rbuck

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”--Leonardo da Vinci

I'm not completely sure, but I had something similar a while back. It ended up being a short in the wiring. My PTT button, like yours, is velcroed, but the wire from it goes through the yoke. The local avionics guys explained that it is probably a result of all the moving of the yoke causing some chafing on the wires over time. They were able to get it fixed up for me-it wasn't expensive or anything. I also took the chance to get new PTT buttons.

I love breaking off the runway and feeling the gear raise into the wheel wells. That and evenings/sunsets from the air.

http://www.journeysaviation.com

I think that Journey's Aviation (split between Jeffco Arpt and Boulder) have a Piper Archer. I got my PPL from them and they were great.

Congrats on your decision and welcome to Mooney Space! This site is one of the most helpful anywhere and has a great community. Hopefully they'll be able to answer any other questions you have, too. I'm still a relatively new Mooney owner, only had my C for a year. But I looked into it because I enjoy cross countries. I can't speak completely to the kids, as I have none of my own, but it does seem to me that I could fit two young kids in the back of my plane pretty easily. The comment above about kids fitting in a short body (like my C model) up until about 12 seems right. I can also fit myself, a passenger in front, and one adult passenger in pack pretty comfortably, too. Just like everyone seems to say, find the plane that fits your mission. I wanted a good cross country plane, and I couldn't be happier with my C. It's great for that. I've flown mine from Washington state to Georgia (yep, I moved) and all over the place in between in just one year. It's an absolutely great cross country plane. Mine has quite a few upgrades (I would be buying a lot of J parts if I ever had to replace them), but it's great. Mooneys of any size are hard to beat for speed and fuel economy. It has plenty of room for what I need, too. As mentioned, you sit lower, and it has the appearance of being smaller, but once you're in, it's really not much different than most planes as far as space--just the way you sit. I'm not going to load it up like a Bonanza, but the times I need that are very few and far between. I will say, though, that buying a plane for the first time can be an interesting experience. So, from me, I'd recommend finding the plane that you want early on-if nothing else, just so you only go through all that once. Wish I was closer, I'd let you come try it out and take a look for yourself. If you have any other questions, feel free to private message me. Good luck!

Same here. Can't keep my plane down forever.

That's awesome! What field did you take off from in CO? (Made me homesick. I grew up and learned to fly in Boulder.)

Congrats! I'm a first time plane owner, too, also with a C. Love it.

Just one final note. I had to go back to Vertex for a whole different issue. Again, they are probably the easiest people to work with (not just in the aviation industry, but in any industry). They put customer service and competence as top priorities and take care of your plane to the very best of their ability. I have been highly impressed with their service and would recommend them to anyone in Washington state.

Congrats on the new plane! I also transitioned to my C from a 172 relatively recently. Love it.

Yep. I use Foreflight, and it works for me.

I've done that flight a bunch of times. Makes me homesick! Go Broncos!!!

I hope so. That would be awesome! I guess we'll see how it works out.

No, it's not Viajet, but a different group altogether. And Seth, you may be right, I'm not sure. Lin Holdeman, the owner, has a substantial amount of Mooney experience. I didn't ask about the details of the process, but I know that they're in contact with Mooney and planning to send someone to the actual training to authorize them. I'm just not sure when.

Hey everyone, Just thought I'd let you know that there's a newer shop in the Seattle area that is working on becoming an MSC (which is awesome, cause the next closest one is Portland). It's located at Skagit RGNL Arpt. It took me a while to find the info for them, had to call through a variety of people, but I found them. Incredibly easy to work with, they go to every length to make sure they do the job right, and very honest and straight-forward. Highly recommended, for what it's worth. So, if you're interested: Vertex Aviation (360) 757-4876 vertexaviationservice.com