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This sure is a cynical group. Personally, I would rather have expensive-but-available Mooney parts than cheap-but-unavailable parts. I only rarely need actual Mooney parts but when I do need them, it's usually something standing between me and actually using my airplane.

Follow the brick

I have a question- WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE? Here we have a company that can produce any part we need for an orphaned line of airplanes-Mooney There are only about 7,000 of them left (and we kill dozens every year shrinking that field) We have another company stepping in to help US get the parts WE need from the sole supplier And all we do is bitch about it! SO, JUST WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE? Provide a viable LEGAL solution Don't just bitch about it! What if we CAN'T ever get any more parts? What do we do then????? Its a very small consumer base needing parts whose construction is tightly controlled by an outside agency- the FAA That equals $$$$$$$$$$ To make every part for every Mooney ever made TAKES THE ENTIRE ACTORY less the assembly line That takes money to support- more $$$$$$$ Have any of you actually seen the production facility in production? Minus the assembly line? Either you make parts there or you move it somewhere else - at what cost? More $$$$$$$ ALL airplane parts are priced at today's cost to produce a new airplane - NOT 50 years ago. Priced any new Beech parts lately? How many Bonanzas are sitting because of bad ruddervator skins? They can't get them. Our Mooneys will be paper weights or boat anchors if we can't get the parts we need The days of being Cheap Bastards is over. You want to fly a Mooney (or any other airplane) pony up to the bar and pay the bill. As I have said several times- we are flying antiques! They will eventually die a lingering death But without parts it becomes genocide!!! Suck it up folks - there is no alternative except to buy a different make airplane that is in production Sorry for the attitude but this bitching does nothing constructive for the situation we are in.

Bryan Turner released a new dating app for pilots only but if you watch all the way, you may realize why you’re ineligible.

I paid cash for the Mooney. I’ll probably be buried in it. I guess I don’t care what it is worth.

I finally completed this upgrade and got the plane back last week. Just wanted to circle back to this thread with the final result. Besides what is shown there, I also got a remote CO detector that I can manage through the PFD. Really happy with the outcome. Now to fly it a bunch to refamiliarize myself with the new panel and then dive deep into IFR training!

AFAIK, only the big Continental ones take off with boost pump off. The Lycoming- equipped have boot pump on for takeoff.

My first cancer diagnosis prompted me to switch. I had a valid Class 2 with a special issuance for obstructive sleep apnea at the time so I immediately transitioned to BasicMed. This move preserved my ability to keep flying when my doc and I judged I met the requirements of paragraph 61.53, and never having to worry about a future Class 2 or 3 being denied or submitting to the ass pain associated with the recurring reporting and pile of documentation OKC requires. It was quite an easy decision and transition. I briefed my primary doc using the materials AOPA provides, answered a few questions she had and she was immediately on board. After surgery and adjuvant cancer treatment, a later bout with a different cancer that required surgery, and a total hip replacement, my doc and I are still making excellent informed decisions on when I am and am not good to fly without needing the okeedokee from a remote government official who has never seen me. I can't fly for hire anymore, but I'm fortunate to be retired and not in financial need. BTW, the score is Junkman - 2, Cancer - 0. I'm hoping that remains as a final score.

If old man Jose were still around, he’d tell you extended range fuel tanks and a piss hose. It’s nice to have the plane be faster, but let’s face it, unless you fly 10 hours straight or fly hundreds of hours a year, how much time are you really saving with a few knots difference?

As has been stated here before, what are our options. Mooney has been for sale for some time and no one has stepped up. I was in the factory early July '25 and based on what I heard I was thinking the last days were very soon. The Lasar guys are taking a risk and I am hoping they are successful. We need a dependable parts supplier as well as new energy injected into this once great company. And we need some damn swag too. lol I've only owned my O3 for 4 years. I was led to believe Mooney was owned by a group of Mooney owners. It was all BS. Its owned 80% by an investor and 20% by the Chinese company. The communications in the last 4 years has been non existent. I've seen more communication from the Lasar team than I ever have from past owners. In my opinion, I know like belly buttons, we all have one, Mooney never financially succeeded in large part to not having any what its costs were, hence the multiple bankruptcies. I would love to see new birds rolling off the production line, but that's probably not in the cards. Personally I want to invest and help these guys succeed, be a part of the story. I have spoke to Brett and I like what I am hearing. Owning a Mooney is special fraternity of brothers and sisters who share a passion for flying faster.

