Mufflerbearing

I saw an amazing house/hangar there for sale. It looked really appealing.

As mentioned above, the Eagle is a great choice for several reasons. Being the stripped down model, it has the best UL. Having the ability to bring it to the Screaming Eagle with the higher HP STC also allows for the higher fuel capacity. Being the stripped model, it came with simple avionics and most have been upgraded. Mine came with the Screaming Eagle engine upgrade, FIKI, dual wass 430's and has a new set of Aspen 2500 screens and the Stek 55x. I love the set up and being able to run 11.5 gph at 167 KTAS is awesome. I do run it all over the west often running from north Idaho to Utah to western Washington. Perfect, fast, fuel efficient, safe and well optioned unicorn airplane. You wouldn't be sorry. Yes, the Bravo is awesome as well and in many ways better, but keeping the future maintenance expenses at bay helps me sleep well.

I love the Epic. Though it's amazing, it's expensive. The Viper Jet is also amazing and though there are a few for sale cheap, $2000/hr in fuel is discouraging for me. For me, the Screaming Eagle is perfect. Nowhere to really go to.

Is it too much to ask for $3.00/gal 100LL?

That's what I always remember it referring to.

He obviously had a desire to have a bond to his grandad which moved him to find his old airplane. Then after it was found through this great platform, the current owner was willing to part with the plane. Pretty cool. Then crickets. Did he buy this plane? Did he event go out and look at this plane? I find that these family connections are important. I have several exotic cars that I have created great memories with my kids and they want them as part of my estate dispersal. It's not what just what we have, but the memories we create and leave behind. Sometimes these memories are imprinted in things. Kind of like a photo but the feel, smell, and sounds really bring back those good memories.

Whatever happened here? This seemed to be the beginning of a really great story!

As the MAP is at 21" at this altitude, there is no red box to even think about, so there is no issues of what mixture may damage the engine. So, I have played with all kinds of settings and at this setting, it is not any slower than burning 12.5 or 13gph and it keeps the oil clean, so why not? Could I go faster by running more rich say 15 or 16gph, but I'm already flying a fast plane, why burn 3 gph or more to gain 3 knots? Flying 200 hours a year x $6.00/gal (if only, right?) x 3gph = $3600/year in fuel savings but only spending 3 kts x 200 hours = 600 miles divided by 167 TAS =3.59 hours. I can burn that kind of time for that kind of fuel savings.

This!! I run WOT all of the time. I believe this is a more efficient way to run the engine. As a note, I don't go LOP until I am up and in cruise which is usually between 10-12k and MAP is 21" and at this point, with the MAP so low, can't hurt the engine at any mixture level.

Running LOP or ROP is always a great read. I love all of the comments and people's experiences. One thing that is oftentimes overlooked is not just fuel mixture, but the sparkey bolts. My plane really struggled with taxiing and LOP operations were just ok. I took out the Champion massives and checked them out for resistance. 10 failed out of 12 and 3 were open resistance. Not sure how this plane ever ran with these horrible plugs. I then changed out to Tempest fine wire plugs on top and bottom and just that fast, no more issues with taxiing, hot starts are a cinch and LOP is 11.5 GPH at 167 TAS at 11,000' (having FIKI is a speed penalty) Clean oil at changes and cooler temps. What exactly is the downside? Next up is the installation of electronic ignition.

Years ago, we purchased a bunch of Halon fire extinguishers for track duty. Mostly because it's not caustic and will not damage the cars computers or wiring. After one car fire where the Halon was used, the on site medics had me hang upside down for a time to get the halon out of my lungs. It's heavier than air and when inhaled, settles low in the lungs. Heavy breathing upside down expels the halon easily. Here is the point. If this is not done, a person has heart attack symptoms in 10 days. It's not a heart attack, just halon poisoning that can be easily treated if the doctors know that halon was inhaled. Important to be treated for the right thing when time counts.

Stay away from Coeur 'd Alene Maintenance and Aviation. Wise Aircraft Maintenance in Kellogg does all the work on my plane. Dustin Wise is thorough and reasonable. I'm close by, how can I help?

Brian, I would have lent you my rigging tools and the torque wrench. We need to go flying!

The op had some interesting thoughts. One of which I picked up on was his desire to enjoy flying a such or such plane. He doesn't like the Cessna's as they are what he trained in and with his experience, wants something else. He mentioned Cirrus but we all know that the Mooney is superior in every way. That really leaves him the Mooney and with a long legacy of planes and there are those that fit his mission perfectly. I would suggest a nice F would fit him nicely. As far as landing a short distance, with practice and his attention to speed, this shouldn't be a problem even with a long body. A Cessna may fit part of his mission, but if flying it leaves him wanting more or dissatisfied, that is a kind of hell I would personally rather not be in. Go Mooney!

When it came down to buying a plane for me, I didn't and wouldn't look at a plane without FIKI. It was the right choice for me, I paid more for it for a comparable non TKS plane and I use it all of the time.

I have found that by just opening the oil filler when the engine is hot, lets out all of the steam. Simple and works.

Buying things locally is where I go first for all things. Then if I can't find something I want or need, then I will look elsewhere. Buying locally creates a relationship you will never have with a computer.

Looking for a plane after identifying it is such a fun part of the process. Identifying specifically what you are looking for is the most important part of this process. Once you know what unicorn you are looking for, then you can pounce.

Using TPMS on our tires would be an interesting discovery to see how much the pressure changes at altitude in our tires.

There has to be a reasonable delta between your used vacuum SB and new electric brakes. I would want the weight savings of not having a dedicated vacuum pump system just for one thing that can be swapped out for electrics. I removed my vacuum system recently and don't miss is for one second. Sadly, I disposed of my vacuum pumps. I would have gladly given them to you.

Keeping the wife happy is super important. The Bravo is an amazing airplane and if not for the screaming eagle, that would be my next choice. Tons of room which sounds like she would like.

I have not thought about this DVT issue. I usually use electric heated socks because feet get cold!!

I have an EZ 40 tug with the dual tire kit. It's amazing in snow and ice, easy to hook up and with the electric start, couldn't be simpler. I also have the sidewinder. For the rest of the year, it's my go to tug. Simple to use, a little more involved to get it attached, but still super simple and easy. It does struggle a tad on up hill with the mooney full of fuel but it gets it done.

This just came up, the car shipping company that caught fire and sunk with a lot of Porsches, VWs, some Lambos and Bentleys, has made an announcement. They will no longer ship cars that are battery driven. They are blaming this fire on the full electric cars it was hauling. This will put a kink in the delivery of these cars world wide. Is this battery technology really something we want in our planes? A fire that cannot be put out? As an option, I would prefer to see ICE engines run by Hydrogen than battery cars/planes. There is more hydrogen in the galaxy than any other element. Now just to capture/manufacture it on board. It's only byproduct is H2O.

Truth be told, I have never flown another Mooney than my Screaming Eagle. I love the simple engine management, ease of flight, it's speed and UL etc. etc. etc. I thought of looking at a different plane, ie viper jet, Bravo, but always come back to how much I love my Eagle. For me, nothing else compares.