1980Mooney

You are mixing up "Grade" with "Octane". AVGAS 100LL and AVGAS 100 are "grades" of leaded (TEL) aviation gasoline that both have ASTM Octane ratings of 100/130 (lean mixture rating and rich mixture rating). AVGAS 100 has twice the TEL as AVGAS 100LL. As a result, AVGAS 100 was phased out and is no longer sold. Your Mooney M20R TCDS is only certified for leaded grades of aviation gasoline with a minimum Grade of AVGAS 100LL and AVGAS 100. Historically in addition to AVGAS 100 (Green color) there was AVGAS 115/145 grade that had no limit on lead content (Purple color). It was used primarily by the military before jets took over but is still used in aviation racing engines today. (Warter Aviation) f Absolutely correct. The TCDS for your M20F states "100LL or 100/130 octane min. grade aviation gasoline". G100UL is not rated 100/130 per the ASTM D910 lean mixture rating and rich mixture rating. GAMI certified G100UL as 99.6 MON. I suspect they did it intentionally. You need an STC.

I assume, since you are buying this on eBay by eBay rules that this "pre-buy inspection" is a "go/no-go" inspection. As they said in the description "Full payment can be delayed until after a satisfactory pre-buy inspection if desired (to be paid for by the buyer). Per normal eBay rules the Seller cannot agree to a lower price regardless of what the "high bidder" claims that the Pre-Buy finds. The "high bidder" has to either accept or withdraw. It then goes to the next highest bidder. If the Seller drops the price below the "accepted high bid" for any reason the other Bidders will cry foul and get eBay to intervene. Some buyers try to use the Pre-buy Inspection to try to renegotiate the agreed upon price (which doesn't work in this market). Others think the Pre-buy Inspection should simply be a confirmation of what was advertised and agreed upon. The "Discrepancies List" is like art - one person thinks it is meaningful while another may think it is garbage (i.e. cosmetic, nit picking, not material, window dressing, etc). After all an AI has just signed off that the plane is Airworthy. However the Pre-Buy Inspection may give you good reason to disagree - and good reason to walk away. That is the normal purpose of the PreBuy Inspection.

MS24693C271 - Screw - Structural Machine - 100 degree Countersunk - Cross Recessed - 10-32 x 7/16 - Fully Threaded - Stainless Steel (alt part # AN507C1032R7) Looks like they are 7/16 inch long.

Look at 57-30-00 page 2 (page 727 in the manual). I think they are an507c1032r7. @M20Doc also confirmed this back in 2017 here on MS - see the 6th comment. BTW the M20J Parts Manual should also be in the MS Download section but I can't find it. I forgot to add Vol 1 of the Service Manual in the previous post http://mooney.free.fr/Manuels M20J/M20J/Mooney Service Manuel M20J Vol. 1 of 2.pdf

http://mooney.free.fr/Manuels M20J/M20J/Mooney M20J Illustrated Parts Catalog.pdf https://www.scribd.com/document/328319136/Mooney-Service-Manuel-M20J-Vol-2-of-2 This has the electrical schematics. Just create an account to download - it is free

Spot on. @Djpayne07 If you are buying a C Corp then you need to do due diligence on the Corporation. You are "stepping into the shoes" of the prior owner. You are acquiring the assets and all the liabilities (both on and off the balance) since its inception. If, in the future, there is any claim for anything that is claimed to have happened prior to your ownership of the stock of the company, the company will have to defend itself. Remember you don't own the plane, you own the stock in the C Corp. Why own a plane in a C Corp? First think about how you will set it up - How will you fly a plane that you don't personally own. I assume that you will lease the plane from the C-Corp when you want to fly Pros Liability for any claim is limited to the C-Corp (it protects you the owner of the stock in the C corp from a lawsuit related to the plane in the C-Corp) If there is a lawsuit or claim against the C-Corp the most a party can get is the plane and any cash you put into the company Cons Double taxation if your sell the plane in an asset sale (First the C Corp pays sales tax locally on the sale and then income tax on any gain and Then when the C Corp dividends the proceeds of the sale out to you (the shareholder) then you pay income tax individually on dividends received (i.e. what's left after the C-Corp pays its income taxes on any gain in sale). Everything you do as an individual is at arms length and must be recorded - you will pay hourly rental Bookkeeping I assume you will be the sole Officer of the C-Corp so, in the event of a claim (i.e. accident) you will be sued personally as a company officer (the C Corp will need to buy Directors and Officers Insurance) And, in the event of a claim (i.e. accident) since you will be flying and the PIC then you will still be sued personally for damages outside the C-Corp. Two insurance policies for the plane will be required - The C Corp will need Liability and Hull and you personally will need to buy Liability And if there is any claim for anything from the past period of ownership - How will the company be able to defend itself? The Company has no assets other than the Airplane. Since the C Corp has no funds then how will the C Corp be able to hire tax accountants and lawyers in order to defend itself? You, as the Sole Owner of the Stock of the C Corp, will need to either loan the C Corp some cash or buy more stock in the C Corp in order to infuse it with cash I assume that you will be the sole Officer and not an employee of the C Corp but you will be doing all the leg work You are not an employee because the C -Corp is not paying you It will be your cash and your time/effort consumed to defend or settle any claim that arises from the past since the inception of the C Corp. What types of claims or off balance sheet liabilities might arise after you buy the stock? This could be any claim by a government entity, another company or an individual for anything that happened in the past Improper filings, not paying taxes - Federal, local, property, sales and use etc, Audit and challenge of past years taxes by IRS Claims for unpaid hangar, fuel or maintenance charges Claimed injury or damage during a flight that occurred during the past ownership Claims of Transporting contraband in the past (you may beat the criminal rap personally but the C-corp will need to defend you by spending your money that you need to put into the C-Corp for lawyers) And the plane could be impounded even though it did not occur when you owned the stock in the C Corp OK - So how do you protect yourself in the Acquisition of the C-Corp Exhaustive Due Diligence on the entire past of the C-Corp (review all books, accounting, tax filings, claims, etc) Indemnification by the Seller Indemnification sounds great but.......Just try and collect after there is a claim. Good luck on that.

