bhilgy

Dad wants FIKI and Turbo....Momma wants more back seat and (gasp) a parachute!

My mission is changing (upgrading) and N44ZT is on the market. I fly her regularly (100-150 hours per year), I defer no maintenance, and she's fresh off her annual. She's ADSB ready, has numerous upgrades and is an IFR machine. Contact Performance if you're interested! https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/31473371/1992-mooney-m20j-mse

If you are still looking, Performance just listed my 1992 M20J MSE. I fly her 100-150 hours per year and defer no maintenance. She's an IFR machine, ready to go. My mission is changing so I'm looking for Turbo and FIKI. Take a look on Controller and let me know if you have questions. N44ZT

Thanks, Marauder. I asked my Avionics shop to check into having Aspen send me replacements if I commit to a MAX upgrade as soon as they are out. Crossing my fingers. ;-)

Hey all! Looking for ideas to help diagnose this one: I have a intermittent but persistent problem with the Autopilot/Nav in my M20J. I have an Aspen PFD with EA100 coupled to a KAP 150 AP and 530W. Not sure it's important but also have a GTX-345 with ADSB-IN/OUT and Garmin Flightstream Problem showed up on a flight to Chicago from Branson last week and has displayed on each of the last 3 flights since that one. When: At cruise, between 30-90 minutes into a flight (happening sooner during each subsequent flight). What: The heading begins to drift to the left with AP engaged and GPSS engaged on the Aspen. When it starts to happen the 530W gives me a “set heading to XXXdeg” alert. Take the GPSS off and the AP will not following the heading bug. Cycling the ASPEN, 530W, EA100 has no effect. After hand-flying for a while, the heading function may come back but GPSS will not engage and plane will eventually roll to the left and fails to maintain heading. Problem resets for initial phase of next flight, then returns. Grateful for any ideas or next steps to help solve this one. Hate to start replacing equipment to resolve.

Sold

I have this Stratus 2 (Not 2S) for sale. No longer needed due to ADSB out panel upgrade. It was refurbished by the factory last summer due to faulty charging port. I no longer have the original AC charging plug but one is available on the Apparel web site for $15. I've been charging using a deference 2A charger and the 2A cig lighter in my Mooney and both work great. $500 and it comes with the RAM suction mount shown. PayPal preferred. Private message me if interested.

I'll be watching this one closely. Now that there is music this is a viable alternative to the G496 I have yoke mounted to give me better (perceived) radar than ADSB. What's I'm wondering is: Will I be able to display ADSB traffic and SiriusXM weather simultaneously with Garmin Flightstream and the SXAR1 bluetooth connections? Will I be able to stream the music from the SXAR1 via bluetooth to my PMA8000G audio panel?

I'm late to the game here but I'll share my story in the hopes that it helps. I don't think I'd do things differently unless I didn't do it at all! ;-) I fly pretty much exclusively for business travel. I started my journey 5 years ago at the age of 45 with the intent of using it for business travel. I now fly my 1992 M20J 160-180 hrs per year and have over 500 hours in it coming up on 3 years. I live in the Omaha NE area and fly to Chicago, Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Kansas City most of the time. Weather knocks out every 4th-5th planned trip or I'd fly every week and exceed 200 hours easily. My local (5 minutes from home) FBO provides me with heated hanger, fueling, and pull in pull out. This saves me some time but it's running $300/month for the service. If this wasn't available the time for a 250 mile drive wouldn't save me much. Most of my trips are longer. Here's what I learned along the way: 1) You buy (and you definitely buy) ultimate flexibility and save time vs commercial air and driving 2) You trade that time savings against an investment in furthering your flying education and planning. Be a student of the game to stay safe! 3) You MUST have an attitude of "I don't have to be there" to be safe. Don't fly or go early or leave late to avoid putting pressure on your trip. 4) Despite a mentor who gave me all the details involved in getting through the training it still took much more of an investment in time than I thought it would. I kept my day job so the private pilot took me over a year and a little less than another year to pass my IFR check ride. 5) I wouldn't start my training in a Mooney (but it's not impossible). I did most of this training and started my business travel in a flying club that had a C172, C182, and a Piper Arrow. This allowed me to learn as I advanced through the more complex aircraft...invaluable experience. 6) You should commit to the plan for using it before you start spending time and money. Too many get through the training then stop flying or don't fly regularly....what a shame. Business travel is a great way to make sure you use it. 7) It's very cool to be part of the flying community. You will gain flexibility and it will definitely cost you but the cool factor is priceless! 8) Don't defer maintenance if you are flying for business, you don't want to get stuck somewhere on an issue that could have been avoided. Budget accordingly: Speaking of money. Here's my breakdown for my 2016 expenses to give you an idea of what operating cost for 160 hours looks like. I fly quite a bit but even a 1992 vintage Mooney has parts that age that need to be replaced as you go regardless of hours flown: $8,500 Maintenance including $5,200 Annual $7000 Fuel (I run 145kts LOP at 8.5-9 gal/hr) $3,600 Hangar (you could save some money here but spend more time) $2,200 Insurance (pretty much the same as when I bought the Mooney with only 120 flight hours but 20 hours of retrac time) $750 Subscriptions (Jeppeson GPS charts, Foreflight, etc) $450 Upgrades (I added Rosen visors in 16...love them!) You'll want to add some things over time but you don't have too....except ADSB-out if your plane doesn't already have it) Total Operating Expenses - Approx $22,000 and $138/flight hour (I'm not including interest expense or Engine Reserves.......I've got another 6 years on this engine at this pace so not thinking about that yet) Big disclaimer....this is my experience an opinions based on that experience. I hope it helps others looking to fly for this reason

