Robert C.

Hmm...are you sure he said ILS? we can fly that now fully coupled without WAAS as it is not a GPS approach. Did he say LPV by any chance? great news if they have the test flight program going. Who was it you spoke with? thanks for sharing.

I'll add the weather portion of the website to the list. membership is a no brainier for me as well.

If ATC asks if you can hear them and why aren't you responding you might be pressing the speed brake button instead of the "press-to-talk" button.

Ughh...my favorite airport restaurant in New England...that is a real shame

Thanks, that is very helpful as I'm sure a number of us (including me) are flying with a TAS-610 or -605.

Russ, That is my understanding as well. If i have read all the info correctly it is purely a software issue that can be dealt with by Mooney through the (now on hold) test flying program that they have on the shelf. I have no insight into the cost of the GIA63 to GIA63W swap. My understanding was that the original upgrades cost north of $50k because the entire G1000 unit was replaced in order to accommodate the GFC700. We are now talking about just replacing the GIA63, not the entire box, and ofc won't have to buy the GFC700. That should bring the hardware cost down substantially. Mooney incurs the cost of the software rewrite and the certification flight program and I have no idea how to guess their cost for that and how they'd pass that along to us. Robert

Some MSCs are better and more conscientious than others. When I bought my Ovation I had the pre-buy done by a MSC that missed a bunch of things, including a non-working ELT (that they signed off on as working). Bottom-line, just because its an MSC doesn't mean they'll do a good job for you, especially if they are affiliated with the seller. I'd counsel getting an independent evaluation, even if its from a non-Mooney specialized shop. Good luck - fly safe! Robert

I'll try again but you'd better tell (tropical storm) Joacquin to stay away this year Robert

Mike, I'd like to think that Mooney is aware that a bunch of checks will be written the day they announce the availability of a WAAS upgrade for STec-55X owners. I'm still trying to figure out what it would take for them to head down that road.

Russ, Thanks for staying on this and he update. Do you think a "letter writing campaign" of some sort might help? Robert

Hi Greg, I had my Champions swapped for Tempest Fine Wires at my annual and like the other Pireps you're seeing I find the engine smoother and easier to start. I'm a convert too Robert

Didn't know which thread to necro...so i picked this one by Stacey Ellis. Looks like the test flying program he refers to in the opening e-mail is all but forgotten. Borrowing from Mooneypilots.com mailing list....Don M. enquired on behalf of someone and got this response (note that without a software update there'll be no WAAS for us STec drivers): From: Paul Kehner [mailto:pkehner@mooney.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 3:02 PM To: Don Maxwell <dmaxwell@donmaxwell.com> Subject: RE: [Mapalist] G1000 Software Upgrade Don, There is no new information from Mooney for any software upgrades. The good news is, Garmin has an ADS-B solution for G1000 owners. Garmin has come out with a new transponder that will bring your aircraft into compliance with the 2020 ADS-B mandate. Garmin has an STC and the Mooney G1000 systems are on their AML. We’ve talked to several Mooney owners who are looking at this and it seems to be the over-all best solution. This new GTX335r or GTX345r will replace your existing transponder and meet the requirement for 2020 ADS-B. One of the best things about this, it will not require a project from Mooney so as soon as you can get your hands on this transponder, it’s a go. No need for Mooney approval or Mooney software. Garmin has got this covered. Follow this link to find out more info. They have a remote unit that is compatible with the Mooney G1000 systems. https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/in-the-air/general-aviation/transponders/gtx-345/prod140949.html Contact your local Garmin dealer for info concerning cost and availability. Best regards, Paul Kehner Avionics/Electrical Technical Support ______________________________ Mooney International Corporation 165 Al Mooney Road N., Kerrville, TX 78028 Phone: 830.792.2056 Fax: 830.257.4635 E-mail: support@mooney.com www.mooney.com We value your feedback! Let us know how we’re doing at feedback@mooney.com

Thanks guys. Very helpful. The trip is in doubt at the moment. 2 strong fronts are making their way West-to-East and while I'm fairly confident that i can work my way around convection by going North the winds in the wake of the fronts are predicted to have 8-12kt cross-wind components, if not at KLUK than certainly on my return to KDXR. 8kts steady I'd probably consider within my personal minimums but if it gusts as is often the case after a frontal passage then it's easy to look at >10kts which I'm not quite ready for. I'll probably decide tomorrow just before the hotel's no-cancellation fee deadline kicks in.

