Schllc

The purchase of Mooney has little to do with the certified aircraft. It’s the manufacturing certificate that has the real value. my understanding is that to obtain this from scratch would be a monumental feat, both in time as well as cost. I am not sure comparing a car company to an aircraft company is a valid analogy. I am about as fanatical a mooniac as one could be, but even I realize the airplane in its current form, just isn’t really marketable. But the certificate to manufacture isn’t at all like making an automobile. I’d be willing to bet if Musk had to wait two years and spend Millions just to get permission to build, he would have bought one of those companies in a heartbeat.

Didn’t mean to insinuate that “you” made the claim. mostly just the general impetus behind the movement is based to the fallacy of “green”. most of these initiatives towards efficiency are well intentioned but poorly executed. bureaucrats set arbitrary mandates, the market responds to meet the mandate, but no one evaluates the efficacy of the result. appliances were just the easiest one to use as an example. our washing machines all use 5 gallons less water, cost double, and last 1/5th as long and doesn’t wash the clothes as well! Then they end up in a landfill, the same place all the plastic cars and toxic batteries will go. is that really better than a car with a distributor and points, that anyone can service that last for 40 years, simply because the six new ones that replaced it get 8mpg better?

I see where it’s going, I understand the advantages. I just don’t believe it’s any “greener”, or even better for the environment in aggregate. Like other posters have said, our grid cannot handle the transition, and look at the turnover of cars presently. What would happen with that number of batteries? Its not a fad, but it feels more like virtue signaling than meaningful. get one because it’s fun, because you get a tax break, because you like the tech, etc. But don’t claim it’s better for the environment, until they harness unicorn farts and rainbow power, the jury is still out on that one…

I think where many of these ideas fail is in the myopic approach to the calculation of efficiency. Take for example air conditioners. I own a building that has 10 separate units, each of which is identical in use and size. two of the units until recently were original. The building was built in 1984. The other units have all been replaced between four to eight time each, neither of these units ever required a repair to the closed system. 5-10 years has almost become the service life of air conditioners. Now is the improved efficiency gained as a result of government mandated specifications and refrigerant changes actually caused less of an impact, and a net energy savings, than changing a unit 8 times? This doesn’t count repairs, refrigerant losses etc. Almost everything appliance related (having a hard time thinking of anything made to be serviced long term actually) has become throw away as a result and cars are not far from the same fate. What are the impact of these types of things on EV and how does it factor in? I agree that we are headed in the direction of EV’s but I am dubious of the cumulative “savings” they will provide. The whole carbon argument itself is suspect. Science may indicate warming temperatures, but there is scant evidence codifying that it’s caused by humans. ICE will be around for a LONG time. Only one thing, in my humble opinion, is certain…. if it hasn’t occurred before, relatively soon after the fossil fuels are depleted, battery breakthroughs will be made!

Cause it’s a Toyota. If Toyota announced it was making a plane I’d buy two without knowing what it even looked like or the numbers because it would exceed both of those expectations no matter what they were. And, ten years later I’d probably get more than I paid for both them, regret sellin immediately and buy two more!

I reluctantly agree with the comments about the airframe. I believe it’s also a function of the way our society evolved. We just aren’t producing skilled labor anymore. Kids today are discouraged from using their hands (aside from mobile devices that is), and to what end? Look at any skilled labor industry, and you’ll notice almost everyone competent is in their late 40’s or older. The younger generation isn’t interested in working this way. The automated processes that ares so well suited to composites is an adaptation to lack of capable people as well technological advances. That being said, the value in Mooney is really in the manufacturing certificate. Anyone who did aspire to build planes would be well advised to buy a company that already had the ability to produce something, the revenue stream from supporting the fleet is a bonus(assuming you make a viable product) in cash flow. Cirrus did a masterful job with marketing, creating a sub culture, but most importantly developing a financing and training arm that turned a lot of people who would otherwise never even have flown, into pilots. In the end though, it’s still really about demand

There is a Mooney acclaim with that paint scheme sitting in the factory floor at this moment. I believe it was a testing bed for some things and then was robbed of some parts to complete on of the last certified acclaims. I was told there was too much involved at this time to convert it from experimental to certified for sale…. sniff… sniff…

For the ovation… I always get a roll of painters tape before I start anything, and put about six inchs of protection on the fuselage directly behind the lower cowling. remove top cowling. Then loosen all the locking screws out except for one on each side. spin prop so one lace is perpendicular to the ground. lay on your back underneath in front of nose wheel and free the air intake panel and the small panel on passenger side. go to pilot side and release the one cam lock left so you can access the scat tube that’s connected to the cowling. Hold the cowling in place and release the remaining screws. get on the ground again and be patient and wiggle it free. no real way to describe it in writing, but if you’re patient it will become obvious. this is MUCH easier with two people. most most most important is the tape. You WILL horribly scratch your plane if you don’t. (Ask me how I know) the acclaim is MUCH easier, and even doing it alone is no problem. I can’t speak to the bravo but it looks about as complex as the ovation.