Love my Mini mounted with the RAM Claw yoke mount. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

500fpm unless ATC leaves me up too long. Try to keep in under 1K to make sure I can slow the speedster down without unusual measures. ;-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Jokes on them, salty! I would have done the install without the rebate. Ha!

OMG, boys and girls- Check out this timeline. I can't believe I'm complimenting a government agency but this is beyond my wildest expectations: 2/27/17 Pick up my M20J with it's new Mandate compliant Garmin GTX345 3/4/17 Fly some approaches with my buddy in Class C airspace with the goal of meeting the ADSB validation flight requirements 3/4/17 Later that day I fill out the online form for the validation flight 3/6/17 Email arrives from FAA with my ADS-B Performance Monitor Public ADS-B Performance Report - I pass! 3/6/17 Later that day I fill out the form providing my Reservation # and Performance Report number requesting my rebate 3/9/17 FAA Cuts $500 rebate check through their banking partner 3/13/17 (Today) I receive my $500 ADS-B Rebate Check 2 Weeks from shop to check....can you frickin believe that!!!!

SamFox- I picked up my Mooney from it's Install two weeks ago. I'm now running a GTX-345 with FlightStream 210 connected to a 530W. I have a PFD-1000 but don't have it connected for ADSB Display...by choice. When I first picked it up, I was only getting AHRS and GPS positioning over Bluetooth from the 210....for both Garmin Pilot and Foreflight. After a software upgrade to the Flightstream earlier this week, Foreflight and Garmin Pilot are picking up Traffic and Weather as well!! After 4 flight hours with the new software I can report the installation is working great! I was previously using a Stratus and now am getting much more traffic as I had heard I would. Traffic and weather are also displaying on the 530W. I'm only using the Bluetooth connection from the 210 and that appears to be the way to go. You can disable the 345 bluetooth or leave it up and running. I'm not connecting to it at all. Any questions, let me know. Brian

Hmmm...I think the 8000 has all of that except the display, right?

Great project GSXPILOT! I have the E1000 PFD and have flown 400 hours or so "IFR" since installation. I don't feel lacking at all without a MFD....the 530W and ADSB Stratus/Ipad give me plenty of situational awareness and I still use the ASI and Altermeter "steam gauges" as my primaries, despite the presence of the "tape". Question: My shop is installing a GTX345 in February and while they are in there I'm upgrading the Audio to a PMA8000G per his recommendation. What made you decide on the PMA450A? Wondering about my own decision.

Hey guys, I'm working with my avionics shop to schedule 345 install in February with Flightconnect. Will add to my 530W and Aspen PFD. I'm a pretty dedicated Foreflight user and he's telling me that Garmin's not supporting flight plan transfers from Foreflight to the 530W through the 210. That's contrary to what's advertised on Foreflight's sight. Are you 345 users getting flight plan transfers with your Flightconnect setups??

