Danny

Thanks so much for the thoughtful responses. My philosophy is that FIKI on a straight-wing, no bleed air airplane is that it’s a tool to fly on days where the forecast and PIREPS would ground a non-TKS airplane, but the actual conditions would allow safe operations. I spent a year of my life flying 208Bs. It was certified, but inflight icing was best treated as an emergency. Climb, descend or turn around, but never just sit there allowing it to accrete. My guess is the M20 wing/airframe allows a little more wriggle room than the ‘van. But it’s something I’d tread into very carefully.

Hello all, I'm based in SW Washington state near PDX. I'll be needing a year round platform that does SoCal with IFR reserves over western state MEAs. (720NM) I'd also be doing the occasional trip to YVR, PSP, GTF, GCN, and the bay area. Just me and the wife. I've been educating myself about the differences between the newer models and was wondering what the hive wisdom is on the sweet spot between the more efficient but slower K-models and something like a 305-horse Rocket. I'm guessing TKS is a must for year round flying. Is it known icing or just for inadvertent encounters? I'm all ears. Thanks!

This seems like a great deal for somebody. Go have the prepurchase done, complete the sale and enjoy a month long shakedown vacation in Europe. You could fly to all the major capitals, enjoy real food and coffee, airlline your spouse home, put on a poopie suit and fly your new airplane home. No long range tanks required. Any proficient IFR pilot can cross the NAT. 20-30 hours behind the motor in Europe should address the risk management aspect of things. You'd probably have to rent an HF. You can legally fly the Blue Spruce routings without one, but you don't want to not be able to communicate in the event of an abnormal or emergency.

Not at all, Eric. It was in a Lear 35. I think it might have been more of a hassle for the FO who was pilot monitoring on that leg. If I recall, he used the hand microphone to communicate with ATC. The TB patient was intubated and all "filtered up" and heavily sedated. The mask and gloves were contingency protection if the tube somehow came out. Regarding your analysis of the Cardiologist's United experience, there's nothing wrong with your assessment of his actions. I don't think anybody wants to silence him. But his actions on social media are damaging to United's reputation and public image. That's his choice, but given that United, a company burning 45 million dollars of cash a day right now, was being extraordinarily generous with their jet, crew, fuel and robust infrastructure, many of us view his actions as selfish and self-serving at the airline's expense. I agree United's announced policy didn't sync up with how that airplane was boarded, but if he didn't think it was safe, he could have deplaned.

He's an MD who the airline is transporting for free so he can do his job. Instead of reaching out to United with his concerns, he choses to make himself a public victim.

This is a difficult decision with a lot of variables. For instance if I was single, I'd be traveling down to the SoCal area about once every 14 days to fly my buddy's Stearman. But right now getting on an airplane exposes my wife to what I consider to be a higher level of risk than I want to take on for what is, as emotionally satisfying as open cockpit acro is, a leisure activity. My decision would be different if the travel was work related. To the OP, here's what I would consider: Make yourself available to your customers. Provide and insist upon the use of gloves, N-95 masks and goggles. (Foggles!) Brief and debrief at a distance, and use the presence of PPE as an opening into a discussion of how we make sound risk management and go/no-go decisions. When you get home, strip in the garage, and get right into the shower. Your contaminated clothes remain in the garage until alter in the week, when you can safely toss them into the machine. No students with risk factors. Flying GA airplanes is inherently dangerous. Doing so during a pandemic is just one more threat you have to manage. I've worn PPE while flying TB patients, it's no big deal. Like any aviating, make sure you focus on the flying. Just like military students have to get used to aviating with a helmet, mask and positive pressure O2, maybe treat the first flight with PPE as just a basic, easy, get-used-to it hop. The USAF called them "dollar rides" and adjusting to that new environment was one of the reasons they're part of the syllabus. Good luck!

