Robert C.

My understanding is that the G1000 equipment is on the M20 type certificate. That makes it impossible to change installations of the G1000 on the basis of an STC. The type certificate needs to be amended. That in turn is something only Mooney can do, Garmin cannot. Robert

Well played! That line worked for Ronald Reagan, not sure it would work for us in our insurance applications

When I first read the letter from Frank, or rather the attached AD, that arrived today it scared the beegeebees out of me as it sounds like all the IO550s would now be affected regardless of age and operating hours. After reading the AD 3 times I honed in on the statement that what mattered are the affected crankshaft number as reported in appendix I of MSB23-01A. http://tcmlink.com/ektron_cf_share/servicebulletins.cfm# So I went to the Continental site and downloaded the MSB and found that only 3 aircraft with an IO550 (G) are affected; but a lot of other IO550 models are mentioned so check yours! engine and crankshaft serial numbers for the IO550Gs are: I0550G Engine Model Engine Serial No. Crankshaft Serial No. 1043460 N22GA016 1043941 N22FA013 1044491 N22CA232 So I'm guessing that most Ovation owners with G model engines are in the clear. Lot's more IO360s though so check the list in the appendix carefully. Fly safe Robert

Hi Fix, i had about 150hrs in Piper Archers when I bought my Ovation 3. I combined transition training with my IR using an accelerated program. Did 40hrs of IR training in 10 days and passed my check ride and felt completely comfortable in the Ovation. I did discover afterwards that there was much more to learn about Ovations and flying, but felt that by being careful/conservative it was perfectly doable to start flying an Ovation after 150 hrs in simpler planes. good luck! Robert

Update: all’s well that ends well. firstly, thanks everyone for the suggestions on where to find help. Turns out available mechanics are hard to find on/after the Memorial Day weekend. There was real urgency as my aircraft was parked on a grassy strip between the runway and taxiway. Rain, in the forecast for last night and the next few days, would make the area soggy and getting my Mooney out might become a real challenge after a good rainfall. Steve @StevenL757to the rescue. He located an available tire/tube for me at his home drome (KISP) and in the afternoon braved the crazy Long Island traffic to drive to Montauk. He then changed the nose wheel tire for me while patiently teaching me the in and outs of the procedure. I got back to KDXR before the first thunderstorm hit about 2 hrs after I landed The whole experience was a great example of the camaraderie and helpfulness of the aviation community. Long may it last! Thanks everyone. Robert

My wife and I had a lovely day walking the beach and having lunch in Montauk (KMTP) yesterday. Got back to the airport to find the nose wheel tire flat. There are no services at MTP but some of the locals sprang into action. Reinflated the tire, emptied in a few minutes. Tried that foam stuff, didn’t do it either. Aircraft parked on the grass between runway and taxiway. So, we need a mechanic who can go to Montauk to put a new tube and/or tire on. Anyone you recommend from one of the LI airports? My home drome (Danbury, KDXR) mechanic can come out but the logistics are obviously not simple (at least a 3 hr drive; took us over 4hrs to get home on bus and train). The mechanic will need to bring a jack of sorts to get the nose up and a compressor unless Billy is around who may be able to lend his. thanks in advance for any suggestions and advice. Robert

Hi Patrick, @patrickf thanks for the updates. It’s great to have a Mooney specific performance calculator. i just downloaded the 310hp version and noticed that in the take off and landing tabs the (field/airport) altitude is not present but it still is in the original version. Is that on purpose? Robert

yep, I love the VGs on my Ovation Frankly I'd even say that for 65- 70kts and would recommend an AOA system like the one I got from Alpha Systems to realize the full benefit. The combo makes it much easier/more comfortable to come over the fence at 65-70kts. With the VGs and a medium load my Vso is 51kts and Vref 65kts. Takes a little getting accustomed to and the AoA indicator makes it easier to accept that flying that slow is safe

This guy has it nailed....why isn't anyone paying attention? See. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac7G7xOG2Ag Robert

yep, I also get that on a regular basis.

I often go there for fuel which is the cheapest in the area but can't help with transportation questions. Have you considered a rental car? There are lot's of things to do in the Hudson Valley. Have fun!

SOLD (to Alan )

Good catch, I had the hub serial number in there. Fixed it to show it's the PHC-J3YF-1RF/F7693DF-2 Interested?

Put a new 4-Bladed MT prop on my Ovation so I'm selling the Hartzell Top-Prop PHC-J3YF-1RF/F7693DF-2 I got it almost new as the previous owner hadn't had it for very long when he sold (in 2014) his Ovation to me. Never had trouble with it and it hasn't needed anything except the usual dressing of the blades at the annual inspections. Has about 590 tach hrs on it. Photos attached. Asking $5000 plus shipping O.B.O. Robert Hartzell prop pictures.zip

Thanks guys. I'll ask him to do it at the Annual in February. Always learning new things on MS Robert

Anthony, @carusoam Thanks for the observations and questions. No, I did not have the prop dynamically rebalanced. My AP didn't think it'd be necessary and the way it flies doesn't give me the feeling that it needs to be. What would be good indicators that I should get them to rebalance it? Robert

Yeah, I now realize that I contradicted myself a bit in the original post. The VGs and the Surefly were done at the same time (about a month before I got the new prop) so I can't prove which contributed what to the modest speed reduction. The VGs I can understand, but you'd think the EI wouldn't impact true airspeed.

Yep, you are correct - my bad (brainfart)

Yep, 2 inches extra (74 vs 76). So a bit extra safety margin against prop strike. I don’t land on grass but have had to taxi on some rough grass parking patches that had me very worried so the extra clearance is definitely a benefit for me. Although you can get the 4 bladed also as a 76 inch prop. I asked about performance differences between the 74 and 76 MT props and they said there were no measurable differences. That said you’d think that with the 2 extra inches you’d get higher prop-tip speeds and hence more noise.

Actually, 2 of the 4 aren't visible. My O3 now also sports the Landing Height System and the Surefly Ignition. The MT 4-bladed prop is noticeably quieter and smoother than the old Top-Prop and it also adds a bit to runway acceleration. Some report greater deceleration when pushing the blue knob all the way in but I can't really tell the difference. And the 17 lbs increase in U/L is nice as well The Surefly EI does reduce fuel consumption by about .5 gph and easily runs deeper than 50 LOP if you're so inclined. I have not found it any easier to manage hot starts, but maybe that's faulty pilot technique. CHTs are higher with #5 now usually close to or over 400F under some conditions so I have to pay a bit more attention than before to engine temps. The VGs reduce stall speed by several knots and I'm now training myself to reduce approach speed to 75kts and cross the threshold at 65 kts or less. The (now recalibrated) AoA system that I got when I bought my Ovation in 2014 is a good help with that. The Surefly and VGs reduced my typical cruise performance from about 173 kts to about 169 kts so there is a bit of a speed penalty. The 4-bladed prop went on a few weeks later and doesn't seem to affect the cruising speed enough to be noticeable. Bottom line, MT Prop and VGs are certainly worth it if you value what they deliver. The LHS is a "nice to have" and the EI will pay for itself in the long run with lower maintenance and fuel costs but tbh it's not a game changer in any big way. Anyone needs a well maintained almost 600 hrs Hartzell Top-Prop?

Done

in my calendar

No conversion programs that I could find, but adapting an existing list isn't too onerous. I messaged you my .ace file. Hope you can use it! Robert

Yep, I googled it and it's in Vanderhoof where she lives. We've driven by there and noticed the road sign. Vanderhoof has a great air show every other year

Let's narrow it down: Somewhere in the Nechako Valley? Have a daughter there and the landscape looks very familiar. Robert