MyNameIsNobody

It was right side up for 7 minutes. Not likely with gear down.

Walter White

Glad we missed the part of clip where queen was celebrating her birthday with her suit. To racey for us

Big block guy goes for the 327 of Mooney engines. I like a guy that can go fast in multiple ways. And by "guy" I mean in an all excepting pronoun way... nice rides.

So total with part purchase was $3045.00 (Garmin)+$1499.00=$4544.00 less $500 rebate total for ADSB compliance=$4044.00 we now have a new solid state transponder and new encoder replacing units that are decades old. That is a good thing. Glad I am now able to get full traffic picture. The Narco and encoder w/ harness going up on EBay this weekend. Should have a little value.

Returned tonight after install. Submitted flight and ADSB worked fine but flight was not long enough. I orbited north of CID, but not long enough (eyes rolling) oh well an excuse to fly soon I will get my co-owner up photos in panel. Needed a new encoder install took 10.5 hours Just under $1500 for parts and labor Needed a 90 degree elbow connector below gps pleased with it

I have had a non-3D version for several years. It has worked well. Definitely glad I purchased. The unit will "soldier on" with a OUT ADSB compliant Garmin Transponder w/Waas.

I am really enjoying reading your experiences everyone. Thank you all for sharing. Some reoccurring themes I definitely recognize in myself. You truly don't know what you don't know. I think there is a lot of wisdom from all your words if others read and learn from your experiences. Nice writing too. Way better than Sunday night T.V. (Though Fargo on DVR was a hoot).

I do. A maintenance nightmare. A lot of upgrading has the plane to a solid dispatch and reliable transportation...for a 50+ year old machine.

Yup

Same gal I first danced with at that party. N3424X.

You made the right call. You listened to the voice. Only time I ran a tank dry was when I made decision to divert to an airport 15 minutes from my home airport. I was about to change to "fuller" tank. It did have six remaining, but my minimums were modified after that flight.

You got me Andy. I would check that luck bucket. It was definitely "full" when you were building hours.

I know the EXACT feeling to which you refer...

That one is right up there too...

Come on, certainly I have as waged any concern of being the ultimate knucklehead with my flight. No lessons learned to share? No testing of the "luck" bucket? I guess I am the only one...or perhaps the only one that reached his "statute of limitations" on showing how NOT TO DO "IT".

Never told anyone this story. I don't like to look in the mirror and know I risked so much for an airplane. If one person THINKS and doesn't do half of the stupidity that I exhibited it is worth the embarrassment...

Has anyone else done something so stupid in an airplane that you reflect upon your ignorance and shake your head? Anything that you have done that you are ashamed of? Anything that blind confidence and that little voice that should be telling you "NO"! Was silent? I did. To this day I think back and just shake my head. Me a Certified Safety Professional doing the unthinkable. What was it? When was it? Where was it? Why "out" yourself now? Why not just leave it buried in the past as a bullet dodged?. As a life lesson learned. The great thread discussing "how you got into a Mooney" made me think back 15 years ago. A 40 year old pilot with <100 hours total time decided he needed a Mooney. He found one and after giving his wife an ultimatum of "I am buying an airplane you can either get on board or do what you need to do"...(Really?...Wow. That shows the mission desire was strong). This to a woman that had hung around with me for nearly 20 years and had provided two beautiful children... So, plane was located in Ocala, FL. A 1966 Mooney that the owner was looking to sell after owning for nearly 35 years...He even mailed photos (snail mail only way back then)...Photos in his attached hanger to his home. A price was agreed upon if it "checked out". Check out consisted of a flight around the pattern and a $700 annual. The location was Brunswick, GA. A one way ticket was purchased by the idiot author. Kind of like Cortez burning his soldiers ships...Only way home was "victory"(purchase)... It is December 2002 and the broker picks me up at the airport. The plane arrives the next day flown by a "rental pilot". He and I went up. I had ZERO TIME IN TYPE. I had read a lot about Vintage Mooney's. I showed "the pilot" what the disconnect was for the PC. "I thought it just flew heavy on controls"...Nope, that is the P.C. Swung my first J-Bar on several landings. (Didn't notice that the DG (the olde revolving mini gauge was out of commission. Whiskey compass was leaking too. No worries, I had a automobile Garmin GPS (Really?) Annual did not show what logs did that the accessories were original to 1966. The 1970's overhaul was really an AD for the CamShaft to be inspected...I was to impressed by the recovered seats...The Touch-Up paint job (on original scheme), the speed slope windshield and cowl closure mod to know what was REALLY important. The panel? Shotgun with no engine monitor. No shoulder belts. Original six pack engine gauges. The plane had been flow a total of 15 hours in last 15 years. The definition of a hanger queen... The annual (with an extra cost oil change) completed and "no discrepancies found" resulted in the deal being done. Even got a free seafood dinner from the broker...Next morning the transfer of funds was delayed and I didn't launch until 11AM. I taxied out and run-up showed a mag drop that was not acceptable. Taxied back to ramp and shut down. Was told that it just needs a good hard run-up. So I did...and all was well...(Right). Launched into a headwind (due to a frontal boundary that stretched from Gulf to Canada) and climbed....and climbed...and climbed. Broken up to 10000. So 10000 was where I leveled off. My groundspeed? 105knots. Flew northwest and a solid layer developed. ( I was NOT instrument rated) and had zero clue what weather was ahead. Got North of Atlanta and found an opening. No idea (beyond auto GPS) where I was as I was high above cloud layer. Fuel getting low...Break in clouds. Dive down through and "there is an airport". SEVERE crosswind on landing. Fueled plane. Checked weather. Launched. Again climb up to 10000. Pushed up to 10500. Saw a Learjet Go across from East to west at my altitude...Gulp. It is December. Gettting back to Iowa is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. It is getting dark. I get another opening with Evansville, IN and Kentucky showing on GPS. I let down. I see a wall of snow to the north. I look to my right and there are the runway lights for Evansville. I contact tower using sectional for freq and make an uneventful landing. The FBO was fantastic asking me if I need fuel? Yes. Do I plan to spend the night? YES! Do I need a ride to a motel? Yes. Would I like to drive through McDonald's and get some food? Yes? What time would you like me to pick you up tomorrow? 7:30? See you then. The front went through and the Mooney flew like a Mooney over blue skies for remainder of flight. So many stupid things that could/should have killed me on that ignorant "Get there itis" half assed, under trained/equipped maiden voyage in a plane that had NOT BEEN FLOWN...Much less flown for the first time by a Mooney driver. Would insurance have paid off for my poor wife when I angered in? Getting Mooney Specific training and a PreBuy by a Mooney Saavy entity...Walking away...Reviewing logs. Knowing how to review logs. Not being an overconfident idiot. It was not my time to die. Never Again. Fly Safe.

Beautiful, ALL. Congrats on your J. Very nice scheme. Always liked the dark solid tail to accent the "Mooney". Enjoy!

Dad burn rodents! Suffering suck-a-starling! Rootin' Toot'n tarnation! What in the Sam Hill got inside my aero-plane! Suck-a-trash!

My quote was 10-15 hour range. That appeared "in-line" with online web-sites discussion.

I will be a one button VFR guy soon. Nice.