Odd that the mere mention of an old e-mail domain would strike such a nerve and derail the entire positive and constructive message of the post. Almost sounds like there is an embarrassing back story here…

I am 5'6" - I have been flying an M20J for about 25 years. The seats are standard (not the fully adjustable option) and I sit on a tapered cushion. I also have a lumbar cushion. The rudder pedals are just standard - no extensions. No problems.

@DPM20J I assume that you have looked at both the Parts and Services manuals for the J. Both are accessible free online and here on MS.

There are 2 drains on the "Pitot Static" system. One is on the Pitot line (under pressure when flying) and is located beneath the left wing root. The other is on the Static line and located on the bottom of the tail cone. The Pitot drain cannot be accessed from under the plane or in the wing root. It is accessible from the interior by removing the kick panel trim or entire panel by the Pilot's feet. It is hard to get to and you run the risk of creating new leaks if you disconnect the tubing. You should only disconnect the pitot or static lines to the drains if you think they and/or the drain are leaking. Accessing the pitot line behind the ASI will allow you to blow everything back. You should break the connection at the instrument panel and at the Pitot Tube connection. Take your glare shield off and look either from above or on your back from below You should be able to access the connection between the pitot pressure tubing and the connector on the Pitot tube by removing one of the wing access panels. You can then clean out the Pitot tube separately in isolation. Look for bug remains, egg deposits, mud, etc. I replaced my heated Pitot tube quite a few years ago this way . Also see 2 articles in KNR Shop Talk - both are February 2016. - about midway in the document. You can search "pitot" and find them. ShopTalk (knr-inc.com)

Has anyone actually spoken to Whelen (WAT) about the legacy LoPresti speed mods for Mooney? The link in the Aviation Consumer article to the cowl mod no longer works. And Whelen no longer advertises or shows any speed mods online for Mooney. They do still show speed and cowl mods for Piper. https://flywat.com/collections/cowl-aircraft-mods

In 2001 I had Monroy Long Range Tanks installed on my M20J Missile conversion. Lone Star Aero, the then respected MSC in San Antonio with lots of Monroy experience, did the install and billed me 55 hours (w/o speed brakes). That did not include additional hours for sight gauges or any tank repair or painting caps. With shop rates easily at $100/hr. in Texas (here is a shop in Grand Prairie, TX advertising $120/hr. regular rates for piston A&P https://www.jandgaviation.com/shop-rates-aircraftonground) install labor will cost $5,500 - 6,600. Add the $5,000 kit and tax ("tax friendly Texas" charges 6.25-8.25% sales tax on aviation parts and labor depending on the city). Total upgrade cost will likely be around $11,000 - 12,000. Speed brakes and inexperienced shops will likely increase install hours and cost.

I also bought a J model Mooney when I had only 48 hours in a C-172 and 1 1/2 months before I got my Private. I had 2 instructors and I didn't tell the first instructor/flight school that I was flying a Mooney at the same time with a different instructor. And I did have insurance. I finished my PPL and Check Ride on the C172. Then we logged my M20J flight time and continued transition training. I did not pursue my Instrument ticket immediately but that did come later. Of course that was "last century". My point is if you have the interest, time and means then go for it. You have retained a good advisor to help you find a decent Mooney. No plane you find will be perfect and you will encounter unexpected costs and repairs along the way. Many will advise you to proceed more slowly with caution. But worst case, if you change your mind and flying doesn’t work out for you, you can always sell the plane. You’ll be out the cost of training and annual fixed costs of course (hangar, annuals, insurance, Data base subscription, transponder/instrument cert, etc) but if you purchase carefully you should be able to recover most if not all of your initial capital investment plus wing repair (adjusted for amortization of engine wear). If your mission or family hauling needs change over time you can also always sell the plane or trade up. Depending upon the timing and how much you sink into the plane for upgrades such as panel, paint, interior, etc you will probably get a lot but not all of your investment capital investment back (adjusted for amortization of engine wear). I still have the same Mooney although I added a 300 HP IO-550 to it, paint and multiple panel improvements over time.

