PT20J

The reason it doesn’t do that is probably because the Bendix pressure carbs didn’t do that and the Bendix RSA design is derived from the pressure carbs from the radial engine days.

9.02/8.02 has the fix for the trim runaway which I understand tightens the monitoring of some servo parameters. It seems that 9.15 is primarily to fix some issue specific to Grumman AA-5s, integrate the GI-275 with the G3X, and a few other minor enhancements.

The line from the servo to the flow divider is part of the engine, so if that's the way it came, blame Lycoming. I know that my factory rebuilt IO-360-A3B6 came with that line firesleeved. The M20J transducer from the Mooney factory is firesleeved (item 7 on the drawing Clarence supplied above).

The FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook has a lot general information. https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/instrument_procedures_handbook Keep in mind that the the GFC 500 is coupled to the GTN in most modes and so you have to make sure that you have the GTN set up correctly for the autopilot to do what you want. The GTN Pilot's Guide Navigation chapter has a good explanation of how to set up approaches. The G3X Pilot's Guide AFCS chapter has a good explanation of the GFC 500. Skip

Are you talking about VFR or IFR procedures? It would help to know what PFD you have (G3X, G5, GI 275) and what GPS navigator you have. Skip

It’s pretty simple and doesn’t require disconnecting anything. Just loosen the jam nut on the master cylinder piston rod clevis and rotate the piston rod to adjust the angle. It doesn’t take much because of the geometry, so rotate it maybe one turn at a time checking between adjustments.

Nope. It’s not described in the Service and Maintenance Manual.

This is the switch Mooney used in my 1994 M20J. I like it because the cap is small. Most miniature switches have larger caps.

An Air Force pilot insulting a Naval Aviator? Naw, it would never happen

DC-3s regularly land at Riverside/Flabob (KRIR) for maintenance at Garsa Air. We took the museum DC-3 there for service when we lost a generator at San Diego. The runway is 3190 x 50. We could have made the 2000' turnoff but it was too narrow.

Lots of people have done that. I kept mine because it had other useful annunciations such as Boost Pump, Speed Brakes, Volts (hi/low), Pitot heat and Starter Power. Talk to your installer about what you can eliminate, but I doubt you'd have to keep anything but the gear and speed brake annunciators.

I must be the only one that uses my parking brake. I sometimes park on unlevel ground and use it to prevent rolling until I get chocks under the wheels. I've found the parking brake on both my 1978 J and 1994 J to work really well.

The questions you are asking are more about basic use of navigation systems and autopilots than anything specific to the GFC 500. If I were you, I would buy a couple of hours of dual with an instructor and it should all become clear.

According to the 1E10 TCDS, the N1A and P1A are actual IO-360 variants. These maintenance manuals might be useful for general information, but if there is no maintenance manual for your engine variant, then the proper documentation is the overhaul manual plus the applicable service documents.

Excellent point. I see people often just press a button without verifying that it is the correct button and that it actually took effect. The pros figure out what they want the automation to do, then double check that they have selected the correct button, and then verify that it has taken effect.

How long did they have your airplane?

The source for the “Rules of Engagement” is the AFMS.

Interesting. The one in my 1994 J is rock solid, but I notice that Mooney changed the valve at S/N 24-0764. I'm betting that the fluid is old and thick and needs to be flushed.

Gotta do the post flight run up and leak check. I fly it around to warm it up before the annual to do the compression check hot and drain the oil warm also, although we never could do that at the museum and it didn't seem to make a difference.

I recently did an insurance checkout for a new owner in a really nice 1978 M20J. It was kind of a nostalgia trip since my first Mooney 35 years ago was a 1978 J. Anyway, the seller had mentioned that he didn't trust the parking brake. I've always found the parking brake to be pretty good, so I tried and it worked fine. Until we wanted to taxi, that is. Then the left brake dragged. After half a mile of taxiing and repeated applications it eventually released. I've never had to deal with the intricacies of Mooney brakes, but looking at the IPC it seems that the parking brake valve cuts off fluid return to the reservoir for BOTH master cylinders. So, I'm at a loss to understand why the left brake hung up. Anyone have any ideas? Skip

The preflight is what will save you. People make mistakes. I have a friend that worked at the United Airlines maintenance depot at San Francisco and she has stories that will make your hair stand on end. One tip I picked up was that they made it a rule that no one could set a tool down on the airplane while working on it. This was after numerous incidents of opening inspection panels and finding tools inside the airframe. Try it. It's really hard as the most convenient place to set tools is often the airframe. I always inventory my tools after any maintenance. After maintenance I have found all the screws on the spinner loose on a Beaver, the pitch links on a Schweitzer 300 unsafetied, a throttle control missing a cotter pin, and an inspection plate not reattached and stowed inside the wing on my airplane. I once flew an C-152 aerobat and during a hammerhead, a cleco fell out of a lightening hole in the rear of the wing and got trapped between the aileron and the wing causing a control problem. I don't think a test flight would have found any of these things. Skip

OK, we figured it out. But remember that there are a lot of different Mooneys from carbureted to fuel injected (Lycoming is different than Continental) to turbo. So, please, next time tell us which airplane and engine you have.

This comes up every so often and some make a big deal of it. In reality, thousands of airplanes undergo annual inspection each year without the mechanic flying the airplane afterwards with absolutely no problems. Many great maintainers are not pilots. The airlines don't have the mechanics fly the airplanes after maintenance. I flew for two part 135 operators and the airplanes flew scheduled revenue flights immediately after being returned to service by the maintenance department. The only time a test flight was required -- and this was done by the line pilots, not the mechanics -- was if the controls had been disconnected or a new engine or cylinder installed. Think about it: if you don't trust the mechanic, do you want him or her to crash your airplane? Get a mechanic you trust and do a good preflight and go flying. Skip

There is no such thing as a Lycoming service manual. Traditionally, Lycoming produced an overhaul manual, an operator's manual, and all additional information was contained in service literature (letters, instructions, bulletins). Many, many years ago, the FAA mandated a requirement to create maintenance manuals that included airworthiness limitations. Because of the shear number of products involved, Lycoming got the FAA to delay the requirement. A few years ago, the FAA finally made Lycoming begin creating maintenance manuals, but they are only available for some later models. The only IO-360 maintenance manual that I'm aware of is for an IO-360-N1A. It's probably very similar to what a maintenance manual for an IO-360-A3B6(D) would be if there was one, but there may be differences. I believe that the overhaul manuals must be purchased, perhaps with a subscription.

The ball to the seat. If that doesn't work, there is a procedure to lap the seat I believe.