Skates97

Put the plane on jacks, raise the gear and look up in the down lock to make sure it isn't wallowed out as others have suggested. It is also very easy to take the button off and remove the spring and locking mechanism. Clean and lube it. It can get gunked up and not operated smoothly. I would check both of these items before shopping for parts. If the down lock has never been replaced there's a 99% chance it is wallowed out and needs to be replaced.

I'd jump in for the same reason. It wouldn't be the first time I threw some money at something in the market to see if it would stick. Nothing quite like a guaranteed returning customer. Almost like selling software subscriptions.

In addition to that I found that the trim piece around the hat rack opening in my plane was letting in a huge draft which wasn't appreciated by passengers in the winter. There was a gap between that and the plastic shell of the hat rack. I used some duct tape on the back side of the trim piece where it can't be seen to close that gap and the draft was almost eliminated. I didn't have CO issues from there, but something to consider.

I see the same thing. Taxi/runup with the door open and depending on the direction of wind or other aircraft in the runup area it will get in the 30-50 range. Once the door is closed it drops down. I see single digits often in the climb but once in cruise it is 0.

I've never had an issue with a GA plane taxiing toward me with their landing light on. If it was a 737, that might be different. Oh, and the Cirrus guys with their strobes going all the time, that is a bit distracting.

If the tanks were just done make sure they didn't put sealant over the drain holes in the ribs. That can trap water, not letting it drain all the way down to the sump and then it gets jostled around making it to the pickup later in flight. https://www.mooney201.de/files/M20-230A.pdf

My first flight in a Cessna was after I think about 400 hours in our Mooney. We rented on in Maui and took a CFI along. I told him I'd never sat in a Cessna but to just give me speeds and power settings. Two hours later I was coming in to land and when I was where I pull power on the Mooney I pulled the power. He immediately reached over and shoved it back in as I said "sorry, I'm used to my Mooney."

Agree, I love the 900 in my plane.

My wife and I just had this discussion on a flight Saturday. When we put in the GFC500 I didn't add the yaw damper, couldn't justify the extra cost. In cruise I typically stick my foot/boot in between the rudder pedal and side panel to keep it straight and not have to keep constant pressure with my leg. It would be nice to just let the AP do that work. I still might add it one day.

Finally made it up to Half Moon Bay. Shot the approach and broke out at 1,500'. Had a great lunch and took off in VFR conditions to fly the San Francisco Bay.

Are you talking about the clear triangleish plastic behind the light that sticks up above the wing? I might still have it at my hangar from when I put LED's on.

It was @flyingchump but looking at his profile he hasn't been on the site since August 2023.

I bought some three years ago that @flyingchump made and they are great! Smooth as they can be.

I did it with my CFI in the Cherokees when working on my PPL and in my Mooney for transition training. Both times the most startling factor was how much ground you were looking at to keep the nose down enough to maintain airspeed through the turn. In the Mooney I didn't drop the gear until I knew I had the runway made. I verbally brief three points before every takeoff. By saying it out loud, even if nobody is in the plane it is an effort to solidify the plan in my mind in the event I need to employ the plan. "I should be at 60mph or off the ground by xxxx or I pull power and stop on the runway." "Problems immediately after takeoff my best option is xxxx." (Someplace out in front of me.) "Traffic pattern is xxxx, I can make a turn back at xxxx." (Where my turn back altitude is 100' less that TPA) Sometimes the last one is "Traffic pattern is xxxx, by the time I get there I will be too far away to turn back so my best option is xxxx." For example leaving KPSO yesterday with DA just under 10,000 there was no way I would get the altitude needed in the time needed to turn back.

Flew to our place in CO for Labor Day weekend. Mt Humphrey's by Flagstaff High Desert Ship Rock KPSO landing in light rain