chicken Little and "the sky is falling" I'll wait until next week to see what transpires. We may be better off than we think right now. Maybe, maybe not, but all the speculation is just the flapping of gums making noise right now until something definite from the principal is forthcoming.. I'm in a holding pattern with 20 mile legs right now and lots of fuel to burn.
    2 points
  23. Tom sorry for your loss, losing your very best friend is difficult to deal with, as mentioned good memories are to be cherished. Steve’s event is troubling to me, my wife apparently is one of the lucky ones having her first known heart attack in September, I only hope all of our Mooneyspacers will get a proper physical including having a review of their heart and associated systems. Steve’s event should spark all of us to get checked out hopefully mitigating a similar outcome.
    2 points
  24. BTW, some of you probably have noticed that Jim Price, co-founder of Mooney Flyer, has posted on FB that a Kerrville manager told the owner of LASAR that the furlough was temporary while a restructuring is implemented. As I suggested several days ago istm we'd do well to wait to see what the facts are.
    2 points
  25. Tom, I am sorry to hear about your loss and my prayers are with Steve's family as well as yourself. I would encourage you to write down your stories, not to publish a book, but for you and your family (and Steve's) to look back on. There have been times in my life where I was very good at keeping a journal and times where I wasn't. I am surprised by the number of times I can open up one of those journals and flip to a page, start reading, and realize I had completely forgotten about a certain event. It is easier now than ever to keep a journal as typing is faster than writing and using voice to text is getting better and more accurate all the time.
    2 points
  26. I see his point.
    2 points
  27. Jenny is a class act. Despite her recent loss, she took time to express gratitude for the extra time she had with Mark due to the heroic act of Thomas Hunnicutt. Godspeed Jenny. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/widow-of-plane-crash-victim-thanks-man-who-rescued-her-husband
    2 points
  28. Well, I preface with "what do I know".. . But I do run a $50+ million a year business so FWIW. It seems to me that Mooney has a competition problem. Cirrus. In that head to head battle, at virtually the same price point around $800k, Mooney is just outgunned. I think it's sexier. I think an airplane should have retractable gear. And I like FAST. Those three things are what Mooney has going for it. But Cirrus has everything else. Parachute. "Fast enough"--even if it's 20 knots slower, on most trips in real time it doesn't matter. Bigger feeling cabin. More Useful Load even with FIKI and/or AC. And don't forget...The parachute. I think what we see is the market segment willing to toss out all those advantages for an $800k new airplane is....small if it's advantages are 20 knots and sexy. 4 Acclaims in a year small. That's not a business, it's a cult following, and it won't pay the bills. It didn't. I think the right track starts with a variation on the "refurb old airplanes." Instead, build new ones that are irresistably priced. $100k for an engine. $100k for an airframe. $100k for avionics...but don't do dumb G1000 stuff --folks are wise to their $100k being orphaned by Moor's law. put in dual G500TXi s or dual G3Xs or even Dual Dynon's...make it an option. mark it up enough to pay the bills and hold some reserves..and figure out how to sell a beautiful, new, very fast, sexy airplane for $500k or less. Not $800k. Not without a parachute and all the advantages Cirrus has. Not enough wives will go for it. As one of my Saudi friends frequently says: "The Ministry of the Interior is dual-hatted as the Ministry of Finance". For $850k the MoF wants a parachute, and she can and will have one. I think what Mooney's proved at least 3 times now is that going head to head selling airplanes at the same price point as Cirrus is not gonna work. You know the definition of insanity. Time to do something different. Go where the competition ain't! probably too hard to do, and maybe Mooney is gone forever without a real visionary with very deep pockets. nickel on the grass.
    2 points
  29. Ok, Ill try to make this short. Electric tech is no where near being able to provide a meaningful X-C platform. Yes, Pipestrel has an electric aircraft... it is barely good enough to be a training platform and even then to get a PP certificate you will be forced into a piston aircraft to meet the XC requirements. It has an 80 mile range for 2 people with almost no baggage space. have you ever flown a Pipestrel? I have and it was the most uncomfortable aircraft I have ever flown ( And I own a glider!). I have heard rumors of Lithium Co2 batteries that supposedly hold 7x the power of current batteries. Though I am not certain I am convinced this is a reality. However even if it were, that still would not be enough to make an electric Mooney viable. Look at the math, it does not add up. 100LL has an energy density of 44.0 MJ/KG ... Current Li batteries have 0.875 MJ/kg even if we get them to 7x as much, that is still only 6.125 MJ/KG. Which is 1/7th the amount of 100LL. Physics dont magically change when you go electric. It still takes X energy to move the aircraft through the air at Y speed for Z distance. Fill your tanks to 1/7th capacity and see how much use you can get out of your aircraft. Then keep in mind that the 7x capacity I have granted you does not exist and divide how far you can go by another 7. Then keep in mind it will take you an hour to re-charge the batteries and that You will carry 100% of their weight 100% of the time. Electric VTOL right now the same as the flying cars of the 80's.... great at 1 thing... soaking investors for money for something that is way beyond our horizons. The problems are so numerous I could go on for way too long for this thread.
