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AZ231

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Everything posted by AZ231

  1. AZ231
    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.
  2. AZ231
    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.
  3. AZ231
    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!
  4. AZ231
    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.
  5. AZ231
    That's going to be incredible. Not many planes more beautiful to look at than the Lancair IV Ps. Congrats!
  6. AZ231
    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!
  7. AZ231
    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!
  8. AZ231
    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.
  9. AZ231
    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.
  10. AZ231

    Ebay

    AZ231 replied to Conrad's topic in General Mooney Talk

    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.
  11. AZ231
    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.
  12. AZ231
    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
  13. AZ231
    Lastly, the top coat of sealant is applied...
  14. AZ231
    The first level of sealant is applied...
  15. AZ231
    Once the tanks are stripped, the inside of the wings and access panels look new again...
  16. AZ231
    The next step in the process is a full chemical strip to remove the aged sealant....
  17. AZ231
    I've owned my 1980 231 for about a year and a half now, and would notice a very light fuel odor in the cabin if I tried to fuel to max capacity, especially in the right wing. Last Summer, the shop that performed my annual thought they could temporarily patch the problem and buy me a couple of years until a complete reseal was needed. I went that route and can definitely tell you not to waste the $1,000-1,500 you will spend to do so. Like everyone else who owns a Mooney, I started researching my options to get the job done right and landed on a couple of places. I ultimately chose Weep-No-More because their process made the most sense, and all the feedback I had heard was good. Paul said that he needed about two weeks to complete the job, so I scheduled it over the Summer since I was already flying to the upper Midwest with a friend for OSH. He was nice enough to hangar my plane for three weeks after OSH until he could get started on the job in mid-August. (Much less hassle to fly directly from OSH to Willmar, MN, than doing another roundtrip from Phoenix to the upper Midwest a month later). I asked Paul to send me some pictures so I could have the process documented for my own records, and share the experience with other Mooney owners. The "Before" pictures of what my tanks looked like upon initial inspection....
  18. AZ231
    Aeroshell W100 plus
  19. AZ231
    Thanks for the NYC pics, Dallas. What an epic trip so far!
  20. AZ231
    What a great trip, Dallas! Just saw it on the board tonight for the first time and read every post! A buddy and I just took the first major cross country in my Mooney last month, flying from KDVT (in Phoenix) up to OSH. My parents actually live in Wheaton, IL so we landed at KDPA as well. Great service there, and the overnight ramp fee was only seven bucks, which I thought was a great deal for Chicago! Following OSH I flew the plane up to Willmar, MN to drop off at Weep-No-More to have the tanks resealed. (Will plan to do a before and after post here on MS after the job is done). Will be picking up the bird at the end of this month from Weep-No-More, and doing some business in the Midwest. Then out to Virginia briefly, before making the cross country trip back to Phoenix. I'm anxious to continue reading about your trip and see the pictures. Have fun, and stay safe!
  21. AZ231
    Congratulations!
  22. AZ231
    George, Best of luck with your reseal. My right tank is leaking in my M20K and I recently made an appointment with Paul in MN as well. I will be flying up to leave my '80 231 at Weep No More in late August. My research has also led me here and I look forward to the days of finally being able to fill up both tanks to the max and parking her in the hangar when needed. I'll try and post some pictures once my plane is completed as well.
  23. AZ231
    I looked hard at the idea of offsetting my costs by leasing my 231 back to the organization I used to rent from (only to pilots with substantial time who weren't going to be bouncing it off the runway in pattern work). They maintain their current hangared fleet well, are pleasant to deal with, and have the ability to perform maintenance on the spot. However, as many have already said, the insurance was going to be massive, and I didn't want to end up in a situation where the plane wasn't available when I needed it last minute. I spoke with my insurance agent and my policy will allow two additional pilots on the aircraft (with certain conditions met, of course). A friend I have flown with for the past two years is going to fly the plane on an hourly rental basis, and has expressed interest in partnering down the road. My high-time insurance agent is also interested in occasional use. This should be a win-win (I hope) as both pilots I have a personal relationship with, and are conscientious of other people's property. Now just to set the rate......
  24. AZ231
    I bought my 231 back in March. It was in-annual at the time, but mostly sat for the past seven years without annual inspections being performed. I had a thorough pre-buy before flying from Billings back to Phoenix. Several items needed attention, but we got them handled and made the trip without incident. We are now in the middle of a very expensive annual to restore items that deteriorated (number two cylinder included). Glad that you are up flying again, but be prepared for a laundry list once your service center starts opening things up. Aircraft don't like to sit for years without activity. I feel your pain!
  25. AZ231
    This is worth looking into while you are shopping for your plane. I purchased my M20K earlier this year (with factory O2) and found out that the O2 tank was original and had to be replaced. The service life was 24 years and the tanks cannot be overhauled. Budget $1,500-1,800 plus any labor costs.
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