1980Mooney

NTSB CAROL (data base) still shows it in the "Preliminary" stage. These things take 1.5-2 years. N9156Z crashed August 7, 2021. Report_CEN21FA360_103651_10_27_2022 9_47_40 AM.pdf Kathryn's Report: Mooney M20M / 257 TLS Bravo, N9156Z: Fatal accident occurred August 07, 2021 in Victoria, Carver County, Minnesota (kathrynsreport.com)

If you have a Mooney with the winglets at KSGR - any later J or modified J, K, Bravo, Ovation, Acclaim or any short body with winglets added they bump you into the larger hangar - A Mooney without winglets wingspan is 35'. With winglets it is 36'-1". The cut-off on hangar size is 35'-8". Winglets are 5" over the allowed wingspan on the smaller hangar and will cost you $104/mo. at Sugar Land. They will bring a tape measure out. There is no negotiation with them. I have argued with them since the hangars were built. And also the Lease says technically that you are not allowed to conduct any maintenance of your plane in the hangar. You are supposed to pay to have then tow it to a maintenance hangar on the west side of the airport. The Sugar Land T-hangars and tie-downs are not full because the prices are so high. I agree that KIWS is a rip off - I was there in the late 90's. It is just a matter of time before KIWS gets redeveloped....like Andrau, Westheimer and Weiser.

The Sugar Land Airport (KSGR) in this video really wants to just cater to corporate, business and commercial aviation. It makes a minimal commitment to non-commercial/non-business aviation like us General Aviation here on MS. They built 99 T-Hangars in 2009 and tore down all the inexpensive T-Hangars on the north side of the field (Ask me how I know!) Hangar rent for a Mooney went from $250/month for the old hangars immediately to $485/month at the time. They started raising rent 2 years later and now the rent is $587/month. - it has been at that for a while so I am bracing for another rent increase. And hangar rules here in Texas are probably as strict or more strict than other states - no modification of hangar of any kind, no heaters, no storage of anything non-aviation, all flammables in flame proof cabinets, no electrical devices on at all when not attended, you provide the liability insurance (airport covers nothing), etc. The airport has no plans to build any more T-hangars for general aviation and no plans to build any more tie down for GA. This has come up several times before in the past 13 years. They will just keep raising rent. All new hangar construction has been for business, commercial and large private use. The City is touting the fact they can get a better return for the City and Residents by using the land for non-aviation use (I think they see it as "diversification"). They will just keep raising GA hangar rent. Quite frankly I don't think they really care if they lose GA activity at KSGR - that will just give them more opportunity to turn the hangars into business/commercial use.

Here is a picture of the right footwell on M20K 25-0762 which had a Mod Works 262 conversion. The fittings look like they are piped and flanged ready to connect to gauge hoses. I wonder if they protrude the same way inside the footwell. BTW @HawkGT - the footwells on your plane in the pic above look shinier than the soft sheen of the aluminum on the firewall. They don't seem to match the original firewall material. They look like they might have been changed by Mod Works with a different material (stainless steel?) and shape/size vs the standard K.

According to the Service Manual early K's (SN 25-0247 to 25-0835) had the 3 holes in the firewall footwell to route hoses for test gauges using an adapter (050006-501) Later K's had an access cover. So it was not modified as a part of the Mod Squad 261 Thunderbird modification. - but they probably needed to use the access to set up the engine after the modification. It is odd that the test gauge access starts with 25-0247. I wonder how they ran the test gauges before 25-0247 ... Perhaps Mod Works 262 and Mod Squad 261 would just punch holes in the firewall footwell on the earlier models. Yours is 25-0280. I don't think there is any reason to do anything with them - just make sure they are sealed well.

That is all part of your Mod Works Thunderbird 261 conversion. You posted the STC on MS back in the spring. It was modified with a Garrett turbocharger (you can see Garrett in your pic). And your other STC matches a TurboPlus intercooler but the ducting looks different. 1980 Mooney M20K 231 for sale (hangar67.com)

Actually that is not true. Bose stopped supporting the Aviation X (A10) headset more than a few years ago. They provide no parts and no support for the "X" - nothing. All they do is offer a discount to buy new A20's. You have to buy salvage headsets, used or knockoff parts or deal with 3rd parties for repairs.

Another benefit from G100UL and the elimination of lead. Spark plugs should only need inspection and not cleaning unless there is excessive carbon fouling. What other IC engine today needs to have that level of intensive spark plug maintenance and cleaning every approx 50 hours? My experience with air cooled lawn motors, pressure washers, etc running unleaded gasoline is that the spark plugs hold up really well and need very little maintenance over many many years.

