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We continued our winter safari departing Flores Guatemala back to Mexico via Cozumel. Mexico only allows two ports of entry, excluding from the US border, which are Tapachula on the west and Cozumel on the east. We went into Cozumel so it would be easy to make additional stops in the Yucatan and Palenque. But the only real concern on this flight was realizing despite that we were going by a couple good alternate airports along the way we only had permission to land at our destination. Although if we needed too we would have declared and landed wherever, yet likely with considerable delay and added expense. We had pretty nice wx departing Flores and once again climbed on top of three different layers for a smooth ride north east to Cozumel in VMC. As we arrived and began our descent we saw we would find the forecasted 40% chance of rain in the TAF and stiffer than forecasted winds. But luckily we just went through the rain on the approach mostly over the water east of the field. The field was dry. But we encountered a very stiff direct cross wind gusting to 20 kts. Note in the picture on final, we're centered and tracking right down final, but see how crabbed we are into the wind! (At this point winds were over 30). In fairness, I should point out that I did not have to land on this runway with a direct cross wind, I could have circled to a more favorable runway - they have 4 afterall. But I always enjoy getting some good cross-wind landing practice in when opportunity presents. Being an international flight we were greeted by over a dozen officials before we finished shutting down. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Took my wife's family to the Smithsonian Air and Space in Washington Dulles. 1.5 hours from Linden. Landed 19L. "Keep the speed up." Parked at Signature. Dinner at Fiorentino's at Lancaster on the way back.

One to burn diesel fuel and one to burn gasoline.

Like most things in the Mooney it is standard industrial parts adapted to aviation. If only someone had a picture that would lead to a clue. OMG then a little Google FU. Turns up Boston Gear https://www.bostongear.com/ Which does drive reduction and right angle drives. Someone should chat with them. Ask how they identify their drives and then buy a bunch of gears.

Hi Everyone! The WEST COAST MOONEY CLUB Summer Conference & Retreat Registration & Hotel Discounts have been secured. The West Coast Mooney Club Summer Conference & Retreat will be held at the beautiful Sunriver Resort, Sunriver Oregon. June 11-14, 2020. This will be a fun and informative weekend and will be perfect for you to bring your family as part of your summer vacation plans. The conference will feature some amazing speakers, sponsor support, fuel and tie-down discounts and raffle giveaways. Click the link below NOW for more information and get your EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION completed. SIGN UP FOR THE SUNRIVER RETREAT TODAY - REGISTER HERE Your Sunriver Lodge & Room registration link is HERE and will also be sent in your confirmation email. You must use this link to get the Mooney Club discounts. To see more about the beautiful Sunriver Resort and all it has to offer see the video below. Looking forward to seeing you all there. All the best, Michael Rodgers

A little off topic, but you can read hundreds of pages on this forum of people postulating on the viability of a new acclaim and what Mooney *should* produce. It’s great to see someone like yourself who actually bought the best product on the market and is supporting the brand. Congrats on your new plane!

I have no info on this other than to say in my experience when a vendor at Oshkosh say "days" away from something... that usually means +/- 365 "days". Except in the case of BK where they use "days" in the biblical sense.

AOA control is critical. Whether it be via calculated airspeed or an Indexer.... Amazing how many of these beautiful, super expensive aircraft end up in the shop with terrible damage that's 100% preventable with a little more training / flight discipline. Or perhaps the pilot doesn't even realize their error until its too late.... If only we all learned with and had stock AOA gauges... I bet both incidences of approach turn stalls and "fast landings" would drop off significantly....

Hi Kevin, we simply out grew PCB with the number of people that wanted to attend, and we couldn't allow because of space constraints. Then the no shows precluded them being able to at the last moment. We really debated on the non refundable registration fee of 99 for 2 people, but with the uncertainty of any support from Mooney, the vast commitment of money to have a lager conference facility, etc, we decided it will be on all of us who want to have a Summit make it happen, and totally reasonable to ask that the attendee's put some skin in the game. It will be up to each of you to judge the value proposition, knowing that even if you do not show, the money you spend for registration will go to put on a Summit and aid downed Mooney pilots like we have so deeply last year. I dont believe there is another charity in existence that puts it all back into the group that funds it like we do, all without pay or expenses ourselves. I do hope you see the value of the Summit, your commitment to make it, and change your mind. You are always such a delightful addition for everyone at the Summit.

KCMX DNA, your snowfall is weak but your airplane is hot.

Making payments on both...one is just routed thru the IRS.

I name all of my machines. The Mooney is, of course, The Mistress. The 911 is the Red Light Lady. Wifey hates both of them.

Yesterday’s weather was 35F with winds at the ground <5kt. They were almost 25kt at 5000’ but smooth! It gave me a chance to play with the new Avidyne as well. Really like the IFD100 app running on the iPad mini.

