dkkim73

They did my annual ending in February 2024. AFAIK they are still active with that, as well as Mooney parts manufacturing (I saw their parts cages during a tour), and contract parts manufacturing (for companies you would recognize).

Sounds like an excellent trip. Hey, those Red-and-Blue kids' Pilot USA headphones bring back some fond memories!

It's my understanding it's the same Continental issue that @philiplane mentioned. Gut is an important aspect. My wife actually voted for the non-parachute option due to the economics. She declined to let her preference sway my initial decision but subsequently was quite pleased with the Mooney cabin. Some of this has to do with economics, which is a delicate subject. If not as price-sensitive, seems like you would owe it to yourself and your family mission to try out a few options.. Someone above mentioned a G36 which is price-wise in a different stratum, similar or more as a good Ultra. I don't think you mentioned any bad planes, but @LANCECASPER already pointed out some issues with the Malibu (I've heard these also from several sources).

IIUC you are quite knowledgeable about Mooney maintenance. So this is an honest question: Is it not true that this has a lot to do with how they are flown? From going through the APS online course, lots of Busch videos, talking to other Acclaim flyers (e.g. @Schllc), the Savvy folks (incl. Paul @kortopates), it sounds like lean-of-peak operation, attention to cylinder peak spread, etc, can mitigate the reputation for cylinder-eating.

The FIKI turbo Cirri were going for $80-100K more than the non-NXi Acclaims when I was looking. The Ultras are a significant price bump. The market is shifting, so it's probably worth 1. doing some good searches 2. maybe chatting with brokers re: price points and trends. The engine parts issues seem to dog both Acclaim owners and SR22T owners from what I saw last year (TSIO-550, V-bands, etc). Having Cirrus a going concern seems like a non-trivial benefit, though I recall reading a lot of complaints about lead time regardless. I'd thought compositive would be cheaper but heard contrary the more I read. Parts going forward should ideally not be a problem, but supply lead time seems like an issue for many makes. I'm not trying to dissuade anyone, the plane has a lot going for it, wouldn't kick one out of bed for eating crackers. Just sharing my own thoughts towards the end of last year.

Let me add to the clinical, Spock-like description above: It is very fun and gratifying to fly, instills confidence, and is a "magic carpet" in many ways that have given me days of my own time back over the last few months... Also a very elegant design; all Mooneys gets compliments due to some intuitive aerodynamic je ne sais quoi... maybe it's that rakish tail

I am about 81 hrs into my Acclaim Type S (2009, FIKI w/ VNAV). Could write a book about some of the nuances but I think a lot of essentials have been covered above. The only "real drawback" in my mind (besides Mooney as a company in a holding mode) is the limited useful load. For my mission (commuting with high terrain, IMC, icing, need for wx avoidance) it has been a near-perfect fit. It is a very very efficient airframe with a strong wing, coupled with (IIUC) one of the more efficient (in terms of BSFC) powerful engines in the class (the TSIO-550G). The G1000 is dated but very well thought-out and provides immense capability. It is an outstanding commuting or "executive" airplane, for 1 or 2 people, over a pretty long range. For loading up more people, one has to defuel. OTOH my fuel on board today was about 6.5hrs, so "defueling" is relative. Cabin fit is a bit Corvette-like but I like it a lot. It is not a van. Looked at: Cirrus SR22T, T182T, T/P210, Bo's A36 and F33. Did not look at the TTx before buying but thought about it when I came across one. Bang-for-buck is hard to beat. I would have had to pay more for Cirrus for what I needed. Bo's can be pricey and I thought more variable in many ways, provenance, availability, FIKI-ish ness. You already have the plane I thought would be a simpler solution (I was transitioning to retracts and had a long GA hiatus). But finding FIKI T182 was harder and really not cheap anyway. TTx is impressive but I got the impression total cost of ownership for composite would be higher. The pressurized planes would offer that but higher cost, complexity, not really better safety records, more insurance PITA. Acclaim vs. Acclaim Ultra I can't really answer, as I didn't seriously consider Ultra (a person I thought helpful and credible said "if you can swing it, get the Ultra and don't look back"). But you can get most of the essentials in a Type S for much less. I did think a *lot* about the Ovation. But the turbo offers huge "outs" for where I fly (central and western MT). I did a lot of flying (completion primary training) in the Puget Sound, KBFI. Did instruments in the midwest but was very sensitive to the MEA's, icing etc in the Puget Sound. I would think a turbo (and FIKI) would be very, very compelling out there. Unless you are a fair-weather/summer pilot. However, 1. you already fly turbo 2. those are not fair-weather planes you describe for the most part. HTH, David

