glafaille

Sometimes when troubleshooting wierd electrical problems, I start by shutting everything off that I can, and I mean everything. Lights, radios, heats, everything. Then start testing by trying to duplicate the problem while switching each thing on one at a time, followed by more testing before switching the next thing on. I can usually narrow the problem down pretty quick to the offending device. So in this case, I would start by shutting everything down and keying the mike, check for a change in manifold pressure. Then turn on the beacon and key the mike. Then try the transponder etc.

With the right app you can get as good of scans with your phone as a desktop scanner and in a fraction of the time. I use an app called Scanbot on my Iphone, another one is Turboscan but it isn’t as fast but takes slightly better scans.

I have been known to call the local FBO and pay one of the more tech savy line guys to take pictures of the logbooks. I’m not really sure why sellers are unable to figure out how to take pictures of logbooks with their phones. It takes all of 20 min or so to copy all the logs for a 50 year old airplane. The guy is smart enough to fly the plane but not take pictures with a phone, amazing. This is one of the things that makes purchasing an aircraft so difficult.

Although those that are listed here and properly priced seem to sell quickly, and without paying broker fees.

Exactly! Some people don’t really want to sell their plane. I once met a guy who came accross a plane at a well known Mooney dealer. The plane was way overpriced and had been for sale for a very long time with little interest. The buyer found out the fax number of the sellers wife and faxed an offer to her at a low ball price significantly less than previous offers made to the husband/owner. The wife accepted the offer without hesitation or further quibbling and the plane was sold. One must figure out the sellers TRUE intentions, this seller’s wife wanted the plane sold. The husband did not want to sell so he overpriced the plane.

Agreed. Overpriced considering engine and propeller age. Technically, Lycoming states TBO as an hour and calendar period, in this case I believe 2000 hours or 12 years. The prop likely has similar suggested overhaul periods. While most of us would have no problem exceeding these values, exceeding by a factor of 3 seems very risky. Might be a good starting price IF it had a RECENT low time engine and prop from a reputable overhaul shop. Would be more desirable with a more mainstream autopilot.

I once evaluated a very nice and well equipped C model, offered for sale by a professor employed by a state university. He represented the engine as “mid time”. Upon inspection of the logs I discovered that the engine was almost 1000 hours past TBO. When he bought the aircraft several years prior, he told his mechanic how many hours were on the engine and the mechanic took it as gospel, and from that point on he used that number when recording TBO at annuals. I confronted the mechanic with my findings and he agreed that the engine was well past TBO and all his entries were mistaken. Despite this, the professor was unwilling to budge one dollar off his asking price, convinced that someone less sophisticated would be dazzled enough by the cosmetic condition to neglect a thorough logbook review.. Lots of funny stuff going on out there with old airplanes.

I have accepted that when I retire the plane has to go. Not a problem for me since I learned long ago not to fall in love with "things". I love my family, friends, pets and other people, but things not at all. I'll sell the plane and get out of aviation altogether or maybe consider a simpler aviation solution! Have you given thought to "Downsizing" your airplane in retirement? Travel while working for a living is a different endeavor than traveling while retired. While working you are time constrained, but when retired you are not, no need to be back on a certain day, or limited to a defined number of vacation days. Therefore a slower cheaper plane might work as well as your Mooney since speed is no longer the priority. Why not enjoy the journey in something slower and cheaper? Perhaps a rag wing Piper might breathe a little adventure into your retirement travel. They can be had for 1/2 the cost of a Mooney, fly on autogas, parts are readily available and inexpensive. Plus they are stupid simple and cheap to maintain. There is a whole world of grass strips and Fly Inns out there waiting! I'm looking forward to a simpler retirement with a taildragger!