I finally got tired of sanding and painted my headliner. It was in 9 pieces with some major holes. The plastic was vert brittle. It had the structural integrity of a saltine cracker. I reassembled all the parts with fiberglass and epoxy on the back side. Recreated all the missing parts with fiberglass. Sanded, painted, built it up with more fiberglass until it looked good. It is very robust and about as flexible as the original plastic.

Maybe we should say "I’ve stopped losing money when I’ve sold my planes…" True every time I’ve sold mine… -Don

Swift Fuels granted me the opportunity to acquire some 100R to perform the same materials compatibility tests that I applied to G100UL. As part of this, I did expand some testing on fabric systems and compared that test with 4 different fuels. As I note in the video, I want to dispel any rumors and conspiracy theories that I am connected to any fuel companies or was put up to any of my past or future testing. The video is quite long (~30 min) and covers a lot of material.

For an “in current production” example- my friend’s SR22T was AOG for 1 YEAR when he needed a new nose gear strut. Nobody is completely safe from parts availability issues. We should support Lasar’s goal to keep our planes in the sky!

I agree 100% Call me crazy, but I don't think a 30% increase is that out of line. Especially when we already know that the current prices don't really mean a thing if their respective parts aren't even available.

Coming over Yellowstone on the way home from Casper yesterday. Had a bit of time and was with my wife so we toured a bit:

Can't say enough things about Micheal at Heath aviation. Doesn't even look like the same plane. Beyond excited about the new panel and getting to fly her...... (one of these days.... PPL Oct 3rd.... say a prayer for me)

I don't remember where I learned it, but if there's sufficient runway left a PIO cycle can be broken by application of just enough power during a bounce to arrest the pitch change into a stable attitude (e.g., to make the elevator work again). I used it once not long after I got my airplane just from screwing up a landing, and then again when the MP hose broke and idle RPM stayed much higher than usual during a landing (coupled with not paying sufficient attention). Works really well, and can be easily turned into a go-around if so desired.

Update: Put a couple of hours on the airplane since annual. I had the prop rebuilt with new bearings and to replace some leaky seals, and figured I'd have it dynamically balanced once it was reinstalled. Before balancing, the prop checked out at 0.25ips. Its important to note that I don't know if it was that bad before the prop rebuilt, but that was the starting point, which is pretty terrible. After 6 iterations, they got it down to 0.05ips at 2500 RPM. They attempted to get it dialed in even further, but wound up just chasing the same amount around the plot. I am happy with 0.05ips. After flying the airplane, I can confirm a VERY noticeable difference in vibration. Especially now when transitioning through the "forbidden range" on short final, the glareshield doesn't vibrate nearly as bad as it used to. I was charged 4 hours labor. I tried several cruise RPM's yesterday, and everything from 2700 down to 2200 is smooth as silk. For anyone else considering a balance, it's well worth it.

Finally made it up to Half Moon Bay. Shot the approach and broke out at 1,500'. Had a great lunch and took off in VFR conditions to fly the San Francisco Bay.

Agree. I’m thankful that folks have the brass ones big enough to try it in this uncertainty….economy, not knowing where 100LL is headed, insurance, legality, etc. if someone has a better idea, the resources and the courage to take the step then please do…..at least you would create competition….if not let’s hope this works out for the sake of all our Mooneys.

