EricJ

Until recently I was using Avare as primary and FltPlan Go as backup, but Avare is going through a developmental shift and the new, supported version is unusable until they get further down the development path (one hopes). So now I'm using iFly as primary, which is actually pretty good, and the legacy Avare as backup. Avare is free and iFly has a pretty reasonable subscription. The new Avarex is multi-platform, so supports android and iOS, and iFly supports both as well. I'm an android guy, so FF and other iOS-only EFBs are not an option for me. FltPlan Go doesn't seem to be getting as much development/support attention since it got bought. These days it seems clunky compared to other options. People do seem to like it for filing, and their integrated data system is pretty nice, but not something I need personally.

Does anybody know what kind of plastic that is? If it's ABS the crack can be welded pretty easily.

A friend had an E model for a long time and for a while the flap master cylinder had a leak with just the right characteristic that when he got close enough to the ground for flare the flaps would leak up on their own. He thought it was great and made for perfect landings, but then had to get it fixed when it got worse enough for them to start coming up earlier than that. He was bummed that he had to get it fixed.

It's nice that somebody is making these, but it looks like it takes up a ton more panel space than needed. The KX99 took up a tiny amout of panel space.

This is also a good illustration of why it's a little tricky to weigh a Mooney. It needs to be in this level configuration to get the CG right, which usually means letting the air out of the nosewheel and shimming up the main gear with plywood or something.

Plaid or paisley might be fun.

There are other EFBs available for iOS, including iFly EFB, which I just started using myself and like so far. My hangar neighbor uses Garmin Pilot and likes it. There are some others as well, so it might be worth looking around at some things other than just FF.

I was thinking, "That's a fancy motor for an M20C!" You should update your profile deets!

I have the usual standard gear warning, plus the 1000-ft and progressive callouts from my IFD, plus my AV-17 Bitchin' Betty that says "Landing Gear" through the audio panel whenever the gear warning horn is going off. I try to not let the gear warning go off, because it is so annoying, so if I don't have the gear down by the time I get a callout from the IFD lower than the 1000-ft call, I consider that a failure. It doesn't happen very often, but it's easy to see how interruptions and unusual approaches can really throw a wrench into things and result in a missed gear extension. While the automation helps, you have to also have some awareness to be extra vigilant if/when the automation fails.

The AD applicability is: This AD applies to all airplane models specified in Table 1 to paragraph (c) of this AD, certificated in any category, having a Garmin GFC 500 Autopilot System that includes an optional GSA 28 pitch trim servo installed per Supplemental Type Certificate No. SA01866WI using Master Drawing List 005-01264-00, Revisions 1 through 76. Mooneys are included in the table. It doesn't mention the optional gain settings, but the updates that bring you that option are essentially required by AD now, or will be in August, anyway.

Bendix King used to make a handheld KX99 radio that they made a cable for with a pin jack that would plug into an adapter switch. When you plugged the handheld in, it switched the antenna to the handheld. I have one of these in my airplane and made a cable with a BNC connected on one end and pin jack on the other to plug into it. I've never used it, and I'm not sure I'd trust it since it's fairly ancient. Since it is mounted, and marked, on the bottom of my panel I can also just reach back and grab the antenna cable and connect it or an extension to the handheld. Anyway, I just mention it because such a switch does exist, but they're hard to find and they're all old.

I had a bunch of imaging done, too, and there was some barium crap or something that tasted like burned chalk that I had to down a zillion gallons of. No fun.

I got the "drink this ten gallons of expensive prescription radium mix/laxative over the next 24 hours" prep, which I wouldn't wish on an enemy. I'm not sure what that stuff was, but it's seriously awful, and the amount they want you to suffer through is...not fun. It's an effective way to discourage people from ever doing that again.

FWIW, this is an AD now: AD 2024-14-03. Updating various software to specified versions achieves compliance.

