DMJones

Welcome!

Congrats on the anniversary! I was actually looking at the stuff on the walls in my office the other day, and it caught me off guard how long ago my "initial solo" certificate was dated. How time flies...

In the FWIW department, I'm heading from Georgia to Idaho for the summer on or around June 30th. I wouldn't mind an overnight somewhere halfway. If someone in Kansas, Nebraska, or Wyoming wants to host, I'll stop. Or North Dakota. That works.

Me four. And total agreement on finding a good Mooney instructor. Best money I spent during the entire purchase. And you have your location as "the South." If you're near Atlanta or Ft Rucker, AL, I can let you see mine when I'm making one of my repeated trips back and forth...

I'm also in the "numbers" category. I'm a career military/airline pilot, and my son is following along that path. He's an Army pilot, however, and as such we needed to find a fixed wing aircraft for him in which to build hours. So, we ran the performance and cost numbers on almost everything from Barons to Super Cubs. Mooneys kept rising to the top, and so I found one to sit in, to see if I'd fit (I did, and so did my 6' 4" son), and then I hit the internet sales sites, not really knowing how they flew. Because, as you know, you can't find one to rent. Ended up buying one from All American, who delivered it locally for a PPI. It passed with "flying colors" (pardon the pun), and we both started flying it. Figuring I'd like it ok, I ended up loving it. They are awesome, smooth, fast airplanes. And built like tanks.

Mine quit working a bit ago, slightly different circumstances, but it was the trim switch. For the record, I have an older M20K, but I'd bet the switches may be similar if not the same. I took it to Scotty Collins, Precision Avionics, In Griffin (6A2) and they fixed it. Cheaply...

Exactly what I needed. Thanks, guys.

I did a little searching, and I know I'm supposed to be pulling it and dumping gas on the ramp... But seriously, what is it really doing for me? I usually fly alone, and so haven't been catching the results. My A&P tells me to look for water beads or sediment (haven't found either). I sump each tank every leg (I have long range, so four sumps) and occasionally find a little dirt, but no water. I'm hangared full-time. So, what is the purpose of draining the gascolator? Happy to do it, I just like to know what/why I'm doing things... Sorry if this has bee discussed in here previously, but I couldn't find it. I have a 1984 K 231, if that makes a difference.

When I started looking, I also had a "list of wants" but no real idea on how to get there. So, I'm also going to recommend calling Jimmy Garrison at All American Aircraft. He spent the better part of an hour with me going over the different models and variants, which helped me enormously in picking an aircraft. One of the most illuminating things he shared with me: no one selling an aircraft in this day and age (internet) is selling it in the blind. With Vref and all the various websites, everything for sale from any source is probably going to be within 5-10% of its actual value. If you see something selling for $20k less than market value, there's a reason. And the same is true if you see something selling for $20k more than average. There's a reason... Take your time and buy the seller as much as you buy the airplane. Good luck!

That has GOT to be the BEST pre-landing checklist ever!

I'm a great believer in having two of everything. But I can't take credit for 90% of this setup. Previous owners did most of it, I just found it... :-) If I ever do upgrade, I'll keep one of the 430s. I've been having preliminary chats about moving the JPI to the blank spot, the 430w to the spot where it currently resides, and putting a 750 where the 430s live. But that's a lot of money to replace something that's working really well in the present. I learned to fly with the panel below, so most anything is a vast improvement.

In the FWIW department, your panel looks pretty close to mine. I have a couple 430s, top one is waas. I also installed the Flightstream 210 and a GTX 345 (ADS B in and out). I wander all over the SE in IFR conditions. I have an iPad which can stream the route, traffic, and weather via the 210. I love this setup. Someday I may upgrade to a 750, but with the ADS B and the iPad I'm almost there already. I also have a strike finder, but I stay so far away from the cells it doesn't help much. I do have a good autopilot, KFC 150, so I'm pretty comfortable being around the weather...

Stunning airplane. Really nice work.

