Mooney in Oz

5 hours ago, 201er said:

What do you consider the greatest Mooney of all time? Not just the newest or most expensive, but the most innovative, influential, aesthetic, appealing, and most ahead of its time? 

My favourite is the MSE.

But in terms of the most innovative, influential, aesthetic, appealing and most ahead of its time, IMHO is the first J.

40 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

I wonder if there’s a way to get in touch with @gsxrpilot.  I want to say he had a conversion done ~5 years ago, but he hasn’t been around here for a long time.  He probably knows though.

IIRC,  Paul had the Encore conversation done.  They maybe similar.

4 hours ago, EricJ said:

The AI and air functions shouldn't be disturbed (one hopes) since it has everything it needs to keep that working

3 hours ago, PT20J said:

The G5 has its own ADAHRS, so it doesn’t need input over the CAN bus from the GSU 25D, and the G5 has an RS-232 MapMX connection to the GPS.

Thanks for the responses. That is just what I wanted to read.

I have the G5 as a backup AI to the G3X as per the STC. I don’t have a 2nd G5 as a HSI. 

3 hours ago, Stanton R said:

The certified G3X touch has a dedicated backup RS232 for the airdata GSU25 and the GEA 24. Canbus failure should only kill the heading, auto pilot and most of the navigation information coming from the GAD 29. The non certified G3X the Rs232 is optional. 

Am I assuming correct that the G5 should survive and not be taken out?

On 5/10/2024 at 9:06 AM, Marauder said:

Does anyone have one of these and can show me what it looks like installed? Hope all are well…

Hello Chris. I don’t have anything to add re your fuel selector query.

I just want to say welcome back, I’ve missed reading your posts and hope to see more of them in the future.

8 hours ago, 0TreeLemur said:

They told me that to install a GFC500 I would have to ditch the Avidyne

What they told you is simply not true.

There may be more, but to my knowledge you won’t get 2 features of the GFC500. Those are coupled VNAV vertical approaches and Smart Glide. An uncoupled VNAV is easy. You just manually control the descent using the vertical wheel on the GFC and you will still have coupled lateral guidance.

The IFD provides VNAV guidance that is displayed on the G5 and G3X if fitted. It all works well together. Plus being ex airline, I prefer the IFD with its FMS logic.

The GTNs are also a great bit of gear. My IFDs were installed years before I upgraded to the Garmin stuff and I wasn’t prepared to spend thousands of AMUs to get 2 extra features.  No doubt Garmin will add extra features in the future, but for now I’m very happy with my lot.

Although the below accident resulted in a fatality in Australia, I thought I should post the details here for the information of all Mooney owners, particularly J or M owners to check with your mechanic as to the condition of the O-ring seal of the engine driven fuel pump outlet fitting.

Particularly those whose engines and fuel systems that have not been overhauled for many years or aircraft that have lived outside for many years resulting in O-ring deterioration. 

Yes, this humble O-ring can cause an in-flight catastrophe if allowed to deteriorate to the point of leakage.

Today, I received an email Safety Advisory Notice link from the ATSB regarding the crash of a M20J on 17 October 2022 at Luskintyre NSW. During flight, a fire started in the engine compartment resulting in the pilot attempting to land at the airfield. He could not make the airfield and landed in a field just 300 metres from the runway, colliding with trees resulting in a catastrophic fire. Sadly the pilot died from his injuries 10 weeks later.

Upon receipt of the email, I immediately called my mechanic who advised that he checks this O-ring for condition and leaks using pressure from the electric fuel pump at every annual.

Please ensure your mechanic does the same. 

The Safety Advisory Notice link - https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/safety-advisory-notice/2024/condition-replacing-o-ring-seals-age-catches

The full ATSB report - https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2022/aair/ao-2022-049

Both are well worth the read.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/387644

A nice looking Mooney Mite in the news footage.

Good outcome for the pilot with only minor injuries.

23 hours ago, Hank said:

Again, hardly "today's" flight, but the story just fit in so well.

It does and I hope he scored you well for good judgment.

3 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

Even though I don't carry a battery pack I might pick up a containment bag on amazon and keep it in the seat pocket, just in case the battery in a tablet or phone goes crazy. I guess you'd need welding gloves or something better than that to get it in the bag though.

I have a containment bag and fireproof gloves purchased from Amazon that I keep in the reachable front passenger rear seat pocket.

Hope I never have to use it.

On 5/1/2024 at 5:01 AM, khedrei said:

2. Has anyone else noticed any of this "twitching" in pitch with the AP on in ALT mode.  It is even present in a VS climb or decsent.  Should this thing be on rails in smooth air or are my expectations too high?

I had the same twitching issues as you describe. Since I had Rev 5 Gain Addendum installed, my J flies rock solid with no more twitch. IAS mode in climb and descent is also vastly improved. Very happy.

22 hours ago, Rick Junkin said:

Has anyone with a long body been approached by Garmin to allow them use of your airplane for this testing?

Garmin own a long body. 

N430G - a 2001 M20R, registered to Garmin International Inc in Olathe, Kansas.

Anyone know more about this one?

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/386654

Happened last Sunday.

2 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

I’d prefer a large field as well but a road is ok if none is available.  The problem with roads is there’s lots of very hard things all around them. Some are hard to recognize until you’re very close.  Street signs, telephone poles, dividers, lights, power lines, not to mention traffic.  They will all ruin your day.  Fields may have fences or water systems but I feel like you can find a big open area.

I agree.