You are correct. My misinterpretation

I think the OP is looking for a solution with no wires at all. I don’t think a Bluetooth connection for a phone is of any interest to the OP. It sounds like he’s looking for something like the discontinued Lightspeed Zulu. It does not appear that there are any wireless solutions for aviation headsets. edit: the OP is looking for a Bluetooth phone connection. My statement is wrong

These wireless headsets were “so good” that Lightspeed discontinued them. They only sell corded headsets now. https://www.lightspeedaviation.com/product-category/headsets/

Perhaps my point was not clear. I said once it is available in the supply chain then change will happen fast. Some people talk like it will be a 10 year gradual adoption. It will likely be more like a waterfall. Yes I know that some people clung to their Sony Trinitrons long after higher priced digital flat screens appeared. Regarding sales of STC's I bet sales are brisk at Reid-Hillview County Airport (RHV) and San Martin Airport (E16).

Most of the references in this topic are to some kind of radiant, open flame, turbo/bullet or kerosene generally vintage exposed flame type heaters that are portable enough to evade the landlord. Being CB's some Mooney owners were probably thinking of this kind of waste oil burner..... Let's hope you are right.

Once it is available market forces will move fast. 100LL will disappear quickly. I have said it before: AvGas sales nationwide are only about 420,000/gallons per day That sounds robust but there are about 3600 FBO's nationwide That means the average FBO only sells about 116 gallons per day - that is basically two (2) 55 gallon drums The average FBO cannot afford to invest in infrastructure to sell multiple grades of fuel - especially if one is unleaded and totally separate from the other. Another $100,000+ investment for separate tank, truck pumps just to split the sales supporting maybe 50/ gallons per day? If you amortize that over 5 years and add about $5,000/year for Maintenace and insurance that is about $25,000 spread over less than 20,000 gallons 100LL per year. So the FBO adds another $1.25 or more to the cost of 100LL. That makes the cost of 100LL about the same as G100UL - GAME OVER.

The Lead content in used oil easily runs 5,000 - 10,000 PPM. Your FBO must be insane. They are vaporizing the lead into a confined space. That is lawsuit just waiting to happen. Hopefully no lawyers read MS.

I guess I don't understand the point. Don't you put your eyes on everything for corrosion? - interior frame, engine mounting frame, exhaust, control rods, landing gear, prop, internally in wing structures, under the rear seat on the wing spar from spilled corrosive drinks and most easily on the exterior - looking for filiform corrosion creeping from the edges and around rivets. This corrosion in the pics is easy to see - why won't it be spotted in an annual?

The battery board (made of plywood)is only placed in the empennage when servicing the batteries by sliding the battery box down and forward from its perch in the far aft. It is absolutely needed when replacing the battery box by pushing the battery box (sliding it up the ramped board) to the farthest rear location. If there is small interference with the servos but not obstruction of removal of the box, the board might need to be trimmed.

So he spent $100,000 on a panel and it still has a warped glare shield......And it has an iPad on the right for an MFD. Interesting. A 1987 M20K Rocket with 903 hours on the engine (last overhaul was November 2005 - 17 years ago) and " Some of the cylinders are required by AD to be replaced in the next 120 hours."...and only $368,000. And what is all this crap about "After undergoing her conversion by Rocket Engineering, she had speed tips installed, and a single piece belly"? It (a 252) came that way with winglets and one piece belly from the factory in 1987,...unless of course it had an unreported belly landing! Here it was for sale less than 100 hours ago https://www.aircraft.com/aircraft/30203713/n252m-1987-mooney-m20k-252tse You could buy this Rocket with TKS also, newly resealed tanks by Wet WIngologist and only 581 hours on the engine for only $185,000 - and you could spend $80,000 on the panel and still save $100,000 (and still have a warped glare shield like the other!) https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/216891737/1981-mooney-m20k-305-rocket-piston-single-aircraft Delusional.

So are your planes grounded? Grounded until you find a salvage non-hybrid weight or Mooney supplies a replacement? Or do you keep flying and just cross your fingers hoping they don't disintegrate while you are in high speed cruise or turbulent IFR? In addition to the expansion caused by corrosion I would think they would be particularly susceptible to freezing weather especially if parked outside - water getting in the cracks and then expanding as it freezes incrementally flexing the outer metal off with each freeze-thaw cycle. Does anyone have clauses in their insurance policy related to flying with defects identified in SB's? My USAIG is silent on the subject.

