Mark Staggs

Hi, MooneyDreamr, you sound like me almost exactly 12 months ago. I and my partner in our M20C connected with Krikor Hajian at Murfreesboro Aviation last year. I haven't talked with him since last fall since we're now based to JWN, but he and another CFI there had a fair amount of Mooney experience. Krikor owned an F model the last time I flew with him. With COVID subsiding and airlines hiring now they could have moved on. Feel free to PM me, and I can send you his contact info.

Ha! I'll check there tomorrow.

Thanks for all the responses! My A&P mentioned piano wire and a thread die which I can give a try. Sounds like the main thing is to make sure it's clear of the oil return tubes and if safety wire is used to make sure a washer is used so it doesn't wear/bite through where it's connected to the baffle.

Hi, folks, I'm in the middle of our first annual (owner-assisted) on a 1965 M20C, and one of the A&Ps noticed that the small rod that tightens the lower baffles is missing on the left side. Does anyone happen to know if this is unobtanium or if there's a way to track down a replacement? The attached photos show where the right one is and the empty brackets where it *should* go on the left side. Any leads appreciated!

Hi, Stephen, That would be great! I'll PM you my cell number. With no airplane and COVID 19, I'm pretty much available anytime on weekends. Just let me know whenever works for you.

Yeah, I think I'll be looking for an M20E since 90+% of the time it's going to just be two of us and occasionally a couple small dogs. That model seems to be the sweet spot for our mission. Although, a nice C would not be ignored (IFR GPS and a functional autopilot). @J0nathan225 Feel free to PM me if/when you plan to be in the area. I'm going to check some local pilot groups to also see if I can find a local Mooney owner. I know there are some around, it's just a matter of talking to the right person. Mark

Thanks for the head's up. I've heard good things about Wing Nuts Aviation there.

Good question. Our copy was definitely a well-built aircraft. In fact, watching the insurance recovery folks attempt to saw the wings off of it after it was totaled showed how stout the thing was. Even after getting rolled up by a tornado, along with its whole hangar row, the plane was still +95% intact. The original builder put an IO-540 from a Cherokee 6 on it, and so ours had an excess of power for that airframe. We were getting close to getting the gremlins worked out of ours, but we made the mistake of not getting a PPI, so it took a while. Anyway, my main desire is to go to something more supported, from both an A&P and CFI perspective, and I hope something that goes nearly as fast but "cheaper," if anything in aviation can be called cheap, that is. I figure with the various Mooney service centers, awesome folks here that are helpful, and a virtually bulletproof IO-360 that a Mooney fits the bill. Mark

Hi, folks, I’ve been lurking here a while and at the same time “window” shopping Mooneys on Trade-a-Plane, Controller, etc. I think I’ve narrowed down to looking into a short body Mooney, but I’ve never actually sat or flown in one. So, are there any Mooney C/E owners in the Nashville, TN area (or thereabouts) willing to let me sit in their plane and make airplane noises while seeing how it fits? At 5' 9" I’m sure I’ll fit fine. I just want to make sure the wife and I will both be happy sitting in it on longer flights. (Both our families live a 2-3 hour plane ride away.) I'd also be interested in any local Mooney knowledge (good A&Ps and CFIs). As for me, I’m still relatively low time at 300 hours and no instrument rating (yet). I have time in the typical Cessnas and a fair amount of Grumman Tiger time, relatively speaking. I co-owned a Wheeler Express 90 with 2 other guys over the past year and a half, until a tornado wiped it out along with half of the John Tune airport here in Nashville. I’m looking at owning my next one solo, unless one of my previous Wheeler partners changes their mind (Phil, you still lurking here, too? ). Mark