Yeah, certainly cause for close diligence and a good borescope. I really hope I can fly whatever I end up with 200-300 hours a year. I haven't put that many hours on the Cub, but it's mission is pretty much pulling closed for touch and go practice. I do take it out for the occasional low level, moving from Houston to the Sierra Nevadas will certainly change my mission there, also.

Not an issue at all. Good clarification, though!

Thank you so much to all of the folks who responded to my questions. I realize the leg length of my primary mission is a bit short for a 231, but it's the other "off-duty" flying I have planned that requires the higher/faster capabilities. I also think the Mooney mixes up with the SFO traffic a little better than something like a Cessna 170 would. I'll keep everybody updated on my progress and decisions as I go, even if it turns out to be a non-Kerrvllle product. Blue Skies!

Myself for the commute, (100nm) SO for pleasure trips. PSP, TRM, PDX, SEA, MMH, GCN, etc.

Ah, I'm a huge advocate of repurchase inspections. Insane that anybody would spend airplane money on the basis of some anonymous person's signature in a logbook.

I know, that price point with a WA overhaul really soothes any objections I might have to the gear up. So, what relationship does the producer price index have to the used airplane market? The thing I like about that K is that for 150-160, I could have exactly the airplane I wanted in terms of equipment, color, etc.

Not rude at all. The budget probably tops out around 200 AMU. The Cub is paid for and the kids are out if the house and in a nice, inexpensive state school. While I'd like to keep the note payment low, I feel like there's a tipping point between having a really nice airplane I don't have to spend money upgrading, and having a lower note where I'm shelling out money every month for the goodies I want. Stormscope, drum altimeter, radar altimeter, new paint, blah, blah, blah.

I own a 1940 J-3 Cub. I have a pretty good smattering of GA experience, a lot of it antiques and tailwheel. Quite a bit instructing. My day job is airline captain. Eighty hours a month in the system, most of it with the autopilot engaged. And the rest trying to fly as if the autopilot were engaged. (To paraphrase Dick Bach) Please don't hold it against me. The more I learn about aviation and the more I practice this art, the more I realize how little I know and how much room for improvement there always is. I just love airplanes and the people who fly them. I would maintain a high degree of instrument currency in a Mooney, but would be very hesitant to fly it at night or in actual IMC unless the risks were very carefully analyzed first. I used to fly a lot of single pilot IMC, but all these years of having at least two of everything have made me a little risk averse. I've had four engine failures in 16,000 hours of flying. (Paradoxically, only one of those was in a single engine airplane!) Real world recency of experience might erode my discomfort. I'm a total novice to complex airplane ownership, most of my decisions involving the Cub concern things like bungee cords, not turbocharger overhauls. I welcome any and all advice you folks feel inclined to provide.

Hi folks, New to the board. I've been searching for the right airplane for my mission which will primarily be a 2000' MSL foothills airport to SFO and return. Although I like Bellanca Vikings and think they're a fantastic value for the money, 150 KTAS just isn't that great for longer trips out west. And if I'm going to feed a 300 horse motor, I'd like something a little bit closer to 200 knots. I find myself self drawn to the M20K. I'm going to go look at this 231: http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1331145/1980-mooney-m20k-231 The price is very nice, and I like the idea of a fresh Western Airways overhaul. I am slightly non-plused about the reason (The obvious one) for that overhaul and propellor replacement. The radios in this jet are also in need of some modernization, so the low price is of course, somewhat offset by that reality. Part of me wonders if I should be looking at a newer, faster Mooney, with the idea being it will be a little easier to get *most* of my AMU's back for whatever airplane comes after. I'm very curious to hear the hive wisdom here. Also, my Mooney time is limited to the old C model with the manual gear. I would love the opportunity to fly a 231. If anybody here is in the Houston or Santa Monica area, I'd love to see your airplane and would be more than happy to pay for the gas, overhaul reserve and treat for lunch if we were to go aviating Sorry if that's too bold, I know it's better to wait for an invite. If you're in Houston, I'm happy to take you out in the J-3 and let you steer. (EYQ)