MBDiagMan

Great information coming from this thread! jetdiven, Don pointed out the alarm light and such. It is to the right of the gear lights. He said that the JPI installation was not legal unless that light is on center or left of center, or words something to that effect.

This is a long story folks, so bear with me. I have a WONDERFUL C model that I thought I would be flying as long as I can continue to get a medical. When I got it, the panel consisted of: 430W with CDI KT76 Transponder KX155 LOC/GS King DME Marker Beacon The plane is 100% corrosion free, new paint, 250 hour SNEW engine and prop when I bought her, about 400 hours now. Tanks recently resealed by Dugosh. The plane has been hangared at Kerrville and taken care of by Dugosh for decades, before I bought her a year and a half ago. I took her to the Avionics shop for a GTX345 about two months ago. While she was there I tripped on the brick steps leading up from the pool and hurt my right shoulder breaking the fall. Turns out there is a benign growth in my shoulder and surgery is imminent. This means the Johnson Bar is out for me for a long time. I have thought about moving to a long body, but would not have given her up for a long body had this shoulder problem not entered the equation. SO...... I am buying a beautiful electric gear F from Don Maxwell that he has been going through. The plane appears to be of the same quality as my C. The panel has a 430 non WAAS and a Garmin 337(non ADS-B.) In the deal, Don agreed to swap the 430W, GTX345 and Card Compass from my C into the F (I think of it as a J since it has 201 cowl and windshield as well as back glass,) and I will take the C there for the swap. I am only about twenty Mooney minutes from Maxwells. Here is where I am asking for opinions and help in thinking this through: the 430W and the card compass are going into the F for sure. The GTX345 is where my dilemma lies. I spent a small fortune to get it into the C and it is fabulous. If I move it to the F and put the 327 in the C how much difference will this make in the marketability and price while I am selling the C? The attached photo is the F panel. Thanks in advance for your opinions, comments nd advice.

Well Paul, what if you put the J windscreen and cowl on an F?

Yeah, push comes to shove I can stow the gear. Getting it down is not too difficult.

I have never considered myself a weakling. Before my shoulder problem I could stow the gear with the best of them. I tried the dip this morning and set my shoulder on fire. At this point it is just too tender. I have had an MRI, a CT scan and two appointments with the sport medicine ortho Doc. There is a growth in there and other problems. There is no solo Mooney flying any time in my near future. I am even at the point of heaving to decide whether to convert it to electric, trade up or get out of the Mooney business. Not the best day of my life.

Thanks for the further responses. I have a very experienced and highly recommended instructor starting with me tomorrow. He flies everything from J3’s to Hawkers and everything in between and has manual gear Mooney time. I finally passed my instrument written and feel fortunate to be flying with him. Before my shoulder problem I had no trouble at all stowing the gear just off the runway at 80 MPH indicated. I then would trim for 105 climbout speed with everything forward. I understand that 105 gives adequate air flow for cooling during the climb.. If I climb out a few hundred feet at 80, I am assuming that I won’t be starving the engine of cooling air.

Well, I have been pulling the gear as soon as I get off the runway at 80MPH with a positive rate of climb, but since my shoulder injury I can’t do that anymore.

Thanks HRM! I assume that you unlock the lever from the dash first, then dip it and push on the lever simultaneously. How much altitude do you usually build before doing it?

I have a shoulder problem that has come up. Since the shoulder issue I flew the Mooney solo once and raising the gear set my shoulder on fire. I have flown with a safety pilot who handled the gear and will fly with an instructor with Johnson Bar experience tomorrow morning. I am able to continue my instrument training in it for now, but solo flight is out until I can manage the gear. A few months ago a nice gentleman flew into our airport in an F. In visiting with him he asked if I had ever learned the Mooney dip. He said that he could push the the gear lever down with two fingers. Is there anyone who can comment or describe how they do it? At this point my thinking is that if I climb several hundred feet at 80MPH, then dip the nose while simultaneously pushing down on the handle it might work. Thanks for any advice, instructions or comments you might offer.

Not your fault Stephen. I should have been paying closer attentions.

Okay I will start working on pictures. Vehicles are in multiple locations.

I don’t know how I missed this thread! I have several older cars. All manual transmissions to go with my manual gear Mooney. No pics at hand right at the moment though. First of all my Mooney shares the hangar with my highly modified 1948 ragwing Cessna 140. She has an O200, alternator, vacuum pump and a custom madE panel with six pack, centerstack, LOC and GS. My common drivers are my 2001 Mercedes SLK320 six speed and my 2006 Mustang GT five speed that I bought new. I only use a truck when I need a truck. It is a 2000 F150 regular cab, short bed, 4x4, V8 five speed. I also have a ‘64 Ford Galaxies Two Door hardtop, 289 V8, three on the tree. Us boys and our toys!:)

I agree DXB. I think the LSA has not been very popular. It has a place for those who want to legally fly on a very limited budget, but even then, an old 150 ampnd the private would seem to be money better spent.

