SantosDumont

If you are looking at Js you could also consider Fs. Many Fs have been modified with the J improvements but you can get them for ~$30k less than a J. However a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Sometimes it might just be worth the money to get the airplane search over with. And you can’t go wrong with a J, its a great first airplane.

I don’t trust the quick drain any further than I can throw it. There are basically two tiny o-rings holding in all of your oil. I’ve thought about just putting a regular drain bolt back in since an oil change where the o-ring failed and the new oil I was pouring in started pouring out. At any rate those o-rings are on my annual list now. Maybe I need to 3D print a cap for it to give me extra peace of mind.

My quote is now up to $14k to install the STEC30 GPSS adapter with the Garmin GNX 375... I think for now Ima just do Tailbeacon for $2k minus $500 ADSB rebate.

The only thing I wish my F had was 6 seats.

Got a quote from Advantage for around $11k to install the 375.

Is the switch the MD41-534 for the KLN89B? Are you sure that will work? It’s my understanding that that only works with the 89B according to the install manual.

Im in Vegas also looking to do the 375 to replace my KLN89B. We should find a place and then trade rides to/from the shop.

The farthest trip I’ve taken for work was 750 miles... I wouldn’t do it again. It is no fun sitting in a hot bumpy airplane for 5 hours. My dispatch range is 200-600 miles. Any closer and I’ll drive, any farther and I’ll ride SWA.

I’m a new pilot, just wondering if there’s something I don’t know.

Every six months? Curious what your reasoning is for that.

I flew back to CA last year to go to my mechanic in KTSP that I trust... but it was a pain in the ass. Luckily I had some friends help me with rides back to Vegas and to pick the plane up again, but I wasn’t able to be involved with my annual at all and I didn’t get my plane back for a month. This year I’m gonna do it locally in my hangar with John Bacon at Boulder City. He’s helped me with a few things like replacing my mags, changing brakes, my fuel pump, etc. I’m more comfortable with him and the plane in my hangar than the other shops in town. If you’re moving to Texas though I second the advice that you just take the plane there.

I have Xplane 11 and a 3 monitor setup. The one thing I wanted to train for was the transition from VMC to IMC during IFR flight, and I just wasn’t getting the experience I wanted with the 3 monitor setup. So I bought an Ocukus Rift. The amazing thing about it is that visually it gives the feel of being in the airplane. One thing that I didn’t expect as the realistic feeling of ballooning when I came in with too much speed to land, that had never translated to the feeling of floating with the 3 monitor setup. The downside to the VR is obviously you can’t use any external tools, Foreflight, charts, etc

I replaced my when I had my first annual... my mechanic pointed out that the date stamped on them was 1967!

22G31? That's like a normal day at KMHV where I learned to fly. I could see how that would be too much for someone who only flies on nice calm days though, and I really wouldn't want to fly in winds any stronger than that.

TFR is only active from 8AM-12PM local: UTC 1500-2000 Daily

My plane has been in the hangar all month because of low temps and I have a zero tolerance policy for icing. The upside is that I’m already halfway to A-list on SWA and it’s only Feb.

Closed for 4 months and $27m? That’s crazy.

Are we only doing CA locations? KHND - Henderson, NV (can easily handle a bajillion Mooneys, but my flight will be all of 3 minutes) KHII - Lake Havasu, AZ KIGM - Kingman, AZ (can also easily handle a bajillion Mooneys, has airplane graveyard) KSGU - St. George, UT KRTS - Reno, NV (home of the Reno Air races) Other CA locations KTSP - Tehachapi, CA (has camping and a great BBQ location [Red House BBQ] right across the street) KMHV - Mojave, CA (plenty of space, no one is ever there on the weekend, plus a 12k ft runway)

After I ripped my finger open on final for the 3rd time, bleeding profusely while trying to land the plane, I decided that the buckle latch had to go. I changed out the pilot side belt with the automotive style belt. http://alphaaviation.com/mooney-m20-a-thru-k-front-fixed-strap/ It is 100x better now.

I just upgraded to the iPhone XR from the 6s. I should have upgraded sooner. It works amazing and Foreflight is actually usable.

I have the inner gear doors on my F with a Johnson bar. I bought the plane with them so I can’t speak to any speed increase. Over 75kts and the gear becomes impossible to stow without doing the Mooney dip.

Mooney was my first airplane after I got my PPL in a 172. Landing a Mooney is like shaving with a straight edge razor... with good technique it is as smooth as a baby’s bottom... with poor technique it gets ugly and bloody real fast.

You didn’t buy an F then... you stole it! Today’s market you could get $65-75k for it.

I don’t think I bought the wrong plane. I just didn’t know what I didn’t know. I hadn’t defined my mission yet. It’s been a great plane for solo XC which is 95% of my mission. I just can’t fit the whole family in there. An A36 would do 100% of my mission and the kiddos would be a lot less cramped. I’ve put over 400 hours on the plane and the experience has been worth every penny. I wasnt experenced enough to have the desire to put my family in the plane before I flew the F everywhere. Honestly if I could find an A36 to partner in I’d buy a share in it and keep the F. Could also live with a share in a 210, but you know, gotta low wing master race. My comment about performance was aimed at OPs mission of flying 4 adults out of a grass strip. $40k doesnt buy much F though. It’s gonna cost $100k to get that $40k F to what a $65k F would be.

I’m pretty sure aerial sausage party is the name of the maneuver that’s required to get four adults through the door of a Mooney. I only have 850 useful load with the conversion. I’ve loaded the F full and tried to climb out of Vegas on at 95F day... not something that I would want to do on a grass strip with obstacles.