IMO the greatest danger in landing on a road vs a field is not traffic, but power lines that are near impossible to see, which can and has in the past ended badly.  It can happen into a field as well, but less likely than a road.

Then there a those that landed on a road that for whatever reason, experienced controllability problems, such as the recent Challenger biz jet attempting to land at Naples resulting in fatalities and either last year or the year before, the M20K that veered off a highway and crashed into a building, which sadly also ended in a fatality. I can’t remember where this was, but some here would. I remember some commenting that overflown fields were available.

If you have no choice as this Lancair pilot seems to have had, then you can only do your best. 

Good to see a successful outcome.

The difference between the GSA 28 and GSA 87 as advised by Trek on BT & MS has got me thinking even more. His comments differ somewhat, but I notice his post on BT was 2 years before his post on MS and during those years there were servo replacements.

I just wonder if during those 2 years when there were software updates and at least one hardware servo replacement update that I can remember following my own installations in December 2021, if any significant internal changes were made. Shortly after the install, all 4 new servos had to be replaced resulting from the SB recall. At that point the only issue I had was the pitch, which is now resolved with the latest Gain Addendum. This was way before the latest servo replacement within 5 years (which will be my second time replacements) that was announced last year, around the time of Trek's post on MS.

This is only wild wondering on my behalf, but given Trek's post to MS, could it be possible that Garmin may have added some internal, hardware changes during either or both of the hardware replacements to bring the GSA 28 servos closer to the GSA 87 servos than we know of? Maybe a MSer with a contact or two at Garmin could inquire.

I'm happy to be labelled the King of Wishful Thinking 

Trek Lawler’s response on 6 May 2023 re GFC 500 and GFC 600 servo differences -

hello everyone,

I'm sorry for the delay in getting to any questions, as you can imagine the last couple of days have been pretty busy. To answer everyone's questions on the difference between the GFC 500 and 600 servos, the differences are very minimal, if you were to take them apart you'd notice the same motors and a lot of the same components. the GFC 500 servos are very capable of flying twins if needed.

On 4/3/2024 at 2:43 PM, PT20J said:

I just learned that Garmin has released rev 5 of the GFC 500 Gain Addendum for the M20J/M20K that includes alternate gain settings for installations where the “pitch or pitch trim is overactive.” Dealers will have access to the document.

I’ve got to say it is a vast improvement, as it should’ve been when first released!

We all develop our own way of doing things and I do the following;

On both the G3X MFD and iPad, I prefer to view only the lower part of the approach chart in expanded side profile so I can clearly see each sector altitude limitation.  I primarily view the iPad approach chart that is set to landscape and easy to read.

I use this method as I don’t want to be caught out during an approach in case the iPad fails due to overheating or for some other reason. I can therefore revert to the G3X approach plate to continue the approach. The G3X approach plate display offers redundancy and is not too difficult for me to read.

On 3/16/2024 at 12:31 PM, Jim Peace said:

Damn addiction if you ask me....

This ^^^^^

29 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

We Americans are easily confused by words like "torch".

Flashlight (I had to Google the American version) 

The purpose of starting this thread is to alert MSers whose Mooneys are powered by a Lycoming engine and with a Plane Power alternator. There is no criticism toward mechanics or Plane Power as it is a good, solid product with mostly no issues, however as with any aircraft component, wear and tear issues may arise after many hours in service.

I recently had a discussion with fellow MSer @PeytonM about my (probably) 20 year old PP alternator with about 800 hours of operation. During my last annual inspection my mechanic discovered large cracks in the rear aluminium alloy housing attached to the back of the alternator that had the potential to cause problems. The rear housing is difficult to see unless you actually look behind the alternator. He sent the alternator off to have the entire unit overhauled, plus the rear housing replaced. 

Peyton who also owns a J with a PP alternator about 400 hours old, mentioned he had the main wire leading from the alternator break in flight, causing the alternator to fail.

Despite the PP alternator is an 'on condition' part, my mechanic sends this type of alternator off to be overhauled at around 500 hours of time in service. I think this is a great idea.

In between, I think it is a good idea to conduct your own periodic alternator inspections by simply looking with a torch and feeling wires in case of a pending failure, particularly if you conduct a lot of night flying. 

On 1/15/2024 at 2:52 PM, Ragsf15e said:

Interestingly, it was -21C at 2500’agl, but only-14C at 10,000’!

N4044N must have performed like a weapon at those temps!

28 minutes ago, Will.iam said:

So is my only options for IFR the garmin 430w 530w 650 750 or Avidyne 440 540?

 

I notice in Dynon’s marketing ads of HDX panel pics, include either an Avidyne 540 or 440, so I would expect those to be on the approval list when the autopilot is released.

The GTNs will also probably make the approval list, but due to Garmin’s proprietary fetish, I’m guessing you might not have full functionality, such as with the Dynon autopilot VNAV, which really is a non issue. 

I’m also guessing the GNSs will be approved as there are so many in wild.

@philiplane or others in the know - Does constantly flying around at low power settings risk cylinder glazing?

On 1/19/2024 at 5:03 AM, Greg Ellis said:

Do the Avidyne 540/440's play nice with the Garmin G5's and the Garmin GFC 500 autopilot?

I have a G3X, G5, GFC500, IFD540 & 440. They all work fine together.

Although the IFDs now have VNAV, the only function the GFC500 won’t do is capture the VNAV path despite the path indicating so on both the G3X and G5. This is no big deal as all you need to do is control the VNAV path by setting the descent rate info from the IFD displayed VSR and adjust the vertical mode wheel on the MSP.