gsxrpilot

The O2D2 will reduce your O2 usage. It delivers exactly the O2 you need and no more. In addition to the O2D2 you’ll need a proper mask if above 18K, and Cannulas between 12,500 and 18,000. You also need the O2 tank, of course. I have a tank built into the tail of my Mooney, I use an Aerox mask with a built-in mic. The O2D2 completes the system.

I’ve used my O2D2 up to 26,000. I used it getting to Oshkosh at 23,000. It works well.

It might work, but there just as easily could be a handshake, version check or something, that ensures the data is from the approved source.

They will come back around. They seem to come to market in bunches. Sit tight and keep that cash ready.

I plan to go by the booth in the morning to ask a lot of questions.

The Mooney Caravan to Oshkosh is still in Madison as of Saturday night. Flight leaders canceled the arrival scheduled for 12 noon today (Saturday) and we feel pretty good about that decision. Oshkosh got hammered all afternoon today with heavy rain, high winds, and damaged airplanes. The word is that B2OSH, the Bonanza group has canceled the mass arrival for this year completely. EAA tells us that the field will be open to us in the morning and we have a scheduled landing slot of 9am. Here's hoping we can get in and get to a relatively firm parking spot in the N40. The rest of the week is forecast for good weather.

All the autopilots are the same with regards to pricing strategy. The prices you see for the GFC500 doesn't include the required G5, nor the extra servos required. All you have to do is reference @donkaye thread on his GFC500 install and the associated price. So there are always extras required. And on the question of what this gives you over the GFC500, I would say a few things. One is the ability to shoot an ILS approach without a GPS signal. Secondly the ability to fully integrate with AI/HSI's other than BK OEM stuff. That would include the Aspens as well as Garmin glass.

If the AeroCruz 230 will work with my Aspen/EA100, I''ll probably be at the head of the line to buy the upgrade. I just feel the GFC500 has too many limitations unless you're all Garmin already. I'll definitely to talk to the folks here at Oshkosh.

Yes, exactly. Once you master that J-bar you'll not want anything else. It's the one thing I wish my M20K had from the C I used to own.

The manufacturer of the Globe Swift.

A sharp tug on the J-bar is the best gear indicator there is. Mooney was thinking way ahead of you... and certainly Univair.

Unfortunately.... No

The whole argument of "we've been flying these airplanes this way for years" seems to be misplaced with Mooneys. I can understand if you're flying a rag and tube tail dragger around the pattern on sunny days. But most of us fly Mooneys because they get us across the country and are excellent traveling airplanes. Can you fly your Mooney across the country with a dip stick and a stopwatch? Sure you can. And I can drive the '57 Chevy from here to Chicago as well. But why? In the grand scheme of things, upgrading the fuel management system in a Mooney is relatively inexpensive. A good engine monitor (which pays so many dividends is so many other areas) and modern fuel senders. I flew my first Mooney all over the country with a dip stick, watch, and spreadsheet to note gallons used at regular intervals. With the second Mooney I knew the mission was cross country travel and so the first upgrades were an EDM900 and CiES senders. The result was an increase in range and decrease in stress equalling an overall increase in enjoyment... and speed. After all, the best speed mod is the ability to skip a fuel stop.

The way to fly to Oshkosh without flying in formation, is to fly the Fisk arrival as detailed in the NOTAM. But either meet us in Madison, or at Oshkosh, and let's talk about the process and procedures for joining the Caravan next year. It starts with attending a formation flying clinic put on by the Caravan at numerous locations around the country each spring. The training is intense, but any competent Mooney pilot can be successful and learn to fly formation. It's also very safe and will ultimately help you become a much better pilot. Look me up in Madison or at Oshkosh and we'll talk about it.

I'm pretty sure this has contributed to 1600 hours of trouble free LOP flying with my 252. Original cylinders, original turbo.

I really like this post. You make some excellent points. I say "inaccurate and unreliable because of both analog and old. The needles are about 3 gallons wide so not very good fidelity in the reading of them. And typically after 50+ years of service in a typical M20C, they are sticky and jumpy. If you're serious about knowing how accurate your gauges and/or totalizer is, you have to run each tank dry a few times. Don't be afraid, it's a safety thing. Know your tanks and your engine. I think your method here is spot on. I'd just say that with say, EDM900 gauges and the CiES senders, you'd be accurate to +/- 0.5 gal per side. And while its not required, it is achievable. And for our airplanes that are truly champions when it comes to range, I like to maximize that capability and have the best fuel information possible. Regarding the differences between a totalizer and fuel gauge... I couldn't say it any better. This is a great explanation. Thanks.

@Bryan

This! And this! I spent $1200 on a pre-buy for my first Mooney. The second one I pretty much did the pre-buy myself. But by then I knew what I was looking for. And I don't think a list of things to look for is all that helpful. Because if you haven't seen it before, you really can't know what good vs. bad looks like. $1000 or $2000 for a pre-buy is cheap compared to the cost of owning one of the Mooneys on my infamous list. Someone here once said, "There's nothing quite as expensive as a cheap Mooney."

I'm with @KSMooniac on this. The only thing certain about the release of anything new and STC'd for our Mooneys, or any certificated airplane, it that it will take a lot longer than forecast. I'm of the opinion that the autopilot is the most important piece here. For example, if Dynon had announced the release of a full featured 2 or 3 axis autopilot today, and said stay tuned for a glass panel coming in the future, but for now you can drive the autopilot with your steam gauges/GPS. They'd have sold 100 of them by the end of today. As it is, I'm not interested unless it fully drives my KFC150 today, or until the autopilot is approved/released.

Reliable and accurate fuel information requires two parts, senders and gauges. It sounds like you want the digital state of the art senders but to still use the old, inaccurate and unreliable gauges. It makes sense that it's not gonna work very well.

A friend of mine bought a home with a 60 x 60 hangar attached to it. Since he's single, he spent "several thousand" on a BigAss Fan for the hangar instead of furniture for the house.

I use the QT Halos, so they're very light already. I made a hanger for my headset from a single paper clip. Part of it is hooked over the trim above the left side window and the other part provides a really nice hook to hold the Halo's up and out of the way.

Finally, a response to the question.

I'll bet a black or brightly colored zip tie would work. Just leave the end sticking out an inch as the pointer. I"ll have to look next time I'm at the plane.

That's about perfect. I've added a few zip ties and a roll of electrical tape.