lotsofgadgets

welcome to the club! I had to replace the ignition harness on a dual mag over the holiday. local shop wanted $650 for the part which didn't seem bad except it would take several days for the supplier to build and ship the part. I called around and found one in stock at AERO for $430 and offered to buy/ship it directly to the shop ($61 for Fedex standard overnight). They insisted that their parts department would handle it. Surprise, they marked the part up to $580 and charged $149 for shipping. If I would have ordered the part myself I would still have to pay a 15% markup, but that would still have saved me several hundred dollars. To add insult to injury there was another $100 in shipping charges for 2 single wire clamps, 2 dual wire clamps and 2 baffle plates. They also charged me for 11 hours of labor. They didn't even have to do any diagnosis. I had done all the troubleshooting and identified 2 leads that were arcing causing the rough mag check. The total repair bill was over $1900. This is the last time I use that shop as they obviously don't have any regard for their customers. I understand that aircraft mechanics are not a charity and we do need to pay for their services, but this was borderline fraud.

I'm In

My kids and I rented a 172 from Georges Aviation https://www.georgesaviation.com/ and flew around the whole island of Oahu. I highly recommend them. Georges is located right on HNL so it is very convenient if you are staying in Waikiki. The flight around the island was about 1.5 on the hobbs, this included a landing at Rogers (old Barbers Point NAS) so my son and I could switch seats (we each were able to log PIC and landings in Hawaii). We had their instructor fly with us which really made it easy as he new all the local procedures (freeway departure, vfr position reports as you fly around the island, etc.).

I had the same thoughts, I might buy mine next year for $14.95

Did anyone notice that Sporty's Holiday Ornament this year features our beloved Mooney? http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/2017-sporty-s-christmas-ornament.html

My son uses the "SAFETY" checklist to brief passengers. It is simple to remember and addresses the key points of a passenger briefing Seatbelts The regulations give the pilot in command (PIC) two specific tasks with regard to seat belts and shoulder harnesses. First, the PIC must ensure that each person on board is briefed on how to fasten and unfasten that person’s seat belt and, if installed, shoulder harness. Second is a duty to notify passengers that seat belts must be fastened before the pilot can legally take off, land, or “cause (an aircraft) to be moved on the surface.” It is also a good idea to brief your passengers on how to adjust and lock each seat into position. Air The second major item is environmental controls. Show all passengers where the air vents are located, and tell them how to open and close overhead and/or floor-level vents in their seating area. Many GA airplanes have other environmental controls (e.g., cabin heat) located somewhere on the instrument panel. If passengers are airplane-savvy, show them how to adjust some or all of these controls. Unless passenger have some experience in GA aircraft, though, it may be best to tell them to let you know if they need you to make adjustments. The subject of air brings up a more delicate issue – airsickness. Opinions differ widely on whether, and how, to discuss this topic. Some advocate a direct approach, including a full briefing on location and use of airsickness bags. Others believe that a specific briefing triggers the power of suggestion in potentially queasy passengers, and prefer to avoid the subject entirely. You be the judge, but at a minimum you want passengers to tell you right away if they feel uncomfortable. Fire Extinguisher If you have a fire extinguisher on board – you do, right? – show all passengers where it is located, how to unlatch it from its mount, and how to use it in the unlikely event of a fire. Equipment/Exits Make sure all passengers know how to open the door(s) in the event of an emergency evacuation, but it is also important for them to know how to properly secure the door(s). Be sure to explain any equipment, such as supplemental oxygen, that passengers are expected to use during the flight. For emergency preparation purposes, develop and brief exit procedures. This step is especially important in airplanes with doors on both sides of the fuselage. For example, your plan might call for keeping the left (pilot) seat forward to allow rear seat passen¬gers to exit via the left door, with front seat occupants exiting via the right. Designate a post-exit gathering point and, if you carry survival equipment, make sure everyone knows where it is stowed. Traffic and Talking It never hurts to have extra eyes scanning for traffic, so brief passengers to speak up whenever they spot other aircraft. A simple “airplane on the right” will suffice, but you might teach them to give you traffic information in terms of the “o’clock” positions used by ATC. Expectations for communications – talking – is another good topic to include. Passengers will certainly understand that there are times when the pilot needs to focus fully on flying. Let passengers know that they should not attempt to talk to the pilot (except for traffic point-outs) during the busy takeoff/ climb and approach/landing phases of the flight. Passengers should also minimize their own conversations during these times. Your Questions? Give passengers an opportunity to ask questions about any part of the flight. Since some passengers may be intimidated by the novelty of GA flying or embarrassed to ask “dumb” questions, watch for any signs of confusion or concern. Make a special effort to invite those questions needed to clarify any part of the briefing they did not understand. The question time is a great opportunity to reassure a reluctant rider, or to encourage a potential future pilot’s interest in aviation (stolen from http://www.avi8rix.aero/2014/07/s-a-f-e-ty-briefing/)

My 82J has only stobes on the wingtips and tail, no beacon at all. The tail strobe also doubles as a position light. I wish I had a belly mounted beacon so I didn't have to run the strobes all the time. Maybe when I remove the ADF I can re-purpose the hole in the belly and mount something actually useful in its place.

put it back in "I love Lucy" style ;-)

I wound up getting the control drop shipped from Mooney via the Wilmar, MN MSC. It was about $50 more than the McFarlane custom control, but didn't require a 337 or owner provided parts option. Not surprisingly, the new part is made by McFarlane. Timing was everything, I had already scheduled my first Oil Change on Friday and this happened Tuesday. Mooney had the part at the mechanic by 10AM Friday and I pulled 63Z over for our scheduled 12:30 appointment. It only took an hour to pull the old cable out and get the new one threaded thru the firewall, but it took 2 more hours to get the right clamps to attach the business end to the engine bracket lots of trial and error. We didn't have to resort to custom tools to secure the nuts behind the dash, but it took creative use of a crowsfoot and extension along with a long combination wrench to get the job done. What a difference! the new control is so smooth and precise. On the first flight we could see the EGT rising with each twist of the mixture, with the old cable it was set and check back later.

I don't think this is what is supposed to happen when you pull mixture to cutoff during engine shutdown fortunately this happened on the ground as I was parking the plane.

I'd be happy with just the mounting hardware. My 201 came with a pair of Lasar visors, but the pilot side is missing the bolt/washer/cover. the threads aren't long enough for a self locking nut so it comes loose any time I move it.

I would like to join in the festivities, I've only owned my Mooney for a month but you folks have been invaluable during the purchase process. It will be great to put a face with the usernames. My son and daughter will be joining as well.

24-1285 We will have to get together. I plan to fly into Pompano to go scuba diving

I am finishing up my commercial and plan to do some traveling. I plan to make a few trips to Florida and maybe the Bahamas to do some Scuba diving. My son is about to start college and will be pursuing a professional aviation degree so he plans to gain some experience in a complex aircraft before he has to jump from a Warrior to a Seminole. This plane is a perfect fit for these missions.

I am based in the Minneapolis, MN area. The aircraft is hangered at Flying Cloud Airport (KFCM).

So I finally did it! I am now the proud owner of a 1982 Mooney 201. After renting and club memberships for almost 30 years I finally own my own plane. Now I only have to share with my kids. I haven't flown a Mooney in over 10 years, but it was just like riding a bike. I had a local CFI go up with me for the first couple landings to make sure I didn't do something stupid, but instead I had some of the nicest landing ever. Who say's Mooneys are hard to land. Here's to a long and happy future together.