Being a Buckeye, when I was breaking in my new engine I decided, why not do it with a little style? SCRIPT OHIO:

So speedwise, your E is well within the normal range for the model if not a tad on the slow side. The three bladed prop is not as efficient as a two blade. There are plenty of people who will tell you that it doesn’t make a difference and there are plenty that will tell you it’s costing you 5kts. You won’t have any idea unless you change propellers. The truth is, it doesn’t matter because from a practical matter, none of these planes are separated by that much in terms of speed. I have a 67F that I know it will do just over 150kts in cruise at just about any altitude under 10,000 feet. That being said, my current average GPS block speed as tracked over the last 5000nm is 144.9kts. It just recently fell below 145kts because of several trips under two hours that tend towards lower block speeds (for obvious reasons). What would I need to do to get a significant increase in speed? I’ve thought about this many times. Aircraft owners tend to assign a whole lot of value to things that really don’t make that big of a difference operationally. That’s why you’ll see people brag over a 7kt difference in cruise speed. The reality is that for me to realize a significant increase in time compression, range, and load carrying capacity, I would have to move into a high-performance twin or a turbine. Sometimes the best course of action is to recognize that what you have is delivering excellent, output value for the input. If you want to tweak your E to be faster, I think that’s an admirable pursuit, it may respond to some minor massaging. However, even if you were able to fettle and message it into 155kt cruiser, the time savings for most trips would be minuscule. I stopped wishing my bird was more than it is a long time ago and just decided to admire it for how well it does what it does.

I just finished up my transition training with @TheAv8r, who I met on here. We're both located in the Houston area. If anyone is looking for transition training I can't recommend Alex enough. The training was not just about getting me checked out in the plane, he made sure to really prepare me for Mooney ownership. He provided a lot of great documentation along the way, and is an excellent coach. With everything that I came away with, I felt like he provided a lot of valuable service for the money. Thanks Alex!

I never let a passenger touch the door latch since they'll try to slam it every time. That's my job and part of my pre-flight since I'm the one with the license. This placard is on my door: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/warningonlythepilotplacard.php?clickkey=6452

More likely to be PIO.

I doubt you can get an O-360 to detonate no matter what you do. I would quit worrying about that. You will do better thinking about it in terms of your wallet. The worst thing you can do is forget to lean and it will cost you money. If you over lean, it will run rough as soon as you start to lose power. They don’t run LOP very well, so you will be running ROP. Your best bet is to keep an eye on your CHTs and richen up a bit if they get too hot, which probably won’t happen.

Just in terms of funny comparisons. At some point I was talking to a friend from Germany who flies gliders, and the first thing he asked was what was the glide ratio of the Cherokee I owned at the time. When I told him his reaction was “what are you flying, an upright piano?”

I’ve been in aviation for over 40 years. I’ve been hearing the same thing you just said the entire time. There have been quite a few attempts to do what you said. Porsche and Mercedes both tried and failed. There are actually quite a few certified diesel engines, but few are sold. We look at our current engines differently. I see engines that have been optimized for 85 years. And you see a stale design. There are few modern engines out there that will do what our aircraft engines will do. Just look at the horsepower most modern high performance auto engines make at 2500 RPM. Few if any will exceed what modern aircraft engines will do. And they will probably use more fuel doing it. All of our aircraft engines could easily be made to run on any unleaded fuel, but their performance will be a bit less. You can’t take an engine that was designed and tuned to run on 100 octane fuel and wave a magic wand and make it run the same on a lower octane fuel. If you asked Continental to design a clean sheet 200HP engine that will run on UL94, I would bet it would look just like our current engines except it would be about 400 cu in and weigh about 20 Lbs. More.

The McCauley manual says to cycle the prop all the way to the low speed/ high pitch stop a few times. I did this and it stopped my minor leaks.

My plane is in the paint shop (ArtCraft paint) in Santa Maria California right now. Dropped it off on September 12th. They are doing both paint and interior. I'll make a thread with progress and pictures. But for now:

And thank god for that! Do you really want MORE rules and laws? Remember, not all of them are going to be ones that YOU agree with! Be careful what you ask for is never a caution to forget when dealing with the Federal government!