That's the source!

Recently installed these new Rosens and I'm wondering why I waited so long to replace the factories! They are so adjustable that there's hardly a place where the sun is a problem. Even get to set my Aviators aside unless it's head on.

Ah, brings me back to almost exactly 1 year ago! I was lucky enough to see it through to ownership and 200+ hours and an instrument ticket later I have learned so much that only reinforces how awesome these planes are!

What do you guys think of my cool new Aspen??!! GO! HAHA

I'll just share my story over the last 4 years and what I learned in the process (It seems we might have a lot in common since I started flying for a specific purpose and moved through the process relatively quickly and recently): I manage an 8 state region in the Midwest for a technology solutions company. I make regular (weekly) trips to cities from 160-440nm from my home base. These trips were typically made via car or very expensive commercial flights. My company supports GA travel via a formal program. I was introduced to GA via a co-worker who shared leadership responsibilities for a similar territory. I rode with him over a 2 year period and fell in love with the flexibility and convenience of GA travel. (I had grown and now despise even more TSA, unexplained flight delays and the general "wear out" of commercial flying). Well my co-worker changes jobs a couple years in, I lost my ride, and I had an exceptionally crappy commercial experience. Got back from that trip and signed up for flight training that day! It took me 1 year to get my PPL, another 10 months to get my Instrument rating (this last July). I started my training in FBO rental planes owned by the school. After I soloed I joined a local club that had a trainer 172, a C-182, and A piper Arrow. I got checked out in HP aircraft and retractable while I was advancing toward my Instrument Rating. I bought my 1992 M20J in April, finished my instrument in it and already have 120 hours logged in the Mooney. I've made some avionics upgrades (see my post in the Avionics Forum) and have it just the way I want it.....It's an IFR machine. Here's a core dump of some of what I learned over the past 28 months since I committed to training: The convenience you gain and the fun you have flying your own airplane for business purposes is awesome! It's way more work and money than you expect to do the required work and continue to invest in being the "professional" pilot you need to be to travel for business purposes. Make sure your wife understands and is comfortable with the time and financial commitment you are making. Have a plan to fly before you start (you have a specific mission in mind like I do so all good) Take control of your training experience, most CFIs are not in the business of making sure you finish. Pick out some mentors who fly cross country regularly and ask lots of questions. Do this early and share your training experience with them...you will learn a lot informally.If you have to balance a busy schedule it will take you longer and more flying hours to finish your PPL. You never HAVE to be anywhere....don't let anyone (including your own subconscious) tell you differently! The right club is a GREAT way to build time, get experience in different aircraft, meet a lot of fellow pilots, and figure out what you need for your mission (flying them for my intended purpose helped me know what I wanted) I wouldn't buy a plane until I knew I would fly it for 5 plus years (you WILL spend money to make it your own and you can count on not getting most of that $$ back on resell...I personally think it's a lot easier to buy an airplane right now than sell one) Buy a plane that fits 80% of your mission (I fly 90% of the time by myself) Plan to fly regularly (every week if possible) to keep yourself fresh......not flying for three weeks or more will have you a bit rusty. If you are going to fly IFR, fly it often (not IFR plans, actual IMC conditions.....it's way different) Your training doesn't stop after any checkered...you need to continue to invest in learning (subscribe to lots of pubs, join AOPA/EAA, and participate in forums) All this being said, I'm a neophyte compared to many on this post but I do have the recent experience of training and buying. You're on the right track in analyzing the aspects of aircraft choices. Apply that same thoughtfulness to all aspects of your experience and you'll be well served.

PTK, you're making me nervous!

You were correct, Bill! The shop took a look at it appears that the digital to analog converter (EA-100) isn't working properly. Aspen is shipping a new one out. On another note, I was getting intermittent porpoising out of the autopilot....new after the Aspen install. This is a known issue to Aspen and they call it "Yoke Bump". A software upgrade appears to have eliminated the problem. Curious if any other Aspen owners have experienced this. Including a picture of my new Aspen recording an awesome tailwind and 206kts ground in cruise!!!

Great Question, PTK. We actually tried it from the box signal simulator at the shop and couldn't get that to work either but haven't tried from flight....I'm concerned it's an AP issue that's going to cost some $$.