True - they are marginally better. But if you have ForeFlight with a ProPlan on an iPad that can communicate with your panel (ie Garmin FlightStream) you get 95%+ of all the same data for a few percent of the cost. And if you generally fly VFR into airports that have approaches you can dial in the approach in the background to provide a flightpath on final as additional vertical and lateral guidance. And your last point highlights the issue. "Modern" meaning "digital" autopilot. And all the boxes need to play well together which isn't a priority or in the interest of Garmin to accommodate all brand combinations. All it takes is $$$ money to get on the Garmin hamster wheel. This is a recent frank reflection - Just ask yourself @Mark89114 How much do you plan to fly and how often might you even use these features. Do you enjoy hand flying the plane or would you prefer to have more and more automation that will fly holds and VFR approaches - (So that you can spend more time to be more of a button pusher) How many $thousands would you pay to save a few minutes with a "simpler database update" How much are you willing to invest knowing that you will only get about 50% back at the time your sell your plane.- an easy 80 AMU? More? And how much are you willing to invest knowing that Garmin is motivated to find a way to entice you to spend an equal amount in the next ten years (ie make you feel like what you have is obsolete - "on the hamster wheel") If the answer is "Yes" - then just get out the checkbook and "see a Garmin Dealer" like the ad says......

I tend to agree with your philosophy. The myriad of new boxes don't give you any greater precision or capability than your 430W. This is not like technology/equipment upgrades of the past going from VOR to LORAN to GPS to WAAS. The new boxes do give you better and bigger graphics, maybe touch screen and depending on your level of current glass in your pane you can get more integration of data. Some boxes may give you more data than is on your current GNS430W but I bet your iPad mini with Foreflight gives you more. It is like art or wine - you can spend and spend incredible amounts to give you just a bit more incremental improvement. I don't think you will get away with spending only 10-17 amu - real costs will be more and the improvement is small. You could drop 80 amu real fast for a nice panel that doesnt make your plane any faster or safer. If you want real improvement, you need to add a new GFC autopilot and wait for an all Garmin suite including with AutoLand. Of course if you make all this investment you will not get your money back when you sell - so it begs the question of how long will you be flying and owning this plane. BTW - I had my GNS430W overhauled by Garmin last year rather than spend mega bucks on a new panel upgrade.

Although it may sound altruistic and give some a warm feeling for Mooney, I suspect Mooney's motive is more selfish. I bet it is driven by the advice of Mooney's lawyers to Mooney management in their desire to avoid liability. Remember that the current CEO is a lawyer. If the elevator of a F model disintegrates in flight for reasons of bad original design, improper materials or flawed original manufacturing and these issues were previously unknown to Mooney at the time of the accident then Mooney has no liability - Zero, None, Zilch. You can thank GARA - The General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 (GARA). Manufacturers have no liability for anything over 18 years old. But if Mooney becomes aware of a potentially dangerous condition (especially multiple instances) that is related to original design, materials or original manufacturing and Mooney takes no action to inform owners then Mooney could be found to be negligent in the event of a failure and accident. So Mooney did all it needed to do - this relieves them of liability. If anything happens it is because the owner did not heed Mooney's warnings to NOT FLY - it will be the fault of the owner because he/she did not ground their plane waiting on Mooney to produce new parts. "NOTE 1: ...... 1.3. If the balance weight is found to be “abnormal” - DO NOT FLY - NOTE 2: If elevator balance weights are the original 430018-1 style, DO NOT FLY ...the balance weights will need to be replaced with new weights developed by Mooney in a later revision of this Service Bulletin"

It most likely broke because your mechanic or helper put all his weight on end of the armrest to lean over or lift themselves up. That is a long lever. I would think it is easily reparable. If the pins are sheared they just need replacement. Where are the other pieces? Did they fall inside the seat back? This diagram is from an R. It was discussed last year.

That raises a good question- @Mark89114 are these 430 or 430W boxes? Garmin stopped doing WAAS upgrades on GNS430 last year. If they are not WAAS units I would junk them.

No they are all in parallel. Planes that were originally 14 v are still 14 v and those that were 28 v are still 28 v. They just have 2 Concord Recombinant XC batteries wired simply in parallel in a box that slides all the way to the back of the tail. They give you a special board that you use temporarily to slide them because of the weight and difficulty getting back there. Ovations have 2 batteries in parallel but have a more sophisticated wiring of the batteries so if one fails the other is still at peak performance I believe. I have never had any problems with the Rocket approach If he roasted even one he needs to replace both batteries with equal strength because of the parallel wiring - he is looking at about $1000 in batteries, new regulator and labor. Probably an easy $2000 total if there are not other problems or damage.