0TreeLemur

Truer words never spoken...

Shortly after joining MS, while pondering a panel upgrade, I posted a question about what to do with the magnificently large EGT selector switch. This switch, besides being magnificently large, was seemingly the most important thing in the panel of the 1967 C, based on its position, right next to the AH. In reply to my thread, which is linked below, the Dean of Mooneyspace, @carusoam, hit me with this bit of elegant reasoning: I took his advice, and it has proven to be the best advice. Going with a certified primary engine monitor allows you to get rid of SO MUCH old, hard to read, poorly placed instrumentation. I'm happy to see this category. Now if we only had a FAQ section to post the golden nuggets of the Dean's wisdom Nice article on the JPI in the March 2022 edition of P&P Magazine, written by our fellow MS-er @Pasturepilot.

Engine monitor forum!?! Niiice.

Between Meridian (McCain) and Columbus AFB, West-central Alabama sees an enormous amount amount of military flight training with frequent active MOAs. I can't take off IFR from Tuscaloosa and go more than a few miles before being instructed to join an airway to avoid a hot MOA. Fly south towards the coast and the sky is filled with helicopters around Dothan (Cairns). Keep going south and there are AFB's and NAS's everywhere. From here almost any direction presents a good environment to talk on the radio.

Like @Oscar Avalle I too subscribe to the Savvy's service and really value it. When I ask Savvy a question regarding something curious in the data coming off my JPI EDM 900, I always get a thoughtful answer, and topics to discuss with my local A&P and some times an issue that I can troubleshoot myself.

After considering my options, I realize now that my windshield needs re-installation using the correct sealant. I've got a trip coming up Friday, so today I decided on a short term fix. I masked off everything but the old sealant, which is gray, and wiped on a new coat of gray silicone using my finger dipped in soapy water. I pressed it into the cracks in the old stuff as best as I could. The gap shown in the photo I used at the start of this thread is now filled, as are the rest as far as I can tell. Thanks to all for your input.

Yesterday I flew to attend a meeting in Vicksburg, Mississippi. After all these years, this is the first time I've worked for an employer that reimburses for travel by personal aircraft! The forecast had been showing VFR, but the day before the models were predicting low ceilings at my home drome at departure time. Went out with my new Mooney friend and CFII @jwaviator for an instrument proficiency check the evening before. Yesterday morning early took off IFR for a whole 1 minute of actual blasting up through a very thin, dark, 600' overcast layer. Took this photo descending into Vicksburg with nice morning light showing barge traffic approaching the I-20 bridge.

Yes, but. The auto dealer charges $125/h and I don't get to stick my head in their shop, much less help. My dear old A&P IA charges $1200 flat fee for an annual. That probably worked out to about $75/h for his time on my annual. Further, he deducted $200 because I did a lot of the underside work removing belly & inspection panels, lubing, cleaning so he could inspect, etc. Add in some avionics work and new mains bearings and brake hoses, and it was a very reasonable annual. Ok, he spilled some brake fluid. My vehicles don't have the brake fluid reservoir in the cab! I cut him slack because he is an excellent mechanic. At 74 years old, he's still sharp and engaged. He cares. He consults me when he gets to something Mooney specific that he doesn't know or have experience to deal with. He generally does what I ask, its just that he forgot to put down rags. He did get the brakes bled well after struggling with it for a while. That's the most important part. I'm not upset with him and I really appreciate the help I've gotten in this thread. All the input above will help me solve this problem. Finally, I don't mind fixing problems that the FARs let me fix, because my airplane is my hobby.

Puhleez. No!

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the input. We installed the "lightweight" carpet from SCS-Interiors. This carpet has a wear pad installed near the rudder pedals where the pilot's heels rest- that's where most of the fluid seems to have fallen. I hit it with some citrus cleaner this afternoon and sopped up a fair bit of it from the surrounding fabric. I might try @A64Pilot's suggestion of odorless mineral spirits next. Dilution will surely cut down the odor. Failing that, I might give the K2R a try. At least we installed the charcoal grey colored carpet so it doesn't show any stain.

Note to self: stop at truck stop for Ozium.

In 2019 my co-pilot and I redid the interior in our C. All those outgassing fabrics/coverings created a version of "that new airplane smell". Loved it. Got rid of what could best be called "old airplane" odor. Just got plane back from annual. They replaced the brake hoses and bled the brakes. I pointed out the instructions for bleeding brakes in the Mooney in the S&MM. Following @takair's advice I asked them to place a bunch of rags on the floor below the hydraulic reservoir to catch spills. Did not work for unknown reasons. Now the odor of interior of our C smells of what might best be described as diesel exhaust. Dammit. Now I suppose I'm going to have to pull the carpets and have them cleaned. Anybody know of other tricks to eliminate odors from the cabin?

