alextstone

Thank you! I will call them tomorrow. I should have given more information when I made this post as it may be relevant to the problem / solution. The aircraft was in for avionics installations, one of which was the MicroKit LHS. The installer wired the gear warning to the "Gear Down" annunciator. However, when they did the install, they crossed the 24V+ with the gear down leads at the LHS unit. Ever since then, the dimmer functions do not work for either the "Gear Down" (controlled via the Nav Lights switch) and the annunciator panel as a whole (controlled by the dimmer button on the unit). Is it reasonable to suspect that application of 24V to the lead from the gear down lead at the annunciator could have damaged the unit's overall dimmer functionality? I don't want to be "that guy" who blames a shop just because a part fails concurrent with an install but I cannot help but think the two are related....

The annunciator panel dim function on 1995 Mooney Bravo, SN0201, is not working. Everything else does. Does the MS braintrust have any ideas as to what could be the root cause Thanks in Advance, Alex

Thank you

Please educate me as to why "on a Continental"? A history of known problems with Continentals vs Lycomings? Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

^^^This!^^^. A service contract, not a club. Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

I saw the shortage of quality, timely maintenance coming in our area about three years ago. I would rather not go into detail on an online forum but let's just say the overall quality and availability of maintenance was obviously declining and that shortage had become a safety issue. Because I have a personal interest in earning my A&P and I also need access to reliable maintenance (my wife and I are both pilots and we own two aircraft, a Mooney Bravo and a Cherokee 180), I made an agreement to purchase the local maintenance shop. My other motives for doing so were to stabilize the maintenance for my fellow pilot /owners on the field and in the area and to have an outlet for my commitment to lifelong learning upon retirement (coming in the next 5-10 years) Here's a photo of my Bravo in the shop undergoing a little TLC: I have one full time mechanic and three part time mechanics currently working there. Here are some details that one might find helpful if one were to consider a similar path. I have often thought of taking this project "semi-private" in the form of a club but its working so well now that I'm not sure I want to change anything. Costs and Liability: 1. Minimum cost for liability coverage is 10k per year. This will provide adequate coverage for aircraft in your care (up to a point - not adequate for turboprops and jets however) Here is a copy of the quote: 23-24 WBA Renewal Quote.pdf 2. Good Labor is HARD TO FIND. Be prepared to get creative with time off, work hours, whatever it takes to entice the person to consider accepting. The labor cost should equate to about 30-35% of the hourly labor rate. 3. The endeavor should exist in a separate LLC. Time Investment: I devote about 5-10 hours a week managing this business. I often choose to spend more of my time than that functioning as an apprentice mechanic out of personal interest. Personal Maintenance Cost Savings: Labor for my personal aircraft costs me my time only if I do the work and 1/2 of the normal hourly rate if one of the other mechanics gets involved. Parts are about 20% less than you would normally pay through a shop. Is the business profitable? Surprisingly, yes, albeit with tight margins. It takes vigilance and I would not want to earn a living this way but it certainly sustains itself. The goals I set out to address have been met. My aircraft are maintained safely. I have (almost) instant access to well vetted maintenance. I am learning more than I ever imagined. My flying friends also enjoy stable, quality maintenance. The shop sustains itself financially. This course of action is a big commitment. If you are reading this and you want more in-depth details (cost of acquisition, etc) feel free to DM me. Alex

I ordered a new set about three years ago from the factory. They were pricey (no surprise there). Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

Hey Hey, now, I'm a dentist...how do you think I can (barely) afford flying? ;-)

The prototype exists. I've seen it. I wonder how many non refundable deposits for orders it would take to push it to the STC finish line? My WAG is that the mod would cost 60-80k for parts and labor for each install. What do y'all think? Is my WAG in line with your opinion? 15-20 commitments? More? Alex Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

Dang! What a beautiful result!!!

I think I do. Alex 601-470-7092

Bravo, catching that crack in your Bravo exhaust, @BravoWhiskey! Acorn Welding can probably fix that, BTW

Thank you for the PIREP! Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

Yeah, hypothetically...and this photo was AI-generated ;-)

Hmm, by airworthy do you mean, "Would it fly safely"? or "What would the FAA say'? The answer to 1 is : in my opinion, yes The answer to 2 is : Not sure about that. The strip was still attached. The tape held it firmly. Therefore, all parts were still present and in place. Technically, I suppose a ferry permit might have been in order but that's not what I chose to do.

I had one come partially loose while out on a trip to Telluride. I taped it with painters tape and flew home before addressing a fix for it.

I buy a refundable commercial ticket 30 days out for all trips that are time sensitive so I don't have the pressure you are facing now... And I'm instrument rated.

No, that is not how mine or others have been configured. The rudder trim stays. It is used as before and it has to be set for each phase of flight. The correct "switchology" (to my understanding) is to disable the YD as you move from one phase of flight to another, use the rudder trim to center the "ball" (now a triangle on any EAI), then re engage the YD.

Aircraft Hose Store. Send your hoses to them and they will send back new ones in about 5 days. https://aircrafthosestore.com/

My wife showed me these photos from FB before you posted here... We were both were blown away! Beautiful job and great choice!

I agree and that's my plan.

My engine has approximately 1650 hrs SMOH and it has had the cylinders replaced within the last 300 hrs as well as overhauled Turbo and wastegate, engine driven fuel pump, prop governor, mags (of course). I fabricated new baffles a while back from the thicker, stiffer silicone material.

All I can think about when I read your post is: "Ohhhh, wash-rack...fancy! All we have is a five gallon bucket and a sun-damaged hose! (the brush went missing a while back)"

Hi All Bravo owners....I am interested to know how long you (or a previous owner) have run your Bravo's engine before overhaul. Thanks in advance for participating in the poll...