    2 points
  30. Recently while flying right seat with my buddy in his Cherokee 180 we were having a ton of trouble with his comm radios. The noise levels were high and we were having trouble understanding anything. It stopped when we unplugged my USB charger that was connected to one of my tablets, the same one I've been using in my airplane for quite a while to power the tabs and the Stratux. We plugged one of his USB chargers in and did not have any further issues with the radios. I do radio comm for a living, so, naturally I had to nerd out on this and did some characterization with a spectrum analyzer: http://ericjacobsen.org/Files/USB_Power_Supply_RF_analysis_2.pdf Bottom line: the RF output level varies significantly between different examples of generic chargers, and may vary significantly with an individual charger depending on input voltage and current load. The quietest charger I tested was a cheapie give-away that has Wells Fargo branding on it. So go figure, but if you're having radio trouble try unplugging your chargers and if they're problematic just try a different one, even a cheap one. You probably already knew that, but thought I'd throw this out there, anyway.
    1 point
  31. So let's say that the furlough really is temporary, and that Mooney has something amazing up their sleeves... What is it? Restarting the M10 line? Retooling for a turbprop? Relaunching as a build-assist facility for experimental J models? Partnership with Tesla and an all-new electric powerplant?
    1 point
  32. Has she flown along in any of them? If not, I suggest to do that. Not only in the C series but also other competitors. I've sat in an Ultra and heavens if it's not a nice cabin. Whether it will compete is up to your wive to decide though. The important thing will be that she feels comfortable and safe in the airplane. Otherwise many of your flights will be solo and discussions not pleasant.
    1 point
  33. Get a feel for the real news... What is really going on... Unfortunately, The factory has a tradition of not releasing press releases... I have bought two Mooneys after separate shutdowns... one cost as much as a fancy car... the other more than a house... I’d buy a third one tomorrow... If this is the only point of negotiation... work it the best you can... Need a list of other negotiating points? you know there is more to a negotiation than price... Have you seen the number of people interested in, and actually buying Mooneys lately... Your competition may be other buyers... Looks like the shut down is scheduled to be quite temporary... and the number of people staying around is quite large. buying a used plane takes plenty of effort, and may not be for everyone... in 20 years, the number of parts I bought through Mooney has been less than a half dozen of which two parts were made by Mooney... those two parts could have been updated by a local welder... While wondering about the effect of plant closings and price of machines... have you seen the negotiations to keep automotive plants open lately? It barely makes the news... when it does, it doesn’t last... A used Mooney can be sold anywhere on the planet, delivered world wide... Most Long bodies and some mid bodies don’t need any alterations, they just fly over the Atlantic... via Greenland, and Iceland... Plan A: find good Mooney, get PPI, get TT, get insurance... pay attention to ops costs... Plan B: negotiate deeply, get no extras, wait for the first surprise, see who is there to help... We have MSers that go either route... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  34. Wow Tom that is very unfortunate and is a huge loss to all of his friends, family, and the flying community. As we are an extremely small group in the vast sea of people, I’m always still amazed at the camaraderie and generosity that goes around in the amongst us aviation enthusiasts. I have been mentored and encouraged by so many pilots and mechanics and I try my hardest to pass it on to others. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1 point
  35. Here are a couple of examples to cheer you up... Fewer than 1700 DHC-2 Beavers were built; the last one rolled out in 1968. De Havilland Canada ceased operations in 1992. Yet hundreds of Beavers are still flying with many in commercial service in the US and Canada. Kenmore Air, Sealand, WhipAire and others manufacture PMA and STC parts. Viking Air owns the type and production certificates and also makes parts and currently is building new Twin Otters. If you can find a wreck, you can still get one rebuilt today better than new. There are still a bunch of North American P-51s flying. Cal Pacific Airmotive owns the type and production certificates and will build any part you need. With such a large fleet and high parts commonality, someone will step up to fill the void if Mooney can't. Skip
    1 point
  36. An all carbon lighter ultra smooth more aerodynamic faster to produce and faster in cruise wing, a parachute and a 400hp diesel engine and all is forgiven! :-) And bigger cup holders for the big gulp. And with the lighter wing, and of course an MT 4 blade lighter prop, all in 250 lbs of extra useful load, and of course with that 400hp diesel we get more range more speed and you are 12 years younger just flying it. I am sure this is what will be announced on monday.
    1 point
  37. I bought 2 150 scf tanks from Airgas. As necessary I swap my emptier ta k for a full one for about $25. Since the tanks are stamped Airgas the tank I get will be in date. A third tank in the cascade would get my portable tank a little fuller on average but since I'm flying a na M20E I don't use a lot of O2 and I do not exchange a tank more than once per year even though I fill a portable tank for other pilots now and then. With this system O2 is almost free.