If Air Power can get you a new cylinder in three months you should be thrilled. No one else is going to get you a cylinder any sooner. About three years ago there was an 18 month wait on TIO-540-AF1B cylinders. I wouldn't waste the labor cost on a used cylinder, especially on this engine since people run them too hot. Even having a cylinder rebuilt will take you longer than January since the parts that are always backordered on these cylinders are the exhaust valves and guides. -------- This is way more info that you asked for . . . . You may have owned your Bravo for years, but since you're new on Mooneyspace I'm going to share some information on what temperatures work for this engine. If you run it by the POH you will burn up cylinders, turbos, exhaust systems and maybe occupants. Normally we all think of the POH as the final authority but if you take into account all of the experience that Bravo owners on this forum have, in 36 years now since the M20M was introduced, the recommended setting for longevity on this engine is a max combined number of 53 (MP + RPM; Example 29MP + 2400RPM). The people that run 34/2400 will be buying cylinders often. Even 32/2400 will never make TBO. Also keeping the TIT below 1600 will prolong the cylinders (especially the exhaust valves), exhaust system, turbos and TIT probes. The POH was never revised from the original and it says 1750 max, but that's when in the early life of the M20M people were going through a set of cylinders every 200-300 hours. The early M20M owners fought the battle and eventually Lycoming developed the wet-head (Bravo) engine, which helped. However still even with the Bravo (wet-head) engine you'll still never hit TBO if you run POH numbers. The other big thing with this engine is that the TIT probes really only last 200-300 hours - less if you run it hotter than 1600. When the probes fail the TIT reads low, compounding the problems. As an example someone runs it at 1650 indicated when in fact the TIT is really 1750 since the probe is bad. This will mean turbo overhaul, exhaust overhaul and cylinder replacements. Looking over the logs and seeing when the probe was last replaced is very important. Every time you have the engine cowl off carefully inspect your exhaust system as if your life depended on it, since it does. A few Bravo accidents occurred when the exhaust system burned through (especially the "Y" in the tailpipe) or the early spot-welded Turbo V-Clamp gave way and 1600-1700 exhaust gases burned through the firewall and it didn't end well for the pilot and passengers. Make sure that a soapy water pressure test is done on the exhaust at every annual and that it's visually inspected at every 25 hour oil change (Yes this is one of the few engines that Lycoming says it is mandatory that 25 hour oil changes must be done - Lycoming SB 480F). I've had three M20Ms and there are a lot of other people on here with a lot of M20M time as well and that's what we have learned so far.

That's the part I find least surprising.

This just showed up today: What’s going on with Mooney & LASAR — the straight story Hi Mooney family, We’ve heard the big question loud and clear: what the heck is going on with Mooney and LASAR? Here’s the answer. Over the past months, we've kept our heads down fixing the foundation—late nights in the hangar, sorting drawings, validating specs, rebuilding tooling, and re-engaging vendors. We didn’t go quiet because we didn’t care; we went quiet to get real work done. Now it’s time to talk about what’s changing—and why. LASAR didn’t set out to be a hero. We’re engineers, mechanics, and parts people—builders. When Mooney called, we answered. When the Mooney torch needed picking up, the hands ready to grab it were ours and those of the Kerrville team who’ve loved and built these airplanes for decades. Our vision is simple and stubborn: Mooney, by the people and for the people. We’re committing every dollar we can to one job: keep ’em flying—not someday, now. How we’re organized (clear lanes, one mission): · Mooney builds certified parts and stewards the Type Certificate. · LASAR distributes, supports customers, and supplements availability with additional and PMA parts where appropriate. · LASAR Aviation doesn’t manufacture parts; it’s the coordination and funding layer—the “plumbing” (finance, purchasing cadence, vendor onboarding, QA docs, IT, scheduling) that keeps the whole system moving. Plain truth: LASAR Aviation is the entity keeping Mooney funded, operational, and in the fight. One team, one mission: keep ’em flying. What we’ve been doing: · Working to stabilize the ship: AOG triage, quick wins out the door, weekly Kerrville+LASAR stand-ups. · Prioritizing the “grounders”: Identified the SKUs that park airplanes when they’re out of stock and locked specs, dates, and minimums. · Building the plan: Sequenced a Year-1 ~$3M parts build by safety-of-flight impact and lead times. · Tapping Kerrville know-how: Capturing invaluable knowledge and leveraging the know-how of a deeply dedicated team. · Tightening the plumbing: Clear change control, traceable paperwork, and purchasing tied to real shop schedules. What’s happening right now: · Long-lead materials & vendor deposits are being staged in the right order. · Portal V1 (inventory, ordering, certs) is coming online for MSCs with real-time visibility across Mooney and LASAR warehouses, predictable discounts, and AOG priority. · We’re modernizing the online experience for owners and shops so parts buying belongs in 2025, not 2005. The hard truth (and the necessary change): In today's dollars, too many parts leave Mooney below true cost. Every box like that drains our ability to keep lights on, retain talent, and buy material. That math doesn’t work for a week—let alone a decade. Effective immediately, Mooney-built parts will reflect a uniform 30% price increase. This isn’t margin fluff. It funds the basics that keep your aircraft supportable: · Materials that show up on time · Certified labor that stays · Quality systems that catch issues before they hit your airplane · Equipment upkeep so we’re not nursing machines past tolerance Pricing on supplemental/PMA items distributed by LASAR may vary by product; updated numbers will be clearly posted in the Portal and online catalog. If a price moves, we’ll explain why—in plain English. What comes next: · Expand the catalog (high-impact SKUs first) and publish target restock dates · Bring more machining/finishing in-house to reduce cost and time · Maintain a fair, transparent pricing model tied to real inputs and quality · Publish quarterly progress reports: what shipped, what’s in production, what’s next Your role in the story: Time and money aren’t on our side, so we’re funneling all profits back into inventory, people, and machines to keep Mooney afloat and moving forward. This community has always been Mooney’s edge. In the days ahead, we’ll share a simple, fair way for owners and partners to lean in and directly accelerate the ramp. Thank you for sticking with us—and for holding us to a high bar. This isn’t glossy marketing; it’s a promise: every dollar to the mission; every part to the fleet. Together with the Kerrville crew—and with you—we’ll secure the next 50 years of Mooney… one part, one airplane, one day’s work at a time. Blue skies, Brett Stokes and John Smoker CEO, COO, LASAR Inc. Mooney@LASAR.com 1.541.MyLASAR (541.695.2727) 4439 SW Airport Rd. Prineville, OR 97754 https://mailchi.mp/39736a6a6d1d/weve-got-new-phone-lines-heres-how-to-reach-us-14769375?e=5483553f5d

