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A couple nights ago.... Nice to be flying at night again. VG's? We don't need no stinkin' VG's. -dan

The first cowling parts have been pulled from the mold. Here’s a picture of the first top cowling and it is a very nice part. I was surprised at how light it is. The lower cowling is coming soon and I now understand the true amount of work to get it to the plug stage for making a mold. David

The Mooney Summit VIII will be October 16-18, 2020 and will be held at a new Venue! We have simply outgrown the space available at Panama City Beach and we cannot continue to turn away people who want to better the breed and attend the Mooney Summit. Tampa Airport authority sent a delegation to the Mooney Summit this year to put "eyes on" the event and have come up with a package that makes relocating the venue viable to Peter O'Knight airport. The Tampa/Clearwater area is stunningly beautiful and a fantastic place (I guess thats why I chose to live close by) with unlimited choices of activities for the whole family. Our processes and policies may change as a result, but we will always keep a first class experience as our priority. Stay tuned for more as we develop the program!

I realized this morning that visiting Mooneyspace is like having my twice a month morning breakfast meeting with my retired airline captain friends, except MS is daily [if I wish!]. At our pilots breakfast, we talk about all kinds of things. And since one of my friends is a retired United 747 captain and long time Mooney owner/pilot, the conversations can quickly turn to stuff about our Mooney airplanes [we do have a Cirrus owner amongst us, so that's always fun!]. As with any passion, and the particular organizations of which we choose to partake, whether its airplanes, boating, sports cars, motorcycles, music, etc., it is the people that make it truly special. Admittedly a slow learner in some areas, it wasn't until my first visit to AirVenture in 2008 that I finally realized this. It was the like mindedness, the camaraderie, the respect, and the passion of it all from the people there that made AirVenture so very special to me. Just like my pilots breakfast friends and just like Mooneyspace ! As I continued to read the Vintage Mooney thread on the door handle replacement topic, and all the associated input from so many on how to skin that cat, it came to me again, just how valuable, fun and exciting our Mooneyspace really is..........such knowledge, information and creativity from everyone! So, it's the daily "pilots breakfast" for me in the morning, at noontime, during the evenings, late at night, or just whenever....... here on Mooneyspace. It is the people and I do love Mooneyspace !

Fred - (I hope you don’t mind me using your first name). I personally don’t think using the Beechtalk model will change things much. I’m sure they still bounce people out for being a jerk. Most of us who have been on the site for a while, know each other not only from MooneySpace but from real live interactions. I think what helped foster this environment were the local Mooney fly-ins, the Summit, the PPPs, Oshkosh gathering, etc. You will notice the people who come onto MooneySpace fall into a category. They may be doing a drive-by (where can I find this part?find a mechanic?) - only never to be seen again. Or maybe a wannabes (I just got my PPL and I have never sat in a Mooney) and the B breakers (where has Peter Garmin been lately?). Those who remain for some time are people who share a mutual interest in this addiction. And all of them I call friends, Andy, Jerry, Alan, Mike, Hunter, Terry, Josh, Dan, Anthony are just a small portion of the MooneySpacers I have met here and then in real life. Heck, I even consider Peter Garmin a friend. Besides, the anonymous nature of the site makes it a little easier for those of us at work sneak in a few minutes on MooneySpace. [emoji1787] I do agree the search capabilities of MooneySpace leaves a lot to be desired. My ADS-B Resource thread is only one of a few of stickies. We see a lot of the same questions over and over again. It would be nice if they were grouped or at least improve the search engine to find stuff. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

It's really worth to keep a vintage model up to date... - where ever I go, nobody wants to believe that my Green Lady went airborne in November 1966...

You do realize you are talking to a bunch of CB's... The price of a piece of tape vs AOA?

Hi there, I would be interested in collecting 3D models of Mooney-related parts of all kind. As a starter, attached is the Sketchup model, STL print file and photo of a cover I have designed and printed. It is not a Mooney standard part. Its purpose is to cover the emergency gear handle between the front seats so passengers do not accidentally step on and unlock the mechanism. On the top, there is an inlay showing a wheel. On the sides, the old Mooney logo. It fits nicely. Of course, I have painted and finished be part - but since I am really bad with paint, I'm not showing the result :-) Best regards, Fry Emergency Gear Handle Cover.skp Emergency Gear Handle Cover.stl

