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I will miss the Mooney speed and efficiency. I look forward to seeing my Mooney friends at OSH and other venues. My mission is the same, family trips and Pilots n Paws. The plan is to go slower and burn more dinosaurs doing just that. Sean

I received awesome news today -- GOT MY 3RD CLASS MEDICAL! After fighting to overcome heart failure, pace maker install, and diabetes, I was approved today! That took almost 2 years but it’s finally done... Just goes to show you can overcome obstacles with perseverance and hard work... I’m beyond excited... -Don

Small update: New Vernatherm arrived. I tested it against the old one...here are the numbers using my candy thermometer- Expansion from room temp to 150 deg F. Expansion from 150 - 185 degrees F Old Vernatherm: 0.007“ 0.140” New Vernatherm: 0.046”. 0.250” At the 150-185F expansion, the difference between them is 0.110”, which is Approximately the thickness of two dimes. I cannot accurately measure for comparison the length of the each valve from the gasket surface end to the tip of the valve that seats against the engine oil pressure orifice, as the new valve has a different taper ( I couldn’t tell exactly where the valve seats on the taper against the engine without coating it with blue dye and screwing it in- I’m not at the hangar). So, not very scientific or precise here, but interesting to note that the new valve does move sooner, and does move farther than the old valve. I would like to know the exact distance between the gasket surface of the engine and the oil galley orifice where the valve seats, and I would like to know the length of each valve from the gasket surface to the area of the taper where it seats. Then I’d like to know the seating pressure at various temps- that would give me some real data.... but I’m way too busy and short on time to work on that- I just want to go fly! (The new vernatherm is the one on the left - the more silver one with the pinched nut) One other thing- the old valve tip feels ratchety when pushing the spring down. The new valve tip moves very smoothly against the spring Hopefully it will go in Saturday, and we’ll see if it amounts to a hill of beans.

Freedom to choose what you want to drive. Where and when? Priceless

Tesla's of today don't have to be for everyone. But for what they are designed to do, they are very nice. It's pretty common to have two cars in most families. We have three cars and two drivers. Having a Tesla or another electric car as one of them could be quite convenient. I have one on order, but might or might not take delivery. I'm still waiting to see what the economy does in the next 6 months and what happens with my employment. Not all my cars excel at the same tasks. This last weekend driving over Imogene pass in SW Colorado, the BMW M3 would have been useless, but the 4Runner was perfect. Getting my wife back and forth to work 7 miles each way, summer and winter in Denver, the Tesla Model Y sounds like a perfect solution to me. Of course she could do it in a much cheaper car... but come on... this is a forum full of people who own private airplanes... And from friends of mine who own Tesla's, once you have one, you start using it more and more for more types of travel and next thing you know the car with the ICE under the hood is up for sale. The day Amazon decides it's cheaper to use electric automated trucks, the trucking industry as we know it will be gone. And they are working that direction very quickly with unlimited funds at their disposal. One of my customers is AAA. Somedays I think they're still trying to figure out why no one is stopping by for the little TripTix books they put together. Think of Kodak, Xerox, TomTom and Magellan. And now technology is able to replicate its self and improve its self. So hang on, the rocket has been lit, and there's no un-lighting it.

I’d of taken that risk if I saw it in time....

I just finished listening to a webinar put on by Aviation Week entitled, "Electrification: Dead End or the Future of Aviation?" Obviously it was slanted toward the "Future of Aviation" point of view. It brought up several valid points of where we are going … by 2035 at the earliest. 1. Is the future one source or more likely a mix of hydrogen, electric, hybrid, synthetic fuel, etc. 2. Currently (without subsidies) electric is 3-4X more expensive than current fossil fuels. 3. The progress of biofuels has been much slower than anticipated. 4. Synthetic fuels are being worked on, but they are only in the early stages. 5. Hydrogen has storage and airframe integration issues, but these issues are only engineering issues (LOL … from an engineer). 6. It was noted that this movement is going to make airplane aerodynamic designs more efficient, which is where most of the gain will come from. These changes can also be accomplished on current airplanes. 7. Airbus states their next, single-aisle, airline will be 30% more efficient … 20% coming from the propulsion and 10% from the airframe design. The head of Rolls-Royce stated that the 20% from propulsion is more than extremely aggressive. 8. The real answer could be a combination of all of them. For example electric power boost on takeoff is possible. 9. Lots of talk about airlines with much shorter range which would need to include a different business model. In other words, a true regional airplane that wouldn't have the capability of flying the longer range missions (200-300 mile range). 10. The TRL (Technical Readiness Level) of all of these new technologies (with the exception of battery electric) is between 0 and 2 and ALL have a long ways to go. Just my top 10 … that I can remember with my notes. The webinar is planned to be posted online within 24 hours. Right now there is a beautiful bicycle anxiously waiting for me to put another 30 miles on her. Not emissions free, but only a small portion of a horsepower required. It's a new day, it's a new dawn and I can once again be fully emotional