Neither is 100% mine but they both deserved a deep clean by hand and water that day, the Mooney was more tankful after: she probably cruised 100kts faster than the car

Today Was a GREAT day!

I went in an Archer last year. Jet Aviation, about $50 total, overnight, no discount for taking fuel. Decided not to buy any at $9 per gallon. IMC on departure, gave me a heading to keep me out of the way of the faster departures, and the airliners were nice enough to call out pireps for the tops for me. My first landing at a class B airport.

Shhh don't tell your friends the truth..Mooneys are for pilots who love to feel a direct connection to the plane, to wear it as it were as opposed to those pilots who's back seat passengers make the buying decisions. Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Ray Bans with prescription bifocal lenses.

Hi Folks, Still no news on my end. I will continue to update as soon as we get any news. Happy New Year, Steve

I really think a aspen mfd1000 w/external battery would be a perfect backup solution. Could be used as a dedicated traffic/stormscope/AOA screen but also be a fully capable backup system with HSI when needed. At the same time I think a 7 inch g3x mfd would be the perfect companion to the Aspen PFD...I guess I’m not too brand loyal. @JohnB has one to backup his Txi

You don't really. When I had my M20F I made IFR flights over the Rockies at 16000 MEA. The turbo has more power up high so you go faster. In the high teens I can do 175-180 KTS true. In the NA M20F I would see 135 - 140 KTS that high.

I’m an equal opportunity inheritance blower. If you were a little closer, I’d throw some your way. [emoji1787] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I agree and with the generation that thinks they are smarter than everyone and they do not need guidance. this industry is in dire need of real technicians and real personalities alike both as pilots and maintenance folks. Our shop is pretty much young as well, but I personally am training all of them without any bad habits instilled in them already as they are my kids. I have a smarter than hell 15 year old that is just one of the most motivated people I have ever met and is driven in life. He is learning this trade at this age to the extent of home school bored him because the teacher couldn't keep up with his work as he was working ahead. He is full time now at the shop and currently him and I are the only ones here at the shop today working on a Sportsman and a school 172. He is, right now, drilling and mounting the IFD and KX155 in the center stack. Drilling, positioning, terminating wires, coax cables and tie up better than his 22 year old brother. He literally just came and asked where the Tinnermans are. A 15 year old! He gets mad when I come in without him. LOL. The main thing is, WE are responsible to inculcate this type of behavior, ethic and initiative into this generation and it is up to us to make sure the future is taken care of as well. I am hoping to hand this over in a few years because I getting too old and fat to be doing this much longer...LOL

Got any coin left for... engine monitor co monitor USB plugs mounted in the panel... sometimes part of a clock or other radio... Just ideas, cause you asked... Best regards, -a-

I have fixed my flaps —- a lot of help from my son and a good friend. When the pump was reinstalled the adel clamp on the up down control line was put on the elevator control rod so as I was applying nose up input it caused the flaps to move. We moved the clamp to one of the hydraulic fittings , did some adjustments and it works. Thanks to all on the forum who helped out and happy new year.

I'm getting just a little bit emotional seeing that picture myself. And I never had the pleasure of knowing Steve. Tom, you should take comfort in the fact that Steve had a very wonderful life, and not the least of which was having you for a best friend.

I have a set policy that I hope keeps me out of a deal. I see three things wrong I scrub. Doesn't matter what the things are. I scrubbed a long flight once for lack of a current chart. That was thing number 3.

Friends, I must admit that I'm overwhelmed with the replies you've given to the thread I started. This is what I adore in forae (like @Blue on Top...): To debate ideas and learn from the answers. A big Thank you to all of you! Carlos

And Paul as I said if I were an IFR pilot and flew the kind of missions you are able. I would be on the other side of that coin. I think horses are beautiful animals but I've no desire to ride one. Sorry if I pissed you off not my intention but it seems like people don't accept my version of the passion for flight as its not the same as theirs. I do have a garmin 296 and like the information it provides. Everyone wants to see the costs associated with flying and owning an airplane go down but all we talk about is this upgrade and that upgrade shoot most of your panels are worth twice my whole plane. And I celebrate all you are able to do with your awesome Mooney's.

My experience mirrors JohnB's. Alpha with HUD as well. I love it! The difference in approach speed for my Bravo with just me and minimal fuel is much different than at max weight. Throw in high density altitude and the delta grows. The AOA nails the approach speed every time. Just fly the blue doughnut and a float free landing is assured.

Awesome talent! Awesome generosity! Awesome support for Mooney Summit / downed Mooney pilots! Awesome, awesome, awesome..! Thanks for sharing the artwork. Best regards, -a-

Welcome to the club Kevin. John is Really awesome to work with and puts much thought into the painting before he even begins. One of my regular missions was flying from FL to Ohio to visit my daughter in college before she graduated. This painting features 88V over Clingmans Dome in Tennessee. This was our “just past halfway” point on the 4.5 hour flight. Think about how truly cool it is to have an original work of art, featuring your personal aircraft and painted by a fellow aviator who also flies a Mooney. Glad to see John has continued to donate his talent to Mooney Summit.