I'm told it is "the" type of cancer that is really a problem these days, and nobody quite knows why, but it is on the increase. Over history various different types of cancers dominated (e.g., stomach cancer in the early part of the 20th century when packaged/canned foods were coming into common use without any sort of regulatory oversight), and the big one now is colon cancer. It may be because detections have gotten better, I don't know whether that has been factored in the relevant analyses or not. My doc stresses that I get this done because he's had patients with it and, "it's a lousy way to die." Apparently it's a very bad road to go down, so some docs that have been there with patients are pretty firm about testing. For me the main reluctance is the prep. I had it done once and the prep was so awful I don't ever want to have to go through that again. I think if the prep were better more people would do it, and there appears to be a large variance in how prep is done. If you get one of the awful ones, like I did, you really, really don't want to go back. I've had friends that had some simple, easy prep one time, and then awful another, so I don't know why there's a difference or why anyone would want to do the awful kind.

Yes, that's the way to fix that. That's the same thing as the "standoff" nut I mentioned. My only potential suggestion would be to put a thin jam nut on the end of it to keep the cable from turning in it, or maybe some loctite or something.

Yes, leave it be unless there is solid reason to do something. If the leakage is at the rings (by listening through the oil filler tube during a compression test), then there is zero reason to lap valves. It also looks like the compression has been stable for a long time, so if there's no metal in the oil filter or the oil analysis (or not enough to worry about), it's probably fine to just leave it be. When they're like that it's always good to keep an eye on them with oil analysis, borescopes, etc., just to see if the situation changes. A ring flush during the next oil change might help to get some of the compression back. Why do they want to do it? Unless there's a compelling reason to suspect that you have valve guide problems, there's no reason to do this. Do you mean the condensers? If so, then, yes, those should be replaced at mag overhaul, or even at mag iran, imho. They're a wear/failure item. You can do a reasonable job of tube inspection by just loosening the screws around the window sills and sending a borescope down between the interior piece and the outside wall. I've done this a few times and you can get a good representative view of things without taking the panels off if you're worried about that.

Some staining is normal there, as well as other places inside the cowl. I just clean the stains off of mine once a year or so. They don't really do any damage. They're just from exhaust leaks at startup before the pipes get hot enough to expand and seal against each other.

As long as there are humans in the loop, there will be failures. Increased automation helps in many cases, like the automated reminders, etc., but everybody gets to manage their own risks.

If it is the shear pin, there's usually a spare one glued under the flange. If you take the starter off it'll be right underneath the starter.

I think everybody should find what works best for them and do that. It's not practical to think that any one method will be optimal for everybody.

I've never liked GUMPS because I always want to put "gear" where the 'g' is, and that screws it all up, unless you do the Gear, Undercarriage, Make sure the gear is down, Probably should check the gear again...etc., version. So now I used PUFFS, Power, Undercarriage, Fuel, Flaps, Seatbelts. Power includes everything for power settings, prop forward if ready, throttle and mixture where you want them, any turbo controls where you want them, etc. Undercarriage is the gear check. Fuel - best tank, pump set, etc. Flaps - I include both approach wing flaps and cowl flaps here. Seatbelts, can include switches if you want, etc. I just find the flow better and I don't jam my mental gears on 'G' doesn't stand for Gear, plus it has an F for flaps, which can include cowl flaps like you suggest. I agree that that needs to be in there, which is one of the reasons I like this better.

Routinely misinterpreted by people, though.

The 5lb-pull will be a different amount of effort for different trim settings, so setting a consistent trim position for takeoff will make a difference there. I've never found takeoffs in my airplane to be very difficult or complicated, but the steady firm-ish pull is a good technique. I don't always bother to get serious about the pull until about 50 kts or so.

Any avionics installation is expensive, always more than you think, so the closer you can get to what you want in an initial purchase the less $$ you'll have to shell out. The other side of that is that to get exactly what you want, it's better to buy a beater with an old panel and just redo it to what you want, but that's the most expensive way. If you can find something that has a decent working autopilot that will do what you need, that's a good option. The BK Aerocruz is currently available, and a number of them have been installed. They had to go back to recert a bracket issue and are expected to start shipping again soon, but you can buy one now and get an installation via a DER if you don't want to wait. Dynon makes a very nice glass panel system that will support an autopilot that has an excellent reputation, and is expected to reach certification for Mooneys soon. The GFC500 is also an excellent autopilot, and is the most expensive to purchase and install. And +1 to not exclude J models in your search. I was looking for an E when I was shopping, and happened across a J that suited me better than any of the Es I'd looked at. I'm glad that happened.