Aerodon

To the OP, my apologies for the thread drift. Mike, In my experience, most employment contracts have a 'place of employment' in them and you are expected to get yourself there. And you may be expected to travel near and far, depending upon the type of work. Generally the employee expects to be reimbursed and travel in company time, so it is the company's business on how you get there. There is clearly a difference between driving to your place of employment or to the job site. One is not the company's business, one is. Even if you don't tell anyone, arrive at the job site and don't claim any expenses - all is good until there is an accident. Starting with your wife still wanting company life insurance and death benefits. And there probably is a way of structuring your employment contract to make it very clear that you are expected to show up at the job site by your own means, then you have what you want? All the possibilities make my head hurt, so I found it easier just to follow the wishes of the company at the time and save my energy for other fights. And ultimately start my own business where it becomes my problem. Aerodon

Yes I have been through this before. It really is risk mitigation from the company's perspective. It takes a really well qualified pilot and equipment to be able to fly with some level of safety and reliability, and to be blunt, not many of us are up to it. I worked for a large company once that had a fleet of Commander 1000's and ran a mini airline to various remote locations as well as a 'charter style' flights for senior management. My instructor was one of the corporate pilots, and really helped my understand the risk of GA flying at the private and corporate level. Employees were 'banned' from driving to or from sites at night. You either drove the day before, or the day after a meeting or assignment. Two separate night time road fatalities on company time made the company realize that a) it is extremely expensive to the company and b) it is not reasonable to work a full day and then drive a few hours. So they made the rules and provided a viable alternative. Flying my Warrior was not the same standard as a Commander 1000. The owner of an engineering company in Calgary crashed his C172 on a private flight (he and his friend died, but his granddaughter survived. Several months later his son crashed the company Jetprop along with a bunch of employees. Apart from the immediate tragedy to all the families involved, can you imagine the lawsuits that follow from the employees families etc. Its after the accident that everyone finds out how good or bad everything is, from insurance, pilots qualifications & currency, maintenance etc. And its not like the insurance company cutting a check for $50k just to pay for some repairs - once you get to 3 passengers families each claiming $XXm from the company, the pilot, his estate, etc. - the fight is on. Think of a few recent accidents where the planes crashed into houses and in some cases killed people on the ground. You can be sure that the homeowner insurance company will make a claim against you, your estate, and hopefully you have enough liability insurance? I am not trying to be a wet blanket, just pointing out that when we start flying friends and family around, take that extra level of risk mitigation. If you start flying work colleagues around, they are naively expecting the transport to be as same as a charter or airline. You need to approach this like a corporate pilot would. Last time I chartered a Lear 45, the pilots went and checked themselves into a hotel for the day to make sure they were well rested. They were probably at the airport at 6:00am, we flew from 7:00 to 7:45, they rested, we did our work, and we returned at 16:00, landed before 17:00. I have used my aircraft for a lot of business travel over the years, sometimes at my own expense, other times reimbursed for travel etc. Zero incidents or accidents, but looking back, there were a few flights that were not very smart. Personally, I (or my estate) have too much to lose to have any claim against me. So I'll fly myself around on business anytime (helps to be the CEO of the company). But I would think twice about carrying employees or contractors to a location. Aerodon

I have temporarily fitted this new 28V OR5002V position and Strobe LED. But I am really not against using the other conventional Whelen strobe and aft nav light (see my other listing). I'll finish installing whichever one doesn't sell first. I have not cut/soldered/crimped any of the wiring. (And the pictures were right side up until I posted, if anyone can tell me where to rotate them I will - do I do it on this page, or do I need to edit the pictures somehow before posting?)

Larry, My 172 partner pulled the plane out of the hangar and turned too soon and scraped the side of my car while I watched. He paid for a new stabilizer tip and my car, but at the next annual we had some elevator repairs and a slightly buckled centre section. Same incident or 40 years of pushing down on the tail to swing the plane around? I would at least inform your insurance company - you don't have to proceed with a claim. I would not use your common IA, ultimately he is going to make one of you unhappy with the repair cost or thoroughness. I would get someone who is really knowledgeable about repairs to Mooneys. There's at least one story on the web with a near fatality with that lower mechanism failing. There are enough 'good airframes' being dissembled for parts (BASPARTS), that you should be able to find complete assemblies. Don't even think of bending any of those components straight. My car has an automatic backup brake system, activated about 3 times in the 18 months I have had it - two false alarms and one 'probable save'. It scares the crap out of me when it activates because it comes on so strong it actually feels (and sounds) like you have backed into something. But each time it does it I will think of your Mooney. Aerodon