Yes, sorry. I set the altitude pre-select to the altitude of the hold on the missed approach. So if the MAP procedure is to climb to 6000 right turn to 360 direct HYGEN, I'd set the altitude pre-select to 6000 and the climb to 500 ft/min (or as required). The IFD540 will handle the right turn to the fix and the hold. So all I have to do is push the button on the pre-select and add power.

“Don’t get dragged in by Chino” “Even if the factory is forced to close....nobody benefits from the rumors..” I’ve been thinking on and off today, what words to offer up for Chino’s rumor post this morning........ Anthony supplied the words . What possible good comes from rumors ...... none! It’s best always to know the facts and truths before jumping to conclusions, or making judgments based on someone’s false or misleading information, whether intentional or not . This holds true in ANY topic !

Nothing to apologize for. How often do we get a taste of the simply joy of a kid and a new experience when we’re adults? Enjoy your Mooney. I still have to apologize to my wife after an excellent flight - apologize because I’m talking animated and happily while to her it is kind of just another flight. However to me, I’ve again slayed gravity and mastered great circle routes. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Exactly the way I took it, you were sharing an emotion of happiness as you were seeing something pretty cool with your pride and joy. Absolutely nothing to be sorry about

Removed from a 1979 J Model. Pilots Trim switch is included. Good overall condition, the co-pilots Mooney emblem cover does have small crack in the plastic. These are not a direct swap without the elevator control yoke and universals from a donor airplane, so I have revised this listing to include one of those yokes as well (removed from the same donor airplane as the yokes/shafts). Great opportunity for someone to upgrade their yokes/shafts in a vintage bird and also eliminate an AD. My apologies some of the pics are sideways- they are right side up in my computer so not sure why they are being skewed. Price does not include shipping.

I may have been one of the first to run into this. SureFly worked with me and even sent a new unit to see if it was a clocking issue at assembly. We finally figured out the gear issue and they sent the newer version of the gear and it was all resolved. Regarding the break in of the gear, they are well oiled and likely not a major concern. I think the new gear is the path of least resistance. Regarding the MAP hose, there are a couple of threads with images of various ways to accommodate it. I can appreciate the frustration, but at the same time it can’t be easy to design a system to adapt to over 60 years worth of aircraft of varying manufacture and configuration. I’ve been rather happy with mine after the initial installation issues. Cold starts are near automobile like, hot starts are more consistent.

There was a report of difficulty during install for various mags... because a part was different than expected... So... for a few bucks more, swapping out the errant part is a possibility... The electronic mags guys are just finding out how many different versions of mags are really out in the field.... I think Rob @takair may have detailed what he had to do to get the mag up to speed for proper installation... Being off a few degrees isn’t going to make anyone happy... I think I remember the Woodruff issue... and not the Parker one... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... Best regards, -a-

New airframes were less expensive in yesteryear. On the other hand, we have a bounty of pre-owned aircraft that mostly didn't exist back then. Our preowned aircraft are far less than the aircraft of yesteryear, but probably not all that much more expensive to operate. Mooney's biggest competition wasn't Cirrus, it was older Mooneys. You can buy a vintage airframe and have it restored to like new condition and give it a glass panel (which also didn't exist in yesteryear) and pay proportionate to what an airplane cost long ago. This could be the Golden age of general aviation if we really wanted it so.

I do not have much input on the Tesla thread portion of this post. But I would like to thank you guys for the encouraging words on Mooney airplanes. I am continuing my pursuit of putting one in my own hanger. In regards to the Tesla information it is very entertaining to read.

