RonM

I checked my logbook for the Aspen installation. I did not see any mention of an EA 100 adapter. I live in Manhattan and my airplane is at Caldwell N.J. Airport . I won’t be able to go to the airplane until Tuesday. I now worry my KAP 150 gets the attitude info from the mechanical gyro which seems inferior to me.

LanceCasper: Thank you for educating me to that. I will find out. I can't remember the exact cost all those years ago. I don't know now where the autopilot gets the attitude info. If I pull the circuit breaker on the mechanical attitude indicator, and do the auto-test on the KAP 150 auto pilot, and the KAP 150 passes the self test, will that demonstrate that the KAP 150 auto pilot gets the attitude info from the Aspen? (Just as a quick way to make the determination without consulting mechanic or aircraft logbook.)

P20J: I think I’m 99% sure that the Aspen is coupled to the KAP 150 auto pilot. The GPSS (GPS Steering) on the Aspen works with the auto-pilot. I would never get the Aspen and not have it work with the auto-pilot, and my avionics installer does things right. I kept the mechanical AI as a back-up, as I had room on my panel. I got the Aspen I would say like 10+ years ago, pretty much when it first came out. You’re right I should know 100% and I will definitely verify. Thank you so much for your comments.

Gacoon and Vno: Thank you for that advice. I will definitely do the trouble-shooting by pulling the various circuit breakers. I have owned my Mooney 28 years, but I am still learning about my own airplane.

PT20J: Thank you for the comprehensive trouble-shooting instructions. I will absolutely check all that out. Thoughtful commentary and much appreciated.

LanceCasper: I believe the autopilot works off of the Aspen, not the mechanical Bendix King AI. Yes, I have two Aspen units (PFD & MFD) but only 1 has an electronic attitude inidicator - by my choice. I did not go for the electronic attitude indicator for my Aspen MFD - so it is called the Aspen MFD 500, not the MFD 1000. Thanks again for your thoughtful comments.

I would guess, bet, and hope that the autopilot gets it's info. from the Aspen AI - and not the mechanical AI. A good question I can't confirm, but I would imagine. I will find that information out, obviously.

Hmmmm. I may be reporting inaccurately on my own airplane. I bought the Mooney MSE new in 1991. (1997 Missile Conversion.) I had the original Bendix King six-pack instruments that came with the airplane. Some years ago I got the Aspen PFD and MFD. (So two Aspen units.) Only one electronic attitude indicator though. (My Aspen MFD does not have an AI.) They moved my Bendix King mechanical AI over. Then the Bendix King mechanical AI failed some years ago and I got a replacement overhauled Bendix King mechanical AI. I know today when I turned on the Master Switch the mechanical Bendix King AI was dead, but turning the Standby Vac on caused the mechanical Bendix King AI to "boot up" although the nose was a full notch below the horizon. I agree I need a good back up AI for instrument flying. I am willing to replace for a new back-up AI - any type or brand you recommend. I guess you recommend the Dynon electronic AI as a back-up. I will probably get that or a similar unit from another manufacturer. I have the Bendix King KAP 150 Auto pilot and dual Garmin 430w GPS units. In addition to the Aspen PFD and MFD + some original mechanical turn coordinator, airspeed indicator, Altimeter, VSI and the back up mechanical AI. Also I have the Garmin ADS-B transponder, I think the 330X if I am not mistaken. I do not know the AI model # off-hand, although it is the very typical one you would see with the light blue back-ground.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply regarding the avionics cooling unit. Much appreciated. I will investigate that possiblity.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. The bad gyro is a back-up bendix king overhauled attitude indicator. My primary attitude indicator is my Aspen unit. I guess I will replace the bad attitude indicator with a new overhauled attitude indicator? Will that cure the problem?

I never knew my gyro to be going bad, but I guess now it is?

Hi. I just checked. The gyro mechanical attitude indicator did not come on when I turned the Master Switch on. The gyro instrument remained crooked, dead - did not move at all. Then I turned on the standby vac and then that gyro instrument did move and straighten out, and settled in to a one notch nose low but level attitude. Thank U for your response!