In my younger days I flew night freight in Barons not equipped for ops in icing, no boots, no heated prop, no alcohol, just the standard heated pitot. Furthermore we were REQUIRED to maintain a 95% on time delivery record without consideration for weather, mechanical problems or anything else. Regardless of aircraft or equipment, one must always strive to minimize exposure to actual icing conditions, ice accumulates on the airframe regardless of installed equipment and adversely affects aircraft performance. Even the most capable aircraft can be brought down by extended exposure to heavy icing. Therefore having the proper equipment only buys you a bit of time to escape the ice, aircraft without the proper equipment have a very small window to make an escape. The problem with ice is that no one really knows where it is. Icing is a very fickle and unpredictable enemy. It might ice up an airplane that passed along your route at your altitude 30 minutes ahead of you but not leave a trace on your aircraft. Icing can exist 1000 ft above or below you and not affect your flight at all. Therefore the concept of KNOWN ICE is one used most effectively in court rooms and crash sites. Personally, I would pay serious attention to multiple, recent reports of icing along my route and at my altitude by aircraft of similar or greater performance capability. Light icing reported along my route and altitude by a C172 is a different animal than light icing reported by a B737. The former would not necessarily cause me tremendous heart burn, the latter very likley would. Icing reports over an hour old are not as reliable as those reported within the last hour. Continuous icing reports for an extended period are a problem for sure. The trick to staying alive in icing is the same as any other sort of aviation risk. ALWAYS have an escape plan. For instance, multiple reports of icing along a route and altitude you intend to traverse is less of a threat when the ceilings are well above the MEA and good visibility prevails beneath, the escape is to decend below the clouds and continue. If the freezing level is well above the MEA but the ceilings are below then you may be safe flying at altitudes where ice can be expected, the escape plan is a decent below the freezing level. BUT, if the freezing level is lower than the MEA and low visibility exists from the ground up, you may be setting yourself up for a bad day regardless of the existance of icing reports.

Have a fun and safe trip home!

Thank you TTaylor!

TTaylor: I just checked the Freeflight Systems website and all their ADS-B Out solutions appear to be around $3,000. Where did you see them for $1,900? By the way, the link you provided doesn't seem to work. Thank you.

A partnership gone sour over a maintenance bill is rumored to be the reason for the neglect. It had a fresh engine when it was parked over 10 years ago. About 100 AMUs would make it a very nice plane!

Here it is. After closer inspection, I think it is an F model, but not sure.

Bklott: Very good information concerning the Bonanza V tail line. I found the same info and more which just made the airplane a "Bridge too far" for me. Another problem you may have overlooked that is common through most of the Bonanza and Baron line, is the spar carry through cracks. There is a 500 hour inspection of the structure in the fuselage that carries the loads from the wings. Cracks have developed in this structure in many airplanes and correction requires a very complex and expensive repair. Any airplane with known cracks suffers a significant reduction in value. All that said, the straight tail Bonanza is free from the V tail problems and is a terrific aircraft. The Debonair is the least expensive of the straight tails and similar to vintage Mooneys in acquisition costs. I believe they are still subject to the spar carry through i spection though. Parts are reported to be very expensive for all Beech products.

There is one at my field, I think it is a 201. Been sitting outside untouched for 10 years according to the "old timers". I'm told it is the result of a partnership gone sour, a big fight over a maintenance bill.

Surprised that the Scout does not include GPS? Really? I'm surprised people buy Ipads without GPS. Why do pilots even bother with wifi only Ipads? The GPS on my Ipad works awesome and the accuracy is excellent.

Here is the new Ping Buddy from Uvionix, except it's now called the Foreflight Scout and sold thru Amazon. http://flywithscout.com/

Going to be hard to find the winds blowing your way traveling Westbound. Max didn't have near as much weather info as we have today. I wonder how long he waited in Casablanca for just the right weather?

Steingar: Sorry but you are mistaken on this particular record setting flight. Max Conrad flew a Comanche 180 from Casablanca to El Paso. Same engine as the C model Mooney.

His record from Casablanca to El Paso still stands. Someone with a Mooney could give it a try!

You would probably be money ahead selling your plane and buying a different one with everything installed. A WAAS GPS and an autopilot would likely run close to 30 AMUs. You would never get that back out of your plane, lucky to get 1/2. Here is one that looks good:

Doesn't your "C" have the Brittain wing leveler? If it hasn't been removed, why not fix it and upgrade it to track and hold altitude? Much cheaper than installing a new STEC.

Negative. Easiest solution is an all in one box like the Stratus ESG with WAAS GPS. No worries about getting boxes to play nice with each other.

An autopilot is WAY more useful for IFR than VFR. When IFR you are required to hold assigned headings and altitudes within pretty tight parameters. VFR ops have no such requirements. Imagine flying solid IMC while trying to program the GPS for an ATC assigned re-route or better still, program a new approach at the last minute due to a runway change at the destination. Much easier to do if "george" is holding the heading and altitude for you while you are looking at charts, twisting knobs and punching buttons. If you are a VFR only pilot, I would think the GPS would be more useful. Although, with an Ipad and Foreflight, even the panel mount GPS is outclassed. The Ipad with Foreflight is vastly more useful and much less expensive. Save your money, don't buy either. You may need ADS-B out in a couple of years.