I did my own in a 67F, this panel came from Hendricks mfg. it cost 2.5amu or there abouts, took about 20-30 hrs...Had to remove prop and mixture cables, good excuse to replace. That prob took the most time. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just MHO, but I admit I am completely blown away by Tesla technology and innovation. 10 years ago when nobody could get electric cars to go 100 miles, Tesla figured out how to do 300 miles- in a high performance, luxury car at that. Amazing. But when it came time for me to buy a new car, I bought an Audi. I can buy a lot of dead dinosaurs for the $60,000 difference in price.

I have ridden in my boss's Tesla. Frankly, I'm not too impressed with cars in general, and I didn't think it was any better than my BMW 1-er in fitment and quality. Sure it has plenty of torque and it can go fast and accelerate very quickly, but it's way more than is legal or safe to use on most highways, and my car can more than double the interstate speed limit. His Tesla gets maybe 200-250 miles on a charge, I can go over 400 on a tank. He paid more than 3x for his Tesla what I paid for my car, brand new. It has a nice shiny screen to watch movies on while letting the Autopilot deliver one to the scene of the accident. As for the environmental benefits of using electricity as the source of power, I used to work in the generation business and I know a thing or two about how it gets generated and the overall environmental impact. Not terribly impressed with the supposed benefits, even before considering the impact of battery production and its long supply chain. As far as I can tell, Teslas at this point make nice bragging toys, and they perform quite well, but certainly not enough to justify the price tag.

Ok, lets bet on this quarter...Ill buy your drinks at the next Mooney Summit if GM or Ford or Chryslers profit is more than Teslas q2. Or heck, Q3, We know they didnt beat them q1. Heck, Ill buy your drinks at the Summit anyway an interesting charting site you can get free cash flow, long term debt, profit etc from for all of them (and many other companies) hypercharts.co

Swapping stock to a standard 6 pack is no big deal. Inexpensive if you can do it yourself, and can be done in a day or two depending on how far things move. I wouldnt pass pass on a good airplane because it has the old layout. That would be silly.

Cutting a new panel can be done relatively inexpensively, depending on how much involvement the owner provides. You can manufacture your own panel (using a template or your own custom design) and have your A&P install it as a minor mod, or install it yourself and have your A&P inspect and sign off your work. The real cost comes when you start replacing the steam gauges you have for the glass ones you want. tom

If you like working with your hands, you can do it yourself for not a lot of dough. I had access to a water jet system to cut a new panel from aluminum and did the work myself under the supervision of an A&P IA. The cost for that neglecting my labor, was < 0.5AMU. Doing it yourself gives you ideas, and a chance to change things up for your liking, and spot potential problems (like broken panel isolation mounts). We decided to get rid of the EGT selector and install an engine monitor. The cost of a JPI900, again installed by us under supervision was < 4AMU. Here's a link showing what we did:

You don’t have to know what the sold price is to watch the market. look at the ones that come up and go off, and the ones that languish. If it comes to market and is gone within a few weeks, you can almost bet it was priced appropriately. If it sits for months, well, it’s got issues not advertised, or just too high, either way, price is wrong. not 100% accurate, but pretty darn close.

They have hundreds of frame styles, look around and see. I get regular glasses and prescription sunglasses [a pair for each vehicle so I never leave them in the other car], but I wear Halos in the plane so really don't know about arm thickness; I generally get thick ones on my sunglasses anyway, so I can tell by feel if I'm wearing them or my regular glasses.

As a career EE I'm not so sure it is as 'crazy' as you think. Beyond the dependence upon EXTERNAL electrical power, I have seen enough ESD caused electronic component failures to be VERY nervous with both mags being electronic. Nearby lightning strike comes to mind. Further, beyond easy starts (and, one E-mag will do that) I'm not convinced they provide much, if any, benefit for a stationary engine such as those in our aircraft. I'm happy to keep my tractor mags

I used to think the safe number was 47 not 46 so that was 2500 and 22 and since it's a C with only the single EGT I can only go by the lean to rough then rich to smooth so no real idea how rich of peak that is. I've only ever managed to get it to LOP once what a magical moment. I normally fly much easier like 2400 20 which yields around 135 knots but was fun to stretch it out. AI is about 2mph fast based on GPS runs. Most likely higher than 75% on those flights. For me it's all based on OAT cause Snoopy likes cold air. Biggest challenge is keeping things cool up front.

