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SpeedyJoe

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    KHIO
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    N322RW
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    M20R

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  1. Need some input from the combined wisdom of this space. Love my 2000 Mooney Ovation 2, but after 3 years of fun mostly going up and down the West Coast, I would like to go East bound more often and for crossing the Rockies I do need a turbo more often than not. Here is my problem: the TT on the aircraft and the engine is ~1,850h. The engine is running fine, gets oil changes every 25h, oil samples show no issues, over the last years the occasional cylinder got replaced, compressions are all north of 70 and the oil consumption is 1qt for about very 10h. Given that it runs real nice, my intention was to disregard TBO for a while and keep flying it until something bad shows up in the oil samples, the compression goes real bad or oil consumption goes up significantly, until maybe TT 2,200h. The airplane shows real nice, tricked out to the gills avionics wise with a few extra features that I have put in (see list below), but the high engine time could make it hard to sell. I hate overhauling the engine when it clearly doesn't need it right now, just so it "sells better". Furthermore, many owners have strong opinions whether to go new engine, re-manufactured or if overhauled is good enough (as long as it is the xyz shop that they trust, ...). Any thoughts on this dilemma? Any guesses on "what the market will bear" on the airplane as is or with an engine overhaul? Thanks Joe ============================================================ 2000 Mooney Ovation 2 featuring TKS (non-FIKI) ~300h on new 3-blade Hartzell Prop w/ TKS slingers G500, newest SW Active Traffic warning: Garmin GTS800 TCAS, top and bottom Antennas G530W / w Terrain, newest SW G430W / w Terrain, newest SW New PMA450 intercom w/ Marker Beacon – dimensional sound & Bluetooth connectivity Transponder GTX330ES – verified ADSB compliance, newest SW Autopilot KFC225 coupled to G500, shoots approaches (ILS and GPS WAAS based LPV approaches) down to minimums Garmin Flightstream 210 to send attitude to and flightplans to and from ForeFlight or other applications Garmin 260 Angle of Attack indicator JPI 830 with all sensors hooked up – master warning red LED positioned in center view of the pilot Stormscope WX500 GDL69 XM Weather Upgraded Landing lights to 2x50W XeVision Upgraded Taxi lights to 2x50W XeVision, installed wig-wag function BatteryMinder plugs wired to the TKS refill door from both batteries New Alarm Clock, with yellow warning LED for timer expiration positioned in center view of the pilot Large built in oxygen tank, recently replaced Wired for powered Bose Headsets for pilot and co-pilot Engine heater 2x12V cigarette lighter plugs, 1 for front row, 1 for back row Wired connector to large Arctic Cooler box into the panel: double rocker switch drives fan and addtl cooling pump Annuals only by Mooney Service Centers – no expense spared.
  2. FWIW, I got trained a while back to never mess with the flaps as long as the gear is up. So every time I feel like I should lower the flaps now, I automatically check if the gear is down because otherwise I shouldn't be messing the flaps. What about the the "no flaps" practice landing, you ask? Well, I also use a check list and the GUMPS check twice (FAF/abeam #s + short final). IMHO live is about managing probabilities. With the hard connection "no flaps without gear down" I helped to significantly lower the probability that it will happen to me. As others have stated, that doesn't make it zero probability, but it does help.
  3. The key thing for me is affordability (both in acquisition and maintenance) of a PRESSURIZED aircraft. I want to be able to get high without sniffing oxygen.
  4. I got in line too a few months ago and watch the videos with interest. FWIW, note they are using a belt drive to get the propellor to turn slower than the crank shaft, not gears. Getting a strong Diesel engine in my mind is a plus, even though I am worried too if a car engine was ever designed to spend the majority of its run time at ~75% of its full HP I wish Michael Zoche had gotten his 2stroke super & turbo charged radial Diesel engine (!) to production. While he had his engine running on test stands already in the90s, is website website hasn’t changed in more than a decade
  5. 70kts headwinds flying up the San Joaquin Valley after Thanksgiving last year. With my Ovation I still got home, with the club's C172 I wouldn't have launched.
  6. A good friend of mine got badly injured 2 decades ago - he was in the right seat of a Beechcraft where one of the cylinders departed the engine and the flying pilot decided to land in the vineyard below. With oil all over your windshield and a plane trying to shake itself apart, lining up with the wires wasn't on his checklist. Those wires you see there stopped the Beech in about 30 ft. The 65 model only had lapbelts. He never was the same anymore after that. I havent flown in anything that only had lapbelts after seeing him "live" though this.
  7. Curious: In the context of insurances - what is considered a high time pilot? And is that TT or time in make and model? Thanks Johannes
  8. Not only did I donate to the cause (thanks for the link btw) but I landed there yesterday to enjoy our short vacation in L.A. and thus help support the local business on the field (in this case Atlantic Aviation) We did the same thing last year - likely to become our annual habit. What a great and convenient field to fly into!
  9. NO rpm drop when running on just one mag is a red flag to me already. Either the other isn't doing anything or something with the switch / the leads is wrong and doesn't kill the other mag. If I were you I would consider the electronic magneto at this point, discussed on another thread. Once my magnetos are up for overhaul / give me any trouble, I will be replacing one of them.
  10. Consider getting an insurance estimate before you get too far. With a fresh PPL ticket and no Instrument Rating, insurance might be quite pricey. Know before you buy
  11. Talking about 3D printing - that should also be the solution for the dreaded wingtip recognition lights that burn through the lens when left on too long: print the reflector from metal and alter its innards to receive a 5W LED chip and the regulating electronics. It's all doable but doesn't change the fact that you would then need to get an STC for the setup - sigh.
  12. I have been using FF for years. With any complex gadget you need to use it often and keep reading up on it to be able to take advantage of all the great functions built in. I'd hate to switch to another app and have to relearn everything. I have a G500, GNS530 and 430 installed in my Ovation2. I just got the Flightstream210 installed last week because entering long flight plans and then getting an amended clearance is a b!tch. I only tested it on the ground once - seemed to work as intended so I can't wait for the weather to clear up and check it out in the air. i always thought flight planning on FF is really easy - at least compared to paper and pencil - so I probably don't know what I might be missing from the Garmin app. But again, with years of usage and a Stratus 2 I am invested too deep to seriously conspired a switch at this point joe
  13. Looking at an Ovation 2 that is listed and thinking about the potential to upgrade it to a 3 at a later point. I googled what's involved with that and found this thread. Thanks for the good info as always. However, I also then looked up Midwest Mooney and found out on their home page that they are closing their doors on 4/30/15! Anyone know any detail behind it? Furthermore, what about this STC? Will that be made available through another shop? Thanks for any insights, Joe.
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