Two Oh One

I bought a big pack of plastic scraper blades (they basically look like utility razor blades) and burned through them like crazy. They're cheap so ditch them as soon as they start to wear. Then a pack of terry cloth rags and some acetone to cut the remaining film. MEK works great but it probably removes brain cells and lifespan faster than it removes sealant. And a big, strong fan or three to ventilate the cabin while you work.

Mooneyspace community for the win!! It's driven by a 5/64 hex wrench if I recall.

Can't speak to their wait time on a 375, but my excellent A&P uses Ramona Avionics for the few things he can't/won't do. KRNM, short hop for you.

In messing around with my EDM900, I've learned the value in making true apples to apples comparisons. Are these numbers all taken at the same density altitude, throttle angles, etc?

I sure don't miss the speeds and ranges of my former Cessna, but I thought the performance tables were way easier to use. And if my numbers got close to bumping into the next cell, it was a sign.... High resolution is both useful and satisfying, but I miss those tables.

I was up in SoCal's airspace when they reopened the runway, heard all the rerouting at that time. There is no good place to forget the gear, but 34L at VNY is an extra bad place...ouch.

I've been considering the same (wider), but I wonder how much of that advantage would be shadowed by the depth of our cowl light housing..

Usually a good time for the engine mount to come out for inspection/overhaul. There are differing opinions on powder coating vs painting the mount. Without igniting that battle, I took my IA's advice and powder coated mine. I chose bright white to more easily show damage and leaks, plus I think it looks sharp. New engine shock mounts when it goes back in...

Alright, thanks for the replies guys. Bluehighway, your ad popped up just as I needed a fix, unlike how it usually works out for me.. I very well may take you up on it, I just wanted to hear any input folks had about retrofits. I'm just a bit leery about buying used electronics (no offense to you), but plug and play is nice for sure.

I recently lost a wingtip strobe, and troubleshooting shows the problem is an inop Hoskins 701295-3A power supply. A search shows that folks have retrofitted units from Aeroflash and of course Whelen, but used Hoskins units still command good money. I gather that Whelen power supplies are larger and must be mounted to a different inspection panel, have different flash patterns, and a Hoskins on one wing won't sync with another brand. If maintaining the sync feature isn't an issue, are there any other reasons why I'd want to roll the dice on another Hoskins unit rather than purchase something new? LEDs will appear on my wings someday, but my budget is blown on other necessities for a bit.

I wouldn't really disagree with either of the points above, but I still like the CDs. As to the first (a title search can be complex and you'd better pay attention to detail), I agree but I also think there's a lot of knowledge to be gleaned by a meticulous personal review. The Title Co guy or lawyer says "Yep it's clear." My eyes say "There were several mechanic's liens back with the second owner, and some possible issues in the logbooks during the same period. Apparently maintenance was a sore point for him. Maybe this plane is a 'pass'..." Or as I mentioned earlier, some other interesting historical facts can be seen by digging in on your own. Now if you're not comfortable doing this, $75 bucks or whatever is very reasonable for some professional help. The second (real time info may not make the CD) is technically true, but I think an assessment of that risk could be made on a case-by-case basis. The FAA is typically a couple of weeks behind in processing registration documents. For another $10 they'll "certify true and complete" the records they send you. I'm not a lawyer, so I guess I can't say what exactly that means... Good discussion to be sure.

Can't really speak about weeks-long vacations, but there have definitely been some days-long stretches out west when the entire LA basin was under a big red TFR. The PSP visits shut down large chunks of less populated airspace, but I always felt bad thinking there had to be a lot of small airport businesses sitting idle for days at a time. Imagine being a cafe waitress losing out on almost a week's worth of income, with no warning..

I can't seem to link directly to the FAA web page, but this link takes you to a Google search, and the top hit goes to the FAA page for title searches. The $10 CD-ROM option sure beats $75. In addition to the obvious title issues, you also get to see the entire ownership history of the plane you're considering. Might be eye opening to see where your "always hangared in dry climate" prospect has really been.. EDIT: Link appears to be working now

I've got to say, reading the original post had me shuddering. Several mechanics think my gear up landing was caused by a weak up-limit switch allowing my actuator to seize itself in the retracted position. The only warning I ever got was a strange "Gear Unsafe" light after retraction during my second flight around the patch in my new-to-me bird. Like Fritz, I naively dropped the gear and all went well, until it didn't on a subsequent lap.. Glad you had better fortune sir.

