Brandt

https://liftaviationusa.com/collections/shoes

If you’re referring to my post it actually was posted in the Safety and Accident forum?

How many of those race engines were air cooled?

I use Tempest fine wires and have been very happy with them.

Thanks Lance. Done. Brain fart…

https://phillips66lubricants.com/product/type-m-aviation-oil/

Straight mineral oil. Nearly full power runs rich of peak for a couple of hours. Vary power settings now and then. Watch the temps. When they fall you’re pretty much done.

Simply inexcusable that Garmin makes their products so buggy and hard to work with. Every database cycle is a battle. The FS510 card is horribly slow and the system often fails to recognize the new database. SD card is a little better, but it’s like rolling the dice.

Yes, but you have to wear the nail polish.

Three pages on how to pour oil… then I guess I’d better weigh in. I carry about 8 ounces of uranium in a velvet sack with a Mooney logo in the baggage compartment. The ionizing radiation very effectively oxidizes the extra oil on the funnel so there’s never any cleanup. Now you have to be careful not to get it too close to the plastic funnel or it can melt and burst into flames. Also takes a while to vacuum all of my hair that’s falling out from the plane, but never any oil stains on the carpet. If you have other questions, check out the answers on the Amazon page… https://www.amazon.com/Images-SI-Uranium-Ore/dp/B000796XXM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Uranium&qid=1678548827&sr=8-3#customerReviews

Many young people like Kia’s too. Very modern. I’ll stick with Porsche. Oh, and by the way, none of the 20 somethings on TikTok can afford a plane anyway. My Mooney turns heads on the tarmac. Most recently a Gulfstream pilot stopped me and wanted to talk about it. That doesn’t happen with Camrys, sorry I meant Cirrus’s.

Agree. Opinions are like bellybuttons. Everyone has one, but some are more attractive than others, and all are useless. So here’s mine. Not all millionaires who need to fly want a NetJets subscription and a pilot in the same way that very few wealthy folks want a chauffeur. But flying takes time and commitment to learn and stay current. So the universe of people with money who love aviation and have the time to commit is somewhat limited. However, the heyday of general aviation suggests the potential market is much bigger than current sales would suggest. Aviation has always been expensive. It is clearly worse due to liability and the regulatory costs imposed by the FAA. If planes were cheaper, some additional sales could be expected, but the lamenting about how Mooney just needs to sell cheaper airplanes is not the problem. Ferrari doesn’t simply need to offer rebates And Cirrus sells a lot of airplanes at a higher list price than Mooney. Nor is the idea of a Cirrus “lifestyle” compelling. In my opinion, Cirrus sells a lot of airplanes for 3 reasons. First, they make a model line with an upgrade path. Learn to fly in a Cirrus, you’re more likely to buy one. Second, they have added some features, interior and exterior, that make it feel more modern than the traditional manufacturers, and third - and by far the most important - is the stupid parachute. While educated pilots may cast doubt on the need for a parachute, uneducated spouses think they’re just wonderful, and I believe for many the parachute in the factor that convinces the spouse that it’s safe to fly in that little teeny airplane. Ask aircraft brokers and see if they concur. (Hint, they will) Mooney’s don’t have that logical upgrade path, they are not for novice pilots, retractable insurance costs more, and they have struggled to get the capital necessary to upgrade the useful load, which I believe is the single biggest issue. It still wouldn’t have six seats like a Bonanza or the hauling capacity of a Saratoga, but with a higher load you could put a ridiculous parachute on it and compete favorably with Cirrus. That is unlikely to happen, however. That being said, Corvettes sell with two seats, the useful load of a 911 isn’t much, and some people just like to go fast. Mooney’s marketing, or lack thereof, over the years, hasn’t helped. Unfortunately, venture capital money thinks software is a lot more enticing than airplanes, and the marketplace other than Cirrus would support that notion. It’s a shame because Mooney’s are simply fantastic airplanes with a tremendous legacy. But a lot more people buy Camrys, preferably in gray or beige, than Corvettes because they’re “safe and reliable.” And boring, and overhyped, and slow….

No new owners. Factory Service Center open. Parts being made.

They have done great work for me in the past and I am headed back down for my annual next week. Good folks.

Great post. Any comments on the points made in the video re operational costs or otherwise?

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/july/pilot/savvy-maintance-valves

Hmm. At what power setting does one enter “Flaming Dragon Mode”. I’ve heard mixed reports on the TSIO-550. 1. 30.5 continuous is too much. 2. Look, it’s already a significantly derated engine. 30.5 is nothing. 3. Keep the TIT below 1600 and the CHT’s below 380. Nothing else matters. 4. 27/2400 isn’t enough to keep the engine hot enough to burn off the lead. Your thoughts?

https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/FR-ADFRAWD-2023-02152-0000000000.0001

Bohm Aviation in Pekin, IL did well by me. Newer shop but owner was formerly with Byerly in Peoria, which is an MSC. Byerly has been referring all their Mooney work to Bohm due to their backlog.

I think Flight Insight is fantastic.

Not so far. Pontoons would be an eye catching STC, though.

Disagree. The Mooney is fine. Just make sure you hire skinny doctors who believe in traveling light…

During my IFR checkride while flying a partial panel approach right at MDA.

I remind people that if it was a really great idea, 737s would have parachutes….