glafaille

Came across a plane for sale, obviously a “value” opportunity, not a “forever plane”. Before traveling to see it, the owner, to his credit, disclosed a ding picture. Said his IA has been signing off on it. Normally I would peek into the maintenance manual for guidance, but I don’t have access to one. What do you guys think? The flap can be easily replaced, it’s the wing that bothers me but then again, maybe I’m over reacting and it’s not critical.

Cliffy: At least the Cherokee drivers had heat!

Should be an entry for rebalancing the ailerons, elevator and rudder after painting too. Not sure what has to be done after an undocumented paint job. Maybe rebalance the flight controls, reweigh the aircraft and off you go?

I wish to take issue with that statement. I have over 5000 hours flying night freight in minimally maintained Beechcraft Barons with Continental IO-520 engines. Never had a problem with them and can’t recall anyone else in company having issues either. And we ran them to 1800 or 1900 hours with FAA approved extensions. The Beech Baron especially the C, D, and E are incredible flying machines! Tough as nails. We had to maintain 95% on time reliability per our contracts and no allowances for weather or mechanical problems. We flew ours about 10 hours per day, 4 to 5 days per week for years! Airframe and engines were up to the task. No radar, no autopilot, no boots and sometimes no transponder or heat (cabin heat was the weakest system). Continentals are plenty reliable for me. As to the cost, you are probably right, the Lycomings are probably cheaper.

Paul: Thanks for the tip. I have already contacted both of them. No luck so far. Gene

Mooneyspacers: I am a professional pilot looking for an aircraft to commute between Arizona and East Texas about 4 times per month. My budget dictates a vintage C model Mooney. It would be nice but not essential, if the prospective aircraft would be located within a 5 hour drive or so from East Texas as I am trying to avoid airline travel (the real reason for the airplane). My trips will start in August of this year so my need is real and immediate. Money has been allocated with funds in the bank and aviation insurance lined up. The ideal candidate is described below, I realize I am unlikely to find an aircraft meeting all of these requirements, compromise is inevitable. In no particular order: 1. 1965 or later aircraft, regularly flown at least 50 hrs per year. Trying to avoid “hangar queens” 2. Fresh, quality, well documented overhaul OR high time/run out engine and I will have it done. 3. Good serviceable avionics (2 each solid nav/comms & transponder) GPS nice but not required. 4. ADS-B doesn't matter. Can be easily added. 5. Working autopilot. Older WORKING Brittain/PC or Century system OK, STEC is much better. 6. Complete Logs. But will consider those with logs missing. 7. Bladder tanks a huge plus! 8. Paint and interior a “5” or better but will consider others. 9. 6 pack panel & speed mods are nice but not essential. 10. MSC annual within 3 years Prebuy inspection to be performed at nearest Mooney Service Center. Max Budget is $50,000 ish depending on how aircraft compares to above list. Send me a PM if you have an aircraft that hits many of these points and you want to sell quickly. I will try to respond within 2 hours. I am considering other aircraft types including 35 model Bonanzas, Grumman Tigers and C182s if you know of one for sale within my budget, please contact me. Thank you.

The only thing out there that I know of are legacy systems from Stec or Century. Installing a used autopilot is expensive if you can even find someone to do it. I was recently advised by Stec that re-certifying a used system, providing STC paperwork and required install kit would run at least $5000 and could easily run to $10,000 depending on the condition of the components submitted. Not too sure about Century but I haven’t found anyone willing to even consider installing a used one. Brittain used to be an option, used equipment was cheap, it was a simple expansion of the already installed PC system, service was reasonable, and by all accounts the system worked very well. Then the gentleman providing the support passed away. We are in limbo and it looks doubtful that anyone will step up with the knowledge required to carry the torch. I hope you enjoy hand flying!

Many industries have been negatively affected by mounting EPA regulations enacted over the past several decades affecting the use of certain chemicals and procedures used in the manufacture of all sorts of products. Companies are forced to alter their products to comply. It would not surprise me to learn that engine manufacturing is one of those industries. The unintended consequences of government regulations are rarely considered or reported.

Hi Ross! Thanks for the kind words and info. We will be moving to Prescott this Summer but I will still be doing some work in East Texas a couple of times per month. Trying to avoid the airlines till this virus thing blows away. I need an “inexpensive” way to get to work and back home. I’ll send you a PM.

Thanks gentlemen! What an awesome community!

Good day gents: I need to peek at the performance section of a 1966 or so M20E. I checked the download section but couldn’t find the POH/Owners manual for that plane. I need a plane for a twice monthly trip between Prescott Az and East Texas. Found an E model I like but need T/O and climb info for 5000 ft elevation Prescott, and cruise numbers for 10,000 to 15,000 ft or thereabouts. Thanks

There are cheaper engine shops where overhauls don’t cost $30,000 and some on this board have used them with good results. You could also find a good used mid time engine to swap. Also possible to remove the engine, split the case, inspect, repair as necessary and re-assemble for much less than an overhaul. Maybe worth it, maybe not. You need a sympathetic A&P to help you navigate this puzzle without going broke. I’ll bet Alan Fox has engines, he is a member here, look him up and ask. http://www.jewellaviation.com/overhauls.htm

Is it for sale or not? Did the “Minister of Finance” change her mind?

