AZ231
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I've been flying in Arizona for five years, but have never done an overflight of the Grand Canyon, so this weekend we made it happen. Loaded the wife and two kids in the Mooney and made a scenic loop. Departed Phoenix Deer Valley (KDVT) and flew north over KGCN via the transition routes at 11,500. Descended into Page (KPGA) with incredible views of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. Around 1830 we departed KPGA to head east and catch Monument Valley at dusk before turning south to return to Phoenix. Definitely 3.7 of the most beautiful hours I've logged yet.
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I'll have to go Aircraft Spruce for my mains at the next annual. Just replaced my front discs and the shop billed $140 each, plus labor. Definitely pays to shop around if the shop will allow owner-supplied parts.
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Having just spent more than three hours yesterday morning in Chicago (following a two hour drive from western IL back to the airport) waiting for shuttles and TSA lines at ORD, I can tell you that all I was thinking about the entire time was how nice this would have been direct from Phoenix to NW Illinois in the Mooney! However, with five of us traveling last minute for a funeral, the 231 wasn't an option for this trip, and the turbo Seneca my instructor owns was down for maintenance. We are truly spoiled being able to travel point-to-point in a Mooney when things line up properly!
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I converted to all Whelan nav/strobes and both landing lights at the last annual. Love them. All three of the original power supplies came out. Lengthy installation process though. I'll try and get some pics posted next time I'm at the hangar.
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That's going to be incredible. Not many planes more beautiful to look at than the Lancair IV Ps. Congrats!
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I love Mooneys even tho I've never sat in one!
AZ231 replied to BigAirHarper's topic in General Mooney Talk
My first time up in a Mooney was over 35 years ago, sitting in a child seat in the back. Guess I was hooked, because now I sit in the left seat up front! -
That's the going rate. I think Advanced Aircraft was either trained by Weep-No-More, or performs their exact process under license. One thing's for sure, after seeing pics of how the process works, I sure wouldn't be doing it myself!
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Congrats on the PPL! I was low-time when I bought my Mooney, but wanted something reasonably fast for regional business and personal travel that I could also do my IFR training in. Most of all, I was just tired of feeling like I was flying a kite (172). Never flown a Bo, but if you get the Mooney, you won't regret it.
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This is what we initially thought on mine after seeing discoloration in the interior foam (beneath the carpet). While doing the patch my mechanic replaced the gaskets coming into the fuselage (I'm not an AP so I apologize if I'm getting the terminology wrong here). The new seals reduced the interior fuel odor, but it was still present. If I tried to max fill, it was noticeably worse. I would only fill the right tank if I was immediately taxiing out (on right fuel selector) and flying at least an hour before switching to the left tank. Not saying that this will be everyone's situation, but it was certainly mine, and I just wasn't into chasing leaks and odors for the next couple years on a 35 year-old plane. The tanks had never been resealed, so it was time. Historically, my biggest regrets have come when I tried to take the lower cost option. Being self employed with no extra time, it was worth it for me to just do it once and be done with it.
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Sadly funny. Coming from someone who got a "deal" on my Mooney from Ebay, I can tell you that I've invested an additional $30K in the past 1.5 years. I planned for about half this amount following my extensive pre-buy inspection. The first annual was a real eye-opener! You definitely get what you pay for. However, I would have never been able to afford the 231 that I really wanted up front without being able to upgrade the aircraft over time. After my research, the turbocharged platform was important to me, and spending over $100K up front to get what I really wanted was not an option. Now I have a low TT M20K with many new parts, a new leather interior and headliner, and freshly sealed wing tanks. It has taken time, but I know that it's all been done right.
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I'm super impressed with everyone's sewing/DIY capabilities! My yokes were in rough shape when I acquired my K last year so I finally bit the bullet and sent mine off to Aero Comfort. I was very happy with the end result and the turnaround time was reasonable.
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Neal, It wasn't cheap. The cost is around $8,000 (for both sides) on a 231 with 37.5 gal tanks. However, after seeing how well my $1,000 patch worked out (it didn't), and knowing that their system is fully warrantied, I thought it was worth the investment to no longer smell 100LL, and to not have to think about it again for as long as I will own the plane. We called all over the Southwest too, and nobody wanted to touch it, including our own Mooney Service Center. I figured if I was going to have to travel somewhere, it might as well be to the company I've read about the most. It felt good landing at Willmar and seeing Mooneys all over the ramp and in Paul's shop too. When I went to pick up the plane it was fully washed and had new wing-walk paint applied
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Lastly, the top coat of sealant is applied...
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The first level of sealant is applied...
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Once the tanks are stripped, the inside of the wings and access panels look new again...
