gsxrpilot

What @Hank said... and when you're just trying to get out of a controlled field but don't have a specific destination in mind. It's too easy just to ask for SVFR and launch.

Well it's not entirely the weather. Although it's forecasted to be 100% chance of thunderstorms between here in and Dallas. JD has been doing some work on the Mooney and the last part, a few very specific washer's didn't come in yet. He offered to use other parts and put it back together for me so I could make the fly-in. But with the weather as forecasted, I told him not to bother and to fix it right on Monday.

Damn! It's not gonna work for me. Weather will keep us in Austin.

Hmmm... I need to get out the GoPro's and shoot some landings. I'm very comfortable landing my Mooney in any flap configuration. If you're riding with me in the right seat, you can name the flap setting anywhere between the downwind and short final, and I can comply and make the same landing. My preference is probably to land with take-off flaps. It's the easiest landing for me to make. But I'm also comfortable with full flaps or no flaps. It really doesn't matter for me. I'm still on one set of tires, and the same set of brake pads. I've suggested a couple of times, to Mooney pilots who were really struggling with landings, to try a no-flap landing on a long runway. Each time the landings were much smoother. After a few of those, then go to take-off flaps, and then to full flaps. Anyway, it's worked for those guys. And all landings are much smoother. Obviously landing over an obstacle to a short strip (<2000 ft), it's full flaps all the way. BTW I've been practicing power-off 180's for the commercial. Those can be done at any flap setting as well.

This is exactly what I was thinking, until in a weak moment, I traded my Garmin audio box in on the PMA450A. It's not just bluetooth, and piping music over the intercom. It's more like the difference between listening to tunes in your car with the full premium Bose audio package, or through the one speaker in the top of the dash connected to your AM and Eight track.

PMA450b fan here. For all the usual reasons. I was under the impression that the audio panel was the last thing I'd upgrade in my Mooney. After all, it couldn't have as much impact as a good ANR headset, and even that pales in comparison to a good GPS or Engine monitor. But after @Avionics Source made it just too easy with a Black Friday sale and a trade-in on my GMA 340, I bought the PMA450. And WOW. I never realized how much nicer my cockpit could be with a really nice audio panel.

Maybe there was a really nice bottle of Scotch involved

I'm doing the Comm right now in my 252. Not abusing it at all.

We're all going to very interested in the final installed cost of the GFC500 in your Bravo.

Ditto. My Aspen PFD with KFC150 is a rock solid, no vacuum, solution. Fingers crossed, knock on wood, etc... it keeps working.

This is what I meant. I'm paying an avionics shop to know how to run wires, solder joints and know what connectors to use, and to sign my log book. But I chose the components and their arrangement in the panel. @steingar is correct that there is a lot to know about a lot of boxes. But I'm just not confident there is any avionics shop out there that knows all that data either. They're too busy running wires and doing installs to read all the marketing material, user guides, etc. And the manufacturer reps are obviously biased. In fact I've found avionics shops to be biased towards what is easiest to install and what has the best margin for them. But since I'm the guy who's gonna spend all the hours with my nose just inches from this panel, I want it to be right and no one has more of a vested interest in that than me.

True. But that requires building a relationship with the shop before handing over the plane. I took my 252 to three different avionics shops before settling on one. I also got opinions from my AI with whom I have a great relationship built over years and trust explicitly. It was pretty obvious that the shop I settled on thought the same way I did about the work that needed to be done. Obviously shit happens. But my Mooney doesn't go into any shop without a very clear understanding of the expectations, business practices, and agreements in writing about how it will all go down. I did have one situation where my plane was in the shop and the owner and I came to a disagreement over the way forward. I showed up at the shop, paid the bill to that point, and took possession of the plane. I reinstalled pieces that were disassembled, and flew the plane out. The shop owner told me the plane was not airworthy and couldn't be moved. I said I wasn't asking for his opinion and flew the plane away to another shop. That was a couple of years ago. It was a good lesson to learn. Keep control of the situation. Check in often. Show up and inspect the progress. And at the end of the day, I'm PIC and I'm the owner. I determine if I can fly the plane or not.

