redbaron1982

I'm not so sure about people "not wanting to drive" is an issue. Automation is a blessing for repetitive tasks (from my point of view), I would have a self driving car for sure (someone that works, not the Tesla cr4p) for commuting. I used to commute 3hs per day in my previous work. Being able to reclaim that time and use it for reading a book, start to work earlier checking emails, or just sleeping would be a huge advantage. But for fun stuff, like doing a road trip, I would continue driving. For me GA is mostly about fun (this is a personal thing, I know people use GA for commuting) and would continue to do so. I think the issue with GA is that it is extremely expensive for the average guy, I still don't understand the economics of way an aircraft cost 800k and a car 40k. Is it because of all the regulations? Is it because the small volumes? For sure it is not because of technology, because except for avionics GA is a 1950's technology for the most part. There is another factor that is that most of people don't like STEM, and to get into a so technical think like GA where you need to know why an aircraft flies, what is a gyroscope, how it works, what is a Bernoulli principle, etc. put GA into the umbrella of STEM, and people just don't want to go that way.

Still waiting on the plane, the shop that is currently working on it email me 2 weeks ago to go and pick it up but three days after they called me to say they have flown the aircraft and it was pulling to the left and they need to check the rigging. Two weeks after that, still radio silence, so I don't know how many weeks, months or years is going to take to rig the airplane. BTW: I'm starting to truly believe that GA industry is totally broken. I'm not talking about parts availability or things that are hard to fix, but customer service is a disaster, my two experience so far, one of which is with a highly renowned shop for Mooneys, is crappy in regards of customer service. Total lack of communication, and I'm not talking about daily communication, I'm talking about not answering emails or not giving an estimate on when a job is going to be finished or even started after they have had my aircraft for 10 months now. My point is that it doesn't cost money to fix customer service, it's just replying an email, having a schedule for the shop and giving precise information.

This looks super cool. Hopefully very soon I should finally get my plane (my first plane!) and I'm thinking ways to start making it my own. When I initially bought I was thinking on doing some panel upgrades (removing the vacuum system, adding two GI275 as AI+HSI, removing com/nav 2 with a second nav/com/gps unit) but then reality kicked in and I had a really bad first annual. Now I'm looking to some not so expensive upgrades, and the interior is one of them... it seems that with some personal labor plus 5k you can do some descent upgrades to the interior.

And alternative would be getting a new aircraft? That will guarantee 100% "up time"? I don't know, maybe it's just bad luck, but my experience is that buying an aircraft is not without problems usually. If I'm decided to do an avionics upgrade, I rather have my aircraft down for 3 months, knowing exactly what aircraft I'm going to have when the upgrade finishes, rather than going through the hurdle of selling mine, buying a new one, and hoping for the best.

Yeah, probably is what you are saying. But for instance, anything relating to instrument approaches, clearances, etc., I think are covered and you're expected to use as reference the FAR/AIM. As you said, a question about what type of engine your aircraft has, I think you would be ok if you refer to the POH and show the DPE that you know exactly which section of the POH you need to look that info in.

That's what I understand and what a couple of DPE told me, that only FAR/AIM can be used.

For me the best books are the instrument flying handbook and of course the far/aim. Studying from the far/aim is key so you get comfortable with it as it is the only reference material you can use during your practical test. If you want to go the "easy" way, Kings School has a great instrument written and practical exam prep course.

As long as we are talking about avionics upgrade "only" and moving to a turbo and/or FIKI Mooney is not a factor, how is it better to buy a new aircraft (with all it's uncertainties) rather than upgrading an airplane that you're already familiar with (in the sense of how well it's maintained)? You also get to have exactly the layout and stuff you want, how you want it. The only downside on upgrading is the time that it will be grounded.

I like classics... and it would be a good match for my Shelby Cobra.

Yes, my point is, if the shop says "hey, there is not corrosion" and then 2 weeks later, after you closed the deal, they say now "hey, there was corrosion, sorry for not catching it sooner". In my case, with the contract that I had, they would be liable up to the 2k cost of the inspection, but I would be left with a 15k (hopefully) bill and 1 year the aircraft without flying.

I agree that the best approach is to start with the big stuff, the one that would probably will make you walk out of the deal, down to the most trivial stuff and stop whenever a big airworthiness thing appear and asses before continuing with the inspection. Also I agree on taking the annual inspection as a baseline, removing all the non inspection items, and then make the shop complete the annual inspection if the deal is completed. One *big* thing in my experience is all the legal wording to put into the contract with the shop. As many of you know I had a terrible experience with my first buy and I did follow, on the phone, this things. I asked the shop to do all the inspection part of the annual inspection as the prebuy, so if the deal was completed then they would just complete the inspection without any possibility for big discrepancies. I talk all of this on the phone, no writing in any of the contracts (my bad!). Then, after a nice prebuy, the annual inspection found one week after, corrosion in the wing spar. The shop did not take any responsibility (Flight Level Aviation is the shop and Chris LaPlante the maintenance director there, stay away of those guys). So, hopefully, I'm going to end up spending over 30k of unexpected repairs. I think if the contract with the shop stated that the prebuy was going to be performed using the annual inspection as template, and even better include the list of items to be inspected, for sure the outcome would have been different: either the corrosion would have been found during prebuy or they shop would have to take responsibility for the damage. Also, in my case, the contract for the prebuy said that the shop was responsible up to the amount of the inspection itself, but nor more. This is also something important, because if you have that clause, and they did a shitty inspection, at most you will get back the money of the inspection, but you will still have to take care of a huge repair bill.

