Red Leader

You are correct, the 231 is slower at lower altitudes than the "J". Where the "K" shines is above 12k - none of the older Mooney's can touch it. In spite of the Intercooler and Merlyn wastegate, I still climb and cruise with a careful eye on temps. Plenty of power available to go much faster but not if a pilot cares about the longevity of his engine.

It entirely depends on your mission. I did my research and purchased a "K" a couple of years ago because I want to take the wife on long trips. The turbo 6-cylinder purrs like a kitten and burns only about 10-11 gallons of fuel an hour. Maintenance is always going to be a priority with whatever you purchase but my ability to fly high and fast, combined with the low fuel burn (for the speed) make this choice the logical one for me. Just flew from upper Wisconsin last Monday to Birmingham in just over 4.5 hours and burned 46 gallons of fuel. Can't beat that with much anything else. Again, it depends on your mission but the "K" model is currently competitively priced to the "J" - the minor difference in the turbo and taxes would be the only concern. The climb and overall performance makes it "turbo" every time, for me.

Yes, I fly carefully, climb more slowly than what my plane is capable of and care for my engine temps with vigilance. My last annual, compressions were all 76-78/80 - I was most pleased. My 25 hour oil changes are, from what I understand, an accepted practice for a turbo-charged engine. Not always have I waited to reach the 25 hour mark to change the oil so that also helps. From what I am able to glean here is that things are good if my oil usage is down, compressions are high, engine maintenance is performed regularly, and engine management is monitored carefully during flight. My new Insight G5 assists me with monitoring all aspects of engine performance - so far, so good.

That was an excellent explanation - thank you! My last oil change (many months ago) was new-looking enough the the A&P called me to say so. Guess that is good, right?

The shop that would forget or said they sent it in (and likely didn't) is no longer doing my annuals. My new shop did not take a sample last time because I asked for an analysis after they had already drained the oil (my bad). Whenever my oil change is due, it still looks like new. I guess that is good, but my last engine (on a different plane with much fewer hours) burned about a quart every 9-10 hours like clockwork. My Cessna, previous to that one, had a mid-to-high time engine and burned a quart every 7 hours. I am just surprised that this high-performance, turbo-charged Continental engine uses such little oil. Of course, I am careful how I run it, but thanks for easing my concerns!

So, if I understand correctly, we fly-in on the 6th, stay that night, and the night of the 7th and fly-out on the morning of the 8th? Just trying to get the room reservations nailed-down.

I am confused about the dates. This thread lists them as being the 6th, 7th & 8th, but when I click the link provide above, it shows the Mooney Summit as being the 4th through the 7th. I don't want to miss any of the events, nor do I want to pay for an extra day that I don't need. Advice?

I have noticed over the last couple of years that my Continental engine uses very little oil, like VERY little oil. Over my 25 hours between oil changes, I rarely have to add a full quart. Careful measurements before my last trip (flight time of about ten hours) showed my engine went through, at most, only half a quart - probably not even that much. I read another posting where a trusted contributor said that using no oil is a red flag. Because in the grand scheme of things this is nearly next to no oil use, I am concerned. As a background, my engine has about 1500 hours on it with about 300 on a new top-end and turbo. I have asked for an oil analysis at each change but between it being forgotten by the A&P each time (and one being sent out with the results never being returned), no analysis history has been established. I am putting my plane in for an annual in a couple of weeks and will ask AGAIN for the shop to send off a sample. Is this level of consumption normal? What results should I expect with such little use?

I probably should've said the squeal is actually coming from the intercom and not the radio (my bad, the radio actually is on the avionics master) and will inquire with my A&P in a couple of weeks about the issue. My battery is about three years old and appears to be working quite well. I believe the power for the intercom should be coming from the avionics master and not from the master switch. Since it is not, should I have it moved?