Aviation is one of the easiest ways known to man to lose huge amounts of money in a very short time. Airplanes make boats seem cheap! Be very careful when considering old “hangar queens”, you are sailing in dangerous waters without benefit of map, compass or depth finder! Seek professional help, and plenty of it!

Might be a good time to get into ADS-B installs. At least the easiest ones, GDL82 or Stratus ESG.

I wish someone like Dynon would come out with an inexpensive GPS only navigator. No comm, no VOR, no ILS, just waas GPS navigation.

Those of you interested in this sort of adenture flying might like to read about the adventures of Max Conrad.

With that in mind, it sounds like your wife and daughter will decide the location for your retirement. Sounds like you have a losing hand. It’s a waste of time to consider where you would like to live, they will decide for you. Young folks today are very mobile. Will you be following your daughter all around the country when she moves? I have a friend that retired and was happy in Arizona, daughter lived in hot and humid East Texas and convinced Dad and Mom to relocate to the area. 2 years after moving, daughter accepted a job in Arizona and split, leaving Dad and Mom “high and dry” or rather “low and moist”. They have decided to stop chasing the daughter and are staying put despite their preference for Arizona. Just too much hassle to move again. If you are forced to live in a place you don’t like for “wifey” and daughter, you may have significant power in deciding the configuration of your retirement facilities as you are the one giving up so much for them. Airport property, hangar, ownership, man cave, airplane upgrades, etc. are all on the table if you play it right.

If you retire in a nice place, with a great climate, and lots of recreation opportunities, the kids will come to you.

First of all the Grumman is about as fast as your basic C model Mooney. It’s nice to live close to good cheap airline service because: 1. Friends and family can easily visit 2. I want to travel to places not easily flown to in a Grumman or Mooney. Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Hawaii, etc. 3. Some day we all have to hang up the spurs. Doesn’t have to mean you quit traveling.

One should pay particular attention to those things that are impossible to fix when selecting a retirement locale. At the top of my list is: 1. Climate, climate, climate 2. Reasonable cost of housing 3. Low taxes 4. Access to cheap airline flights so I can travel out, and friends and family can easily travel in. 5. Medical facilities, we are healthy now, but who knows what the future holds. 6. Recreation options. Needs to be a fun, vibrant area with lots to do. I live in a very hot and humid place now and don’t care for it. Therefore, in retirement I am seeking a dry, not too hot climate. Most of my retirement possibilities are out West.

Think carefully! I too own a Tiger, ended up with it after an unsuccessful search for a Mooney. in my opinion, the F is not a big step up from a Tiger. The backseat room in the Tiger is generous, maybe more than the F, plus the backseat folds down in the Tiger giving a lot of room for STUFF. The canopy and visibility on the Tiger are also nice and a godsend in the summer. The F will give you just a bit more speed depending on mod status, but will cost more in maintenance and insurance. The F may save you a bit on fuel over the Tiger. The useful load on my Tiger is right at 900 lbs which seems pretty good to me, not sure about the F. I’ve flown plenty of IFR in theTiger and find it quite suitable but I have an Stec 30 autopilot that works very well. A good autopilot is essential for IFR these days no matter what plane you have. Are you sure the hassle of selling one to buy the other is worth it? If I sold my Tiger I would be looking at a J model or Bonanza to make it worth the hassle.

I agree with gsxrpilot. I use a similar procedure: Run one tank for the first hour including taxi and climb, switch to second tank and run that one dry, switch back to the first tank which now has 1 hr and 30 min fuel remaining. I should be in a descent to my destination when I make the final switch. With fuel at the tabs I use the same procedure except the intial switch is done at the top of climb. This way I am left with 1 hr and 30 min in the initial tank, just like before. Any time I switch back to the first tank I should be very close to my destination, (within 30 min).

Aren't the sumps placed at the lowest point in the fuel system? Aren't the sumps drained before flight? The fuel line pick up point should be above the sumps, right? Unusable fuel accounts for the fuel remaining in the tank (sump) that is not available to the engine, specifically to catch garbage in the fuel system, right? I drain my sumps before every flight and rarely detect anything abnormal in the sample. If I did find a bunch of garbage in the sample, I doubt I would fly the airplane until the source of the garbage was identified and corrected. Sounds like the problem my have really been some really bad fuel, a failure of the pilot to drain the sumps before flight, or poor aircraft system design that doesn't incorporate a fuel sump (home built aircraft?).