I hate disagreeing again in the same thread, but with the right instructor I just doesn’t see the transition to be a big deal. Five hours, maybe, but with the right instructor I just don’t see how in the world it could be ten.

A few years back an instructor friend of mine took me for a flight in his sons Cirrus. All I did was take off and he gave the plane to the autopilot. It went out to a VOR, turned and went around to a waypoint the other end of the airport and then came in and on short final, he told me it was my airplane and i landed it. His son was a low time private VFR pilot and flew it regularly from Texas to Minnesota on business trips. Yes, the plane is quite impressive and will go lots of places by entering a flight plan and taking off and landing manually, with everything else done for you, but for me that in itself doesn’t take anything away from the pilots skill. The only downside might be that he doesn’t get quality stick and rudder experience when doing this.

I hate to be in disagreement, but I am puzzled when I read claims that a Mooney is hard to fly. Yeah, there is landing gear and a constant speed prop, but it is a tricycle plane that is easy to deal with on the ground. I see the Mooney as being quicker to learn basic flight than the planes I started with. Just my two cents and my opinion, not trying to be difficult. Edit: To add to this, I have read on this forum things about flying a long body. To exemplify what I have read, I have gotten the impression from some posts that it was sort of like; “ well, yeah, you can fly a C, but you REALLY need to get some training before moving to an F or a J.” Well as always I took these comments seriously and was led to the point of expecting an F to be as challenging as landing the space shuttle. This past Thursday a friend of mine took me flying in his beautiful F model. He had flown with me in my C and felt comfortable enough with me that he told me it was my airplane. I flew a hood off approach and flew it to the ground after telling him to take over if he didn’t feel comfortable with my flying or in particular my landing. It surprised me, but I flew it to the runway and landed it. It really didn’t feel much different than my C model. You think I could pull off a shuttle landing?

Does it have 3lectric gear and if so is the gears3t available for sale?

It isn’t an electric gear version is it?

Well, I just got home from the doctor after going over the MRI results with him. It will require surgery. It appears the there is no Johnson Bar Mooney flying in my near future. Anyone in the market for a really nice C Model? A Anyone have a nice electric gear Mooney for sale or trade? Looks as if I will be putt putting around in a Cessna 140 for awhile. Another alternative is my son in laws Baron at about 36 gallons an hour.

What Hank! You mean to say that LESS redneck is a good thing? Seriously though you should fly down for it. The Mid America Flight Museum alone is worth the trip. All his warbirds are airworthy.

Thanks for all the thought and comments! I got in some hood time yesterday with a fellow Mooniac on the field who has a Johnson Bar F. He handled the gear and put me through the paces under the hood. He retired the first of the month from his hospital helicopter job. I thought he would have plenty of time to fly, but he has lots of other commitments. At least when I do fly with him, he handles the gear with no trouble. I go for an MRI Monday and back to doctor Wednesday. I will try to start working on the next step after I see what he thinks. At this point it feels like having a shoulder strong enough to swing the bar is a really long time away. I hate to start over with another Mooney, and expect I will have to sink a lot more money in to get there. If I do it will be a long body for sure.

Thanks Bob! I had forgotten about the brakes. I do not have brakes on the right. Oh well, it was something to consider.

I am sure that not everyone has followed my bad shoulder thread. I hurt my right shoulder and, at least for now, am unable to swing the Johnson Bar without incredible pain in my right shoulder. A hangar neighbor who is an active CFI, and not a Mooney guy, suggested that I simply get comfortable flying from the right seat. The one issue that pops in my head is that flying from the right of a Mooney is more difficult because the panel is closer, making it more difficult to see the flight instruments on the far left while sitting in the right seat. I would appreciate your sharing experience and comments.

I am marking my calander. My hangar backs up to the Mid America flight museum, so I expect to have an open hangar for everyone to visit while at the museum. My wife will be excited about the right seat ready program.

Thanks Mooneymite and blue Highway! I sent a message to Dugosh to see how expensive it would be. That would be a wonderful solution. If I were to start shopping for an electric gear plane I would end up with a J or K. That’s not a bad thing except I would have twice as much money tied up in an airplane and the money tree that is growing down next to the creek is not producing the harvest that it used to.