Okay, I have taken a few flights and can confirm the radio squeals when the alternator breaker is out at startup. I will confer with my A&P at my annual about whether or not to move the audio panel power off the main buss and place it on the avionics switch (which I think is where it was supposed to be). It still doesn't answer the issue with the radio squealing at low RPM after startup when the battery is not yet charging.

My audio panel is original and I have a separate intercom. That alternator idea is a good one - I will try pulling the alt CB at my next start.

More details: This is my fourth airplane and none of the others did this. One item mentioned previously is that I should wait to turn on my avionics until after startup - they are not on. It must be that the audio panel is wired to be on when the master switch is on. I always turn my avionics on last and off first at shutdown. If it is just because the audio panel is wired to the master and not the avionics master, I can get that changed at the next annual (next month). Is there any reason that I should keep it this way? Any drawbacks to wiring the audio panel to the avionics master?

Since I have had my 231, I have suffered through a loud radio squeal, both when starting the engine when (after starting) idling with a decent electrical load. After a good flight, it doesn't do it at idle. It only does it after starting when it flashes "Volts High/Low". Adding a little RPM's to the idle usually clears it up immediately, and makes the warning go away. It hasn't been too annoying but I cannot wear my headset during starting and I feel it takes away from the otherwise excellent bird I fly. Ideas?

I wouldn't fix the one you have. Instead, reach out to @DonMuncy - he makes almost an exact replica of these visors (I have a pair he did for me last year). He is reasonably priced, responsive and produces a quality product. You may find that replacing the pair with his is likely to cost less than the ones produced by Lasar. Don is a very friendly guy - it was a pleasure to meet him in person last Mooney Summit in Tampa. Lots of knowledge and experience.

Any aircraft sale, with conditions such as these, make me concerned that it has filiform corrosion on the spar (or something equally catastrophic). If that were the case, the purchaser would be stuck with a plane that only has value as parts. Buyer beware.

Is that the plane in Georgia? If so, too many unknowns - no pre-buy allowed and from what I understand, no inspection of the aircraft is welcome, either. Suspicious.

Should I register the wife? She will be coming along but not attending any of the events (with the exception of a meal or two). I want to pay my fair share but wonder how much is fair?

Wait, Continental cylinders for your Lycoming? Can you do that?

I know A64 already called dibs but if that deal falls through, please DM me as I, too, would like to have my pedals raised!

Are you sure about this? From the operator's manual I read, the compressor measures the oxygen and won't fill bottles unless the concentration is at or above 90%

So what about setting up your own oxygen concentrator and compressor to fill the tanks in a plane. Has anyone done that?

I was thinking of the dinners. She will not be attending any classes but I do want to bring her with me for the food and was concerned the extra person charge would make those meals cost prohibitive.

You should keep your Mooney - Use it to commute to work! I would look for whatever reason to keep such a nice looking plane!

The PDF says "Cost Per Person $925" - does that mean that if I bring my non-flying spouse my bill will be $1850? Is this in error, or do they really charge full price for a non-flying, non-participating, uninterested passenger?

I just read every post in this thread and am surprised that only one person mentioned a portable oxygen unit (Innogen). I looked into that a short while ago and found it is not rated for any significant altitude. Another thread I read recently mentioned one pilot used his portable at an altitude well over 10k with no problems. Although these devices are expensive, I wouldn't use one simply because it is not designed to function properly at altitude and I will not risk the safety of myself, passengers or those on the ground due to dependence on, or a malfunction of, such an iffy device. On another note, slightly related, has anyone built an oxygen charging system in their hanger using the older generators and an oxygen compressor? I was looking at the Invacare XL and Homefill 2 bundle, thinking that since it can fill small tanks to 1700+ PSI, why could we not adapt that for use on our planes? It is medical-grade oxygen, so if there was someone who wanted to raise a stink, they wouldn't be able to do much about it. Of course, it would much slower to fill a plane (perhaps a day or two), but once the rig is purchased and set-up, the operating cost would be less than minimal. Thoughts?