    1 point
  38. It is not quite as safe statistically. But perception is it is much less safe since we see in the news also all of the GA crashes that happen nationally. Meanwhile car crashes do not make the news even locally. In my county, a very large (area) but remote rural county in upstate NY with only 185,000 people, I saw in the obit from the weekly paper that 4 people died in several different car accidents in the county last week. And people hunt, boat, snow mobile, all with comparable stats and they don't think a thing of it.
    1 point
  39. I am the original owner of a 1991 MSE / 1997 Missile Conversion. I have owned the airplane 28 years and hope to keep flying it for another 11 years. I hope I can still get parts. Mooney has been out of business before and I have kept flying. I think you will always be able to get what parts U need - but maybe at a very expensive price. Will someone make "after market" parts if necessary? There are still a lot of Mooneys out there. Any commentary welcome. I love my Mooney more than ever - and if it becomes a classic collectible - so be it.
    1 point
  40. I'm sure we can figure something out...
    1 point
  41. I have a different take on this and could be way off... but from the little bit I know... I don't think the Meijing group ever intended to run Mooney as a profitable business. It's just a rounding error on her balance sheet. I expect when the trade wars with China are over, they'll start back up and go on as if nothing happened. The Meijing group is required to be in the aviation business by Chinese regulations. So they are. But with the ongoing trade war, they've been given the green light to shut it down for the time being. And with no loyalty to the brand, the employees, or even the profit that would come from a properly run enterprise, they've just turned off the switch until they need to turn it back on. So I don't think this has anything to do with the balance sheet at Mooney.
    1 point
  42. I think this may be the key for all of us- that we, as a community (owners, MSCs, MAPA, etc.), need to be responsible for our parts availability. Paul Loewen and LASAR have made great inroads into ensuring PMA'ed parts such as bushings and aftermarket parts are available to us. Other MSCs are legendary in removing corrosion and/or rebuilding wings and the like. It isn't impossible to fabricate a control pushrod as a one-off and have it be legal; with enough demand, an MSC could receive a PMA if we give them our loyalty and make it financially beneficial to them. And A&Ps like me will buy from them to install on customers' airplanes. I'm sad that the factory might close. But like Chris, I'm not afraid for our future.
    1 point
  43. You have got to be kidding me..... They cant even get the payload up to a reasonable level , on an aircraft they have been making for 50 years...… The only people their Planes appeal to , are those that have been flying them before for many years , And the reality is that 90% of those people move into Barons , Bonanzas , and Cirrus , because a Plane has to be Mission capable , to sell.....
    1 point
  44. I have found that carrying a spare part in your plane insures that you will never need to use it.
    1 point
  45. Chris, Some of us live and work or were born in NYC... or even a bit north where we can add a Boston accent to the swears... It doesn’t help you to use strong language in everyday conversations... Look around... MS is pretty much a swear free, insult free zone... a no bullying type of place... and it is better for it. Your frustration is showing. Grab the bull by the horns. Often, people block posters that are aggressive... the pool of good answers gets smaller and smaller as you get blocked... MS is on the internet... it isn’t the internet... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  46. Everything you would ever want to know about piston rings: http://korihandbook.federalmogul.com/en/index.htm
    1 point
  47. I'd have thought that, but the quietest of the units I tested was the cheapest one. Thanks for the kind words. You're right that it take a lot deeper analysis to sort out the path(s) through which an interferer actually causes interference to a particular system, and it could be different in each airplane since the avionics are generally of different makes and different installations and different conditions and the antennas could be placed differently and the cigar lighter placed differently as well. Since my test fixture used an antenna for the sensor, I was really only measuring the radiated energy, so anything going back through the input power wouldn't have been accounted for except what was radiated through the wire. If I really wanted to get crazy I could use one of my sniffer loops instead of the antenna and try to find the hot spots, but that was a bit beyond the time I was willing to put in on this. I think pretty much all of these types of devices these days use switching power supplies and regulators in the DC-DC converter, as linear regulators are way too inefficient. So I think it comes down to how the switchers are made, how well they're shielded (if at all), and what frequencies they switch at. It seems like the smaller/faster/cheaper/better they make them, the higher the switching frequency, which can move the spurious harmonics and radiation further up as well. That's pretty much where the RF interference energy is likely to come from, and clearly some are just made differently than others. The worst ones that I tested also have a numeric display and probably a little embedded processor to run it, so the clocks for those may be getting out as well. They all have to pass FCC part 15 for unintentional radiation, which puts some basic limits on them but doesn't prevent a nearby radio or antenna from being susceptible, especially if it, or its antenna or cable, is nearby the interfering device.
    1 point
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