DCarlton

I read all the opinions and articles a few years ago. Decided to not overthink it. Went with Phillips Victory. Satisfied.

I just noticed it on Controller before I saw this post. It's an eye-catcher. I'm sure it will move to a good home. If only trades were easier in aviation...

I have a one piece fiberglass belly on my '67F with a lower comm antenna. My antenna is not installed on the fiberglass pan. It's installed aft of the fiberglass belly pan. No issues. The only device installed in my belly pan is a strobe light. Having anything installed in the belly pan makes maintenance more difficult.

Got a link for TUS?

Everyone becomes aware of their own weaknesses over time. Areas for improvement. I'll admit, visual annunciators and flags have never gotten my attention the way they should. I look at them but don't always process them immediately. I'm adding this to my self improvement list. Wake up and pay more attention to annunciators and flags. And yes the GI-106B is definitely a design improvement. If my A ever craps out I'll see if the B is a plug and play replacement.

If so it’s because I didn’t describe it well. It’s the common GI106A CDI. Pretty sure it’s behaving normally. The needle is centered when it’s not receiving a GS signal. It’s not hidden or buried. I’ll revisit the manual and check for flags.

Our ILS was up and down a couple of years ago. The glide scope was OOS for weeks. The LOC was still in service. I used the LOC approach just to see if the glide scope was completely dead or just out of spec. There’s another LOC approach in our area that I like to fly because I find it challenging. It’s a good capability to have if GPS craps out.

If only there was a plug in upgrade for a KMA26!

I didn't study every response in this thread but here's a few thoughts. I'm not a CFI. Just a pilot that's owned a '67 F for over twenty years with a non-WAAS GNS430. - I spent $18K right after I bought my airplane due to audio panel issues. Get your audio panel working correctly if it's bugging you but it's an invasive item to install with lots of wiring. Ask the shop if they can do it in such a way to facilitate future radio upgrades. - Having everything working and working reliably is the most important thing to me regardless of what's in your panel. It's not about the number of features; it's about being able to depend on what you have. - If my home airport didn't have a tower and an ILS, I'd probably have WAAS. So far it hasn't been worth the pain to upgrade (downtime and money). - There is one thing I really don't like about the Garmin GNS 430 CDI when you're flying a localizer or GPS approach. The glide slope needle stays centered; it's not hidden. If you're used to an ILS but the glide slope is down and you're flying the localizer instead, you've really gotta remind yourself that the glide slope is out of service; otherwise you'll see the centered glide slope needle and think you're on the glide slope. To me it's always seemed like an accident waiting to happen. A poor CDI design that shouldn't have been allowed. - When I'm training or flying practice approaches, I almost always do it with the autopilot turned off; I hand fly whenever I have a CFI in the right seat. - I went with the cheaper and easier to install Uavionix AV30 instead of a Garmin EFIS; I'm satisfied (except for one software upgrade that required factory support to resolve). Make sure it has the most current software before it's installed.

I'm suggesting there may be a market for both, and an operation could possibly achieve critical mass if they had it all under one roof. If reliable long term support was available for Mooneys, there might be a market for folks that want a turnkey completely refurbished airplane. Mooneys are still great airplanes even when compared to more modern alternatives.

Seems like I remember a company offering completely reconditioned or rebuilt Pipers a few years ago. Almost like new. Combine that with salvage operations, parts manufacturing and sales, and timely maintenance under one roof and you’d think it could work. Here it is: https://www.premieraircraft.com/inventory/piper-dakota-restoration-program/#about

I’m on my third switch. Original Dukes and two VEP. VEP is now under World Magnetics. There may be a couple of part numbers in play. Some two wire, some three wire (I think the original Dukes was a two wire; don't remember). You only need two wires unless you want to start a Hobbs meter or something like that. I have the details in my files if you hit a dead end. Not cheap. $$$$ With my second switch, we were able to lubricate it on the workbench with a drop and get it working for a couple of more years. It eventually needed replacement. Can’t remember if it was sticking open or closed but they eventually stick. Not too surprised given their operating environment and the fact that they work off of low pressures. Concur with the recommendation to try to buy through LASAR first to make sure you've getting the right variant and Mooney part number. https://www.worldmagnetics.com/our-switches/veproducts-vep-switches/654-switch-series-ultralow-pressure-vacuum-differential.html

I bought a leather one off of Etsy with my tail number embossed in it.

This is on my list for 2026.

Don’t do anything based on what I say, wait for an expert reply but I think you can take that access panel off and take a look. That is an unusual fuel stain. I think that’s a drain hole.

https://glasairaviation.com/a-system-of-safety/ interesting comments about the superior safety cage …

I'm thinking you guys should start a thread and take on healthcare or affordability.

Side note: I'm heading to Calgary next May to the Triumph & April Wine concert at the Saddledome. My first trip to Alberta. Looking forward to it.

The Vantage interior panels are thicker than the originals; perhaps molded from original parts. Their size and shape can be off by about the thickness of the material. They take a lot of careful fitting, trimming and shaping (think Dremel tools and sanders) but the end result can be very good. You finish them with SEM Products Color Coat Aerosol; you choose the color. You’ll need a plastic prep to clean the panels before spraying. The SEM coating adheres really well and it’s durable. There are several threads covering this on Mooneyspace with pictures. My interior is all from Vantage except for the headliner and window trim. It’s many hours of work, not a quick remove and replace but the result can be worth it.

Yep. I saw a really nice new Cessna 206 at my airport a while back. If you're gonna "invest" in new, that seemed like a wise choice. It'll be working hard for someone years from now.

For my F, I went with Vantage Plane Plastics for interior panels and AirTex for carpeted pieces.

This is certainly one of the things that's kept me from moving up the Mooney ladder to something newer or with higher performance. Everyone has their own standard as to how much money is comfortably disposable. If my ~ $100K F ends up grounded, and becomes a ~$30K parts airplane, I won't be disturbed by the loss. I've had it and enjoyed it enough years. If I were to buy a $300K+ Mooney now, I would want to get more of my money out of it down the road. I might be able to convince myself to risk/dispose of $200K but I'm not sure if I could stomach $300K. Every now and then I'll stop to consider a Missile or Rocket for this reason. Less buy in, plenty of fun for a while, but just assume it'll be written off due to parts availability and don't worry about it. Does anyone have any idea what the various models are selling for if they become parts airplanes to a salvage yard? How much money can you get out of a grounded or damaged airplane? Is anyone really willing to rack and stack which models have the most unobtanium parts?

Good luck. If you figure it out, I wouldn’t mind ordering a few.

Just a minor thought. Have you compared the two specs? You might get lucky. They may be similar. Or one may have superseded the other.

That’s why I have it burned into my brain to open the door and close the latch pin with the door open before impact. Is this consistent with everyone’s training? I also have a cushion to put between the passenger and the yoke with the hope that it might help.