Paul Thomas

Ouch! That's you getting it direct. That same part if now ordered by your mechanics would be close to double the original price.

The airport authority will be the government agency and the contractor will be SkyVector. It's the same principle applied by private companies on red light camera (although those ended in many areas for other reasons).

I was looking at another part in the airplane that Vantage makes that was not listed on the website. That caused me to broaden my search on their website. The overhead console (and other parts) are not listed for an 84J on their website but it's available for 83 and 85 among other years. It appears to be the same part so it looks like I can just order a replacement. https://vantageassoc.com/mooney-m20-k130308-001-593.html

I took things apart today; it looks like it was just installed too far back (it's a PMA part, not the original as I thought). The good news is that by finding the sticker under the seat pan, I also solved my overhead console issue.

Talk to Parker. I'd imagine you can insure the airplane without your name on it. Some people own and insure airplanes with no intent to ever fly it themselves.

I had been delinquent in doing mine; it is now done. Thank you for the reminder.

Unfortunately they don't have the overhead console for my airplane and no plans to mold one. I had not seen the DYI on his website. That is AWESOME. Thank you. DYI looks like a realistic option.

Where do you all source these? My google fu is weak. Most the damage is on the forward part of the console which has been repaired in the prior to my ownership and looks like it needs another repair. If I can't source one, has anyone here repaired one? My understanding is that they can be repaired but I'm afraid more damage will happen as I take it in/out for repairs.

I've been looking at interior of my 1984 J. One of the issues I'm having is that the back assembly for the rear seats are is not folding all the way flat because the edge of the plastic is in the way. I need an additional 1/2 inch to allow enough room for the back part of the seat to fall into the bottom recessed area. Has anyone had that issue and what was the fix? I've attached a photo of how the back assembly currently lays when folded down.

I wonder if Mooney would just sell us the info to make the parts; no parts or process for them to manage and it would help them raise funds for other things. That kind of activity could put value into an organization like MAPA.

Mine are always on except at night when it risk damaging night vision for other pilots. I don't have a strobe light and I believe I'm required to have them on (91.209).

Everyone, MSC included will have to go through LASAR to order parts. No details as to whether LASAR bought out the rights to the parts from Mooney or how that came about. It will be interesting to see whether MSC continue to be a thing and the affect on parts availability/price. This info a based on an email sent by Frank Crawford to Mooney Service Center Network Partners today. I would have thought Mooney would have published something on the website but I do understand they have issues in Kerrville beyond whatever is going on at the factory.

I can't imagine how frustrated you must be, this process is starting to make the government appear efficient. To the outside, it would appear that Mooney would make the few phone calls needed to get the ball rolling quickly with the third party vendor. The time investment vs. return seems to be there. Sigh. If Mooney can get a project like that done, it doesn't speak well to their capabilities should we need something more complex. Can you imagine if Mooney actually had to produce the part?

The good news is that if an entity comes after you because "good judgement" was not exercised, the burden of proof will be on that entity to demonstrate you were not in compliance. That gives the letter a lot of CYA power for owners who choose to do their own maintenance. In practice, except for oil changes, I don't touch anything without letting my IA know. I want to keep a good relationship and make annuals super easy for all involved.

I have read that the test pilots took it to 28,000 in testing to achieve the numbers set by the marketing department.

My ability to make OSH is looking less and less likely. If I do, it will be toward the end of the week.

Frank Crawford said the factory is fine.

The factory is fine per Frank Crawford.

You'd take the a similar loss on an SR-22 as a Mooney of the same value if 100LL is banned.

I'd bet on their usual: not much, if anything. Friends of mine took fought the Vermont Transportation Authority all the way up to the Supreme Court of Vermont and won. AOPA couldn't even write an article in the magazine or send an email blast to other owners in the state to alert other of the of the issue so they could have join the case. I cancelled AOPA earlier this summer.

How to hands on: Weight the airplane Do an oil change Remove/Install/Time mags Baffling inspection and repairs Remove, clean, check gaps, and re-instal plugs Compression check Fuel injection system Fuel system inspection & o-ring replacement (lines, gascolator, gas caps). There could even be enough o-rings that everyone who wants to can re-do their gas caps. How to put the airplane on jacks. Replace a tires, re-pack bearings Lubrication points What to look for during the airframe inspection Classroom portion Interpret borescope images Interpret engine data for engine monitor How to read your logbook How to keep track of upcoming items that are due How do search for AD, SB How/where to buy parts from Discussion on what parts to stock How to communicate with the IA/AP When to schedule maintenance How to deal with various AOG issues I learned from that maintenance version

Oshkosh is right around the corner and, if you haven't yet, it's time to think about how to tie down your airplane. EAA publishes one option for a DIY kit (https://www.eaa.org/~/media/files/eaa/homebuilders/5aircraft tiedowns.pdf) and there are commercial units available. The claw is the most popular but past storms have shown too many failures for me to buy it. I decided to roll my own. The spikes hold the steel cable, the washers are not needed if you keep the loop on the spike small enough. The shackle connect the steel cables and the rope. The rope can then be used to tie down the aircraft. I didn't come up with the idea, I saw others use steel cable to a single chain link to modify the EAA idea; I added the shackle to make it more modular. I prefer this design over others because I can easily add ground anchor when I need more strength giving me more versatility. It will also be more compact to pack. The breaking strength is significantly higher than working load but the working load should be plenty for our airplanes. The big unknown comes from is the spikes as that depends on the soil type, moisture content, compaction, load angle, etc but reports from past storms show this system works better than most. The claw claims 3,600 lb combined capacity with the 10 inch spike used in their system. For those wanting higher working loads, it would be easy to add ground anchor points (and then upsize the shackle and rope). If you want to do something similar, here is what I'm using: 18 inch long spike 1/8 steel cable [working load 400lb] 3/8 heavy duty double braided nylon rope [working load is 820lb] 5/16 shakes [working load is 1400lb] Photos don't include it, but I'll be using flat 3/8 washers to prevent the risk of the steel cable coming off the spike.

I think of an engine as an air pump. If it's harder to get air, I automatically think that the engine has to work harder to get the same output (flow of air). Where is the error in my ways and what is it different for NA vs. Turbo?

A maintenance clinic is something I'd make every effort to attend.

If you buy the improved performance claims, you should save fuel.