I've flown with my new GNX-375 for about 7-8 hours now and wanted to give my quick thoughts on whoever may be considering the purchase. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the unit, especially given the value. I'm not a Garmin expert, but it does almost everything that a 650 can do minus the radios plus an ADS-B in/out transponder. At first I was concerned it would be too small but the ability to use Connext with the two way flight plan transfer to Foreflight has been great. Seeing the weather and traffic on the foreflight also essentially replicated my Stratus 3 without the need for the extra device. Yes, the screen can be small when you're trying to type in an airport on the touchscreen in turbulence, but nothing that's not doable. I also like using the knob when it may be too bumpy for the touchscreen. For anyone who is looking for either a second NAV or replacing a KLN-94 and old transponder its a very good option. The installed cost for me was less than 1/2 of a GTN-650+GTX-345 or 1/3 of a GTN-750 + GTX345. Yes, it's not an apples to apples compare because you don't get the radios (and slightly smaller) but for me the core functionality was all I needed. One day if I add a second NAV I may go with one of the bigger ones and use this as a secondary + transponder. Happy to answer any questions for others who may be considering a purchase.

I hate Mooneyspace. All the guys posting about their projects makes me feel fat, lazy, and stupid.

The power of MS is evident 24/7... Try it at 4:00am... MSers In Australia get the ball rolling each day. Then Eastern Europeans arrive followed by the Western Europeans and Andrew, from Old England. The East Coast shows up... with all the New Englanders... By the time the West coast shuts down late at night... our Australian friends are back in their morning! Go MS... always awake! Best regards, -a-

Just a note - if you drop hull coverage, then liability coverage generally gets surcharged by 25%. Hull is cheap and it provides many added benefits...including getting the aircraft out of wherever an occurrence took place.

You place your machete on the glare shield for all to see if you want, and load the rest of the plane with knives and guns. You can even take enough bottled water to make most TSA agents call for backup

Finally got some wind beneath my wings today. This photo is after the flight, with my two gorgeous mechanical babes in the same shot. Fun fact: Vne on the E is 189 and the top speed of the 911 is 179. So, I get in, get ready to start and my checklist booklet is missing. I hoofed it. BTW, thanks guys for the insurance thread, I was EXTRA CAREFUL with the gear. Headed down the RWY, no ASI. Too late, Mooney loves to fly and takes off on her own so I hoofed it until I realized about 10 minutes out from the airport that maybe, just maybe, pitot heat might get it back. It did. The engine ran like it was in the Arctic (that's a good thing in Southeast Texas). I started to close the roof vent scoop and then thought better of it--better to fly with a cold draft than no draft come summer should the cable break Got back and had the tower say, "Sir, you look like you are on line with 16 (I was CTL for 12)". Normally, some controllers are just very respectful or they are former military, but this "Sir" read out as: Hey you old fart, you're heading towards the wrong RWY. <sigh> Still a great flight and she put the step down!

I've put approximately 550 hours on her since purchase at the beginning of this thread/ Sept 2015. Almost to 2300SMOH. Blackstone says engine is fantastic and last time I had the jugs off the cam and crank were beautiful. I'm in the midst of finishing my Commercial Multi-Engine Add-On and doing a major career change. I'm curently a 9-1-1 Supervisor at local county government, and trying to step into the commercial pilot world. Maybe even get onboard regionals next year and get my ATP? I'd love to be able to up my income so I can start putting money into 6744U. She desperately needs panel work.

Cross country with the HDG Brittain enabled.

I conducted another mercy flight Thursday afternoon. I didn't get out until later in the afternoon (was working on the hangar project I posted about last night). Picked up the patient in RST (Mayo Clinic) and brought her back to Houghton. There was a solid overcast (with icing, argh) so put my deicing system back to work. It was pretty much dark when I left Houghton but as soon as I busted through the tops I got an amazing view of the sunset. Tom

The Mooney Summit's Bill Gilliland foundation has reached out to Paola, Clinton Power's wife.

Change the four gaskets annually. Adjust the caps to be properly tight. Make sure caps are not cocked. Sump your tanks. This gadget is NOT necessary. Compressed air. Funny. Just be a little careful when removing cap after outside. MAAN-Much ado about nothing...

