gitmo234

Well got my squawk. Really small fuel seep in the left wing. No indication on the outside of the wing. He said its very small. I've done my searching here... a really good reseal is 8 AMU (ballpark) and bladders could be more. My initial thought is that I'm okay with a small seep, but need to realize that it puts a few years before I need to either A) patch it to buy a couple years (maybe) or B ) deal with it until it REQUIRES fixing, and look at a total reseal, patches or bladder. Thoughts? EDIT: Of equal importance. My wife is of the opinion that buying an airplane is getting a $10k maintenance bill anyway, and she'd rather know it's coming and where it is and have a well equipped airplane vs returning to the search

This is looking more and more like a "buy". PPI+annual combined is almost complete and a lot of the critical stuff is done. My mechanic is reviewing the logs, I've gotten some commentary from others who have reviewed them, as well as a lot of other input. Verified it's been hangar stored for roughly the last decade (that's a plus), plenty record of routine maintenance (and non routine such as vacuum pump replacement, etc) in between annuals, and it still remains one of those times where things seem to go suspiciously well. Standing by for avionics functionality, engine run up, and a few other benchmarks. Now I just need to figure out the best way to transfer so much money.

I won't be using Einstein insurance ever. During my exam he crossed the line of professionalism enough that others around me who heard him raising his voice/yelling came up to me after and apologized (total strangers), etc. Even got mad at me for ignoring my VOR because I was following instructions given by tower and lost it then. I was a test case for my CFI to see if he could start using him again (I hear a lot of people stopped using him), and the consensus was "no". He would have to pay me for my business and he doesn't have enough for that.

What camera are you using?

The video quality is amazing!

Can any of my fellow pilots local to the southern NJ, northern DE, northern MD, and southern/southeastern PA give me any leads on the costs of a hanger per month? I'm likely picking up a nice Mooney E soon and its a bit too nice to just tie down. Where I'm based the hangars are >$300 a month (last i checked), sold out, with a waiting list. Hard to stomach when I last flew to visit my dad in missouri and the hanger there was < $70 a month.

This may change some. I'm deployed for several more months and as part of the sale I negotiated continued hangar storage and run ups every couple weeks. I played a few lenders off each other and ended up getting the amount I needed unsecured and better than what wings financial could offer (3.74%), so its effectively a cash sale. I can go minimum liability for the first year (or six months), then bump it up to what she deserves after and I'll have more time in type/etc

Good to hear I didnt (and haven't) gone wrong with USAA/Falcon. When I pick up my bird this summer I'll have roughly a 6 hour flight from OK to MD. Taking my CFI there, and I plan on using that as my flight review (due this month), and my transition training/endorsements with some stops along the way for getting some practice. I was a bit babied by a '56 Cessna with johnson bar 40 degree flaps. I couldve been on the moon with a 1 mile final to sea level and dropped to 40 degree flaps and still hit the numbers

(found the company I heard mentioned...airpower insurance). I've also got a quote out through USAA

I'm getting insurance quotes for my purchase (now being inspected). I have ~200 hours but only 2 hours in retractable (it was a mooney). Any recommendations on insurance? I might be going with Wings financial and they require full coverage, vs just paying cash and getting minimal for this year. A few days ago I found someone recommending an insurance company that was particularly good/cheap with low time pilots. I've lost the link and cant remember the name.

Ever have something seem to go so smooth you start to get paranoid? Its happening with me and it happened the last time when I bought my 172. Dont get me wrong, I'm realistic. Old airplanes are gonna have some squawks, some I can live with, some I cannot. The logs check clean and complete. I've thoroughly interrogated the mechanic on the airplane and after asking some questions I'm confident he'd be honest. He mentioned a few really minor things. Its coming due for an annual so I negotiated some terms where the seller paid for the annual. I'm paying for everything done outside the normal annual (pulling extra panels to check for corrosion, borescope of the cylinders, etc). As another user posted, it was previously based at Lancaster and regularly maintained at a Mooney service center there, prior to its sale a few years ago. It's also been hangered for years. I'm not sure what the normal price point is for an M20E as equipped as this one is, but i seem to have gotten an okay buy. Not the deal of the century and not grossly overpaid.

I do. I had a 1956 172 there for a couple of years. Used to fly out of 0w3, even though I live in PA, then switched to 58M. If you ask Roger about "the guy who's deployed" he'll know who you're talking about

Already on my mind. One reason I wanted the visual GPS is its "cheaper" to upgrade to ADSB. Cheaper meaning the southern side of $10k for in and out. Another upgrade I'm interested in is the paint. I'm more of darker color/blue/grey/black kinda guy. Speaking in loose ballpark figures, what does a paint job run?

