Lance Link

As part of a fairly economical panel upgrade I'm going to replace a KMA 24H. I think I've narrowed the choice down to the two audio panels above. Any feedback or opinions that might help me decide which one to choose will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I plan to use a 660 in a panel dock to address just this issue and it seems like it will be the easiest and most economical solution.

I had really good luck with Executive Autopilots at KSAC. Got me in in a week and repaired in two hours.

I have a Sidewinder and it's great.

Excellent report on Executive Autopilots at KSAC they fixed mine today for $500. They were ready and waiting per my appointment.

Glad to see these posts, I learned a few things. My KFC 150 started failing the test a month ago, and the plane goes to Executive Autopilots on Monday. Hopefully the fix will not break the bank.

My seats are a little thin from age, and I use a cushion on the bottom and it does the trick. In addition, you may want to consider sheep skins from Rocky Mountain in San Jose CA. I don't know why these aren't more popular. The 172 I learned in had them and they are fantastic. $500 for a pair.

I've had very good experiences at Top Gun.

Excellent news about the cost of rebuilt ones. Nice to know. I worry about this happening.

I was told $4500 all in here in expensive Northern California.

assuming the seats were left all the way back last flight, do the Hokey Pokey: Put your right foot in, keep your left foot out, stoop and grab the windshield frame handle with your right hand, then left foot in, grab black bar and sit in passenger seat in one smooth elegant movement. To slide over, move your feet then hoist over using the same handholds. Exit in reverse. If teaching a passenger it helps to sing the song.

I made the move after a vast 300 hours or so in dead-simple planes, and now have less than 40 hours in the Mooney. Haven't crashed yet. First, get Don Kaye's landing video. I found the key to landing is keeping the descent attitude solid to 5 - 7' AGL as Don says, then flare. Feels low, but seems to be the magic trick for me anyway. I tried eight planes that I liked on paper, but had to conclude I did not like them in real life. Had resisted Mooneys for what turned out to be bogus reasons, tried them, and it was "hot damn". Like going from a Chevy Malibu to a 911.

I'm in an expensive area, but I pay about $20k per year fixed expenses which includes a hanger, taxes, insurance, subscriptions, $2800 for the annual, some incidentals, and also includes a $7k per year allowance for scheduled and unscheduled work on the plane. (The first year this has been about $5500 so not too bad). Then engine, prop and avionics reserve which I have at $25 per hour combined. I figure around $240 per hour wet for 150 hours per year, $170 per hour wet for 300 hours per year. And, yes, I am bringing in two non-equity partners because soon enough my wife will find out what this machine is truly costing.....

I've been told that the non-certified bulbs make noise but have seen no mention of this on Mooneyspace. Any truth to this?

It is true that the web site is not great. You have to dig and study to get information on it. There is a YouTube video about these units that helps a little. It seems that a 100 amp alternator is a must. Arctic Air claims that log book endorsements are the only things needed for installation, as the units are "portable". I suppose that is up to the A & P that mounts the control panel, runs the wire, and makes the hole in the plane for venting, presumably out the rear bulkhead, or a vent out the bottom. That seems like the biggest alteration. Also, Arctic Air says they will make the smaller, lighter unit with a bigger compressor so one can get most of the best of both worlds of their smaller/bigger units. But I did not explore the precise details of that type of unit when I talked to them. I was told it costs a little more. I got the guy who owns the company on the phone, rather than the woman who answers the phone whom I spoke with the first time around, and he gave me better and more complete information that she did. He was very helpful. This is not the first thing on my improvement list, and I'll see how I endure the coming summer months. But with the studying and thinking about this approach I have done, I do not see a good reason not to go this way. I will be very interested in reports from any and all who explore this equipment further!

Ok now I see GHall's post. Reports are these things work well. Give Arctic Air a call they are very helpful. I may go this route myself.

Check out the Aritic Air real AC. There is a bit to it but it seem similar to what Jerry 5TC says above. I figure about $8k all in for the best 28 volt system.

If you are just doing the seats have you considered sheep skins? Check out Rocky Mountain in San Jose. Cheap easy and they feel great hot or cold.

Thanks, good tips on using the finest grade paper, doing the whole surface and not creating irregularities. I don't plan on doing the windscreen, it's in good shape (may have been replaced), the side windows are just lightly scratched, probably from ham fisted cleaning over the decades. I just did a major detail and cut and polish, and now these small scratches are glaring at me.

Thanks very much everyone. I will give it a try and report back.

Anyone ever use this stuff for light scratches on plexiglass? Does it work well? Is there anything better? And, am I correct in assuming the tint goes all the way through the plastic and I won't grind through it with the abrasive? Thanks!

I just got some from Plane Plastics. They are just fine.

No doubt a big part of the value of someone having you sell their plane, or sell one to them, is that you know how to price them. Private sellers who don't want to pay a broker's fee have to figure that out on their own, without knowing how. And buyers have to figure out how much to offer and pay without knowing values very well. No amount of reading ads will give a person solid knowledge in those areas. I think that because I tried it for a year. If you sell your knowledge about value, no matter how you do it, I have to think it can only hurt your brokerage business, if only slightly. You will be giving buyers and sellers the information they need to cut you out of the process. So in my opinion you should probably sell your knowledge for a fairly high price. Whether a guide is the right way to do that or not I don't know. There are a lot of folks who advertise that they find planes for customers, and they charge thousands, but they don't necessarily know much about Mooneys. Maybe you could go somewhere along those lines. I did not buy my plane from you only because you did not have just what I was looking for. But if you did have the right plane, I would have been comfortable knowing the pricing was probably in the ballpark. I ended up buying from a private party. Did I pay the right price? Hell if I know. But one thing is for sure, if I could have gotten you involved on something of a consulting basis, helping me deal with the sellers who won't pay a broker's fee, I would have done it in a heartbeat, and paid dearly for the service. This approach might not ever be as lucrative as brokering, but it will pick up income that is not available by way of brokering, and might be easier and less hassle in many ways. Just a thought.

Noted Lancecasper! I meant mask the plastic tab, not the plane plastic.

I would mask the plastic, then sand the chrome heavily with 320 grit production paper and spray paint it with Alum-Hide (sp?) paint in your choice of color from the Brownell's gunsmithing catalogue (or some other type of serious epoxy paint). Wear a good respirator the stuff will eat your lungs. It will out last us all. Probably not FAA certified though so there is that.