Update: The bottom two hinge joints were the culprit. The plane had to be jacked up to offload the joints before they could be greased properly. Lord was right! It was not squeaky shock disks.

Short flights to Chantilly racecourse and Reims-en-Champagne (LFQA) for visit of Vranken Pommery champagne caves

You guys are all making me jealous with your beautiful blue skies! This is what Washington looks like right now. We went over to Seattle for some breathable air and to see the Dodgers vs Mariners. Great time, but none of this is “clouds”, it’s smoke.

@PeytonM Thinking through this a bit more. If it were to happen again and you can confirm the G5 is good you might consider pulling the breaker to the GSU 25. That would force a reversion to the G5 ADAHRS and keep your G3X display. The issue with doing this is that the GMU 11 (magnetometer) is on the same circuit as the GSU 25 so your heading would start to drift. Resetting the breaker of course will bring both back online. Having said that, you had the AHRS REVERT advisory indicating the switch from the GSU 25 to the G5 had happened. Cycling the breaker for the GSU 25 would allow you to reset it while retaining the PFD with valid ADAHRS data from the G5..

Wanted to post some quick photos of the paint correction project I started last weekend and at first I was apprehensive to start cutting the paint with the polisher, but after doing it I couldn't recommend it more if your paint is looking dull and dingy like mine was. The buffer and polishing compound made it fool-proof and results were spectacular (in my opinion). I'll link what I used below if anyone else wants to give it a go. Orbital Polisher: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089N83CWF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title At first I bought the Griot's Garage polisher, died on me after 30 minutes, this one is much better and much less Extra pads: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07STT35FF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 Groit's Complete Compound: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PA2LMD2?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 This not only cuts and corrects the paint, but also polishes at the same time. All photos below are after 1 application of the compound, 4 passes with the polisher, and wiped clean. Photo 1 - Upper left section polished, everything else not. Notice how the overhead light reflection looks from polished to not. Photo 2 - Right half of wing polished, left not, can see the line where I stopped Photo 3 - Setup Photo 4 - Tail section before Photo 5 - Tail section after, I think the darker color shows better with the photos I still have some watermarks/oxidation spots and maybe down the road after another light cutting that will come out, but what a different a little compound and elbow grease can make!

