LevelWing

The FAA has it listed as a 1966 M20F that was last registered in 2015. Sad to see aircraft like this sitting there rotting away. It would be a great project if someone wanted to undertake it, but it's likely not worth the money required to fix it.

My attitude indicator went haywire this afternoon during pre-flight and run-up. It just spins all around. This is the second time that it's done this, with the first being earlier this week. In the first instance it took almost 20 minutes for it to settle down with me taxiing around. I didn't give it 20 minutes this time, but it didn't settle back down. I think the bearings are going bad since the rest of the vacuum instruments work. Looking for recommendations on my options moving forward. Even if I get it working again, it's likely going to just go haywire once more in the near future. My annual is at the end of the month, but the mechanic isn't an avionics guy nor is there an avionics shop on the field. I attached a video of it (the video is sped up) for reference.

Purely anecdotal (and certainly not meant to be construed as advice, mechanical or otherwise), but my Mooney sat for 5 years until last year. When I arrived to pick her up, she cranked right up and has had no issues since. It was also hangared in the dry southwest which probably helped preserve the engine and components more so than in humid Florida. I also had my mechanic periodically checking on it but it didn't start up for the 5 years that it sat. Good luck with yours. I hope you're able to get it restored and enjoy flying her.

I know it's a seller's market, but $100,000 is a hard ask. I suppose that gives me hope should I ever sell mine.

A Garmin GPS 175 can be purchased for around $4300. If the goal is an IFR certified GPS, this is one way to accomplish that and won't be at the high end of his budget.

Will it transcribe the audio into text fast enough to be able to read and react accordingly in a busy airspace?

Unfortunately the Ovations and Eagles are a bit outside of my range for the time being. I agree with your assessment of the turbos but I think they tend to meet the requirements from both an operational standpoint and a budgetary standpoint. If I could find a Missile in the right price range I'd certainly consider that as well. It's got enough HP to mitigate some DA effects while not being a turbo.

I like it. It's clean and so far I think it's easier to read than the old theme.

Here's a Liquid Rocket for sale: https://www.usaaircraft.com/aircraft-for-sale/10/1988-mooney-m20l-liquid-rocket-price-reduced 812lbs useful load and a 90 gallon tank.

Kalispell and Glacier National Park is one of my favorite places. I want to go back and hopefully will have the opportunity soon. We enjoyed going to Moose's Saloon when we were there: http://moosessaloon.com/ Otherwise, Glacier National Park is great as well as Lone Pine State Park. We also drove to the east side of Glacier National Park and enjoyed that drive. It takes a couple of hours but it's a nice drive. As @jlunsethmentioned, I'm not sure how much COVID has impacted what is open, but hopefully enough is open. If you're into hiking, the Avalanche Lake trail is great.

I have been in contact with Jimmy and are reviewing a few of the planes he has. He has been straightforward and answered all of my questions. I'm also looking at other options as well just to see what is out there. Don as in Don Maxwell? I'm not familiar with Mimi. In either case, a 231 seems to be the best fit for my mission if I can find one with the right useful load. I'd consider a J with the useful load increase but the 231 fits the longer term mission more so than the J (easier ability to handle the mountains out west).

Interesting that I'm not the only one who's had that experience. I agree that a solid PPI is required from someone not associated with the aircraft. Let's hope I never take an interest in boats. I'm told I have enough hobbies in my life already.

I'm certainly no 231 expert but thanks to the folks here that are, I've learned enough to know what I'm looking for when shopping for a 231. I suppose this is more of a "buyer beware" kind of thing and just a general attitude warning. I've been calling a few places to inquire about various Mooney 231's that are listed for sale and everyone I have talked to has been helpful until today. This morning I called Scott MacDonald Aircraft to inquire about a 231 he has listed for sale. The ad doesn't list the engine model number or if it had the Merlyn waste gate or intercooler upgrades so I wanted to ask. His response was the following: - It has the TSIO-360-GB engine - No waste gate or intercooler - I read too much on the internet and it doesn't need them because the engine is just fine. - He has a lot of time in these and he's never had a temperature issue - For the price he has listed it at I can go out and buy the upgrades myself This is why I've been doing my research: to ensure I get the aircraft I want and not worry about its performance or longevity. I wasn't impressed with how he handled the phone call, his dismissal of my requirements, or his attitude towards me. He could be a good guy having a bad day - we all do - but as a result of that interaction I'm no longer interested in purchasing an aircraft from him (requirements not withstanding). I understand the aircraft can fly without those upgrades, but based on the information provided in this forum it seems like a smart idea to have them. I'm not in sales but I would like to think I wouldn't dismiss a customer's requirements but rather try to understand them and then guide them as best as I could (we didn't even get to the critical altitude changes or anything else because I ended the phone call). The search continues. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

This has all been very helpful information. If I can find the right 231 then it'll be a nice setup. Just a matter of balance, with useful load being a big consideration.

