MBDiagMan

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.

I am going to a sport medicine orthopedist and hoping for the best. He x rayed yesterday, will MRI Monday and will see me again Wednesday. Since it nvolves no remaining cartilage, I am not sure what he can do.

Well, the avionics shop finished. I picked up the plane very early this morning. Bringing the gear up set my shoulder on fire! This is a very revolting development. This airplane is corrosion free, low time factory engine and prop and now has a 345 transponder to complement the 430W. Now it might be that I can’t fly it. I go for an MRI Monday and back to the orthopedic surgeon Wednesday for a follow up. If I am now unable to fly her, I am not sure where I go next. I am doing pretty well in my retirement, but I hate to deplete retirement funds to upgrade the airplane knowing that inflation looms ahead which will erode my level of effectiveness for my retirement funds. Oh well, I am through crying you the river.

Okay, thanks for the advice and comments. I was going to try the dip at about 80 indicated. Sounds like it might not be a good idea.

I have to pick up the Mooney from the Avionics shop on Tuesday. If I can’t get the gear up, it’s going to be a really long 49NM flight. If I can’t get the gear up when just off the runway as I usually do, I think I will climb straight out and once I get altitude, slow it to 80 and try the Mooney dip. I am not very anxious to try learning it at low altitude.

I took my C about 50 miles away to the avionics shop and am awaiting the call to pick it up. The day after I left it there I hooked my flip flop on the rough edge of the pool steps and fell forward, catching myself on my right hand. It screwed up my right shoulder pretty bad. I have lost cartilage in my old age and am afraid that it might not fully heel. Has anyone else had shoulder problems that gave problems with Johnson bar landing gear? I am not quite sure how this is going to work out long term.