After making purchase on 8/1 on our “new to us” Missile Conversion I thought I would communicate my initial impressions of the Mid-Body Missile to my short-body M20E. Pushing in and pulling out of hanger. I have a longer “break-down” tow bar with the Missile/J. I feel it gives me more ability to push/pull. I find the effort to move the Missile to be on par with the E even though it is a significantly heavier airframe. That was a NICE surprise. Seating position. I really like the seats in our plane. I feel as though I am higher in relation to the E Model. This may be do to the padding, but the panel although appearing taller visually does NOT give that effect when looking out of the plane. Start-up. The Continental IO550 in the Missile is VERY easy to start. The engine fires quickly and has a nice throaty sound. The vibration at idle was negligible. Run-up. The Continental seems smoother to add power/run-up. The six vs. the four I guess? Regardless the plane feels great. Take off/Ground run. I was told that the canting of the engine to offset the P-Effect works well and the Missile is not a handful on the ground roll. Agree. I used take off flaps and trimmed for take-off and uneventful. Didn’t feel like a significant difference from the E. When power is in it is ready to fly. Loved my J Bar, but love the auto-trim more. The manual trim on the Missile rolls easier than my E. I like the detents/ribs on the trim wheel vs. the round E trim wheel. I prefer the hydraulic flaps vs. the electric. Just more precise, but I will get used to it. Climb: E and Missile are Great initial climbers. Low ceilings kept my at 3500 feet, but both of these airframes (both with three blade props) really have nice initial climb with cool temps. (It was 41 degrees today in Iowa). I look forward to a nice cruise climb up to 8500 in the Missile. The E is over a thousand fpm up to 3500, but then drops to 700ish (when cool). I have read that the Missile will carry 1,000fpm easily up to 8500. Cruise and handling. I loved my E, but the Missile seems smoother on control input/response. I was doing East/West and turns in Class C for ADSB cert flight and just loved how the plane flew. I was burning 12.8GPH down low and there was a BIG wind at 310 that saw ground speeds of 178knots going East and 135 going west. Landing. I found VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE between my E and the Missile. I am about maxed nose up trim with full flaps in the E and same with the Missile. Into a strong wind (just about down the runway) there was plenty of energy for flare. Not a greaser, but landings were adequate. I REALLY look forward to flying this plane. A LOT!

Best method and least expensive would be FAA/PMA over an STC. Neither are cheap or quick to get accomplished.

Where is Peter Garmin when you need him? I want to know why that Garmin G5’s screen resolution isn’t as good as the Aspen’s! [emoji1787] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Minor repairs and alterations do not require approved data, only acceptable data, which is a much lower hurdle than approved data. Remember that even AC43.13 is approved data under the conditions on the first page of that document, which aren't that hard to meet for owner produced parts: a. the user has determined that it is appropriate to the product being repaired; b. it is directly applicable to the repair being made; and c. it is not contrary to manufacturer’s data. One can make an awful lot of stuff just using AC43.13 as the reference for "acceptable data" for minor repairs or alterations or "approved data" for major repairs or alterations if the Mooney repair and maintenance instructions don't indicate how to make the part or repair. Perfectly legal by my reading of the documents. There's an awful lot of guidance from the FAA on owner produced parts, and the scenario of a type or model owner's group (e.g., Mooneyspace) collaborating to have parts made has been cited as an example of what is expected to properly fall under that umbrella. The case of doing so to circumvent excessive pricing or lead times from existing suppliers has also been cited in FAA presentations as expected motivation for making owner produced parts. I think the proposals being made here are completely in line with all of that. There are quite a few ACs and in-house FAA legal opinion letters that address these areas. Just my dos centavos.

If its that much apart: Consider changing your engine control cables if original.. see other threads re: throttle cable broke.... my mixture cable broke a while back.... windows seats and panels are nice and all, but dont keep the prop turning...

As a two year participant in MS, I have mixed feelings. Here's why: The anonymous nature of the site can lend itself to a lack of civility when things go sideways due to either misunderstanding, misinterpretation, misspelling, or sometimes just a strong difference of opinions. I've learned to avoid anything that anyone might take the wrong way. Some long time members are very friendly, like @carusoam who I'm sure everyone will agree is immediately welcoming, and I agree should be considered the "Dean of Mooneyspace". In my opinion, this site should abandon the anonymous model. It will promote civility. Anonymity brings out the worst in some people. Secondly, this site should include a FAQ where longstanding threads addressing common and widespread issues with our aircraft should be posted. Using google to search site:mooneyspace.com frequently turns up a discussion of almost any issue I have. A thread with hundreds of posts, on a common problem, that is discussed to the point of the equivalent of a peer-review journal paper, should be easy to find. Sites usually do that by establishing a FAQ section. That will require one or more active moderators. Finally, I have learned a tremendous amount. A good search using google will often show that someone else has been down whatever road I find myself on. If the answer is not there, or if technological change is the issue, then a well-worded question will often elicit great advice. The professional folks who participate on MS are often very helpful with regards to mechanical and/or maintenance and/or insurance advice. @Clarence , @Cody Stallings and @Parker_Woodruff immediately come to mind. They really help our community and I suspect that many of us have gained from interactions with them and other professionals that choose to answer our questions. My 2-cents worth.

