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Where I fly, we hangar because of hail. Last year in Oklahoma our rental car was totaled by hail, but Myrtle was snug inside the hangar and didn't get a dent.

We typically pay around $50 at smaller airports and around $75 / night at larger airports. Sometimes they will waive the fee if you are only there overnight and buy gas.

I had a gear experience last year up at KRAP. I was cleared to land but couldn't get the gear lights to come on. Did a low pass for the tower to look and they said it looked "down". Went around cycled the gear 3 more times but never got a light. Landed uneventfully. The local mechanic swung the gear 3 times the next day and said the lights came on every time. That problem has never re-curred, but it did add a little excitement to the trip.

GMC 507, FAA-PMA GMC 507, FAA-PMA 1@ 2,995.00 $2,995.00 GSA 28, FAA-PMA -21 (1per axis) Servo motor 3 @ 1,699.00 $5,097.00 Kit, Install, GFC 500, 2 Servo, Mooney M20 Series $2,290.00 Kit, Install, GFC 500, Pitch-trim, Mooney M20, Med Body 1@995.00 $995.00 + ~$5,000 for labor

I already had the G5, so you were correct. Still a bargain in my opinion.

My quote is ~$15k

We always try to hanger when we travel. Only rarely is it not possible. Hanger is cheap compared to losing your avionics

I will go back and look at my quote, but I am certain that it was not $20k.

I am going to +1 on the GFC500. I currently have that autopilot and some other Garmin goodies on order for upgrading my panel at the next annual. I flew a couple of approaches with the GFC500. The precision of the approaches, including procedure turns, were AMAZING and it is quite affordable. Perhaps 10 AMUs installed.

I don't try to slow down during descent. I simply pitch forward for 500 FPM down and enjoy the increase in speed. When I NEED to slow down I can throw the gear out or the speed brakes or both, in my M20K. Not sure what model the OP has.

As a percentage of what I spent on aviation in the last year...my Foreflight subscription is inconsequential. I am surprised that there have been 3 pages of discussion over this few $$$

Some folks advocate the use of 2-blade propellers on 4-cylinder aircraft engines for "balance" reasons. Apparently a 3-blade propeller's harmonics don't play as well with 4-cylinder engines? I am not advocating one way or the other. FWIW I have a two blade Hartzell on my 6 cylinder TSIO-360-LB

I am in the "I bought a turbo and don't want to go back" crowd. I have a "K" Model. My mission is very simple - 2 people as far and fast as is affordable. We flew almost 200 hours last year and spent a fair amount of time in the mid-teens or above. There are certainly times when due to the winds you are flying at an altitude that N/A planes fly. To me the turbo is worth it when I need to go high for weather or speed. I have two Foreflight profiles for planning purposes. The first is for flying in the mid-teens and the plane will very honestly do 175kts TAS on a teensy bit more than 10 gallons/hr. When flying lower I file for 150 kts which is meh but not able to take advantage of the turbo.

One of the flight school 172's where I got my instrument rating has a patch on the lead of one of the wings from a bird strike. It has been flying for years like that.

I finished up my Instrument rating about a year ago. I would advise getting the most advanced copy of Foreflight this year. After flying with it for a year, then decide if the additional features are worth the additional expense. I promise you that the difference in price will seem insignificant compared to most other general aviation expenses. Get the written out of the way as soon as possible but there are many things that you will want to discuss with your instructor while you are learning to fly, so start flying as soon as practical. I used Sheppard Air and passed the written with a 90%. I would fly as much as possible and compress your training into the smallest window you are comfortable with. I did not get to fly for over a month last winter because of the weather and it really set my proficiency back. In my experience the real learning begins AFTER you get the rating. There are many things, particularly decision making, that you don't get exposed to much during training....other than in theory. Other things like how many degrees left do I need to turn to miss that Tstorm build-up?

I flew in to Little Rock on Sunday. We were on an IFR flight plan even though it was beautiful weather. We are getting lined up on the approach course when ATC calls me "Mooney 26E please slow your approach speed to 150 knots or less for sequencing." I thought it was pretty funny.

I believe the "crammed interior" is the biggest myth. Compared to landing a Cessna or Piper the Mooney is much less forgiving if you don't fly the numbers. If you fly the numbers, it lands very well. I try to cross the threshold at about 72 - 74 kts and then have patience.

I do not ever want to fly with that guy. Good grief, the complete absence of judgement.

Beech Baron went down last night near KSUS. Apparently 2 fatalities. Details are still coming out. https://www.emissourian.com/local_news/two-people-presumed-dead-following-plane-crash-near-defiance/article_0fb0a8b4-7160-11ec-94ba-977b4e1376ce.html I have flown a lot in that area. It is not a good place to have an engine failure. Apparently after takeoff the pilot declared an emergency and was attempting to return to the airport. Looks like they were at ~8,000 ft when they declared and quickly were lost on radar. The debris field was estimated to be 300yds in diameter so they were travelling at a high rate of speed on impact. Kathryn's Report (kathrynsreport.com)

When I purchased my Mooney, I specifically instructed the IA doing the inspection to check for ANY corrosion. However, having said that I did not have anything in writing. IF I ever purchase another aircraft I will have everything in writing. For anyone to do a pre-buy inspection and give you the green light and then 2 months later they tell you the plane is no longer airworthy????? I would have an enormous problem with that. I am not an attorney, but if I were you I would consult with one to find out what your options are. If you are not covered contractually with either the MSC or the seller, I would think you are going to have a problem getting any financial relief.

I took the class in 2021 and I just renewed my insurance. The premium went down a little over $2,000 To be fair, I finished my instrument rating, got almost 200hrs of complex time this year, and took the MAPA training. I cannot imagine why anyone's insurance would go up after getting additional training....but I am not an insurance guy.

You get a whole host of instructors that probably have tens of thousands of Mooney hours combined and literally know every nut and bolt in your aircraft and probably the guys who built your aircraft. This is not just some CFI or CFII instruction. The CFII who instructed me for my instrument rating has never even flown in a Mooney. If you don't want to go or the money is a problem, just pass.

Very nice! My lovely bride and I flew down to KAIZ and shot the RNAV 22, then returned to KLXT and shot the RNAV 18 then followed up with 3 take offs and landings before calling it a day. All in all 2 hours of wonderful flying to end the year. Happy New Year to ALL!!

The year is not quite over but I have been quite fortunate to log almost 200 hrs this year. I am planning another trip this week so I might actually make 200hrs. this year. (2021)

The 172 showed some age, and it looked like a greenish blue? Perhaps a trainer out of one of those small rural airports in that part of the country?