bonal

Cost is only part of the equation this ain't no boat and it isn't a hot car. You open up for inspection and oh look this airplane is not airworthy end of game. I hope it works out for you but remember the recent thread regarding the 20C that has corrosion on the spar and can't be flown without some real costly repairs. And that airplane had a PPI done on it and they did not pick up the corrosion that was obviously already there.

One of the first planes I ever flew in as a kid was a Comanche twin. I was just a little kid but I can remember that airplane. As for which is better I like them all. I bought a mooney so I guess for me that answers that.

Sounds like rather than selling you beautiful mooney and drifting away from aviation you should go the other way and find any way possible to increase your flying now more than ever. Certainly I don't know your situation but I do know a thing or two about life and one thing I know is when we give up our passions for "life responsibilities" life can bring you down. Good luck with your future and hope you find a way to keep flying.

None of the stuff in my 64 mooney and it fly's just fine. Actually I do have the STC for the toaster oven so I can prepare our in flight meals. I kind of like the idea that when we are up in the sky looking down it could be like a time machine looking back 50 years.

I really hope they sell lots of new aircraft and if I had that kind of money I might buy a brand new Mooney and pay some one to fly it around for a hundred hours or so to get all the bugs worked out. It will be interesting to see how the market pans out. my guess is that it will find lots of homes in the training and business worlds and not so much your average doctor or dentist. and a question for the doctors out there. is Obama care going to cut into your flying budget?

new vs used. now days I hear more people having problems with there "new cars and trucks" and look at the percentage of new or zero time engine failures comparred to 250 to 1000 hr time engines. new does not always mean better.

Certification and regulation is the biggest problem when it comes to aircraft costs. I mentioned this on a different topic but a few years ago I attended an AOPA gathering at Santa Rosa hosted by former Pres Fuller and sponsered by Cirrus. After the event I spoke with The President of Cirrus and asked him What % of the cost of a new Cirrus was directly tied to certication and product Liability and he said it was about 65% if you take that out of the mix that $350K would be about right, As for the ADS-B maybe since they already know that most of the sales will be over see's and if its not a requirement they are not installing it. I cant think of any type of new car that after just a couple of years loses at least 1/2 its value. I would never buy a new car. besides now they have all the big brother crap in your car and can check your driving history at the touch of a button. NO THANKS!

This subject has been covered in other posts as for us it's just me and my wife one thing is how tall are you. I have short legs and put my seat up almost all the way forward and my wife can do the same when we do carry people in the back and our short body has been fine longest trips have only been just over 4 hours but no complaints from the back.

Rudder control is so important and often pilots feet get lazy. Get on the pedals pay attention the the wind sock and stay ahead of the airplane.

its Most important whenever something breaks our routine the tasks that we do on mental autopilot will bite you on the ass real hard. never stop flying the airplane even after shut down. Always check and if your not sure whats bugging your gut. start over from the beginning. like if I get distracted doing my preflight I go back and start over.

this TFR makes total sense. every time a big shot politian drops by to make a speech they issue the TFR so it seems whenever they are releasing a lot of hot gas you need to control the airspace.

Every place we go we tie down so I leave them in preflight check to make sure they are snug. Always are.

Since I don't fly for business and can't write off any of the expense I don't need to know and really don't want to. I accept the fact That flying is a ridiculously expensive hobby and for me priceless. Did not get to fly this weekend as hoped and that makes me crazy. Some times not flying makes you love it even more. Worth every penny.

Heck even my little Garmin 296 alerts me to all restricted and controlled airspace. I can't imagine someone that would be buzzing around WDC would not know where he is. I fly all around SFO bravo and always know where it and I am. Hope he don't get in to much trouble. But look what happened to the poor marine that missed the turn off and landed in a Mexican prison.

On one of the trips I went on to pick up a mooney for service at LASAR we went to Santa Barbara for the pickup. I can't remember what model it was, might have been a Bravo or an Ovation. Any way the owner used the plane for rescue dog missions and had the rear seat removed and I remember it had a large cargo door that opened up to the back seat area and that was flat at least 3 to 4 feet long with adjustable tie down rails very nicely done. Perhaps someone on Mooney space knows this aircraft. As for getting in and out. Every one seems to enter in front of the right seat. What I do is put the seat all the way forward with the left all the way back I can stand straight up in the door and easy sit down in my favorite chair.

Went to LVK and started the aerobatic syllabus at a flight school there. Went out and did lots of multi rotation spins in a 152 aerobatic. When training in my 150 my instructors could never get it to spin. Doing it with the 152 I was surprised how hard and fast you must apply aileron to get a real spin started. I think its important to point out the difference between a spiral and a real spin. They are not the same thing and I think what some think is a spin is actually a spiral. Whenever I fly with my CFI we always work on all aspects of stalls but always ease off just prior to a full break. I often have to do real aggressive slips on approach because many of the fields I fly to are surrounded by close mountains my D/C slips very nicely but reading this thread reminds me to be very attentive to maintaining proper flight control at all times.

Nice video, I'm not sure but I think the Mooney ambassadors will be flying in to Columbia CA next weekend. Hope to see some Mooney's there.

NUTS! just out of annual and I was going to have LASAR install regular shoulder belts for a few hundred bucks but I got lost in the new carburetor, starter and airbox work that was needed. me and the wife ride all over creation on our rice rocket where you have no time to prepare for certain death I think I will just toss a couple of helmets in the back and when the ground starts getting close just put those suckers on then no head injury (better than a air bag any day) and not those fighter guy helmets but real save your noggin SNELL approved ones. while I'm at it why not wear Nomex since most fatalities come from the fire that follows the crash. best way to stay safe is never push the throttle forward. some things you can only do so much to keep safe. I know lets let the government help keep us safe bunch of children.

im no expert on stuck valves in desent but I am an expert on sticking valves on departure and let me tell you every one in the area of the airport notices. i think swaping the sensors is a good idea it cost nothing to do and will rule out the instrument if it still hits on number 1. if it jumps to 3 then problem solved. that would have been the first test i would have done after all the normal checks were completed. you may have a lifter that might be collapsing as the oil pressure drops with your low power setting, good luck sir.

True enough but it seems like every day I see on the news another bunch of tornadoes touching down. Biggest hail I have ever seen is pea size. We do get some really bad fires out west but I have never seen them cause damage to any aircraft kind of hard to burn an airport..

Hail tornadoes incredible heat and humidity freezing cold snow ice and rain and let's not forget those nasty hurricanes I know that people here in California are mostly nuts but it's all about the mild weather we have year round. In fact the best time of year for aviating in CA is in the middle of winter. Ever since I was a little kid and saw the wizard of oz I could never figure out why any one would live in tornado alley.

I'm not sure who Brett is but if I was back east I think I would drop in. I'm a little sad and I'm not sure what to think but there is a couple of fly ins in Ca and I did not see any interest. Seems like Texas the south and the east are more fired up to get out and share there mooney experience with there fellow Mooniacs. Or is it just me

Ok how about this Mooney ambassadors flying in to Columbia O22 June 14/15 any takers?

The 51 is an obvious choice but there is something intoxicating about that big round 18 jug Pratt and Whitney and one round in the 51's radiator and your done whereas that big radial could have a cylinder or two blown off and still keep running.

So we're going nuts, well I would have to say if I could spend a week in any it would be the P47 Thunderbolt or perhaps the Douglas Sky Raider. Just plain mean!