C.J.

My Mooney's serial number is two #s earlier than yours and had its original VOR/LOC/GS antenna & coax. Its range was way better than yours, but not as good as it should've been. A new RAMI AV-525 & coax fixed the problem. My technician was unable to pull the original coax out of the vertical stabilizer, so just put new connectors at each end and then routed new coax forward.

Runway Entrance & Stop Bar Lights currently exist & are all great, but they are no substitute for staying heads-up while taxiing and complying with a hold short clearance, confirming you're cleared across or just stopping if in doubt or utilizing the no-cost low-tech method of looking out the window left & right when crossing an active runway.

I'm in the middle of a plastic repair & restore process right now. I recommend S.E.M. products, specifically their soap, adhesion promoter & paint. My results have been great. Just follow their directions. By all means get a respirator AND goggles because the adhesion promoter & paint fumes are horrible. You'll need nitrile (or neoprene) gloves and unless you want your finger to cramp up get a "Can Gun" aerosol spray trigger from Aircraft Spruce. Paint on a calm day ideally between 70* to 85*F. It's best to apply several very light coats (up to 7 or 8 in my case). It dries very fast but wait the directed amount of time between coats. If you've never spray painted before watch a YouTube video for proper technique. It's not difficult but I practiced on an old cardboard box just 3 times until I had it perfected. Leave your finished work to cure for a day or two before handling. Most if not all odors will have dissipated by then unless the ambient temperatures have been cool. Fun Facts - S.E.M. paint is expensive but totally worth it. IIRC McFarlane sells a limited number of colors and had it for a good price. Unfortunately, not the specific color I wanted. O'Relly Auto Parts was pricey and had supply chain issues. Amazon saved the day and was by far the least expensive but be aware they don't have returns on paint due to it being HazMat. Calculate your square footage necessary and order conservatively knowing you can always order more if needed. For cracks in the plastic, I initially tried "Satellite City" instant glue, specifically their "Hot Stuff" and "Super 'T'" product. It has the viscosity of water which I found difficult to control and the results were not what I'd hoped for. I ended up using 7 Quarical Easy ABS Repair Tips for Easy Plastic Solutions which is an all-in-one pre-mixed ABS solution which proved to be outstanding. My headliner had some very bad cracks, splits & holes The ABS resin resembles tar and is applied from the back so no will ever see it. Time will tell if it holds up but I'm very optimistic. If you need more specifics just send me a DM. It'd be easier to explain it on the phone. BTW great looking Mooney. Wow!!!

Both these companies are very good. Rudy overhauled my ASI. I bought an overhauled Mid-Continent p/n 1394T100-3Z TC from Commander that they had in stock for $950. Rudy Aircraft Instruments - Overhaul Prices Commander Instruments and Avionics, Inc.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd use broker Jimmy Garrison to find an E, F or J with avionics as close as possible to what I really wanted. Upgrading avionics was a major test in patience. That said, I REALLY like what I chose for my new panel. As for a new prop, $$$$$ would depend on 2 blades versus 3, scimitar or composite. Overhauled prop governor in 10/2022 - $420 (Aircraft Accessories of Oklahoma) plus $1500 labor to remove/install. Overhauled Hartzell 2 blade prop 09/2023 - $3300 (H&H Propeller Service) plus $400 labor to remove/install. $20K seems way too low for a high-quality job. My choices were Hawk @ KZPH or Boss @ KRUQ. Boss' quote was $29,500 for everything with an overall white base coat plus 2 trim colors (no red or metallic) with a very simple paint scheme. The lead-time was 18 months & down time was 10 weeks.

It can take a few attempts to get the proper technique. Don't pause during process. Retraction becomes difficult as speed increases. I raise the gear at 80 mph with no problem. Extending the gear is easier requiring no effort as gravity is your friend, your part being ensuring it's placed properly into the down-lock block; green light is secondary. I find it operates even smoother after annual with the gear newly greased. There are eleven zerks for the nose and seven per main (eight on later years).

Just how much faster is a J, Missile or Ovation going to get you to your new missions' typical destinations and at what cost delta? Personal property tax, insurance, annuals & direct operating costs will all be higher, so in the end it boils down to what puts the biggest smile on your face. Only you can determine if that's worth it. My plane was vintage '65 when I bought it, but now has a new GMA345, GNC355, GNC255, used GTX327 & a reorganized 6 pack with a GI275 HSI. I don't miss the Narco Mk12s at all and the GNC355 is vastly more user friendly that the GNS 430s & 530s in the rental fleets I flew before buying my Mooney. Life's too short; you worked hard for your $$$ and retirement. Enjoy the fruits of your labor and don't over-analyze it. Blue skies & happy retirement.

Old Republic through Southwest Aviation Ins. Group, $2100 for a $105K valuation '65 M20C, hangared - ATP, CFI-I, 25K TT, 24K TT retractable, >100 TT Mooney.

Where is this being taught? That was not my experience, but I've been out of the G.A. training world for decades. Training in 74 -78, flaps before gear with at least 10 knots below Vfe & Vle was emphasized. Upon graduation as a newly minted CFI, I taught exactly that & didn't change my methods as a Part 135 check airman or Part 121 sim instructor.

I'm basing my conclusion that it spun given that no grease channel opening was visible with the zerk removed. I'll be at the hangar tomorrow and try moving the main wheels as you suggested. I'll need my mechanic to move the gear while I try the upper two zerks. I think I can manage the two zerks on the gear's "knee" unassisted. Thanks for the tip.

My A&Ps gave me the enviable task of greasing the landing gear. I own & used a LockNLube coupler & the 8-piece accessory kit. 4 of 7 zerks on R MLG and 1 of 7 on the L MLG would NOT take grease. Next step, clean out the zerks and free up the bushing grease channel with a wire. Upon removal of the zerk on the L-MLG I found that the bushing had spun. I did not continue to remove the 4 zerks on the R MLG to see their status at this time. The plane was on the jacks when I serviced it. My question is, what is the fix for a spun bushing? For reference here are the affected bushing/zerk locations and p/n from the IPC starting on page 98/278 LH-MLG Index 22-3 bushing p/n 914020-19 (the outboard zerk) RH-MLG Index 22-1 grease fitting p/n MS150001-1 at the Main Spar Attach Box Index 22-16 bushing p/n 914020-17 Index 22-3 bushing p/n 914020-19 (the inboard zerk) Index 22-5 bushing p/n 914007-5 Thank you in advance

Surge in Helene relief efforts led to about 30 mid-air close calls over North Carolina in a single day - CBS News

Hank, Thank you for your "shocking" PIREP - much appreciated.