I have 3 Whelen strobe power supplies (14-28v) with the nut plates to mount on Mooney inspection panels (wing or tail). $99 each. I also have a new old stock combine strobe and 28v halogen nav light A500ASP-V-28V. This is prefect for those who want to get rid of or supplement the wingtip mounted aft halogen lights. Has 2 x 36" pigtails, one for strobe, one for nav. I suspect it might be quite easy to change the 28v halogen for a 14v halogen or LED? $250. Aerodon / supercub180@gmail.com

Yes I see that now. The J has an extra piece that fits on the wing too.

These are the mid gear doors that mount on the lower gear leg of a M20K 252. The 252 has a set of inboard gear doors that completely cover the wheel, but I think these are common to most M20K's and J's. US$900 for the pair shipped. Aerodon supercub180@gmail.com

Paul, the weep hole is not drilled through to the center hole. Don

there's a big hole straight through like the old one. its the small 'not hole' that i think should be a hole. Aerodon

Clarence, So I had the wrong drain valves installed and found a set of used drain valves off some old cylinders. But the tiny hole was never drilled through (we looked carefully on the inside). Do you think these are a bad batch, or are they not supposed to be drilled through? Aerodon

I'm not sure why you ended up with a fuel pressure transducer - normally only supplied with non-turbocharged engines. But if you had a fuel flow gauge that was also marked in psi, and the fuel pressure limitations in the handbook, that would explain it. Then use the fuel pressure line that used to go to the FF gauge. But as far as i know most of the later Mooneys had FF measured with a Hoskins or similar fuel flow transducer and display? As others have replied, your two FQ transducers are already connected together. If they are resistive, you should be able to look at the electrical diagram for your plane and figure out where you can find these wires in the cockpit (usually a CPC connector). Then you need to connect the JPI 'black box' to convert this into a voltage signal for the EDM900 Send me you serial number, I will try find an electrical schematic and provide some help. supercub180@gmail.com Aerodon

The bottom of the Mooney panel is rolled back with a 1/2" radius. If you mount the jacks on an angle bracket at the back of this, then the jacks or somewhat recessed and protected. I even prefer mounting them vertically (like Cessna) in order to protect the jacks and cables. Aerodon

Nice layouts, what software are you using? Look for a vertical 'Artex ELT switch - I prefer locating it on the RHS. No clock? No dimmer switch? I also don't like the idea of iPads on the panel - will be redundant and the next one won't fit. A vertical Garmin Area 760 would be nice on the copilots side. I like the remote audio panel, remote transponder. I don't see your second nav com, are you thinking the GNC255 can be mounted remotely and controlled with the G3x? You second navcom is more important than the GTN750 - this is the one that is wired as 'more failsafe' so that if your audio panel stops working, or GTN screen goes dark, you still have a radio straight through to the headsets. I think you will get an SL30 in your main stack if you go remote audio? And you are missing the annunciator panel. It gets

The installation instructions refer to installing the switch near the throttle like yours, or on the control wheel LHS. I assume the thinking is your left hand is on the control wheel and your right hand is on or near the throttle. Mine is on the control wheel LHS and I like it there. Aerodon

You are looking for a welding supply shop, not welding shop. I used the local Praxair distributor to get any of the western enterprises fittings. You might have to order some, but its worth the wait. http://westernenterprises.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Industrial-Catalog-2018.pdf These are my go to guys for all oxygen fittings, its not very expensive to build up a couple of hoses (even long ones) to fill your airplane and portable bottles. Remember, the longer the hose, the more gas you lose on every fill. And they have some neat converter and adaptors, it's feasible to make hoses with one fitting for the oxygen bottle and one for the airplane side without multiple nipples, adaptors, bushings etc. If you can read a catalog, you won't have much difficulty. There are fittings here that will connect directly to the small and large size scott fittings on the airplane, and also the standard CGA540 bottles. Then you can keep a nice set of hoses in your plane, keep them clean and either fill yourself or lend to the FBO you are visiting etc., I also bought a set of wrenches specifically for my oxygen filling kit to protect my fittings. Aerodon