There is B&K at Houston Sourthwest. Houston Tank Specialties at Eagle Lake does Mooney Annuals in addition to tank work. Pearland has a couple shops -Air Professionals for instance. The problem is that if you call any today they will be booked out just as long or longer. For instance there are comments on MS that HTS is overbooked and will be longer than scheduled. Sugar Land is no better. The shop that I traditionally used lost a mechanic to KIWS and it’s short staffed – they are a Cirrus service center so they are overbooked with Cirrus which gets the priority regardless. There is another shop at Sugar Land but they are more of a Cessna shop and I don’t recommend them. The other thing is you will need a Ferry Permit to legally fly to another airport. I am sure you can get one but it will be more delay. You can call around but you may be better just waiting at West Houston. Welcome to the joys and unexpected delays and expenses of plane ownership.

Sounds like a typo.. Have you actually looked at the engine logs?

Here are a few threads on MS with PIREPS on Houston Tank Specialties (HTC) - Good and Bad. Tank resealing is tedious and an art. You spend the money and roll the dice.... Good From 2016 and 2021 some good comments. And not so good or bad... From 2022 - read down to @louisut he said "Unfortunately our experience has been somewhat mixed. While I think he's a meticulous A&P who knows Mooneys and does a good job, I think he might be taking in more work than he has capacity for. Our reseal job began mid-July 2021 and the reseal, annual, and replacement of two cylinders took nine months, and that's with frequent nagging towards the end. I'm not sure how long Wet Wingologists and Weep-No-More are taking, but it seems like a long time. Most recently, a leak developed in one of our tanks and so the plane is going back. While he guarantees his work with a seven year warranty, I'm hesitant to take it back based on how long it took the last time." From 2018 @M20Doc reported poor workmanship on some Monroy tank work. And not so good or bad...

FWIW - I had a leak similar to yours in my left wing during Annual. This particular A&P brought in a subcontractor to work on my leaking tank which unfortunately didn't work out. The A&P declared my plane Unairworthy. They signed off on my Annual With Exceptions. I had to get a Ferry Permit to go to another A&P at a different field that knew what they were doing and successfully patched my tank.

FYI. https://resources.savvyaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/articles_eaa/EAA_2014-04_ferry-permits.pdf https://pilot-protection-services.aopa.org/news/2015/september/16/a-special-flight-permit-may-mean-flying-without-insurance https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/phl/local_more/media/ferry_permit.pdf

Mooney’s land pretty straight gear up or nose gear collapsed. They stop really quickly. Of course it could slide off the pavement. The problem is that it will add $40-80 k in damages to the current damage.

You are going to have to get the shop at KSAV involved regardless. If you are contemplating ferrying you will need an A&P to sign off the application for the ferry permit. He will need to get it on jacks. Maybe he finds no bending or cracks and you are good to go to Wet Wing or an MSC for a second opinion. Or maybe he stipulates that you fly it gear down during the ferry. You also need to inform both insurance companies if you plan to fly with a Ferry Permit. Some exclude coverage during ferry. Some cover only if notified before the ferry flight. If you choose to ferry and retract the gear and they jam while up or partially extended resulting in a belly landing or if you fly with the gear down but the nose collapses on landing the FBO insurance company may say that you caused the gear up landing damage. They will say it was your choice and not necessary - could have been repaired on field

Icing did not overwhelm the control or flyability of Colgan 3407. Mismanagement of the aircraft by the pilots brought it down. The icing did alter Ref Speeds but the stick shaker automatically adjusted for it. "The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the captain’s inappropriate response to the activation of the stick shaker, which led to an aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover. Contributing to the accident were (1) the flight crew’s failure to monitor airspeed in relation to the rising position of the lowspeed cue, (2) the flight crew’s failure to adhere to sterile cockpit procedures, (3) the captain’s failure to effectively manage the flight, and (4) Colgan Air’s inadequate procedures for airspeed selection and management during approaches in icing conditions."

But if you are down at low altitude (let's say 5,000) then the Carson speed is 120 - 131 ktas. Who wants to fly at that speed? Compromise is right!

If you are at 5,000 ft. then you are flying 120 - 131 ktas If you are at 10,000 ft then you are flying 132-145 ktas If you are at 20,000 ft then you are flying 162 -177 ktas If you are at 25,000 ft then you are flying 189-198 ktas. Down low you will be flying like a C-172 Up high you will be WOT.

Regardless of supply chain and Covid issues, 9 months is ridiculous. You nearly pissed away a year of hangar and insurance fixed costs, maybe databases and subscription costs not knowing when it would return. You probably are out of currency. Your insurance company may ding you for low flying hours this year. And your wing is leaking again.

More?!!!