4 years have passed since that article... are we any closer to being allowed DUEL E mags?

It takes a ball mover to prompt de utters to get wit da program! I still love my hoodie!!

I bet it will also make Tesla look parsimonious.

It's only 1050 because I have FIKI installed. That cost a bit in UL, but I have FIKI and don't regret it and still have an ok UL. A non FIKI Eagle certainly has quite a bit more.

ACR= Anti-Cam Round out places like The yard store sells them and many other aircraft suppliers has them. https://www.yardstore.com/phillips-2-acr-b-4x4-bit It kind hard to see in picture but has "teeth" to help grab the screw.

Mike, if you think the electric cars make Lexus look old and antiquated, and Mitch, if you're impressed by the Tesla X, hang onto your hats late this year and into the next year. Cadillac is going to make Tesla look old and antiquated. Got to check out a 2021 Escalade at our store recently, I don't even have words for the technology in it. Yes, it is "currently" a gas model, but the all electric Cadillacs are coming, and they are something else...

Gents, don’t get dragged in by Chino... The clouds have been blocking his part of the Mooney world for an inordinate amount of time... Yes, bad news, real or fictional does make people think twice before pulling the trigger... Serious people are always thinking twice anyway... MS has many X-Mooney employees and family too... Not all are embittered by their experience... We even have the two people that created the Mooney Movie....’boots on the ground’.... way cool if you haven’t seen it... It is better to have a healthy Mooney factory than a closed one... Auwde, the Mooney plant has a history of being closed for various reasons in its life... usually economy driven... When it closed in Y2K... I bought a pre-flown M20C... Most of the wear parts I ever needed were available from aircraft hardware suppliers and Lycoming.... Today, for the more challenging to get parts... we have something called owner supplied parts... where a community the size of MS has been successful at properly building the required parts... During the Great Recession, The plant was down for some time again... I bought a pre-flown M20R... So... people looking to buy a plane will want to do there homework... if buying a pre-flown Mooney, the plant being closed doesn’t change things very much.... oddly... Talking up the points about the plant being closed will wash out the weaker hands at the plane buying table... somewhat artificially lowering the prices... by making fewer buyers available... Even if the plant is forced to close... nobody benefits from the rumors... 2020 is going to be a tough year... We have experienced a very sharp recession... fast down, and a pretty quick up trend for the economy... unemployment soared... a pandemic has spread across the globe... Of course, Main Street is separate from Wall Street... Buying a plane will be more challenging for main streeters... If you are looking to buy a pre-flown Mooney... thank people that point out problems at the factory... They are helping you with your price negotiations... PP thoughts only, not a plane sales guy... or sales disruptor... If buying a plane and speed and efficiency are important.... Go Mooney! Best regards, -a-

At 10500 WOT 2500 this calcs out to around 145 knots. Pretty amazing for 180 horsepower

David and I met up this week and knocked out the details. Put a deposit on her today! The great news is David now has the time (and incentive ;o) to get the cowling to a state where I'll be able to fly it home (sometime in late August or early September). For those who are waiting for the cowling, this will help you folks as well. Very excited and David has been awesome to work with. As the plane is put back together and flying again, I'll update folks with its progress. We have a few items to knock out and she'll also have a Surefly mag to replace the left one. Can't wait! Once I get some time flying her, I'll be looking @ adding a Garmin GNC 355 GPS/COM with CDI. Because I'll be waiting on the Garmin, it will put a damper on my IFR training in 52W a bit. I'll probably add the Garmin early next year. This will give me more time to save some money, study, and get better -- maybe do some simulator training to keep my IFR training going. Sorry to those who are waiting on the new cowling, but I'm now first in line ;o) -Don

For those who are looking for the gascolator gaskets for the older models 2"O.D, x 1/16" thick. You can special order them from Brown Aircraft Supply call them on the phone and tell them you want he GL-30-HD and specify the gasket be made 1/16" thick it is a perfect match for around $8. http://www.brownaircraft.com/product_p/gl-30-hd.htm

Excellent, thanks! I got my gasket from Brown Aircraft already, they responded very quickly.