Thanks Tom. Did you have lunch there? And was there any problem getting in/out of the terminal building as one pilot reported?

Hi gang, Unless something drastically goes wrong I'm expecting to make a weekend trip (from KDXR in CT) to Cincinnati this coming weekend. Planning on parking at KLUK and having a luncheon stop at Altoona/Martinsburg, PA. Anyone know anything about either airport and the local ATC practices I should know? Looked on AOPA and Airnav and everyone by and large said nice things about both. Thanks in advance, Robert

During a visit to KOXC (Oxford-Waterbury, CT) last year as we were getting ready to depart: KOXC Twr: "...Mooney 446PC, hold short for landing warbird traffic...." The P51 peeled off to go fetch and accompany a B-17 that arrived after we had departed.

Responsive indeed! I find that "procedures" feature incredibly helpful (that and the MOS weather) and am not aware of where else you can graphically get an overview of the arrivals. Many a time I've started researching an airport and had to look at all the STARs before finding one that was most likely to be in use for my direction of flight. Of course in real life I've only once been assigned a STAR but at least I was prepared that one time! Robert

I used them/Savvy (first time buyer/owner, felt i could use all the help I could get) and was not impressed. Really all they do is make the basic arrangement and approve invoices, which aggravates the shop to no end. As it turns out, the MSC that did my pre-buy did a very sloppy job and there was no way for Savvy to catch that as they are not involved in supervising the actual process. I walked away with the feeling that if you are buying an aircraft that is older and you have lot's of questions about how to go about solving the many small problems that'll come up then this might be a useful service. If you are buying a more recent aircraft that is basically well maintained then you may not get much use out of them. My expectation was that I would have access to someone that I could speak to and discuss things I didn't understand. As it turns out all interaction is via their squak system with write ups and limited advice/response based on the questions asked. So my feeling was that they are mostly an intermediary. Again, if you have a major issue they might be helpful in getting multiple bids or asking for different checks/tests but otherwise I saw limited utility. I didn't regret spending the money on them for the prebuy and the 1st year support but didn't see the need to renew beyond that. YMMV ofc

Cool trip, do let us know how it goes. I have a cousin in Calgary and a daughter in B.C. so a trip to Canada is in my future. However, I intend to ease into it with visits to Montreal and Toronto 1st (modest hops from CT). Good luck! Robert

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Sadly, I'll have to sit this one out as well. Collecting mine from the Avionics shop in the early afternoon

Ouch...that is not a good start. I haven't ordered yet, waiting to see what Mooney will do about the whole WAAS/ADSB muddle, but am assuming there is a GTX 345 in my future. Please keep us posted if you don't mind....there is a bunch of us in the same boat. Robert

My experience in that corner is that you never get any route with SAX and SBJ when you are headed into the area. Almost always you get LAAYK as you discovered. Outbound you also don't often get SAX. I once asked a controller about it and he replied that it interferes with the heavy iron going into Newark. I also cannot get a routing over NYC even above 10k. I think it has more to do with GA vs the airlines than /G Robert

Steve, thanks for the tip. I'll start looking for that. This aircraft seems to have been well maintained and neither the pre-buy and the 2 annuals since then turned up any ADs that weren't complied with but you never know.

Dan, Thanks for sharing that experience and glad to hear that you had a trouble free 3 years. I have been very pleased with the 55X and I look forward to having it fully working again. Robert