hubcap

WELCOME! You are among friends here. Sounds like you have come to the right spot. These folks are the most knowledgeable guys about Mooney aircraft you will find. You will certainly find that there are differences of opinion on how to proceed, but I believe you will get a bunch of good guidance here that will hopefully point you in the right direction for you and your mission.

My vacuum failed enroute to KOUN about 2 months ago. I took the opportunity to get rid of it altogether….along with the backup altimeter, airspeed indicator, and the artificial horizon replacing them with a G5.

I purchased my M20K last year at the age of 59. I have been able to log almost 200 hrs this year. My experience, like most, was with Pipers and Cessnas. The biggest difference is the absolute necessity to fly the correct airspeed on landing. These planes are made for cross-country flying and you will likely have no trouble learning to enjoy the speed of travel the Mooney provides. The main difference in handling the aircraft is the absolute necessity to fly the correct speeds in the pattern. Buy Don Kaye's video and fly the correct speeds, you will be hooked.

There was (1) Acclaim in attendance.....and what a BEAUTIFUL aircraft it is. I will have to look at the course materials to confirm, if "Acclaim" specific materials were available.

Just returned home from Wichita after attending the MAPA Pilot Proficiency Program at KICT in Wichita. There were ~15 Mooneys on the ramp in attendance. We had attendees from as far away as Pittsburg PA, and instructors from as far away as Massachusetts. The quality of the ground school and the flying instruction was outstanding. I only have 180 hrs in my Mooney and my instructor has literally thousands and thousands of hours in an M20K just like mine. I learned a ton of stuff that I did not previously know about Mooney aircraft and how to get the best and most performance out of them. My instructor Bud and I flew the VFR portion of our training on Friday afternoon. Bud has literally thousands of hours in M20K's which is what I fly. He gave me some great pointers on engine and turbo management while we were going through the VFR training which included stalls, engine out procedures, steep ascending and descending turns, etc etc We practiced short field and soft field takeoffs and landings in the Mooney When we returned to KICT we shot the ILS 1R Approach down to minimums and logged a night landing. Saturday was beautiful flying weather in Wichita so Bud and I took off using the soft field take off technique a little before 11:00. We were in contact with Wichita Approach during the entire IFR training flight. We flew all of our approaches 100% by hand. The only time we used the autopilot was in-route. Our first approach was the Localizer Back Course down to minimums on runway 31 in Hutchinson (KHUT). We executed a soft-field landing, taxied back for takeoff and got back in touch with Approach with a request for vectors for the RNAV 36 at 9K8 (Clyde Cessna Field). After a short flight we were vectored to final and flew down to minimums with a pretty stiff crosswind from 270 before going missed. On the missed we practiced the technique for a proper IFR climb out on missed approach by adding power, gaining positive rate of climb then gear up, half flaps up while continuing the climb and finally all flaps up. We flew the published missed approach with a couple of laps in the hold before contacting approach and requesting vectors to final on the ILS 1R approach at KICT. Flew the approach down to minimums again and then Bud let me do "just a normal" landing. It was great training and Bud offered some great guidance during the training. Saturday evening we were treated to a steak dinner with all the students and instructors. The food was great and the story telling was better! It was a great experience and I am certainly planning on returning for more training in the future. A special thanks to my instructor Bud, I really enjoyed flying with you and learned a lot, and a special shout out of thanks to Will Wobbe!! After dinner on Saturday evening we were doing what pilots do.... discussing airplanes. During our discussion he discovered that there was functionality available in my JPI 900 that I was unfamiliar with, so he went with me back to the airport so we could get in my aircraft and he trained me up on the JPI 900......and this was around 22:30 hrs. It is awesome to see the dedication of these instructors. Thanks to all and looking forward to seeing my new friends again soon!

I had to have one replaced on my M20K earlier this year. The mechanic ordered it from a parts place down in Alabama. I do not remember what the name of the dealer was, but I do remember the part was ~$1,300.