In the Device Information section of the configuration, make sure Diagnostics/Data Log is enabled

I cant wait til i get to the point in life where i need to compare my mooney to my meridian

Even if the G5 did work with the King autopilots I probably wouldn't bother. Other than initial cost savings, why would I want to nurse along a system that costs more to repair one servo than it does to buy two new Garmin servos? And even then, unless I want to keep sending in the KFC200 computer for minor adjustments, that analog system will never fly as accurately as the GFC500, won't give me altitude select (without buying another box), won't give me GNSS (without buying another box), won't give me VNAV, and uses up about 20 extra pounds of useful load. The KFC200 was a great autopilot in its day. That day has passed.

It feels like such a dumb decision strategically for them. Yes, it will force less people to go buy the GFC right NOW, but the G5 will be the gateway drug to another G5, maybe a TXI, G3X (both of which could use a G5 as a backup), ect... at a relatively inexpensive cost. These 20-30 yr old autopilots won’t last forever and when the overhaul cost looks too expensive and it’s time to switch, is a pilot with a Garmin cockpit (see gateway drug above) going to choose a non-Garmin autopilot given the price of the GFC500? I don’t think so.

Based on the repair prices alone that king have been quoting, i wouldn touch any of there stuff with a 10ft pole. The tap program pricing was another reminder that they are going to charge ludacris amounts of cash for fairly basic avionic repairs. Everything bendix king is just getting taken out in my aircraft. I wouldnt be ready to spend like 8k installing an AI, if the company doesnt have antything to its name.

Right now the Gad29B only outputs heading and hearing error information to legacy autopilots. The Gad/G3X/G5 can’t command mode switching for a 3rd party autopilot, thus the limitations about two nav sources for these autopilots. If you display nav2 information, your autopilot could still be tracking nav1. If you have a nav source select switch like on my autopilot; you could be presenting nav 1 and flying nav2 or vice verse. The solution is having autopilot interface directly with the Gad box for all modes not just heading error (GPSS). Given that Garmin is listening (folks asked for dual G5, autopilot interface, OAT probe, GFC STCd etc and they’ve delivered), I wouldn’t be surprised if they offered a EA-100 style autopilot adapter to bring more folks into their ecosystem. I would suspect this would not be until the gee wiz factor of the GFC fades away. Pretty awesome panel BTW

Where are you located? I am in the Seattle area, am a retired Boeing antenna engineer, and have a piece of test equipment called a network analyzer that can be used to determine the health of cables, power splitters, diplexers and antennas. I would be happy to make the measurements if you were in the local area. My Mooney is currently in for it’s annual inspection so I am essentially grounded for another week or two.

Many gas turbine engines specifically allow the use of 100LL and/or unleaded gasoline. In fact the P2V had both piston engines and jet engines, all of which ran on Avgas. Our EC135 helicopter has Turbomeca Arrius 2B1 engines. They allow a good number of hours using 100LL avgas without restrictions or overhaul requirements.

Well... if you’ve got too many, I’d happily take that ‘Vette off your hands

Posting just for fun as I've already had my turn at "show-n-tell", but this is our business promo vehicle. We seem to have quite a few car guy and bike guys so thought I'd toss this out just for fun. There is a GM 350 under the hood. Not a daily driver, but fun for business promo events. Makes absolutely no sense, but fun at promo and charity events. -Tom

This is what I have. I got them out of the downloads section about a year ago. https://mooneyspace.com/files/category/1-engine-reference-manuals/ MAN205-Service and Maintenance.pdf MAN104_service_and_maintenance.pdf MAN106-Illustrated_Parts_Manual.pdf

There are three key secrets to landing a Mooney. The first one is have the right airspeed over the fence. Nobody can remember the other two.....

I fear the day that Don retires. I call him several times a year for advice. Many times I try to order parts from him and he steers me to someone else who is less expensive. He's amazing in his willingness to give advice without asking for anything in return. And he even remembers me when I call back. I guess that's just the type of small town business that I'm not used to out West. -Robert

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I can't recall hearing much negativity about Maxwell. In fact, he's highly regarded by many people.

As a little bit of a jokester, I once took the opportunity to slump over the yoke when my wife accidentally tagged me in the head while she was reaching back to the rear seats for something. Needless to say, we spent some quality time talking about this subject afterwards. My wife has never expressed an interest in flying and she would be happy to sit in the co-pilot seat reading her favorite book. I do think it is worthwhile providing enough guidance to our better half to give them a chance of survival. I couldn't bear to think of the guilt in the afterlife I would have if I didn't at least try to prepare her. The challenge is what can you reasonable do short of them actually taking flight lessons?

Agreed that is why I installed an AOA during the panel upgrade! Great tool! Fly Safe, Rocket On!