Matt_AZ

Mine is in the same position as @Pasturepilot I think the placement is perfect.

I have a 1977 M20C SN 20-1242. It is definitely an oddball with what seems to be a hybrid C/J of some sorts & seems to cause some confusion at times.

I did pretty much all of my PPL training in my Mooney. Took me about a year in my own plane with a lot of down time fixing & upgrading just to get my PPL. You are limited to the instructor’s time too so any airplane issues that come up, you are stuck. It took me longer than had I just rented or went through a flight school, cost more than a flight school. You may be limited to which plane you buy. I had to find a plane with co-pilot brakes which at the time there was only one, the one I bought. I had to do a lot of upgrades & updates to get it where I wanted it. Going on 3 years now with my Mooney and I’m about to hit 250 hours in it but I lack the experience of flying several different airplanes which you would likely get going through a flight school. It’s doable for sure & now that I’m done I don’t regret it but just plan on everything taking longer than you think & it will be more challenging as an owner. DM me if you want more info.

I have an extra rear seat if you need one. Feel free to shoot me a DM.

I’m out at Deer Valley. Just finished my annual & I’m itching to fly. Shoot me a DM if you want to come check out my 77 M20C & compare the short body. - Matt

For the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to fly because I’m finishing up my annual. For the past few days, there has been an airplane doing circles like I’ve never seen from my home airport. 4.5 hours today circling & this aircraft has been circling the same spot hours at a time for the past few days. It’s strange. Maybe golf related. I couldn’t imagine circling this much. Look it up: N44959 “http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N44959/history/20210525/2052Z/KDVT/KDVT”

I helped with adding my AV-30C as a primary AI. I think we logged about 6 hours but only because we took our time & took care of some other wiring odds & ends. I’d say for and experienced & competent installer, 4-6 hours should cover it. You will also need to factor in another pitot/static test in there too but $8k seems ridiculous.

Gotta love Mooneyspace. Between eBay, Texas Air Salvage & @Shiny moose, I should have a suitable fuel cap. Thanks!

I actually bought the O rings ahead of time in anticipation of replacing them this year. Unfortunately, one of the internal springs is only half there & seems & I haven’t been able to find a replacement spring so my only option is to get a another complete assembly.

I’ll take it.

Found this image online but it’s the same one.

Going through my annual this week & my mechanic says I need a new fuel cap. I called Lasar & they can get one for $4k ... yes - $4,000! Im assuming someone has a spare lying around? matt

Boris is my CFI too. He helped me bring my plane home when I purchased it as a student pilot & Did my instruction through my PPL earlier this year. He knows his stuff.

+1 for KDVT. I live in Scottsdale but I prefer DVT to SDL.

Here you go.

@Super Phreek- I went with a JPI 900 & removed my original from my 1977 M20C. $150 shipped from AZ if you are in the US. matt

I struggled for weeks with a very similar crackling & popping. It ended up being the rear audio/headphone jack rubbing against the foil insulation behind the wall panel. A little electrical & duct tape fixed it. It may be worth looking at if you have exhausted all other possibilities.

When I was looking for my Mooney, I was still a student pilot & struggled to track down a Mooney with the co-pilot brakes. The cost to install was astronomical so I just ended up buying one with the copilot brakes already installed. You may have better luck with finding another DPE as opposed to trying to have the copilot brakes installed.

At 5’5” with short legs, I had to use a booster seat to reach the pedals. The yoke was pretty much at my chest making it an awkward position. I added the 3” extensions on the pilot side (bought from Lasar) & I’m in such a better seating position & much more comfortable sitting further back. The install was pretty simple and straightforward. It did change the brake angle which I prefer but they can be adjusted a bit. The pedal extensions were well worth the cost & I don’t have to worry about flying around with a booster seat anymore.

I recently encountered this same issue. I tracked it down to my stall switch. It may be due to weather changing but a quick check should be able to see if the stall switch is sticking on yours.

If I were a Dr who was also a pilot, I would understand the process. I would print off 2 copies and sign both of them. I’d tell my patient to keep one one hand and put the other in a safe place in case the first was lost. Both would be original, have the original signature and would satisfy the legal requirement. I’m not a Dr but that sure does make a lot of sense.

I put mine right under my gear lever. Luckily I had a few open slots in my panel so it fit perfectly. I’m happy with the placement since it’s front & center. It opened up the co-pilot side for a backup iPad.

@Gary0747 welcome to DVT. It’s only hot here a few months of the year. Last year I was in a covered tie down & this year a hangar. The breeze & wind helps but it’s still hot. Hangars are good for the other 9 months or when you need a cold drink or to fix something.

@Alan Fox - send you a PM

There is a Vinyl that can be wrapped which is fire rated. I’m not sure about availability but should be available in raw materials from boat or auto upholsterers. It can cover old plastics with a modern and clean look but may add a little weight. I posted a pic with the info.