I don’t think that’s the owner. I want to say his name was Andrew, but it definitely wasn’t mark farr.

There is a lonely little ovation at KAPF N505WM. the owner fell into years of arrears with the airport, i spoke to him once when looking, and he was amenable to selling, then went dark, put a brand new engine and prop on it, and didn't pay the shop until they litigated... Anyway, its here, not flying, and moving around the airport as the airport needs to. it has functional avionics, and where is saw the paint compounded it looked like it was salvagable. The interior is very tired, but it needs a home. I can't find the guys contact info, but he owns some sort of avionics business, I think it was in Georgia. you will have to do what i did at the time and trace the registration. Or the folks at the airport may give it to you. I have a feeling they would like to be rid of the plane.... Good Luck!

Personally, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. However, insurance companies may have a different perspective. I’d check to see what that will cost, if you can get someone to provide coverage.

I’m not sure I would go as far as to say negative. I’ve owned two ovations with stecs, and I found them to be capable and intuitive. some here actually prefer because of its independence and ability to use the autopilot with an ahars failure in the g1000. I would say the gfc is a better autopilot with regard to function and stability, and the only impact is has to the plane is value. Most will want the gfc700, if for no other reason, resale. If I were looking I would buy an stec again, as long as it was priced appropriately.

Actually, only two, and the other one isn’t really for sale, and the one really for sale has an stec 55. There are t many left of the few made that haven’t converted to the gfc. Its not your imagination, but for the last five years or so there has seldom been more than two or three listed in the us at a time. Usually the surplus were ones with bad history. they stayed on the market a lot longer though, that’s for sure. you have to buy as is where is to get a good one appropriately priced.

I can tell you that the pilot side door is grossly over rated. the larger size door is nice, and I would have been tickled to just make the existing door the size of the ultra door. It took me months to stop entering from the passenger side after buying. It’s just another set of hardware to break, and another door to leak air and make noise I agree that the money would have been much better spent on increasing UL. My understanding is that all the existing flight data supports more Legal UL, but the pucks can’t take the drop test. Adding 2-300 pounds of UL, a larger passenger door, and better marketing would have been timed perfectly for this run up of GA. It’s real easy to say what should have happened now, but I’m not the only one who thinks the landing gear was where the focus should have been...

I cant argue about the lifespan or reliability of any battery, but what i can attest to is that when they fail, it is almost always immediately and completely. It has been like that in my cars and for the two airplane batteries that failed. Start fine, stop, two hours later go to start, barely enough juice to run the buzzer..... If it were me and they were 5-6 years old, I would absolutely change them, simply because I would prefer to waste a year of use than get stuck somewhere. I don't think either decision would be "wrong", just a preference of the type of inconvenience you find more acceptable.

I understand, the coking issue was caused by the lower breather pipe becoming occluded, not the top pipe. at least that was how it was explained to me.

There are two SB’s which were to address the coming issue, one is regular inspections , the other is a welded modification of the exhaust SB m20-319. this one eliminates the need for recurring inspections.

Pretty much has to be repaired where it is right? I’m not sure that would get a ferry permit, much less anyone willing to try a new fly it.... (Edited to announce sarcasm in above....) naples air center or Rexair, both are crazy busy right now so I don’t envy this guy. probably best to try and get a new wing.

That’ll buff right out.

Slick!

The ultra moved the mfd to the right enough to put the mid continent in the center of the panel. not sure why this couldn’t be done on the acclaim and ovationGX if someone wanted to pay for the panel to be recut. I have had a screen failure in Imc in my ovation. I ended up getting into the right seat to fly and land. It’s visible from the left seat but very uncomfortable to use as a primary.

I’m at Kapf so it may be a little far for me to do right now, but thanks for the generous offer.

Most used piston planes seem to at least keep up with inflation with regard to values, as long as they are maintained and not damaged. They seem to sell pretty close to what you pay for them with adjustments for upgrades or use. If financing isn’t the limitation, I’d say buy the newest , most capable plane you could afford that suits your mission. turbos, require more frequent oil changes and a nominal amount more to maintain, but you’re going faster all the time too so it’s merely a trade off. im in the camp of once you have a turbo you don’t want to go back. I enjoy the options it provides me, and it’s worth the trade off for me. the bravo has really seen values rise since the pandemic. while I haven’t owned one, And only have a few hours in bravos, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one. the ovation is a very capable plane as well and either is a fine choice.

Nothing new to report. I haven’t had an opportunity for another ,one flight. I did check my speeds with the stratus and it checks out so I don’t believe it’s instrumentation. Hoping to fly formation with a friend to see if they can see something hanging out there...