What a smoker of a game too!!

I'd second this. I swear I've got my plane level every time at the pumps, but then my hangar floor says otherwise.

Welcome aboard Stan! If you've lurked here for any length of time you already know this place is full of knowledgeable, helpful folks with lots of experience. As far as your search for a plane landing you here, it's highly likely that somewhere in the Mooney lineup you can find a match to your unique combination of needs, desires, and budget. These planes are remarkable and the fleet is diverse. With that said, I'll echo so many similar "Help me spend my money" threads and say that you have to provide the forum a little more background if you're looking for specific advice regarding models to search. The 201, 252, and Rocket are each legendary in their own way, but have unique limitations as well. The C and F are rock solid as well if that's what your budget allows. You're right, however, to realize that you'd likely never get your "investment" back out of one of those.. As to your numbered questions: 1) With no info on what particular plane you're looking at and no firsthand look, it's hard to say. All planes stain their bellies to some extent, and you're right to look toward the crankcase breather tube. Those tubes blow nasty combustion gases and oil out anytime the engine is running, by design. Obviously it can be excessive due to various issues, but it can be normal too. Many engines are very apt to quickly blow engine oil overboard once the crankcase is filled beyond a given point, even when filled below book capacity. My freshly overhauled engine sure does. It depends..... 2) Hard to say on the Internet. Maybe with more info on the plane someone here may have a guess. 3) Rocket vs 252? Two great planes with fans all over this site. Stand by for opinions, or dig a little with "Search." 4) Lots of advice on here about damage history. I always clicked right past them until a gear up happened to me. Then I realized what a non-event it can be when properly landed, recovered, repaired, and documented. My plane is as good and probably better than it was before the incident, and I took lots of photos and kept my damaged parts to help my case someday if I ever have to sell. But it depends...... 5) C vs F vs 201 vs 252/Rocket is a huge gamut of options. Depends on you.... Enjoy the search, and enjoy the forums!

That sums it up entirely. With power off you just fly it on, feels just like the end of any other power off 180 a commercial pilot has done hundreds of times. If you're not totally comfortable with it or used to it, or you're nutted up by the circumstances, for sure don't try it on for size in a real emergency. If it's gusty out and the flare is tricky, probably not a good idea either, for obvious reasons. Anybody who thinks it's not a good idea is totally OK with me. But depending on multiple factors, the plane may not "belong to the insurance company" when the slide stops. Power off left me much more confident in the parts the engine shop sent back to me, the parts insurance didn't replace. And it was no big deal, to me, that evening. Energy management was Hoover's bread and butter, and is the key with power off. (intentionally or otherwise...)

Tim, Having just gone through almost this same scenario myself a year ago, I can assure you the high G wouldn't have done a thing for you. I tried it. They had to disassemble my gear on the runway to get it to drop as well. They think maybe the up limit switch was weak and failed to shut off my actuator on retraction, thus seizing it up. Popped my breaker too as the actuator fought itself. Mooney gear is all tied together, so you wouldn't get a one up-one down, if I understand you correctly. Oh, and I cut my power on final too. It windmilled all the way in. You have to go REALLY slow to stop the prop, and I wanted enough energy for a smooth, flat no-flap landing. Oh well. Good work, it is what it is.

Pinnacle Aviation Academy at KCRQ rents 201DD (77J) for $210 an hour. GPS, nothing fancy that I recall.

Maybe this? Mine was quite a bit off..

I know that the STC approved model list for my EDM 900 specifically listed compatibility with a J equipped with the exact STC for my MT prop. Easy determination there.

Sounds like you're describing a ferrule indeed.

José, the CB factor here is off the hook! I may give this a shot while I build up the gumption to start a full Jetdriven rebuild..