TLWM-21

How much to add FIKI TKS?

I'm in Florida. I fly a lot of 1 hour trips to the keys, jacksonville, Tallahassee, etc. But I also fly to Atlanta, NC, and around 400 mile+ flights. **I have 102 hours in a 1989 J model within the last 11 months. I do plan to fly each summer to California, Montana, Colorado, British Colombia, etc., and to the same places on good weather days in the winter to ski. In my business I will have clients all over the country, and I plan on flying to see clients through the country during the year. Because of my widespread travel aspirations, especially trips out west in the summer in mountainous regions, I opted for the Bravo instead of an Ovation 2; a Bravo with long range tanks.... The Ovation 2 may be better suited for the 60-90 minute hops around Florida, but the Bravo is most likely better suited for 4-5 hours flights across the country; Montana, Idaho, mountains etc. Fuel burn on the Bravo? What will the fuel burn be at 160-170kts at 8,000 ft? What are your 17,500 ft fuel burns at different power settings?

Horrible. IcyBreeze couldn't cool down my Mooney at all. Terrible product. I'm shocked Prime Time Deion Sanders put his name on this thing.

After an outrageously expensive annual inspection, one where I believed I got shafted on but I kept my mouth shut because I couldn't prove anything, I ultimately decided to not disclose which shop it is that did this annual. With the events that happened today... changed my mind. I took delivery of the airplane yesterday afternoon. Luckily all of this was at my base airport, KTPF. I started the engine up, immediately heard a loud whistling noise that I never heard before, did a run up, all engine stuff is good, but noise is still there, something's not right. I had my CFI hop in the plane with me and she heard the noise as clear as a baby crying and I knew it just wasn't my imagination. The head of this shop's maintenance department happened to be there today from his different home base city/airport. They thought it was an alternator problem, took the belt off, it wasn't the alternator. It was a paper gasket (which was brand new) on the bottom of the engine connecting either intake or exhaust and the (brand new) gasket was letting air out at a very fast pace. They fixed it. Good. Head of maintenance, "when did you hear the sound?" Me, "When I took delivery of the airplane yesterday." Head of maintenance, "well it didn't happen with us yesterday morning when we finished the airplane and did a runup because we would have heard it then also." Me, "So the gasket failed specifically early afternoon yesterday after you guys were done with it and tested it and before I took delivery and taxied/ranup the engine?" Head of Maintenance, "Yep, guess so." ------Whatever. Here's the beef: Noticed a chip out of the bottom half of the cowling fiberglass, in a location where the glass was indeed repaired with bondo probably decades in the past. But It was so clear that the shop newly chipped the cowling, today, within the last two hours when I gave the plane back to them to fix the whistling noise. The A&P who worked on the plane acknowledged that this chip was not there before. Me, "Fix it please. It's clear that this chip in the fiberglass happened today within the last two hours." Head of Maintenance, "You see your airplane is very old, it's a 1989 J model. These cowlings flex every time they are taken off. It's going to be a $1,200 fix to fix this." Me, "Okay, fix it...." Head of Maintenance, "I'm sorry, we are not going to be responsible for each time you get a chip or a nick of paint or fiberglass when we're servicing your airplane, that's just not how aviation works.". I looked at them, pondered, and just walked away at that point. I won't tell or advise anyone not to work with Sarasota Avionics. I actually like the A&Ps and Sarasota Avionics staff that is at my KTPF. But this is my experience, and I'm going to find another shop for work in the future.

1989 J Model that has been meticulously maintained it's whole life. And, it's my first airplane and my first annual inspection. The annual inspection came in a $16,000 at the mechanic shop in Tampa, FL. I cut what wasn't absolutely necessary, replaced placards myself, and got it down to about $10,000 estimated. After 6 weeks of an annual inspection, because I needed a McCauley Prop Hub reseal (after only 450 hours since prop overhaul) and the prop shop was backed up, I'm supposed to get the airplane back today..... when I get this email: "When we started to change out the magneto gasket, removed the magneto slowly to verify both bushings were in place prior to removal but one was already missing. Then searched for it using a borescope, located in the engine and tried to grab it with some tools but unsuccessful. Which required to pull the oil sump to retrieve the bushing, then reassembly process. we had to remove the oil sump in order to retrieve it. Pictures attach showing you that both “rubber” like black bushings are supposed to be inside the gear drive, with the “tabs” having to pass through the slots on the backside, there wasn’t a way for it to fall out during our removal. Just wanted to let you know that this was an issue that came up and had to be addressed, there will be additional labor for all the work. Also, attached are two log entries where there was magneto work done previously. We are wrapping up the paperwork but still holding off the signoff for the work you were going to take care of yourself. Still waiting on the RH fuel tank placard and LH rear wing tip position light. Let us know when its all completed for us to do the final checks prior to signing off the annual." I was at the shop today and before I got the science behind what is wrong, I was nicely told all the reasons why this not only wasn't, but how it physically couldn't be their responsibility and the bushing definitely did not fall off the mag and into the engine on their time. They showed me that last annual at another shop they did a mag check during annual and it must have fallen off the mag and into the engine then. I called the shop that did the last annual and they did not disassemble the mag during their check last annual, so that was impossible. The same other shop did the previous annual in January 2022 where they did disassemble the mag and installed new right side magneto points January of 2022. My questions to my current shop doing the annual: 1. So this rubber bushing was rattling through the magneto, throughout the whole engine with all the internal moving parts, for 2 years and 200 hours of flawless engine operation with no sounds or signs or reports of anything that might allude to a 2" rubber bushing rumbling through the engine, you noticed it today, tried to get it out of the engine with tools but couldn't, and it fell in the oil sump and you had to spend 16 hours of shop time to disassemble a lot of stuff and open the oil sump to retrieve this thing..... and throughout all of this the engine had no problems for two years and 200 hours and the rubber bushing was in such flawless, like-new condition that you were able to reuse it and used the same exact part to install in the magneto??? seems phishy to me.... 2. This is a strange and big deal, why did you not call me when you noticed this and ask how I wanted to proceed? 3. What made you think or believe that a rubber bushing that was in my HOT engine for 2 years and 200 hours would be safe enough to reinstall in my magneto as-is? check out the pictures, does that bushing look like it's been inside my engine for 2 years and 200 hours? They charged me 16 hours of shop time, $2,400, to get to the oil sump and get this thing out and put it together again. I would love all your comments, I believe I am being bamboozled.