Hello All, I'm now somewhat used to my plane and in the great open desert of "what maintenance do I really need to do next?". At the annual-as-prebuy, the factory did not have the ability to do battery capacity checks. I had some intermittent cranky cranking on one battery a few weeks ago (could be anything really) and otherwise no real problems. Batteries above 24V at switches-on but not far. Alternating as taught between 1 and 2 for successive flights (unless learning how not to do hot starts So... is it more advisable or cost-effective to have shops do a capacity test, or should I buy a capacity tester and cowperson up? David

Are you in a Sopwith Camel? Or.... an Arrow? I would have assumed from your prior posts you could just bend the laws of physics or fabricate a workaround. I'll stop whining now.

I will say it's an inviting ambiguity in the POH (how hard would it be to say "no flap deployment above 110KIAS is permitted"?), but the lack of specific guidance gave me pause. Wishful thinking is the siren song of aviation. I will rely on the dive brakes and gear above the white arc...

John, I had thought of them reading your first post! They make outstanding gear. We used them in a series of startup machine vision experiments; very configurable and solid. Their regular tripods are also great. I wonder if that yoke/rod clamp might be too big for the Acclaim, where the gear lever sits very close to the yoke on the right. Do you happen to know the size vs. the RAM mount? I can do some digging as well. My RAM mount clears the lever but could cause problems if it drifts. I *really* like your idea of a custom split-ring; it could be installed tight and with a friction pad, could tap it for 1/4-20 threads, etc. I bet some 90% solutions are out there that would only need tapping. You are the 2nd person to suggest the MyGoFlight. Is that the one you happen to have, or do you favor it over the Pivot products? Thanks, David

That 137 KIAS number feels familiar. I kind of remember a "best speed to the FAF" approach in my transition training (we did it at 170KIAS), and I think I remember dropping the first notch of flaps not far below gear speed Vlo(down). However I can't find a good reference. Experimenting with approach reference speeds of 90 or 120 inside the FAF, as the math works well. With the trim change that flaps entail, I'm looking for a good rhythm that doesn't invove a lot of changes getting near minimums (ok in VMC but in IMC I'd rather front-load the config changes)... While the AP seems to do a good job of staying on GS/GP during changes, it doesn't feel as compartmentalized as getting "approach flaps" in earlier. And manually flying involves some juggling with the nose-down moment. And of course it's good to be able to fly the approach faster or slow based on need. It's not that I "need" to keep fast inside the FAF most of the time, but definitely times it is useful. Thx for the quick responses! David

Hi all, I looked for, but did not find POH guidance on whether the first notch of flaps can be extended above the top of the white arc on the Acclaim. All of the verbiage talks about full flaps. I'm trying to work out reference power settings and a "dirtying-up" protocol for different approach phases, and would appreciate any guidance here. Thank you, David

Perhaps: -try known good client -explore signal strength issue with xceiver in tail AFAIK G1000 Does not have separate Bluetooth radio. Presumably G1000 connected via Garmin data bus to GTX345R...

"Monsieur, does your dog bite?" "No." (Growl, snap!) "I thought you said your dog does not bite!" "I did not say that was my dog."