We are thrilled to offer the uncapped event. 2020 will be the largest modern Mooney Gathering in the world topping the precious well attended Mooney Summits. As we finalize plans we’ll disseminate information as quickly as possible. -Seth

No taxes on American steel or aluminum. It will be much better In the long run. We have been getting screwed by the Chinese for way too long.

I switch the batteries after every flight and have a battery minder plugged into both batteries. Never had an issue.

While you have it open... Have you considered the large J style side windows? Had to help spend the OPM... Best regards, -a-

Flight to North Myrtle Beach* *actual flight not pictured

Obligatory Mooneyspace aircraft valuation expert post: SO OVERPRICED. NO VINTAGE MOONEY CAN EVER BE WORTH MORE THAN 50K Wishing you many more 3rd class medical renewals!

I didn’t know we were arguing…I thought this was a discussion! I took your post about speed control in “all aircraft” as an equivocation. I don’t think Mooney’s are as forgiving as a Bonanza or a high wing Cessna or Piper Lance or the Grumman Tiger or any of the other 15 airplanes in which I have time(admittedly moderate amounts). It seems we’re in agreement. I don’t think Mooney’s require any special skill to land, but they do require some. The discussion about getting too slow irks me a bit because I have flown with many Mooney pilots. I have never flown with one that flies too slow in the pattern. I have flown with and seen many who fly too fast. YouTube is full of Mooney approaches with surplus speed (Piper Painter excluded). Some have been posted here with folks crossing the threshold in excess of 100MIAS. Three of the local fields near me have had multiple Mooneys depart the runway’s end over the last several decades. We’ve had members suffer the consequences of RLOC where speed was most certainly a factor. Many are speculating that an ATP and his passenger came to grief in WV because he just wasn’t flying fast enough. That may be true, but it doesn’t change my observation that a majority of mooney pilots with an airspeed issue have the opposite problem.

One of my rare full moonlight experiences I seek and enjoy ......incredibly bright moon shinning in cockpit from approximately 45 degree angle, all panel lights off.....steep 360 degree turns left and right (all at altitude of course). For me, the visual sensation of the moonlight dancing around the cockpit during the rotations is fun And that’s why I fly airplanes, cause it’s fun !!

If you ever do want to part with it, I'll take it. In fact, I'll send you a deposit to put my name on it. :-)

@donkaye had a good landing video that shows how to land (and how NOT to land) the long body. I think you can get the DVD on his website.

mike elliott, Hi all, I’ll be back in the Bay Area tomorrow as we’re working on Mark’s memorial service and a reception that will be a celebration of Mark. I know he would want the reception to be a joyful one. He touched a lot of people’s lives. I’ll share the details of when and where in the next couple days. We’re targeting for a Saturday very soon. It will be hard for me to come home after 5 months in Phoenix because everything will remind me of Mark. The smoker in our backyard, his Sierra Nevada Pale Ales in the fridge, his AC Cobra kit car, his pie making tools in the kitchen... I’m grateful that Mark and I had a very full and happy life together for 31 years. We enjoyed some insanely happy times we had together. We’re so proud of Wesley & Adrian - I told them that they will always carry a part of their Dad in them.

gives new meaning to an M20P

This post serves to post the 2017 Mooney Fatal Accidents so we can learn and discuss prevention methods in an effort to lower future fatal accidents for our community. I'll break down the info as best I can, and I will highlight possible causes if they are not identified by the NTSB. In 2017, there were four fatal accidents resulting in six fatalities. I've attached the final reports and discuss the preliminary: 01/2017 - CFIT (final report) - pilot flew into terrain with mountain obscuration 03/2017 - CFIT (final report) - possible spatial disorientation on takeoff, night VMC 09/2017 - engine out (possible fuel starvation from left side blockage) Final report - Plane crashed with reported no engine. Plane had useable fuel, but NTSB noted fuel blockage on left side. 11/2017 - possible loss of control (Preliminary Report) - possible loss of control due to turbulence in IMC. No data to back this assessment up other than post-crash interviews from ground personnel from departure point Recommendations/takeaways for us: 1. CFIT accounts for 50% of 2017 Mooney fatalities. Ways to for us to mitigate this is keep current with IFR procedures and associated training. Also, for those of us with autopilots, know when to use autopilots to reduce workload, especially in IMC or low-illumination flights. 2. Review and practice emergency procedures. This especially applies to engine failure inflight. Depending on the model, most checklists require fuel selector switch, fuel pressure verify, mixture, boost pump on, MP, mixture and prop full forward, check mags are on. 3. Review decision making and how it may be affected with "get home-itis". This applies to each of our own personal limits. Some will only fly day VFR, where others will fly hard IMC. The key is to fly at a rate that keeps you comfortable with the environment you plan to fly in. For those of us with Instrument tickets, ask yourself when is the last time you flew under the hood practicing approaches? For those who don't have instrument ratings, when is the last time you flew refresher training with a CFI on maneuvers such as the standard-rate 180 degree turn to get yourself out of inadvertent IMC? Recency, flight currency and proficiency are all tied together when evaluating your personal mins and what you can handle when conditions are less than stellar. These are just my observations and thoughts on how to help our community analyze accidents and how to incorporate what we learn into our safety culture. Mar 2017 - CFIT (final).pdf Sep 2017 - Power loss (poss fuel block).pdf Jan 2017 - CFIT (final).pdf