Yeah, my 4Runner doesn't have the automation (2014), but it can hardly pass anything. I love driving it on the dirt all over the mountains out here, but on the highway or especially two lane roads, it's hopeless. Of course the only vehicle that needs less room to make a pass on a two lane road than a Tesla, is a sport bike, like the GSXR1000 I used to ride.

I've heard this same rumor time and again. I've never heard it confirmed by anyone who would actually know. Regardless, "all the tooling" really isn't significant. A (slightly) different jig for the roll cage, and slightly shorter sheet metal, stringers, etc. for the fuselage.

Saint and Boxwell sounds like a new buddy detective show coming soon to CBS.

Take a few months and track the market. You’ll be a lot happier with the end result if you learn the nuances of the model or Mooney aircraft in general. You will also get a feel for what is moving faster at all price points. Lots of knowledge buyers out there and money is easy to come by right now so the good ones will move reasonably fast. Narrow your search and good luck!

I heard they are phasing out the Radial stuff at least from the written

Also needing reading glasses, I got these that are aviation specific: http://www.av-sun.com/ Note they are a gray gradient tint. Quality is good, had them for years for flying use only. Despite thin arms, I still prop them over the ear muffs for a good seal.

I tried the stick-on thingies on the inside of a diving mask back when I did that stuff. Those were pretty disappointing as well. I seem to recall a dive when they were kinda just sloshing around in the mask, and other dives where they'd move around and be in random spots inside the mask. I used sunglasses with the reader built-in for a few years but for me it was only a couple years until my distant vision changed enough that I needed a full prescription, and then I just got prescription sunglasses. That's been very good for me ever since.

Older ones especially; starting with all F models and, in '69, the rest, they raised the top of the green arc.

Three way GPS at 8000 produced 148 knots with two on board. But 5500 yielded around 154. If I'm pushing its pretty easy to get it into the yellow arc.

Screaming Eagle! Great UL and overall incredible airplane! Of course, I am biased. After a long search and learning on this site, I found the Screaming Eagle the best overall Mooney for my mission. No buyers remorse here!

Interesting to read the perspectives here. everyone’s reasons are different I suppose, but one thing is consistent, this is an expensive hobby. I flew flight school planes, a few rentals and with a lot of people selling planes. I had so many equipment failures in the flight school planes it wasn’t funny. I found myself borderline (maybe full blown, but I’ll never admit) OCD, about condition. In my mind when I see any part of a plane poorly maintained, I get paranoid about what else isn’t maintained. I didn’t want to feel anxiety about what I was flying and condition was key. I didn’t require new, or even nearly new (couldn’t justify on the first one anyway), but I knew I had to buy a plane from someone like myself. Example, my first mooney was a 2005 ovation, I had about 250 hours in it, and took off on a family vacation. Had a magneto failure shortly after takeoff, and returned to my home field. the mechanic there, whom I didn’t really want to use, recommended one rebuilt mag. i did some research and found that a new mag was only about $200 more than rebuilt, furthermore, the plugs and wires were original, and if I bought the whole set together it was almost $1,000 less than buying separately. my mechanic said it was unnecessary, but the plane was 12 years old with 1500 hours, and a 12 year old part failed with my family in the plane. I spent the money and felt good about it, and I do every time, i make a similar decision. I realize, this doesn’t guarantee anything, but personally, I believe it’s prudent. You don’t get to do this in a rental, a club, or most partnerships. To me, the potential consequences of poor maintenance, abuse, misuse, ignorance, you name it, of someone else flying my plane was just too great. I want to get in it every time knowing how it was treated, how it was left and what to expect when I start her up. Lastly, but almost certainly not least, and as can be attested by all those who regularly opine here. You MUST LOVE your plane. Mine made the world a lot smaller to me, and gives me more joy than anything else I’ve ever owned If you do not love her, you will resent owning it, because it is the most financially foolish decision we ever make, if you only look at the money... Life is about experiences and every time you slip the surly bonds, you have another one... like my late father in law told me, “if not now, when”?

I'm sure there's no way we can ever know... But I can speculate that the Mooney marketing department was chasing raw speed and nothing else mattered. I still think the factory Encore was the best Mooney ever made, but it was shelved after something like 36 units to make room for the Bravo.