@exM20K Dan, do you climb at 2700 rpm all the way to cruise at, say, 17k? I'd always thought the main impetus for this STC was safety with short runways or airports with few ditching options. Didn't think about the climb aspect... Cruising in the high teens puts an Acclaim smile on my face and makes the commute quick.

Dimensional analysis for the win!

I recall an issue with getting enough signal from the tail through the metal panel. Based on others' experience, I had a plastic panel installed. Maybe a red herring if you had an identical model in the same location before. But if you relocated it, maybe an explanation...

Thanks again for all the great thoughts. I now have the iPad mini Gen 6 in a Pivot case. It will fit on a leg strap (old-school kneeboard on one thigh, this strap on the other). It won't interfere with the yoke even at the extremes, though it all feels fairly close together. Flew a couple of flights and it is easier to handle, smaller screen is workable. I sat in the cockpit and looked for other places to put it. There might be a place all the way on the right, in front of and just below the passenger-side handle. It would obscure the upper breakers in a resting position, but might work. Also could put it on the ceiling just to the left of the switches and vents. Might be awkard for anything beyond a glance. Or try the passenger-side yoke as a "resting" place (and of course if there is a passenger, they can use it attached or detached). Have been pushing myself to do as much as possible with the G1000 (eg. flip to WPT and check destination METAR via FIS-B (?) instead of looking at one of the portables). Plus that has the Sirius XM weather which is so nice. So where the iPad sits might not be as important... Though I still like looking at a portable for approach plate refreshers vs. the G1000, so having a good resting place is nice. David

I purchased a cover last month for a trip to Western WA where I knew it would sit out in the hot sun. I actually found the service great, Kathy got back to me within a day and managed to get me the cover before I left (quick service and very considerate considering they were going on vacation, too). Price was very good, perfect for me esp. only using a cover intermittently. Quality seems very good, I was pleasantly surprised. Value for the money is hard to beat in the aviation space. I inherited the Bruce's cowl plugs (excellent!) and pitot cover. I might try Mac's for other parts in the future, and won't hesitate to use them if I need wing covers at some point. I had not noticed any marking of the side windows, but will watch for it. You might be able to get them to add a soft inside layer going further back. It works well for the windshield. In fact, it sounds like there might be some other unadveristed options (someone mentioned an oil door flap, which might be nice if you use it a lot). HTH, David

I would strongly suggest getting an altitude chamber ride or (2nd choice) a ROBD (reduced-oxygen breathing device) familiarization (FAA version is the PROTE mentioned above, I have not tried that specific version). Knowing your own individual symptoms is a key asset for dealing with this. Add to that: -monitoring your SaO2 with a pulse ox (I'm using the Wellue ring currently with intermittent checks with a 2nd pulse ox); this won't detect CO poisoning but will detect hypoxic hypoxia, which is the concern with a failing O2 system -regular O2 system checks in your cruise flow (setting, pressure, flow indicator or confirm the sensation of flow); have a short flow to run if your O2 appears failed or questionable, e.g. "PRICE" (pressure, regular/setting, indication of flow, connectors/kinked tube, emergency setting if you have one). -I would imagine the cans would be useful during a descent, not really a full backup system. I'm still looking at that myself. The seat-back style bottle+reg+tubes+masks is probably the best. I'm still trying to decide whether to have a full backup or just another source to plug into, as I use the Mountain High. Simple is good, and maybe the Boost (or some other kind of "bail out bottle") would be easier from a KISS perspective.

On another MS thread, people are earnestly discussing whether it is appropriate to change a circuit breaker. Just as in other areas of life, we sometimes forget there are people with really bad ideas, ethics, and low standards, and just because we don't associate with them doesn't mean they aren't real and can't hurt us.

I'd have to research it, but seems like better than nothing for now? Esp. for IFR...

That's actually very interesting. I was kinda of joking in my mind about what you meant, clicked on the link, and not far off! More extreme would be this:

Hi there, Isn't the GDL 90 the ADS B transceiver? Or are you suspecting also a magnetometer failure? D