The cowling is made up of one thin layer of fiberglass, three layers of carbon fiber and one thin layer of fiberglass from what I was told. David

With our next AMPA Pilot Safety Program in Perth next month, I am sure this tragic event will be part of the discussion (if not a key theme). For me, it raises lots of interesting questions around decision making.

Are you sure that is not an inside photo of the lunar lander?

I suggest you read Mike Busch's books in your spare time. He has a more modern approach to when to overhaul engines, etc. Basically, the premise is: Use all analyses tools at your disposal (modern engine monitor with data collection, data analysis service, oil analysis, borescope inspections, etc) then based on data, repair as necessary. If you apply this method to your issue, it might be reasonable to do the top overhaul or a complete overhaul but TBO is not the deciding factor...

Last Thursday I went flying and landed on a grass strip. Not the best one, but I thought I would share it with you.

A few points. I would not fly PIC in a plane I am looking to purchase anyway. I would want the seller to take me for a ride. If it is at a broker the broker can be PIC. So it doesn't matter being current or rated. In fact, for both of my Mooney purchases I was not qualified to fly it when I bought it. For the J I was not complex rated and for the Encore I was not high performance rated. Transition training took care of those short comings. Regarding the pre-purchase, there is a ton you can do on your own without employing a mechanic. Take off the cowl and take a look. Are things neat and clean? Or are they oily, dirty, chafed, corroded, and worn? Even a novice can spot the difference. Remove the tail avionics bay panel and take a look in the tail. Look for corrosion and dirt. Remove wing access panels and take a look inside. Look in the wheel wells for corrosion. Take a look at the logbooks. Look for regular oil changes and maintenance. 10 hours and no maintenance between annuals is a red flag. Years with no annual is a red flag. I looked at a number of planes and I have rejected a lot of planes in my pre-pre purchase inspection. Once past that we can pay for a pro pre-purchase inspection.

You can increase your glide some if your engine quits by aggressively getting to best glide speed. Pull up sharply to get there, you will gain 500 feet or so that would be lost if you just maintained altitude until the plane decelerates to best glide speed. This will minimize the time spent at a speed in excess of best glide.

You may flick the water out but its well under the amount of water the fuel is able to suspend. For the same reason Mooney doesn't prohibit fueling in the rain. You'll have more water in the tank from condensation internal to the tank than the amount of water in the cap recess. -Robert

That is when you get out the propane torch and gently warm the cap to melt the ice.

Thanks @Browncbr1. Done and done. It was far more convenient to parallel another RS232 split from the G5 input to the 660 rather than at the tight quarters and overcrowded 430 connector. In fact I did it last summer when I installed the first G5. Ran a parallel RS232 from the first G5 to a potential future second G5 and a potential Aera 660. Fortunately both have been installed since One piece of general advice I can give for these piecemeal panel upgrades is to run wiring for what you think you’ll do in the future - it can save hours upon hours of future labor. I have two runs of two conductor shielded wire to the empennage for I’m not sure. Maybe a GDL-52R is in the future... Wing wiring. Hmm. Well you don’t have to pull the interior for either side for access. Although the seats do need to be removed. The panels take a few minutes and although painful the wiring for anything in the wing takes about an hour. That run though the baggage compartment is definitely more time consuming. What I should be wiring now are a couple of runs for a GFC-500 autopilot ;-p. BTW does anyone think the fact that we have control rods will push back the STC for these digital autopilots compared to other brands?

This is a CLASSIC aviation thread at its best. Meandering from LED lights and winglets, to STC and 337 issues, to urinary issues and adult-diapers, and grease pens. Saturday afternoon fun on Mooneyspace.