Travel John

Flew yesterday. There are some issues that we need to resolve. I spoke with @Jeff Shapiro regarding those issues and he is unsure what the cause. My typical takeoff settings are 36" of MP and 2700 RPM. I have only on 2 occasions intentionally gone above the 36". Symptoms - at 10,000' running at 77% power according to the JPI (MP 28" RPM 2500 @ 12.1 gal/hr) with cowl flaps closed the CHT's were 357, 361, 359, 355, 352 & 339...........so it seems the intercooler is doing its job. Unfortunately the TIT is running at 1550 with mixture at FULL RICH. On our first flight the TIT was red-lining at 1650 degrees. The mechanic increased the fuel flow after that flight just so we could keep the TIT down below the red line. When we did the test flight up to 16,000' we were only able to generate a little over 26" of MP. Prior to the installation the engine would generate MP above 30" all the way into the flight levels with no struggling. Before the installation I would typically see TIT's in around 1400-1425 during climb. Now it is running over 1500 in climb with my normal climb numbers of 33" and 2600 RPM and that is climbing at around 500 FPM. A couple of variables that may or may not be contributing - 1. Installation was completed during annual so many other things were worked on. 2. Prop was overhauled and new blades were installed during overhaul. 3. Mags had 500 hour inspection and repairs made. I do not know how to proceed. I am not a mechanic. The aircraft is not "right".

I have only made the one flight. I am flying to KOUN tomorrow which should be a little over 2 hrs. Due to winds I probably won't go above 8,000' but I can report after the flight. I am curious about the over-boosting as part of the initial testing is done at 40" MP. How much MP and for how long does it take before "over boosting" becomes an issue?

Just finished up the installation of the Turboplus intercooler on my M20K. We took this project on during our "Annual". Flew this morning. Would like to hear from other's who have this installation on their M20K model to compare notes. I want to make sure that my temps and fuel flows are similar to what others are seeing with this install. I flew up to 16,000' this morning. Have not gone higher than that.

My M20K has a "built-in" O2 system but I would HIGHLY recommend the Moutain High O2D2 system. It extends the available O2 exponentially.

Very sad. Thoughts and prayers for the families. I have bounced my M20K one time. It was a night landing with full flaps and when I bounced I thought "OH CRAP".......go around power added. Pushed the nose forward and went around. I pay much more attention to my speed across the numbers now. I try to cross the numbers between 70-74 Kts. Got the @donkaye video and solved my landing problems. Thanks Don!!

I can certainly recommend the Mountain High O2D2 system. When using the O2D2 system it makes your oxygen last what seems like forever. Before getting the O2D2 system with my wife and I both on O2 we would use almost an entire tank on a 4 hour flight. Now the gauge barely moves on a 4 hour flight.

I purchase a case at a time from the maintenance shop that services my airplane. They are on the field at my home airport. They buy it by the pallet so it is always in stock and cheaper than I can buy it online.

I am going to start working on my “Commercial” this week.

I would rather file IFR than get VFR flight following. That’s just a personal preference but I have been turned down fo VFR flight following. You won’t get turned down if you file IFR.

Did you call on any of those Ad's on barnstormers? Yes, I did. They were not available. I think they may have had one prop without a spinner. They told me that particular spinner was impossible to find.

I have been unable to find any prop that I can purchase, install and fly. I will have new blades from Hartzell for my prop around October 20th. No flying until probably November for me.

There has been a lot of great advice offered here. I can't add much but I would suggest getting more hours before moving into a "K". It is NOT anything like a 172. I don't know if you have checked on insurance but that would be a good start. I have a M20K and I absolutely love it. However, if you don't like being on oxygen and flying in the mid-teens altitude wise...............do not get a "K".........the "J Model" would be more appropriate. IF you buy a "K" then I would definitely recommend a good engine monitor. The "K" does require a little more attention to the management of the engine.

My prop is a Hartzell 2-blade with q-tips......I have the exact model but not with me at the moment. I am willing to purchase a prop of a different make or model just to get me by for a couple of months.

I do not know the answer to that.

Had to send the prop out to repair electrical leads. It had less than 200 hrs before TBO so I agreed we may as well overhaul…..one blade out of spec.

Long story short - plane in for annual and discover prop blade needs to be replaced. 2 months lead time from Hartzell. I really NEED a prop to get me by for the next two months. I will buy a used one to get me by. Any ideas?

For me personally, airplane ownership is much more than a mathematical equation. Economics are certainly a part of the decision-making process, but it's not all about which choice gives me the least expensive ownership per hour or per mile. I own an M20K and I really like it. I have put 150+ hours on it this year. It is like the old credit card commercial where they added up all the costs and determined the experience was "priceless". Could I have enjoyed the experience in a C-182? Probably.....but I really enjoy my M20K.....it flies faster and higher and I like it a lot more than I would a C-182. There are no wrong choices, but don't pass purely on the perceived economics.

Fly more hours so your cost per hour is less......problem solved.