gsxrpilot

Fly down to Austin and pick me up. We'll go through the whole LOP/ROP thing.

I really think this a hangs on the autopilot situation. If you need an autopilot and are ready and able to spend what it will take to get the GFC500, then the G3X and everything else falls into place. - Winner Garmin. But ripping out and installing a whole new autopilot, while a great thing to do, is not going to be cheap, or even "aviation cheap". And the GFC500 might not even be available for your plane. There are NOT 500 models on that AML. So if you're keeping your autopilot, or doing an upgrade e.g.(Stec 3100) rather than a rip and replace, then the whole system starts to come down like a house of cards. There is one limitation after another. If Aspen/Dynon/Avidyne would position themselves as the solution that works with your existing, or upgraded autopilot, I think they have a compelling argument. I'm not sure they'll do that. We'll see.

My wife is competent to handle all (both) of the doors on my Mooney. The only other passengers entrusted with doors are fellow Mooney owners. I often have other Mooney owners riding in my right seat and they are always good to handle the door themselves.

This.

We do know that peak ICP is on the rich side of peak EGT. So therefore the safe place to be is on the lean side of peak EGT. And peak EGT is easy to find with any engine monitor.

Especially the gauges that weren't even installed by the factory. Like the CHT/EGT for the other five cylinders.

Supposedly Garmin has FAA personnel "in house" who do this stuff for them. I know there was discussion of this awhile back about Avidyne's trouble getting their version 10 software approved. Meanwhile Garmin was getting all sorts of stuff approved. If you're big enough, you can have your own FAA guy with an office in your building.

The big question.

Will a set off a 252 fit? I might have a set to sell.

Unless I'm in IMC... the stuff I'm NOT looking at are the 6 pack instruments. AI, ASI, HSI, VSI, TC, all useless in VMC when the autopilot is doing the flying, which is most of the time when using the Mooney to go A to B. Which is kinda what these planes are best at. What I AM watching ALL the time, is my engine monitor. Depending on altitude, wind, temperatures, fuel, distance, etc. I'm managing the engine just a little bit differently each time. Getting max speed, max performance, max range, max efficiency, max safety, max engine hours, are all functions of the engine monitor. Therefore this is my primary focus during the vast majority of my time in the air.

This is not really a viable option. It would limit the airplane to solo, day VFR, and limited range. Much like flying it around on a Ferry permit. You can't just "move" a certified airplane into an experimental class.

I don't believe there is any way to damage the engine from running too lean. I've had my 252 to almost 80 degrees LOP. It didn't run very well, but it was smooth and quite cool. At some point, the engine will just shut down the same way it shuts down when we pull the mixture all the way out. But it can't damage anything.

It probably won't take more than $100K and a few years to turn it into a $40K airplane. Like @Niko182 said, if I were a builder... I'd be on the phone to Van's.

The primer switch is spring loaded and doesn't stay on. There's probably a term for that that I don't know. The Hi boost switch can be turned on and left on. So if the hi boost got bumped on, it could cause problems. If the primer switch gets bumped, it just goes back off again. I don't ever use the hi boost just because it's a several step process, move the guard, turn it on, turn it off. The primer switch is easy, push then release.

Anyone looking for windows, you might check with SWTA. I think JD got stuck with a set and might be willing to make a deal.

It doesn't sound like water in the fuel to me either. But then again, I've never once sumped water out of my tanks. And if I ever did, the O rings would be changed immediately. I can't imagine flying the TSIO360 turbo without an engine monitor. Or at least I'll say I can't afford to fly a K without an engine monitor. And respectfully, you have no idea how many degrees ROP you are without an engine monitor. It sure sounds like a wastegate issue to me. But then without an engine monitor you're either guessing, or IRANing everything... which will cost a bit more than a good engine monitor.

Here's what I would do. Leave the two small 2" gauges on the far left side. Remove everything from the left half of the panel except the Aspens. Flush mount the Aspens. Install the EDM-900 on the left side of panel, either left or right of the Aspens. Move transponder to center stack. Add 3100 to center stack. No need for any backup instruments. The Aspen MAX PFD/MFD back each other up. Remove the CDI - the Aspen can display multiple Nav sources simultaneously. Either leave the Stec on the left side, above the newly installed EDM-900 or remove it and install 3100 in center stack. The ideal center stack would be PSE audio panel (already there) IFD540 (allows for remote transponder, remote ADSB in/out, remote strike finder) KX165 (already there, backup nav/com) Stec 3100 (upgrade from current 55)

Actually only two rules needed for good landings... I'm assuming that performing the landing with wheels down, on a runway, is a given. Power off Hold it off

The very first time I was in the left seat of a Mooney, I had 300 hours total time. The vast majority of it was Cherokee time with a little Comanche and a little Bonanza time. I had a very high time, very experienced CFI with me for the transition training. As we were approaching the pattern for my very first Mooney landing, I asked about the recommended speeds. I'd been reading MooneySpace and was a bit spooked by the criticality of speeds landing the Mooney. I asked the CFI what speed I should look for on final, over the numbers, etc. His answer was to ignore the speed, look out the window and land the plane. That landing was good and that method has worked well for me over the last 1000 hours. In fact the only time I watch my ASI on approach is when in formation and it needs to be exactly 90 knots on the approach.

I'm in agreement with almost every point you make, and certainly have immense respect for your experience as a pilot and Mooney driver specifically. I just believe we can get too wrapped up around being "on speed" or you can't land a Mooney. I'm not a CFI, but have helped quite a long list of new to Mooney, pilots here in Texas who struggle to land their Mooneys well because they are struggling and focused on speed and trying calculate and hit the right numbers on the ASI. When I've suggested they ignore speeds altogether and just land an airplane like they know how to land. All of a sudden, they're squeaking it on. Obviously speed is a factor, I just think it's way over emphasized.

I'll mention, if anyone has a plane and wants to fly it to Burning Man this year, let me know and I can hook you up with a great camp. They need a pilot.

Not relevant in this case. The playa dust is as fine as talcum powder. It's not the least be gritty. You'll know this when it's on the food you're eating and you don't notice it. ;-) Even wiping off my windows dry, didn't put any scratches in the plexiglass. It's powder.

I paid. But SWTA is very reasonable. I can check my bill, but I'm sure I didn't overpay. Just checked, SWTA charged 0.75 of an hour to do the work and sold me the parts at cost. It pays to build a relationship with a good shop. I don't ever look at the bill from Laura, I just pay it. Paul

It's not actually, because the KI256 is still running the autopilot. And the autopilot is flying the plane. With a G1000, it's driving the autopilot and flying the plane. The backup instruments are there in case the G1000 goes dark. The G3X/G5/GFC500 is a great system. But without the GFC500, it's just handicapped.

If you retain your 256 AI to drive the autopilot, your ASI, and Altimeter, then as far as I'm concerned the G3X is just there to look cool. It doesn't actually do anything. I can install an Aspen PFD/MFD pair and it will drive my current autopilot and fly fully coupled approaches without any other legacy six pack instruments in the panel. I was ready to cancel my Aspen MFD purchase until after sitting through the Garmin call on Tuesday. I just can't see installing the 3Gx and having to retain all the other stuff as well. For those who need an autopilot, and a gps, I think it's a great option. But that's not me.