N1994Y

Hey midlifeflyer, I’m from eastern nc. Will be doing the semi retirement thing back there in a few years. I live on 66nc, a private grass strip just east of kinston. Will be definitely be looking for other Mooney nuts once I’m back there.

The pilot buddy has 8,000hrs. Commercial pilot, single engine land and sea, multi land and sea, citation jet, and is our companies pilot for our pc12. N212mf. I have 150 hrs in the mooney, 100 of those being solo, I’m pretty sure I know how to stop it without having brakes on the right side! As far as insurance goes he is on my policy, but who cares, my CFII wasn’t on it. If we crashed I lose my plane, done. It’s not like I’m going to crash into someone’s house all my flight time is over open ocean.

I have a narco 12D and a king kns80 I’d like to replace with something newer. And free up a gauge hole in my panel. Do have an affordable 430 available? Or something similar. Also have a narco 810 as my secondary radio And a narco ADF on the right panel I’d like to replace with a newer radio it could be the same size as the 810 or take up the space of both the 810and adf.

So an update if anyone cares! lol. I have 150hrs in my Mooney, I’m ready to take the written. Took a pilot buddy up for a mock check ride, he thinks I’m ready. I feel ready! Hopefully I won’t fail the written, I really suck at remembering acronyms! And the practice tests, well let’s just say WTF! Asking the same questions in a multitude of different ways just to trip you up! I fly everyday to stay sharp and be completely comfortable in different situations. On to the testing!

So close, I own N1994Y located now in the Virgin Islands

So Jeff left today to go back to Cincinnati area. That was a very grueling 2 weeks! But so worth it. All I have is my solo time written test and check ride, after the last 2 weeks I do believe I can accomplish anything! I’m sure a this rigorous training plan I wanted isn’t for everyone, but I believe with the right people both student and CFII, it’s a sound and great way to do this. I am so comfortable in my bird and was able absorb more and forget less. 75 landings in 2 weeks! 27 hrs of flight time.

Wing tip Wednesday Caribbean version! 85 degrees scattered puffy cotton balls, occasional plane washing clouds. Just living the dream. Jeff bitching about it being to nice!

Hey Dan, Jeff said thanks for allowing him to step in!

Close to the islands isn’t so easy in the Mooney! Unless I’m in slow flight. My island is only 32 square miles, I guess I can do laps!

Has been a few brain overload issues! Lol, not really getting to tired. We’re doing about 3 hours a day in the air. This weekend starts the full moon so we’ll do our day flights followed by some night flights and get that knocked out. Night flying here is really pitch black with nothing but ocean, and I’m not going to fly at night anyway so going to do it with the moon. As far as getting to know my brain, well that’s pretty scary in its own right! Lol. But yeah I know what your saying.

Few more pics this is Anegada British Virgin Islands has a narrow 3,000ft strip to practice on. Did some simulated ifr work, not a fan of that at all! Pretty windy today winds blowing 15-20 and choppy.

Can’t ask for anything better for training grounds! Living the Caribbean dream! Y’all stay warm up there in the states!

Coming into tist

Hi everyone, time for an update! The Mooney master Jeff Schnabel from the Cincinnati area is here on island, we had a great first day training in 1994Y, until we broke it! Well not really. Had an intake gasket go bad, changed them all out on second day. And today had a great training day! Jeff is a fantastic trainer! This is exactly what I needed here! Already have 12 landings down, slow flights, steep turns, touched on vor work, and will do some hood time tomorrow for ifr. Already signed off on complex. There was so many naysayers about training for my ppl in the mooney, but it is the best decision I’ve made. I already knew I loved my bird, but being able to handle it and control it makes me love it even more. Can’t wait to see what is to come for the rest of the 2 weeks Jeff will be here for MOONEY FRIGGIN ZOOM!!

Jeff schnabel is going to come down from Cincinnati, which is going to be perfect, he’s a also a A&P with loads of mooney experience, and no one here has ever worked on one. So he’ll be able to give the bird a look over as well.

Thank you all, for your interaction on this post. I believe I found my CFII! I spoke with 2 very qualified guys, and Jeff has a bit more time to allow for my needs. I’m very excited to start this new year out with a great goal of getting my ppl, and getting to enjoy my bird. September 2017 we were hit with 2 cat 5 hurricanes Irma and Maria, every structure was damaged, every utility pole snapped. A week before the first storm every flight was booked, you couldn’t get off this island! Unless you had your own plane... That will never happen again with the mooney, I’ve been through a lot of hurricanes, but 1 cat 5 let alone 2 in two weeks, I’m done! I’ve been wanting to get back into aviation and those storms tipped the scales for me. Imagine 200+ mph winds and rain in your living room, with you in it. Not fun. A little long winded, sorry. This is the main reason for my post, to get this done before another one of these storms decides to stop by. Updates to come on my progress, we start in February.

Here’s a sunset tonight!

Lmfao! No sinister plot here! Just want to be able to fly in mooney style! And I don’t want it to take years to do it. First off I can’t afford that, and I ain’t getting any younger! Unfortunately or fortunately, I live in a place with few options, so, trying this out!

Yes, I’m aware of the corrosion issues here! Lol, I personally take care of my baby, and have the a&p’s check off everything I do. I open her up every 90days and clean and corrosion x everything. I think my wife may be a little bit jealous of how much attention I give that bird! I’ve even changed all the cotter pins on all the control ends because they were looking a little crunchy.

Not yet, I’m going to call a guy named Dan from one of the first replies, I’ve been waiting to see what and who pops up here!

I agree it will be a hard grind, I would even be satisfied with getting to my solo stamp which my trainer here will do if I show him I can do it in my bird. I can get the rest done here my buddy who is a pilot that flew it home with me has taught me a lot in it but it’s all unloggable time.and he’s a way better pilot than a teacher, plus we’re friends so that can strain a friendship. And he has 3 jobs already, a seaplane gig, a firefighter, and a national guard duty! So his time is limited.

I have thought about and am training in a piper warrior now, but It makes more sense to me anyways to spend the money in my bird even if takes a 100 hours than to rent the piper at 165.00 per hour wet, get my ppl and transition into mine I’ll still be at around 100 hrs but at only the cost of the cfi, not his plane as well. Besides I am more used to mine now, the trainer has even asked me if I’m checking out after take off, and on finals. To which I told him no, I’m paying attention, just sitting here waiting to get to altitude after take off and waiting to land! I’m actually kind of bored in the piper. It’s hard to go from a Ferrari to a VW.

there definatly is a lot more to it! i never used radios before, and nav was compass alone.. but was only ever 50 miles at most from airstrip. the biggest for me is the radio work, and the airports we use here are all international airports, pretty intimidating.. the good news to me is i took a completely un studied for ground school practice test last night, didnt answer any of the trip planning questions or ones requiring a mathmatical equasion to be figured so just the multiple choice questions, got through the test in 15 minutes and got 50% for the whole 60 question test. so a lot of the stuff is still loged in a cavity of my head somewhere!! lol. been doing some flight training in a piper warrior, and having an issue with the slow speed on final and floating a lot with the cross winds. i like my mooney a lot better, in that i fly it to the runway so to speak, 90-91mph, on final bleed the speed and set it down at 70. the warrior is 65/70 on final and setting down around 45/50. i'm just hoping to find someone that can get me proficiant and safe in my bird, the rest will be doable from my end. i have a trainer here now, but he's not comfortable training in my mooney and he wants to rent his plane. but he'll give me my solo stamp for mine if he feels i'm good to go. so thats what i'm trying to do. no need for me to get a ppl, in a warrior, to then get in my mooney un prepaired..