I actually decided on a Mooney, because my son needed the flight time, and I wanted to travel. We've only owned it for just over 6 months, and so far I've only wandered around the SE. But we have a home in N Idaho, and that's on the docket for the summer. I fall into the "airline pass" bunch, but the difficulty in finding open seats, and my general irritation with sitting around an airport waiting for that to happen makes the Mooney a viable alternative, even for long distances. So far I've managed to hit about a dozen different airports in all four compass directions... On a related note: I had ADS B installed with my purchase. I've had trouble getting it all to work until yesterday. My avionics installer, Scotty Collins in Griffin, Ga, spent about an hour with me yesterday. I made a stop on the way to get my son from Ft Rucker and bring him home for the weekend. It's all working now! I have both traffic and weather displayed on the Garmin AND the iPad! That's life-changing! ATC offered to vector me around cells, but I was able to pick my own way. Atlanta Approach even let me fly through the Class B, as he knew exactly where I was going based on our mutual radar displays. That, and the fact that I was at 11,000', kept me out of the approach path into Hartsfield... I'm a happy guy.

So sorry to hear of your loss. I still miss my own Dad, who was also my inspiration and hero. My family is praying for yours.

When I was shopping for a Mooney, they were on my list of "wants." But the one I found and liked best didn't have them, and had long-range tanks which complicates the install. So, I've gotten along without them. I have to be honest, I've waited too long to start down a couple of times, but I managed to get the gear out, or went past the field a bit and then doubled back. So, I've learned to live without them, and won't spend the money now to have them. I also learned the "airline way" and have tried to avoid using them in the past and save the gas. But modern airliners won't slow down without them, and modern arrivals sometimes require 2000'/min in the descent, so in the big jets they are now a way of life. In a way, it's pleasant to fly the Mooney in a more "leisurely" fashion and avoid needing them. My $.02...

I've had aftermarket charging wires (lightning) that only worked one way (label up or down). Took me a while to figure it out, but now I routinely plug and unplug a charger if it doesn't work, and it will usually come around...

I'll echo what's already been said. When it's time, you'll know. If the pain outweighs the fear, then it's time to get the surgery. Too many years in the F-15 took a toll on my neck. It got to the point where I couldn't look at the left wing without leaning forward and bending at the waist, and my left arm was numb much of the time. I did some "due diligence" and found a good (make that great) surgeon. He fused three vertebrae and added a plate. Now, no pain and no loss of motion. I could have gone back to work in a couple of days...

The family that lived in the house are close friends of ours. No word what happened yet, but their home is destroyed.

I'm retired AF/ANG. Now in the airlines. Son in the Army Guard flying Blackhawks, and he needed fixed wing time. So we started looking for something, but didn't know what. After a LOT of discussion, I decided I wanted something fast enough to really go somewhere and Mooneys kept popping to the top. I eventually called Jimmy Garrison at All American, and he spent an hour on the phone with me going over different models and capabilities. We ended up finding a nice, low-time 231 that we bought through All American. I took the insurance company's advice and got about 10 hours of dual which was WELL worth it. I now wander all over the country in it and love it. Pictures are worth a thousand words. In the first photo, that's my son flying with his instructor, and me in the back...

I have the new iPad mini, mounted on the yoke with the Ram Mount. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/ps/ipad_mounts/ramipadminiyokekit.php

After researching for a reputable avionics repair shop near me, I decided to wait until Scotty Collins at Precision Avionics could fit me in. He is backed up with work for a good reason. After hearing estimates in the thousands to fix my King KFC150, he and his guys repaired it in-house, while I waited. I couldn't recommend these guys more highly.

Major victory today. I decided to wait until I could get in to see Scotty Collins, Precision Avionics, Griffin, GA. They got right into the aircraft, and spent about four hours trouble-shooting every aspect of the autopilot. After extensive digging around, one of the techs rebuilt the yoke trim switch ON SITE! Re-installed it and it worked like a charm. After hearing estimates in the "several thousands" of dollars, my bill came to $397. Total. Boom. These guys are awesome. It was worth the wait, and worth the trip down there.

My autopilot's inop at the moment (long story, but it's getting fixed). Best alternative is a friend. Take someone along who can hold things straight and level while you take your eyes off of stuff. They don't have to be Chuck Yeager, they just have to be able to hold the wings level!

Congratulations! I use my instrument rating ALL the time. It's much easier to start off IFR and cancel, than the other way around... Yesterday I headed up to TN to pick up a friend, and the ceiling was around 600'. Tops were only 4K. Everyone else was grounded, but not us IFR guys!