And if GAMI wouldn't have an alternative, people that is complaining should consider that a worse scenario could be possible: EPA/FAA banning 100LL and you would be left with the option of either scrapping your aircraft of hoping for someone to develop a diesel engine for Mooney, oh, and BTW, that would also require a STC, plus a new engine.

I really don't get the ones that are complaining about GAMI buisness model of selling the STC. Hey, if you don't want to use G100UL don't pay for the STC, that's it. All the people complaining sounds more like they are desperate to get G100UL but they don't want to pay for it, quite childish. GAMI initiative of investing to develop this is quite risky, a lot of things can go wrong. All the aiports I know (not many) have the possibility to handle one type of AvGas, getting them to switch to G100UL when not everyone is getting the STC is losing clients. Switching a whole infrastructure that has been running with one type of fuel to another type of fuel that, although technically possible, from a legal point of view cannot be used in any aircraft is paramount. If there is any one to blame here is the FAA, who should have approved G100UL without the need of a STC, I don't know how that can be handled from a legal stand point (placards, different specific weight) but they should have come up with a solution that do not require a STC. Then any aircraft that previously used 100LL could now use G100UL, without any bureaucratics. And then airports/FBO could have an easy way to go to G100UL, for sure starting in those areas where 100LL is already banned.

Just thinking... having 100 MON UL (Av)Gas, doesn't open the possibility for using it in cars as well? Maybe some of the big companies sees the opportunity of start selling as a premium product this for cars as well, which would result in more volume that (could) result in lower prices. Off topic, I was surprised for the low prices of 100LL in my (hopefully) soon to be home airport. It's 3.95 for SS. Premium MoGas is around 3.65 in the Houston area, so it's almost at the same price.

That's sooo cool! I think I will give this a try whenever I get my aircraft. Even in Houston, on the cold weeks, it would be good to have. The last freeze (we have temps in the twenties) I went flying at my school and the engine oil was soooo thick that if it would have been my aircraft I wouldn't even tried to start it. I'm sure the amount of wear you get the first minutes with such thick oil is worth many, many flight hours.

Thanks, I was asking mainly because I'm still trying to learn if GA shops are a "trust no one" thing or if there are "good people" that is not constantly trying to rip you off. My experience so far, before taking it to Don, is that GA shops are always trying to rip you off. I hope I can start building some trust on shops like Don's.

The latest (from mid December) is that Don Maxwell got the new aft stub spar and they are working on getting it install. I hope sometime during January it should be finished. And then finger crossing that the engine is still in good shape after 12 months of almost not running. If you guys have any suggestion on how to bring this Mooney back to service, please let me know. The engine does have TKS so that's another thing I'm worried about with 1 year of no use.

Hey thanks all for the comments, at the end as mentioned by many of youm, I started looking for a DPE and finally got one that had an opening on Christmas Eve. And all this happened the 23rd at 9pm. So I worked during the night and start early the 24th to prepare de XC, review some of my week spots, go to the airport, look at the aircraft log books, etc. Was quite stressful and rushed, but finally at 230pm on the 12/24 I started the checkride, which finish 630pm and with the debrief/paper work we ended up leaving the airport at 7pm on the 24th. And... I passed! So an unexpected Christmas gift was my instrument rating! Thanks all for the suggestions/comments!

Good point, lol.

I was wondering if there could be any issue from having too low humidity in the engine compartment? I mean, can silicone, plastics, seals get cracked due to too low humidity?

Flight Level Aviation / Chris LaPlante

There is not much to it. The contract for the prebuy says that the shop will not assume any responsibility in excess of the total amount of the prebuy itself (2kUSD). Even more, as I did not specify anything specific for the prebuy, they say that there is no standard for a prebuy and for them corrosion is not something to check on a prebuy. I did ask them (on the phone) to do the inspection part of the annual as prebuy, as I would continue the prebuy into an annual as soon as I took posession of the aircraft. The discrepencies at the prebuy were 8k, total discrepancies after annual 35k. I tried sending a letter to them, to ask for the insurance company and they replied (with mroe fancy words) "We didn't do anything wrong, so no need to talk to our insurance company". I could have continue sending a special type of letter (I don't remember exactly the name) that some how would push them to give the contact of the insurance company or otherwise face the possibility to pay 3x the total damage. But that letter was 500usd, with the risk of still not getting any response, for the remote possibility of getting back just the 2k of the prebuy inspection? Next time I would try to push to have a contract that is not so in favor of the shop, but I wonder if any shop would actually agree to sign a contract that says that they are responsible for any air worthiness discrepancies in the first, let's say, one month after the prebuy.

I was thinking exactly on that, a wheel that is constantly exchanging the dehumidifying material between room air and hot air vented outside. Shouldn't be something expensive to make (not sure how much to buy)

It would be cool to come up with an automatic silica dehumidifier, like having an automatic dehydrating process for silica. It sounds fun to work on that, I'll give it a try in 2023.

AFAIK, there are two methods: True dehumidifiers, works like AC, they cool the enough to freeze the water content on it, the air then has true less absolute humidity, and usually is cooler. "Fake" ones, they just heat the air, lowering the relative humidity but keeping the absolute humidity the same. I don't know if there are any version using silica gel or similar stuff.