There are a lot of good MSC's around the country, but no one knows more about Mooneys than the Oracle in Longview, TX. And I mean nobody. I use JD and Laura at SWTA for all my maintenance and they are excellent! But when they get stumped, they pick up the phone, dial Longview, Texas and ask for Don.

OMG! I feel for you. But let me second what @LANCECASPER said. No one should ever go into any shop for an upgrade without knowing as much or more than the shop knows. In this day and age with everything available on the Internet, there is no reason not to know. And when spending $20 to $100 AMU's, it's worth the time to educate ones self. Back in 2014 I knew nothing about Mooneys much less what went in a Mooney panel. Today, I know as much or more about the options for Mooney panels than any avionics shop in the country. And everyone can have the same information for free. When I take my Mooney in for avionics upgrades, I call the shots and say what will be done. And when an avionics shop disagrees with me, I find another shop. After all, I know better than they do. It's the only way to operate in this business.

Exactly what I'm thinking... and a better autopilot

I would wager that what changed is your sight picture. Coming in over the numbers on speed and trying to hold it off at 20 ft above the runway is a lot different than coming in on speed and holding it off at 5 ft above the runway. And that just takes practice to get it right and get comfortable with the sight picture.

Perfect, thanks!

Does this formula work with my MB engine? And can you break down the formula for me? (9 X 13.7 / 210) 9 - gph 13.7 - ? 210 - ? Thanks.

This is my experience exactly. I've never flown jets or anything big. My experience is across a range of piston singles and other small aircraft, including the Comanche 250, Bonanza F33A, 7AC, Cherokee's, of course all the different Mooney bodies, and even gliders, weight shift trikes and Hang Gliders. The all land the same. Get into ground effect and hold it off until it quits flying. I got transition training from a very experienced Mooney CFI and when I asked him about landing speeds, technique, etc, he just said to just "look out the window and land the plane". It seems to work well for every aircraft I've flown. Speed is certainly important. Even with hang gliders. My "floater" with the loose sail and all the wires exposed, stops in a lot less distance than my cross country wing with the tight mylar sail and fully enclosed wing hiding all the wires, frame, etc. So go practice on a long runway where if you're a bit too fast, it's not catastrophic. I learned on a 4000 ft runway with a turn off at 800 ft. It took some practice before I could consistently make the turnoff. That was in the M20C. With my 252, I gotta have a pretty good wind to make that turn. I obviously need to practice more. I find a common issue with Mooneys is the sight picture and the low stance. I find it's easier to sneak up on that ground effect sight picture with a long runway rather than dropping in over a 75 ft. obstacle into a 2000 ft. strip.

And your engine will love you for it!

Did you not see this post?

I really like 6873N on paper. As long as you have the overhaul baked into the purchase, it would make a great IFR trainer. No moving map GPS, but with an HSI and the STEC30/altitude hold, it's ready to go. I don't think you need another CDI, but I might be wrong. Like I've said before, there are a lot of nice conveniences that make IFR flying easy, safe, and enjoyable. But if I had to choose the top two, for me it's an autopilot and HSI. Regarding the engine, you might get another 200 hours out of it, but you might not. I would probably install an EDM900 engine monitor or at least a G2 engine monitor before I even got it home. Data from that uploaded to SavvyAnalysis will tell you about valve health and a host of other things as well. Along with oil analysis, you'll know when it's time to overhaul.

As everyone else has said, this isn't a CG issue. It is a distraction, experience, issue. A good CFI is great, but can also mask issues by fixing them before you notice them. If I were you, I'd go do a bunch of landings by yourself. Solo, with plenty of gas, you'll have options of finding a longer runway. Or even start with a longer runway and get super comfortable. Then go back to your home field and do a bunch on the short runway. There's a reason all training involves solo flight. Go get some practice on your own.

Post some links... or send them in a PM. I'd be interested to take a look.

PM sent. What's the etiquette? Just send a message and ask. I don't know of anyone who would be offended or even hesitate a minute to take you flying. If there's one thing all Mooney owners have in common, it's our love of showing off our airplanes and sharing why they're the best certificated single engine piston in the sky. I'll send you some additional info tomorrow to help you find a ride. But try the map as well.