Mooney in Oz

To get the extra of everything that came to the best and most successful Mooney model (IMHO the J) toward the end of the its production, which I don’t think should’ve ended.

I would gladly upgrade my 80J to a 98 Allegro or even a late model MSE.

Probably would. However, IMHO the last line of defence should be the humble checklist. It doesn’t need to be a complicated, long list of items. You can even create your own that you feel are most relevant and leave out the fluff. Most modern navigators have a dedicated section for this. If not, laminated paper is fine. Use it sensibly in that if you are distracted at any stage, either go back to the last item and continue or if you forget which item it was, return to the first item in that particular list. There is good reason why single pilot and two crew commercial operators and airlines around the world use these.

If the functionality is available in the GNS navigators, it should also be fine for the Avidyne IFDs. A mate of mine who owns a K with a G3X, G5, 2 x IFDs and the GFC500 has not mentioned such an issue, only that the ESP works as advertised.

My previous mechanic removed my annunciator fascia and delivered it to a local engraver who produced a beautiful result. I assume he cut a measured rectangular piece of black aluminium that he gave to the engraver who used the old fascia as a template. Two obsolete (Hi & Lo Vac) and another that I can't remember were not duplicated and substituted by Stby Alt and Speed Brk. It still looks new.

Thank you for sharing your story. @GeeBee has summed up your character very well as it takes integrity to post the circumstances, your mistake then following it up with sage advice. In my view, although total time is relevant, proper training followed by time on type and recency are much more important. I know of a similar accident when a former check and training airline Captain of over 20,000 hours with very little Mooney time ferried a near new O3 to a country airfield. He flared way too high, causing the aircraft to stall resulting in an extremely heavy landing with similar consequences. I shake my head when I hear that silly, sometimes repeated cliche, 'Its just another airplane' referring to not only Mooneys, but also other aircraft when the conversation is centred around landings. There is no such thing as just another airplane. All types have their idiosyncrasies that need to be learned and understood. I have never flown the F90 King Air, but have some time on the Super King Air 200. If at some point in the future you decide to upgrade to a later model King Air, of all the twin turbo props I've flown, the 200 is the easiest with beautiful harmonised controls.

When there is only me, top of the block.

Bananas and water.

Did you notice any activity at Mooney?

Don't think so. I seem to recall only a 2 year warranty was offered on the existing servos.

I was too, by his incessant copying and pasting same old ads at the end of his emails. Then there was the Director Sales and Marketing rep Jamie Luster who repeatedly ignored email inquiries. A good way to turn off potential customers.

I hope a final solution is found. That can’t go on forever.

Apart from the small silver triangle I mentioned, mine has been reliable. Problem is my installer advised that Garmin will soon cease supporting these due to the usual parts issue. It together with the Aspen will soon be making way for a 10.6” G3X. That is unacceptable. I assume that is your 7” screen that also acts as a backup to your 10.6” screen. Has it been known to happen before in other aircraft?

Apollo MX20 screen started to develop vertical lines of various colours after some years. Was a known issue. I eventually changed it out for a Garmin GMX200 that I've had for about 9 years. During the past couple of years it developed a small, barely noticeable silver triangular shape just under the top right corner that can only be seen when the unit is switched off. It does not appear to have worsened since first noticed. I know of another J owner who had a G500 screen totally fail on start up. It was not a warranty matter, but Garmin replaced it in quick time. I assume that was a separate internal issue resulting in the reboot rather than a stand-alone screen failure. Did you find out the cause?

Bonanzas also have their fair share, in particular after landing due to the gear selector being in close proximity to the flap selector.

A FD is your best friend when taking off in IFR conditions or at night.

Where? Sorry, I couldn't resist

An enjoyable read, Don. Thanks for sharing.

If it is Jepp Chartview you are referring to, the G3X does support this. See pages 264 to 267 of the PG - https://static.garmin.com/pumac/190-02472-00_b.pdf

Paul is absolutely correct. Sometime during the late 80's a J I used to fly had crashed following a botched landing attempt resulting in a prop strike and gear damage. A go-around was initiated resulting in a downwind stall/spin from the underperforming aircraft and the death of the the pilot and passenger.

A good job in capturing all together at the right moment as time waits for no one! It’s a shame picturesque sunrises and sunsets are only for a very short time. Good luck in finding a good print service and thanks for sharing.

Well done. Was the GI275 reflection a coincidence in that you did not notice it until after the pic shot?

Hi Erik. That is a beautiful picture enhanced with the GI275 reflection. If it was mine, I’d have it enlarged, framed and placed on a wall.

Recently I saw a 700P in original condition undergoing its annual. Piper factory built only 26 of these beauties. I flew the 601P years ago in my freight dog days. Best piston twin. Still would not swap my Mooney.

The OP is in Australia.