Languages change over the course of a human lifetime if you live long enough. I too have seen "aircrafts" more and more. The first usage I saw started in the writings of non-native English speakers a decades years ago. It seems that this usage is creeping into the common vernacular. The younger generation of writers are taking over. Can't say that I blame non-native speakers for thinking aircraft=singular, aircrafts=plural. That's normally how we do it. From that perspective it might be thought of as a simplification by abandonment of an archaic usage. English is complicated. As @carusoam says, homonyms are one of the tricky bits. Bill Bryson in his great book "The Story of English- our Mother Tongue and How It Got That Way" has a great quote on this that I just love: "Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." English spelling is atrocious. Too bad Daniel Webster's attempt to simplify spelling failed. Spoken English is even worse because we have no hard rules regarding pronunciation of vowels, resulting in strong regional/national accents. On the plus side, we don't rely on gender nearly as much as many other European language, which greatly simplifies things. Exceptions exist. We don't have a good non-gendered plural impersonal pronoun other than "people", "folks" "you all", or "y'all". Disclaimer, in my day job I write for a living, including trying to improve the writing of others.

Some mechanics struggle with proper setup of the electronic magneto. A very knowledgeable mechanic urged me to wait. Great idea in theory though. Surprising there is only one company making them.

A Mooney mate took me to retrieve Lil' Sister from annual today. Topped us both off with go-juice considerably cheaper than at our home drome. Good to have her back!

Drop tanks?

As long as I'm healthy enough to earn a medical, I plan to keep it up. I quit flying because of family/setting/busy for 15 years and didn't really miss it. Now that my kids are out of the house, I have a better job, and live in a place where it is easier to fly (not Wyoming), I am loving owning/maintaining/flying our M20C. It is my passion. If it ever stops being my passion- I'll find another. If it creates financial stress, that is a big negative. Luckily I can afford to own/operate the least expensive Mooney of the M20 series, the "lowly" C.

Fouled plugs can cause that. Do you have an engine monitor? If not, that is the best first upgrade for a Mooney in my opinion. Tells you an awful lot about what's happening under the hood. What model/engine have you in your ship?

That woulda been cool.

Thanks for your reply. My question was more about resisting the static thrust. I'd guess that 800 HP with a four blade prop must be capable of producing at least 3500-4500 lb of static thrust. What resists that? I'd love to see a video of that test...

I wish that guy would move. I'd love to see how that thing was held down....

In a perfect world, based on synthesis of what others with a lot more experience in the business than me have written here. A "12-step" program. 1. Retool manufacturing to reduce labor by 40% Might require use of more composites, elimination of tubular steel frame. 2. Keep the M20 wing 3. Re-design landing gear for more UL 4. Add a ballistic chute option 5. Two base models, one with an IO-360 (J-like) and the other an IO-540 (M-like) Note: I'm a Lycoming fan 6. Sell it with a basic panel with options for glass and AP. The basic model should have just enough panel for an IFR trainer. Stock engine monitor to eliminate all that other stuff. 7. One door is enough 8. Increase cabin width by 1.5" because people are growing wider 9. Factory install fuel bladders 10. Redesign to make the baggage compartment door extend to the floor of the baggage compartment 11. Easy to remove rear seats 12. (interesting but potentially problematic in terms of head space) Rear seats can be installed aft facing What would this cost? How much would Mooney have to sell each base model for to make a few bucks?

Agree with this.

I have ANR power jacks for pilot and co-pilot positions. Switching to LEMO doesn't quite thrill me given that we just paid to put in new audio panel, which included re-wiring all headphone/mic jacks. I think I'll look into another alternative like sending my wife's headset into Headsets Inc. for repair. After years of not having to think/worry about batteries, I'm not going to start doing that now.

After our recent audio panel upgrade I flew with my wife's headset after the earpad on my headset popped off. We have David Clamps with the Headsets, Inc. ANR kit added on. Her headset doesn't sound good at all. Seems "past its prime". Thinking about an upgrade. Our headsets get ANR power from a jack near the headset/mic jacks. No worry about batteries. Can this be done with the A-20? Yeah, I hear "40 hours on a battery", but I don't want to worry about batteries. When one dies in flight there might not be a spare handy. Anyone have an A-20 they don't need anymore? I don't need BT, the audio panel provides that. Thanks -Fred