kpaul

@bradp Brad, just in case your not monitoring this thread.

Not a very forthcoming site. And now it works....damn internet.

The problem with the auto land system is someone need to push the button. It is designed for a passenger to survive an incapacitated pilot. A pilot flying solo will probably never realize the need to push the button. It's not designed to prevent LOC or save an aircraft with engine failure. The parachute is for an incapacitated aircraft. There are definitely risks involved once the chute is pulled. The best would be both if you had the money and useful load available. The only plane I have flown with a parachute, I had to go to the back to put it on. I guess I also flew a few strapped to my back sitting on a rocket. My students were the only ones that ever got to fly with the auto flare/auto land feature. It did save the tax payers a few millions and allowed us to reuse the aircraft.

That is very true!

7.5K

Fit wont be a problem. I am about your size and fit easily in my F. For shoulder width, it helps if the person next to you has their seat positioned slightly different than you. I flew my wife, daughter and 60lb dog from Florida to Montana. I have also done three trips into Oshkosh with a weeks camping gear for two. You shouldn't have an issue.

What's happening in Missoula?

I'm not in Bozeman, however I am in Helena. I own a M20F. I would be more than happy to show you/take you for a flight. The catch is that my plane is with Garmin right now and won't be back until early October.

It's about 2 hours from there to KGGG, home of Don Maxwell. I was based north of Carthage, just outside of Columbus and I flew my plane to AGL in North Carolina. I never found anyone in MS I wanted to work on my plane. Maybe @Hank can help out he's in Alabama.

The date slipped a bit. Apparently, there is a bigger difference between the F and J than the Garmin engineers anticipated. They had to re-engineer the mounting brackets and then had to go back to the drawing board after the original brackets showed early signs of fatigue in ground testing. It appears to be going well now, they have had the plane in the air 7 times in a week. It is due back in my hands the first week of October.

That post is a little over two years old, but just in case.. @spectre6573

People love the Johnson Bar gear. Its simple and works very well. Mooney has been producing only electric gear aircraft for about 50 years. It also works very well.

It was not the owner flying...it was a broker's pilot re-positioning the plane. But, it does look like he was hand flying.

"Flew" the turbocharged Rotax 914F in the MQ-1. That 115hp motor flew a 2200lb plane into the flight levels. We flew them on an average of 22 hours per day. That meant the engine was running closer to 23 hours. The oil was changed after every other flight. We had very few engine problems, if there was an issue it was usually turbo related. A turbo failure over the high mountains was typically fatal for the aircraft as it would generally only maintain about 12,000 MSL sans turbo.

I'm not sure I would trust a battery that had gone dry even if it would take and hold a charge, which I doubt it will do. You could use it to power a tow bar.

Yeah, surprised me as well. Especially since my F is a 76, the last year before the Js.

You and me both. Garmin has had my F since the end of February. Let's just say Mooney surprised the Garmin engineers with the differences between models. They have had to go back to drawing board a couple of times to address issues with the servo mounts. Orginally, early August was the goal, now it looks like early October.

I believe that would be referred to as the "Box Office"

@Matt Lindeman this one ^^^ is very well documented here on MS. Your 'ship' may have just come it.

The GFC500 is not certified for operations below 200' AGL. But, we all know how well folks follow limitations.

I don't believe so. FIS-B can pull in textual TFR NOTAMs only not graphical.

@EchoMax the E you just purchased has a big safety feature built in...the Johnson Bar! But, since that is not completely pilot proof, I believe that particular aircraft also has a "bitching Betty" that says "gear" vs, just a horn.

Why? I have done hundreds of turn backs in PC-12s. 500' AGL is all that is required, 800' AGL is required if flying at waivered MGW in a draggy modified version of the plane. I'm less excited about doing it in my Mooney.

Can't get any earlier than a 77J!

When we travel, family of 3 with 2 dogs, a lab mix and a random ditch dog. The lab takes a spot in the back and the smaller one (~35lbs) rides on top of the luggage. The last thing loaded is a dog crate bed that fits the cargo area nicely. Both dogs wear harnesses. The lab is attached to the seat belt. The one on the back, I run a teather to one of the cargo tie down rings on the floor. The feathers allow them to stand up and turn around but not leave their respective seats. They should also keep them restrained if the plane ever came to a sudden stop.