In the spirit of “pictures or it didn’t happen”…

As always technology can make things better or worse. Are you ready to go back to an ADF being your primary nav? Or how about 4-course radio ranges? Personally, I want internet in the cockpit for better weather info. Not for watching videos. But it watching videos make the SO happy, that is a good thing also.

This photo makes me think that our wives attended same class on how to pack for a weekend

Finally got the opportunity to attend a local fly-in that I've been wanting to get to at 1KS3 Leo's Place (1100' published, but later lengthened to 1400'). I reviewed this thread extensively last night along with my POH which was helpful to set my mind at ease, so a big thanks to the guys with MUCH more experience than myself. I did a couple power-off stalls on the way over so I knew the plane was stalling at 59 mph. Overflew the field to check the windsock and landed into the wind. Turns out, the "wind" was about zero and that set me up for a downhill landing. Started final at 1.3 Vso, realized I was a bit high, so I slipped it down and then slowed to 1.2 Vso. Just enough energy to flair but not much more, not a whole lot different than a normal landing other than very precise speed management. Flaps up and back pressure for aerodynamic braking and weight on the mains. I could see I had plenty of room so used very little braking. Stopped in about 900' in spite of the downhill runway. The stall horn chirped once on final, then blared as soon as I started my round out to flair. For takeoff, I chose to accept about 5 knot tailwind so I could takeoff downhill. Did my run-up into the wind, then applied full power about 90 degrees through my turn to final. Kept it on the runway until I knew I had sufficient speed to lift off. Then gear up, flaps up and climb away. The terrain fell away after the end of the runway so no need to worry about clearing obstacles. Lift off was about 950', probably could have yanked it off the ground sooner, but again, could see I had plenty of remaining runway. I don't think I was far off the book numbers for either the takeoff or landing given the conditions (grass, downhill, tailwind, etc.) Of course I went light, about 530 lbs below gross. There was a lot of discussion on here about whether to have a steeper approach or a normal 3* approach. With no glide slope indicator, I couldn't really tell you what I did. It felt like a normal approach, but I almost always use a steeper approach than the glide slope indicators. Sorry, I can't help settle that argument other than to say, don't change your approach substantially from your normal approach. All and all, quite fun, but don't do it without a bit of practice at a longer field. My hangar is 1700' from the end of a 12,300' runway, so I do a lot of short field landings to make my turnoff.

Ex-machinist and shipyard guy here. Stainless fasteners just sorta stink to begin with, IMO. The galling or "snowballing" is a real problem. SS and aluminum are far apart on the galvanic scale which accelerates corrosion. We used to use a product called "TefGel" when we couldn't isolate Carbon from SS very well. Typically, though, we would bond a glass sleeve into the carbon fiber and use a glass washer, to keep the direct Carbon to SS contact low. Of course with carbon fiber, Titanium just happens to be close on the galvanic scale. A hassle to machine/fabricate and super expensive! At any rate, that galvanic scale pictured is the gospel. If you have dissimilar materials, you want them to be next to eachother on that scale. The further apart they are, the more they will corrode.

If you like the shop and the quality of work, I would just accept it and not quibble over it. Mooney owners have a bad reputation for being cheap bastards and given the decreasing number of good repair shops and mechanics, I would want to develop a good relationship with a shop you trust. A lot of things on a Mooney are difficult to access and take extra time and unless you are standing there with a stop watch you really have no reasonable basis to question their numbers except a bunch of opinions from the internet. It looks like they noticed air leakage from the #1 exhaust valve during the compression test and lapped the valve. If it were mine, I'd run it for a few hours and recheck the compression to see that it came up, but that's just because I'm an engineer and like to verify results. I'm sure it's airworthy as is or they would not have signed it off.

Just for everyone to see my final result - here's how my yokes now look.

I can only speak for myself, but I would happily write the check and thank the aviation gods.

You can make this as simple or complicated as you want. Simple: Full rich above 75% power. Below that, lean until it gets rough and then richen until it is smooth. Richer if CHTs get above 400 F in cruise. During climb, Lycoming allows up to 435 F. Cooler is better, but the few minutes of climb above 400 won't really hurt anything and some M20Cs are difficult to keep below 400 during climb.