Once I'm back and settled, it will be at 58M

Other info as advertised: 4550 TT, 1050 TSOH Garmin 430W w/ GS Garmin GMA 340 panel w/ stereo Four-place intercom w/ stereo Apollo SL30 Nav/Com w/ GS King KT76A transponder JPI 450 FF fuel flow monitor JPI EDM 700 engine monitor General Technics CYA-100 Angle-of-Attack indicator Tanis engine pre-heater Fresh Annual: August 2016 Hangared Mooney/Brittain wing leveler SkyTek starter Plane Power alternator Retracting step Johnson bar 3-point shoulder harnesses (front) Modernized panel w/ Nu-Lites Balanced prop Leather seating

Purchase agreement signed so I'll post up pictures. Provided the annual, in-depth records review and any other "pre-buy" inspection I want are okay. This is now mine. I bought it very quick. I've noticed these things moved quick at around this price point and this has exactly what I wanted (as far as avionics goes). Secondly the engine is mid-time and according to the logs is in good shape with no issues. Finally as a bonus, its also cosmetically good. The engine is being run regularly (no idle sitting time) and has nothing showing any leaks in the fuel tanks or oil burn/leaks. I wasn't willing to compromise much on having some sort of visual GPS that is IFR ready, and relatively cheap to incorporate an ADS-B upgrade. I also wanted at minimum a wing level and the other goodies you see. I'm currently deployed but will be home in 60 days. He's agreed to keep it hangered if I split his costs until then. I've been watching for birds with my specific requirements and I'm seeing some C models disappear quick at this price point and almost equally equipped. So when I saw this I jumped on it.

Damn, that's exactly the place it happened too. Good call. I'm just waiting on his approval of the overall purchase agreement, when he approves, I'll sign and send a deposit. Step 2 is write up here and follow-along write ups with the inspection.

I may be announcing a purchase here in this very thread, very soon. Other than say its an E model, I'm not giving away any details yet. I've been on forums before when purchasing and had other members try to undercut or steal my deal with details of the aircraft I posted. Once its under contract (probably tonight). I'll post. I had to post something now though. I'm too excited

Details on avionics or pics of interior?

Please do. I wont be home until summer, then at least $10k of my savings is tied up in the savings deposit program for a bit. I took the proceeds from selling my 172 and dumped into investments for the mooney

I posted another thread about help in selecting models of an older mooney to buy. Now I have a question about buying one at 1000 SMOH or closer to "timed out", for example at 1700 SMOH. I found one that appears to have most everything I'd like, but I'm wondering what makes more sense. Buying one halfway through, or buying one near the end. If I bought the higher hour model, I'd essentially be paying cash, and could milk it for a few years (provided the compression are still good and it's been flown semi-regularly) and then do a top overhaul or complete overhaul. Or just buy one that's halfway and get a decade or more out of it. Opinions? The one i'm looking at is this one: http://www.trade-a-plane.com/search?category_level1=Single+Engine+Piston&make=MOONEY&model=M20F+EXEC+21&listing_id=2168043&s-type=aircraft Again, I'm deployed so no purchases until probably August or September, but I'm keeping an eye on the market and doing research

Mine was last year during a maintenance break in my 172. My voltage regulator had crapped the bed and I was hopping airport to airport from Georgia to Maryland, charging my battery at each stop and eventually i just shut off avionics when I found a way to navigate in clear airspace. My wife and I were sitting at an airport charging our bird and someone came walking around. He was on his way to breakfast and once he found out the situation he offered to take us along. He had a mooney that was fully maxed out. He was the CEO of a corporation I'll leave un-named but he traded Mooney a TON of goods/services in return for an older model completely re-done with a new engine, glass panel, new interior and paint job. He let me take the controls in the air on the way there, we ate and he gave me controls on the way back through some clouds. I'm not IR rated so he watched and said I was flying like a new commercial pilot. I was shocked at the speed and ease of flight. We flew across the state (and into a new one) landed ate and came back in a few hours. It would have taken me forever to do that in my bird. I was also shocked because I'm 6'4" and there was plenty of room for me and my wife sat in the back. No issues.

Do either of you notice a difference in personalities here from POA? Maybe it's just me or I haven't been around this forum long enough but I rarely visit POA. Reminds too much of the FBO that I eventually left. Too many grumpy old pilots and staff that no matter how long I was there or how much I spent or tried to talk to them I was the outsider.

Thanks everyone. The budget for the price of the plane is $60k, the rest I have stashed aside. Taxes, inspection, etc. At first I was interested in a C model because of the speed loss but it doesn't seem to be that much of a difference. I just can't take another 12 hour day cross country in a slow bird. Especially one without an autopilot so I don't have to always, 100% of the time be constantly 200% engaged and making constant adjustments. I can push that back to 99% engaged and save a touch of mental energy Here are two examples I'm looking at: http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1453905/1966-mooney-m20c http://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/1326701/1966-mooney-m20e-super-21 Either one of them, pending an inspection, seem to have everything I need and if there was a way to buy now, I would. Also, I like the boards so far. Big change in attitude compared to others.

Hello everyone! I owned a C172 until last summer. Had it for two years and almost all of my hours are/were in that. I have 2 hours logged in a mooney. I sold my C172 because I was getting deployed. The proceeds from the sell are now in various investments awaiting my return. From my research it seems that a mooney makes sense for me. Same fuel economy, far better speed and slightly better payload. A lot of my trips were long distance my 172 was old, so flying from northern maryland to southern GA was a pain in the ass both literally and figuratively. My budget is up to $60k but I'd like to be lower than that. Here's my general wishlist: ~1000ish or less SMOH engine Visual GPS (430, 650, etc prefer garmin so I can just swap the transponder for $5k or so for ADS-B O/I) ^^ coupled with GS prefered Autopilot Seems reasonable and I've found a lot that was close to it. I wont be buying until next fall but I wanted input from everyone, or things to consider. Cosmetics is a consideration but not a great one. I generally make flights that either 90 minutes one way or >3 hours one way in a 172, with four or five flights a year that are 8 hours or more. 70% of the time its just me, 20% of the time its me and my wife, and another 10% of the time we have a load of luggage, dogs or a guest. We will start having kids soon as well. Any input?