Diesel 10

I got the same mailer. Coincidentally I got a quote this week from a major west coast shop for a GFC500 install but they are scheduling out new starts to Aug 2019. Due to ADS-B backlog ... I'll ask them their view on the $500 discount.

++ on Bruce's. I've bought a couple of covers and accessories from them. They have always been very easy to work with and very attentive to ensuring good fit for the covers.

That's great news. My KFC150 is now working well but after all the time and $$ put into keeping it going, it feels it could finally go up in a puff of smoke at any minute. 81X and JetLag, can you give us a pirep on the G5 setup (and any other new avionics) you are getting?

I hope this went well today! Sadly M20J is still in the shop getting a new engine. Hopefully it will be complete soon. I look forward to joining the next one. I have done a few formation clinics with Cessnas2Oshkosh in the past and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to doing it in the Mooney. Trevor

A friend has an SR22 at a BFI hangar and is paying $980/month all in. This is more typical of what I've heard from others. $1500 seems high but perhaps there are some. Of course either is expensive. Tie downs range from $125-250 depending on location. Putting cost aside, I would give BFI consideration. It is hugely convenient if you are living in Seattle and don't forget that Seattle road traffic can really ruin your plans sometimes. I've been at BFI for about 10 years. I know some have the view that it is not GA friendly but I haven't experienced that. There is some GA training and it is certainly busy but I can't think of a single bad experience I've had with the controllers there. I live in North Seattle near the UW. If I wasn't at BFI, I would probably be at PAE. Less convenient but definitely cheaper. Let us know if there is anything else we can help with you settling into the PNW Aviation community. If you happen to be on FB, there is a huge GA group called FATPNW (Flights Above the Pacific North West) that is very social and organizes a lot of events. Trevor

So sad and very close to home. KBLI is very popular destination for Pacific Northwest pilots. The mountain is very visible in the day but certainly is a real risk for CFIT at night. One the the reports had ATC saying that the pilot said "the plane was going down". At first reading I thought this meant there was an engine problem but I wonder if it just meant that the pilot was on descent into KBLI? RIP

This was announced a couple of weeks ago so apologies if this was mentioned already. I'm excited to see that Garmin has at least said that Mooney is on the Certification list. As an owner struggling to keep my KFC150 alive, this is good news. https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/604257#additional GFC 500 Certification Programs Planned to Begin in the Next 12-months: (Not currently under development and subject to change.) Beechcraft Bonanza/Debonair Models: C33, C33A, E33, E33A, E33C, F33, F33A, F33C, G33 Cessna 210 Models: 210L, T210L, 210M, T210M, 210N, T210N Mooney M20 Models: To be determined Piper PA-32 Model: 301T

It does look nice. As Robert says, there will be a new engine/overhaul in your future. So think of it as a $100-$110k plane (it would be good to put $30k or so mentally or really in a separate account when you make the purchase!). It might be worth looking around to see what you could buy for that amount just to make sure it still feels like a good deal. Good to see that it has a 430 and an Stec ap (which model?). I assume that means the owner replaced whatever was in there before. This likely avoids an expensive repair you might have had to make ... I can tell you why I know this ;-). Trevor

As I mentioned in the previous post, I am still having intermittent issues with the KFC-150. It is always related to passing (or not!) it's self-test. I wanted to pass on the following observations from my experience with the KFC150 autopilot yesterday. It would be great to hear if anyone else has had similar issues. I took the plane for a 1.5hr cross country to Spokane. It had already flown 3 times that day and it was quite hot (at least by PNW standards) +90F when we departed. The KFC-150 did not pass its selftest on the ground but the electric trim worked well. During the climbout, I noted that the front panel of the kfc150 was very hot to touch. I tried the self test and it still failed. Once we got to cruise at 11k (much cooler), the kfc150 passed its self test and continued to work for the rest of the flight. I watched it very closely but it performed properly all the way to Felts. On the return flight, the same sequence occurred. No joy on the self test on the ground but once we got to cooler altitudes, it passed its self test and continued to work fine all the way back to Seattle. I am suspicious that there is a heating issue going on here. Any similar experiences would be appreciated!

Yes the work got done in a day or so. I juggled the drop off and pick-up around business trips. So I didn't stay down there but I could have. Sadly the KFC-150 has just started failing its pre-flight test again so I may be heading back down .

Fixing my KFC-150 has been a long, strange journey but it appears to be at an end (I am nervous as I type this that I may be jinxing it!). A short visit to Executive Autopilot at KSAC Sacramento appears to have resolved everything. Also they were the cheapest invoice I received on this journey. My computer went to APC twice and my pitch servo once and the plane spent a lot of time at a local avionics shop. In retrospect I whish I had bit the bullet sooner and taken the aircraft to Executive Autopilot. This would have allowed an expert shop with King diagnostic equipment to look at the whole issue rather than try to diagnose pieces. Thanks for all the input along the way.