I agree that Africa has a lot of untapped potential. It would require finding a location that is suitable from not just a manufacturing standpoint, including the logistics infrastructure and the ability to train and educate a workforce, but a country that is stable both politically, economically, and from a security standpoint. South Africa is the biggest one that comes to mind. Again, I have not argued that there are no places in Africa that could do this, I am merely saying they are limited. I assume the planes would be built in said location and then assembled at their final destination. There are quite a few places in Africa that I would not want to have an emergency landing.

Paul, I disagree that the same could be said for the U.S. I don't think that's a direct or even fair comparison. Yes, there are other parts of the world that also lack the proper infrastructure but the statement pertained to opening manufacturing facilities in China and Africa. I do agree, however, that they only need one place and there are a few options to choose from. And it would be a fun experience to ferry your new Mooney back home (I realize that's not the likely method).

Again, I'm not sure if this is directed at me, but I'm not saying there aren't places it couldn't be built. I am merely suggesting that, as a whole, Africa lacks the same robust skilled labor market as many other places, lacks the necessary infrastructure in many places, and is limited in the areas that have the places to handle it.

I'm not sure if you meant to direct this to me, but I am well aware that it is a continent with 54 countries. My point remains that there are only a few places in Africa that would have the underlying infrastructure to even come remotely close to handling a production aircraft like Mooney, South Africa being one of them.

I understand what the goal of the Meijeing Group was when they purchased Mooney, but to date they have not been successful in their goals. That doesn't negate the fact that China has a habit of forcing intellectual property transfers and incentivizing subsidies under certain conditions, some of which are against World Trade Organization rules. Additionally, COVID has exposed supply chain weaknesses. So many companies have their supply chains that either originate in, or transfer through, China and when the pandemic hit, it shut a lot of that down. With little to no diversification in supply chain assets, it left a lot of companies unable to meet their customer's demands (I'm also aware there is more to it than that). I also said the skilled labor market was an issue in Africa, not China.

As a Mooney fan, and overall general aviation fan, I'm excited by the prospects of this and hope for the best. It would be great to see a significant increase in useful load and it would likely result in the Mooney market going up, especially if it can be retrofit. That said, I'm not a fan of them wanting to manufacture aircraft in China and Africa. Given the current geopolitical state of China and their economic status, I'm just not convinced this is a viable long term option. In addition, China has a reputation for imposing requirements on businesses wishing to manufacture there that aren't always in line with trade pacts with other countries. As far as Africa, there's only a few places they could even really consider but logistics is still difficult and the skilled labor market isn't what it is in other, more developed parts of the world. I really would like them to succeed and I'm rooting for them. Their success is general aviation's success and we'll benefit from it.

I'm pretty sure the ADF in mine works but the guy I bought it from labeled it "INOP" so he wouldn't get tested on his instrument check ride.

Great looking panel. That should serve you well into the future.

If the plane moves to North Carolina, are you willing to drive there in order to fly it? I'd be concerned about paying for 50% of the upgrades if there's a chance you may have to eat the loss and walk away later, even if it's in writing. There shouldn't be a lot of 100 hour type inspections outside of the eddy current if that's the prop hub that's on the plane. For your unscheduled maintenance, I think that's going to be a little more tricky than a simple 75%/25% or whatever that works out to be, especially if he's going to be deployed for a good chunk of that time. Out of curiosity, have you considered purchasing a different plane to avoid a potential mess? I know you said you'd never find another M20C that you knew as well as this one, and that may be true, but you may end up in a mess with this one anyway.

To the lien holder, as in the bank he is financing with? Others may have better advice, but I'd be cautious of this if that's what you meant. At that point you're just paying his loan down for him. Does the 10% of maintenance cover anything that happens while he's deployed, including oil changes and pop up maintenance? What if a cylinder goes bad or something else happens? You're only responsible for 10%? If so, and it's in writing, that's a good deal. I'd want that in writing though. If your wife is wanting an out clause you may want to re-consider the money going directly to the lien holder and instead sending it to him. He's then responsible for it; the lien holder won't be giving that back. What did you work out as far as upgrades, including ADS-B out? Others have recommended consulting AOPA on their partnerships and I think that's a good idea.

Thanks for the thorough run down on this. I think for the sake of simplicity, it's easier to just find one that has the following: Merlyn waste gate upgrade Intercooler (Airflow or TurboPlus) An upgraded engine (LB or LB1) instead of the GB If I find one that has those three it sounds like I should be in decent shape for engine longevity and reducing pilot workload. Avionics aside, is there anything else I should be looking for in a 231, such as speed brakes or oxygen (most of the 231's I've seen have oxygen)?