MikeOH

I didn't know any better when I first started flying a Mooney. The FBO I was renting Cherokees from had a M20B and I thought it'd be cool to fly (It was!!). Went up with one of their CFIs (half my age and had tats, but none that said MOONEY!) and somehow survived 10 hours before I could rent solo. Flew a lot of hours in that plane before I got my M20F. Got a good rate on insurance because of the M20B time. Insurance was fine with the 'B' time to insure my 'F' (which says something about how they viewed the risk). Read the POH, picked up the plane from the pre-buy shop and flew it home.

Appreciate the advice. It seems to me the ignition hazard is pretty much the same (ignition of fumes)...just when only fumes explode there isn't a further fire!

This is EXACTLY what I did. So far, so good...2 years in

Two years ago I was in your shoes...I understand exactly what you are going through! I shopped for a LONG time and here are my takeaways: 1) Hiring an "expert" carries its own risks...a 'big name' I called wanted nearly $5,000. Of course, if he saves you from a disaster it would be well worth it. Thing is, when you read the 'fine print' even the 'experts' won't guarantee their 'work.' In the end it's still a crap shoot, I'm afraid. 2) A premium, but buying from a well known broker/dealer like Jimmy Garrison should be considered. Again, no guarantee, but guys like that wouldn't be in business this long if they were selling lemons. 3) Finding a plane that has been consistently flown 50-100 hours per year for at least the last five years improves your odds greatly! I was shocked how hard it is to find planes that meet that criteria. Most are un-flown dogs, I'm afraid. The plane I ended up buying had been flown nearly 100 hours per year for over a decade. First annual found no ADs open, and only $2K in needed work. 4) Don't buy a 'bargain' unless you like to restore vs. fly!

Do I have to drain ALL fuel out or is there some level (gallons remaining) where I can pull the sender without fuel pouring into the cabin? 1970 M20F Thanks!

Now, THAT is an interesting idea... Since the shop, presumably, didn't explicitly list the items, yet issued a legally binding quote, would they be able to raise the quoted price if you show up WITHOUT your old radios installed? Would they legally be required to honor the original quote? (not saying you could really force them to, pragmatically)

Same thing in aerospace manufacturing environments; Foreign Object Damage. FLOB is much better for the fuel acronym

EXCELLENT decision! I shopped for a LONG time, but quickly learned that there are plenty of candidates close by; no reason to travel across the country to buy a good plane. I found mine less than 50 miles away. As I honed my buying skills (after looking at a lot of dogs), I decided recency and quantity of use was crucial...even over engine time. And, buy with the avionics you want. I was willing to compromise on paint and interior. Good luck!

Damn! Woulda, coulda, shoulda....price is back up to $2,495

Another "THANK YOU" to everyone that's responded. Need to get her up on jacks and check those doors!

Very interesting. Did you FA the coils to determine if was insulation failing (shorted winding) or wire breakage? The relays I've dissected have all been contact failures. I wonder if you are experiencing lower quality from aftermarket relays? Maybe crap insulation, or undersize copper windings? I had that happen once with a fuel pump relay that I stupidly replaced with an aftermarket one. It quickly failed but was due to undersize/inferior contacts...but outside it looked identical to the OEM one.

Well, it started with this, "You wont get me to scribble squat in your book until I am satisfied...". which is a pretty snarky comment, if not a snipe in itself. So, yeah, I agree "There's no reason for (those) type of posts..."

I'm pretty sure that you have your answers, but I'll be redundant anyway! I would NOT go with AVEMCO because their sublimit applies to persons OUTSIDE the aircraft. While the odds of major damage and injuries to property and others on the ground is low (that's why liability ONLY policies for $1 million are so cheap) limiting that to $100K vs. the full $1 million does not seem a risk worth taking for $50-$100 difference in premium. The hull and injury to passengers is where the financial risk lies. While I'll make the rare exception, I do NOT fly non family members as I do NOT have smooth coverage and $100K per seat is not going to protect my assets for squat...and my general umbrella policy SPECIFICALLY excludes GA flying! And, yes most medical insurance is going to cover your, and others', injuries so the $3K medical seems rather trivial unless you think, as Parker pointed out, there is some psychological value in minimizing your chances of being sued...I'm too cynical to think that, however!

I'm not sure how you could tell, visually, as common high-current contact platings are microinches of various silver alloys; silver-cadmium-oxide (becoming less common thanks to European RoHS requirements), and silver-tin-oxide are common and would appear no different than zinc plated bolts (which used to be cad plated). I was only responding to your comment about welded contacts which are typically caused by excessive switched current due to undersizing/improper application of the relay, or a failure in the circuit being switched....or, they just plain wear out! (Loss of plating with wear eventually results in excessive resistance which causes excessive heating leading to failure of the contacts). I am not aware of how coil winding failures would induce contact welding, nor do I have failure mode/rate data to offer a factual basis to establish whether coil or contacts are the most prevalent relay failure mode. My seasoned opinion based on my personal experience as an EE is that moving mechanical parts, such as contacts, are much less reliable that coils of wire in transformers, inductors, and relay coils which have no moving parts.

Ah, got it! Thanks

Then what was the point of your comment, "I'll take humble OVER safe" if you can have both?

Who says you can't have both in a CFI?

Yes, replacement is the correct action. What many may not know is that relay contacts are typically plated with a thin layer of specialty metal depending upon application requirements (many silver alloys, sometimes tungsten, or gold). As you can imagine, after they weld themselves together, this plating is long gone! Cleaning/filing is a temporary fix, at best.

Do you know where I can find that SB? My rather vague understanding of this is that the STC I need to install the KT74 in a Mooney has not been updated to reflect that SB and, thus, would still require the use of the switch even though it's really no longer required. But, as I say, I'm not certain about any of this....which is why I haven't purchased the KT74 just yet; I want to make sure I've got ALL the details figured out.

I think you are spot on regarding installers not being able to make much on a 'slide-in.' Yup, will need another static system check. Thanks.

Another data point: '70F, insured for $70K, instrument rated, $1056/year.

YOWZER! I've got some decisions to make....hopefully, I can work out installing the KT74 myself and getting my A&P to sign off, because paying to get it installed is sounding excessive! As an EE, wiring up a harness from the GNS430W won't be an issue, and it's a slide in replacement, but it's just not clear whether an airspeed switch is required...more research. Of course if uAvionix gets the TailBeacon certified, I may just go that route.

Thanks for the update! But, I had a bad experience at Affordable...went in for a static system check and altitude encoder being off 100 feet...ended up with nearly a $2000 bill and they screwed up my gear warning system. They tore my whole panel apart looking for static system leak when it turned out to be the alternate air valve sticking! Frankly, I doubt the encoder needed replacing...probably just needed calibration. I'd run, not walk, across the tarmac to Advantage Aviation. I managed to wreck both of my G430W data cards just before a long planned family trip and went to Mark at Advantage...he'd never met me and, without charge, loaned me two good data cards for my trip. Guess where I'm going to have avionics work done?

Sorry, I do not. Maybe contact the reporter at the Phoenix TV station? I just provided links to some of the news reports and Kathryn's Report. I got an acknowledgement from Carnegie Hero Foundation saying they are considering his nomination.

Thanks! I'm getting pretty close to dealing with ADS-B, so any update posts on how the order/installation goes would be most appreciated. I'm out of Brackett and fly to French Valley frequently, so if the shop there works out, I'd love to hear.