Good news jonhop! I'm still stuck in Autopilot purgatory. My local shop has sent the KFC-150 computer +/- the pitch trim servo to APC twice now with no joy. The local shop did also find a short in the cabling and it passed all its start-up tests and a flight test. But on the next flight its gone back to the same failure on start-up. I have decided to take the plane down to Sacramento Executive Autopilots. They have the King diagnostic equipment and can test the whole plane. Just waiting for a VFR day to get from Seattle down to KSAC. Wish me luck. I've dealt with a lot of frustrating technical issues in plane ownership in the past but this is pretty bad.

Gents - Thanks for the lead on Executive AutoPilots in Sacromento. I missed them on my previous search. If the problem is resolved when I get the computer and pitch trim back from APC, they may be the next step. Sacromento is not a bad flight from Seattle. Trevor

Jason - I ended up sending the kfc150 and the trim servo down to Auto Pilots Central in OK. It appears that they are the closest shop to us that has the actual king diagnostic equipment. I alled msny places invlyfing Bendix. There is a 2-3 week queue at APC but mine is supposed to be on the bench this week. Send me a pm if you want to chat live. This has definitely been a difficult process. Trevor

Thanks guys. I don't think fix-a-flat would have worked in this case but it certainly might work in others. The fact that that I turned off the runway mangled the tire. This is the type of dolly that the tug guy used. It looked like it had seen better days so perhaps a new one would have given me less problems. Looking at an M20J main wheel (not mine), you can see that with the tire flat the inner gear door is a risk for taking on the weight of the plane. Especially if the wheel falls of the dolly onto the pavement :-(. This was my 2nd landing flat in ~750hrs so I guess I will have more. Perhaps overkill but I am going to start looking around for a light dolly that could be easily carried in the baggage area. As folks have pointed out ... just enough to get off the runway and to the FBO.

I wanted to see what folks recommend for towing an M20J with a flat main tire. I had this experience this week at my home field (KBFI). I landed on the short runway and got a flat on the right main. With the momentum I had, I was able to just exit the runway. I know in retrospect this turn could have done more damage but at least it cleared the runway. One of the local shops came with a wheel dolly that really didn't seem to be the right tool for the job. It was one of the metal squares (About 1 ft on a side) with 4 castor wheels (think shopping trolley). It had to be positioned carefully so that the inner gear door didn't rest on the dolly and take all the plane's weight (instead of the flat tire). Despite this, the wheel fell off onto the taxiway twice during towing behind the tug. The inner gear door was badly bent and is now a separate repair project. Are there any better dollys for our aircraft ... or is there a better way to do it? Do folks carry these in their aircraft? Fortunately both the flat tires I've had have been at my home field but I can see this being a major hassle at a remote field. Thanks, Trevor

Thanks for the names in San Jose. I will call them. do have concern that it is going to take a trip to APC to get this issue resolved but we'll see how the work goes over the next few days.

Can anyone recommend an avionics shop with strong King autopilot experience on the West Coast/Mountain region? I have had my M20J in at a local shop for almost 3 months getting a Garmin 345x installed and its King KFC150 repaired. They do not have the King test equipment and are having to work manually. They sent the KFC-150 off to Autopilots Central. It appears that APC did a good job and turned the box around rapidly but my local shop is really struggling with diagnosing some other issues with the servos. I speak to them almost every day. They are not inspiring confidence and I feel like I need to make a change. I would like to find a shop that actually has the King test equipment. I know this is not common. I have called all the shops I am aware of in the Pacific Northwest but no joy. I have tried King and they were not able to help. Any suggestions of shops I could take the plane to would be much appreciated. Trevor

We ended up finding them for rent at Advanced Aircraft Service in Troutdale, OR (KTTD). They were able to overnight them.

Hmm, and this has what to do with "a general discussion of Mooney aircraft" ?

Thanks Marauder. My mechanic tried them but no joy. I am in Seattle but happy to have it shipped from anywhere. Trevor

Hi All - Does anyone have a reliable source for renting elevator travel boards for an M20J? My mechanic is not able to find any. FYI I have tried HangarToolBox.com but their's are not available. Thanks, Trevor

Hi Teacup - Galvin Flying at KBFI in Seattle has two M20Js in the rental fleet that fly a lot. Many of the CFIs there are very experienced in the Mooneys. That's where I did most of my transition training.

I would be a customer if a BRS was available for my 1992 M20J. I know a chute is not going to help in every situation but with the terrain I fly over in the west, there are many situations where I could imagine using the chute after an engine failure. I've never owned (or even flown in) a Cirrus, but I've never understood the anti-BRS position. I see it as a useful tool that might be the right answer in certain scenarios. Then it up to each owner to decide if its worth the money. One technical point that I'd be interested to hear about. I spoke with the BRS folks about their currently available C182 STC. It turns out that they do not make it available for 182RGs because the fixed gear is is part of the impact absorption system required to get FAA approval. Since all our Mooneys are RGs, would this be a challenge in getting a Mooney BRS approved?

Almost but not quite. 1) AAA - Check 2) DMax for pre-buy - No but he did the annual in Jan! Chuck Reynolds did a nice job, 3) Bob Cabe - Check