Depends, if you get the CiES resistive output transducers, they will do the same thing as your original transducers, including the output to the annunciator panel. My low fuel lights work with the CiES transducers. Now I am installing and EDM900, it can still use the resistive CiES or the capacitive CiES transducers. The EDM has on-screen low fuel warnings and 2 outputs for low fuel. I doubt this will be compatible with the Mooney panel (unless you by-pass the internal circuits) but it will be compatible with external bulbs. One of the challenges in making up a new annunciator 'row' is how to dim the lights. I have a drawing somewhere from a late model Saratoga - they have a relay that provides multiple sound signals to ground, or through resistor to ground for dimming. I am going to try making annunciators using the ridiculously expensive but nice Eaton labelled annunciators. Aerodon

I have a complete 4 or 6 cylinder used EDM830 with an all new harness, probes, transducers, etc. $2400 for 4, $2600 for 6 cylinder. And when will you ever learn, I am getting tired of taking EDM830's back in trade for new EDM900 or 930 systems. I can beat the best advertised street price by $100 and give free shipping from the factory. supercub180@gmail.com Aerodon

I tried finding some information on these, does anybody have a list of the 'Alerts' and sounds that it can annunciate? And a wiring diagram or pinout? I believe it will work with a KFC-150 and KFC-225. Aerodon

The last plane I purchased I secured with a $1000 deposit after my initial inspection and I had about 3 weeks to do a pre-purchase and close. The one before was a $5000 deposit with the same 2 or 3 weeks to do a PPI and close. You have too get your head around the rest of the contract and disclosure to that point. If the seller has already told you one radio isn't working, compressions are low, prop is due for an inspection, and the plane is priced to reflect that, then don't expect much of a discussion. But if you find AD's that are not done, major corrosion etc. that make the plane not-airworthy, and the seller won't fix or deduct, then you should be able to get your money back. Aerodon

that looks like the sludge that comes out of the oil breather tube?

I have a couple of sets of pedals with the 1.5" extensions installed. You can take the 2 pedals and extensions for $300 (one pair) or just the 2 extensions and pins to modify your pedals for $150. You only need 1 pin, washers and new cotter pins to install each pedal (included). Aerodon supercub180@gmail.com

I would say that the airplane running/charging is hard on the batteries, but it is only for say 100hrs a year. I've bought into the concept that a simple 'battery tender' is not good enough to leave connected to your airplane for the other 8700hours a year. I believe the temperature charts and voltages set for individual brands of batteries on the BatteryMinder series. If you have the 2 battery system and use the splitter, one battery will be looked after, the other not so much. How this manifests over time, I do not know. Golf cart operators have the luxury of having enough batteries in the maintenance shop to put together a balanced set. Google 'battery balancing' and you will see many articles and products. To me, the point of spending $250 on a Battery Minder is to look after a $1000 battery and extend its life by many years. So if I had a plane with 2 batteries, I would buy 2 BatteryMinders. Or experiment with alternating the chargers every / week or month. I would also use B1 more often than B2 so that I would not be buying 2 new batteries at the same time. Its not like a golf cart where you are trying to match the capacities. I've had very good experience with Concorde AGM batteries, typically 8-12 years on a battery. The only other thing I can add is that the life of you battery is dramatically affected by degree of discharge and operating temperature. A 20% discharge will give you 3000 cycles. A 60% discharge will give you 1000 cycles. Operating at 25C will last twice as long as 35C. Aerodon

It's also dependant on the age of the plane, I think it has something to do with the fact that up until 1996 or thereabouts, the TC of the plane was recognized by TC through the bilateral agreements. Then it became more of an individual recognition. So yes, I think this is a spin off of the MAX and CRJ political issues. Or just straight bureaucracy at its best. Aerodon

Watch out, that is a glass lens and if it falls... I think it needs to come off to get the bulb out, and it looks like it is wired in place. I think those bulbs are hard to find, and there was a replacement holder available from Mooney. I purchased some LED replacements and they did not fit. I used that as an excuse to buy Aveo wingtips without rear white lights, and then install combined LED/strobe on the rudder. Overall, I would abandon those lights and get a rudder mounted strobe / nav. Its an easy install on the rudder, but not so easy to get the nav light wire to the front. I have not done it yet. Aerodon

seaerospace.com is great for finding out what the different dash numbers for a variety of avionics are. Aerodon