Friends and Mooney Colleagues: When I turn the Master Switch on, the sound is abnormally loud. Like as if someone was operating a loud vacuum cleaner or a loud electric motor. (Just trying to describe the sound.) Definitely abnormal sound as I've owned the airplane 28 years. The loud noise did not go away after engine started, so I shut the airplane down, pending the mechanic taking a look. The Standby Vac was off as well as my TKS pump. All switches normal (off) as they should be. Does anyone have a guess what this issue might be? Any comments appreciated.

How about a lower priced, relatively affordable basic mooney but high quality? Become significantly cheaper than Cirrus? Just basic old fashioned quality? Just an idea.

Very sad. This may all be true that Cirrus has kicked Mooney's butt. However, the Acclaim is a beautiful airplane. Personally I would take a new Acclaim over a new Cirrus.

Not a smart move to give the appearance of going out of biz. That would chill sales.

Hi Fellow Mooney enthusiasts. So assuming Mooney is out of biz, will I be able to get parts going forward? I have the 1991 M20J / 1997 Missile Conversion. I am happy with the airplane and would like to fly it for many years more. Any comments appreciated.

I am the original owner of a 1991 MSE / 1997 Missile Conversion. I have owned the airplane 28 years and hope to keep flying it for another 11 years. I hope I can still get parts. Mooney has been out of business before and I have kept flying. I think you will always be able to get what parts U need - but maybe at a very expensive price. Will someone make "after market" parts if necessary? There are still a lot of Mooneys out there. Any commentary welcome. I love my Mooney more than ever - and if it becomes a classic collectible - so be it.

The front windshield (wind-screen) of my Mooney Missile needs replacement. What would be the approximate cost of the new windshield (wind-screen) and how much would it cost to install - approximately? Any comments appreciated.

Thank you, Carusoam. Much appreciated. Yes, last year I consulted CAV and the proposed solution was to overhaul the TKS pump. My mechanic sent the pump to CAV at the annual last year.. My mechanic at the annual, then received and installed the overhauled tks pump, and tested the system and said Yes - all the panels fill out. I have observed all the panels fill out during my monthly exercise of the system, but recently half of the left horizontal stabilizer panel did not fill out. Perhaps I could have ran the system longer. I only gave it about 15 minutes. I will definitely follow up with CAV again, or hopefully the panel will somehow start filling out. I don't like the intermittent problem, because I would want full confidence if I ever need the system in actual icing conditions. Perhaps a filter change would help, as I have never done that? Also thanks all for the helpful comments on this topic. Regards - RonM

Yes, I have been pretty diligent about running the system monthly. Not always, say the airplane was in service, but otherwise Yes. I think from what the guy at CAV said - who overhauled my TKS pump, the panels should not "dry out" so easily if the system has not run for a couple of months or longer - as is commonly believed. However, I most definitely make a point to run the system monthly. Maybe the suggestion to do that while the engine is running is a good one? All the other panels fill out to the end , except the one horizontal stabilizer (on the left side of the airplane.) I guess it is an intermittent problem because I have seen it fill out.

I have a Mooney Missile (Converted M20J to 300 hp airplane). I had a TKS system installed about 15 years ago. All well but in the past few years I have a problem. On one of the horizontal stabilizers, the TKS panel doesn't get wet all the way to the end. Sometimes about 18 inches short, but i just did it in very cold temps and half the horizontal stabilizer did not fill out. I did have the CAV ice protection place in Kansas rebuild the TKS pump a year ago. Yes - I was thrilled to see the TKS panel filling out when I tested it, but the old problem comes back. I have had the repair shop purge the system and they said my panels were filling out all the way. Same thing when I had my annual last year - which was when the re-built tks pump was installed. I have never gotten a filter replacement, but was told my low pressure light is not coming on , so I don't need it. I find it annoying that the one horizontal stabilizer does not always fill out (just on one side). I also wonder what if my other leading edges were free of ice, but the left horizontal stabilizer had partial ice on the leading edge. Would that be a workable situation? I am a very conservative pilot and have rarely used my TKS in actual icing - so i know the system is meant to be used to get out of inadvertent ice encountered. The TKS is not certified into known icing - but that just means I have one tks pump and one alternator. Any commentary appreciated.