bigmo

The Garmin will be WAY over $20K. If I read your post right, you do not have a G5 (or GI275 right)? Lafayette has some great baseline pricing published installed (and frankly, I've not had much luck with other shops competing with their prices). He's booked a full year out. His pricing is $28K for the GFC-500 (which will include the G5). Better budget $30K if they run into a snag or two.

When one does that, is it not Experimental Exhibition? I bet there's a lot of devil in the details of the operating limitations.

I don't think a Cardinal is going to do 175 knots if you point it straight at the ground. The one I flew for a while could eek out 140 knots (IO-360). Nice easy plane to fly though. Thinking back, it was more like 135 unless we fed it all the gas we could. With your distance mission, almost any Mooney will serve you well. The difference of a J (or even pre-J) over a high dollar Bravo on a 500nm trip is pretty insignificant. Two of my kids live 700nm from our home base. If my wife can manage her fluid intake, we can do the trip non-stop in under 5 hours in my F. Even if we stop, it's 6 hours. Easy peasy. Since elevation isn't a major concern, you probably would be really happy in a newish J with a nice panel and nice aesthetics. I would also not shy away from a later gen SR20. $220K seems to be about the entry point for an SR20 that's pretty turn-key. I'm using my F at kind of the limit of where a faster plane makes sense (700ish nm). But, it sure beats driving. For us, we can visit the kids on any normal weekend we want vice driving 18 hours each way. A no brainer.

As a guy that works daily with the regulatory side of the FAA….heres a pro tip. Triple the estimate. But, it IS progress.

I kind of chuckled at your comment that’ll take him a few bucks to get it airworthy. Yes indeed. A few like $100000. Id be interested in seeing what the 7-10 years were like leading to 2013. It’s very likely it’s been parked for 20 years now. Im going to guess the owner thinks he’s sitting on a $130K J minus -$10k for the present situation. In reality, hes sitting on $10-20k worth of parts.

It should be but it isn’t. Shops will demand north of $30k (maybe more). Just went through this getting quotes on 2 G5’s with a magnetometer. About $6k material and $9k labor. Add the navigator and it’s another $15k (minimum). I agree that’s a great combo, but it’s realistically $30k…$35k if the shop is busy. I ended up going AV-30-C as my A&P was comfortable with the install (just did them) and has an in house resource to fabricate the harnesses. These decisions are hard because the stakes are high. It makes no sense that a box of parts you can put in a shoe box can be worth 50% the value of the whole plane…but here we are.

This might be a bit edgy... Do any of you guys have wives that have found the gel pee bags "doable" in the a/c? I assume scoot the seat all the way back, get a little working room and get er done? My wife often rides in the back as she likes to get all sprawled out with her laptop and get work done like we're in our own little PJ. I get the gel bags on Amazon 12 for $8 and they work GREAT (for me). Even with IFR reserves, I can usually get over 900nm without stopping if it wasn't for her pee breaks. I was going to have her experiment trying in the back seats. Any pro wife tips?

That’s what I was thinking of then. Assume it’s something to do with the servo mount or linkage connection hardware? Presume they’ll get that sorted at some point. My STEC serves me well, but when it gives up the ghost, I’ll be ready to go modern. It’s a want, not a need as I have GPSS and the system manages enroute and approaches better than I expected. Fingers crossed it’s hot a few years left…but the 100 seems to be a no brainer.

Is the STC finalized? I thought they were still in the final waiting period with the FAA.

Thanks @TaildraggerPilot and @C.J.. That shows me where the bottom of the market is based upon experience and value. I don’t want to type this too loudly, but my insurance on my Mooney is lower than I expected.

Since you’re not in a hurry, perhaps just wait on the AeroCruze STC. Add someone’s takeoff WAAS navigator (or a new GPS175), and a couple of AC-30-C or G5. You’ll have a fabulous IFR machine for a $20k investment. Do I prefer big glass? Sure, but as long as Ive got a reliable way to get the info I need, I’m good. Frankly I’m a better hand flyer on a traditional 6 pack (albeit digital) than a big glass presentation. I don’t do intentional IMC without an autopilot. That’s a me thing…clearly not hanging you up…but once an affordable 2 axis is approved, that’s a lot of bang for the buck.

I outgrew my headset bag and just couldn’t find something that I liked. On a late not whim I went down a Reddit hole and found this beauty. I gotta tell you, if these guys upped their marketing game, they could quadruple their price and still beat the competition. I guess it’s marketed as a range bag. Heavy duty, lots of pockets, one whole side of MOLLEE. Zippers all work well and plenty of room inside to separate “stuff” from your headset. It doesn’t look or feel cheap in any way. In fact it looks like a $250 bag some Insta influencer would market. $35-40 on Amazon. Full size iPads fit with ease. I can squeeze in multiple logbooks, goggles, my clipboard, electronic doodads, emergency radio, snacks, Gerber, and my headset. Exos Tactical Range Bag – Medium Size https://www.amazon.com/Exos-Range-Subdued-Patch-Included/dp/B07BZFLVJB?th=1&psc=1 Even comes in pink leopard if you’re super manly.

OP, I could be mistaken, but are you sort of self teaching yourself the maneuvers? If so, I'd recommend you not try that and get up with a CFI that's solid on his/her commercial maneuvers. One thing I do is separate my chandelles from Lazy 8's because they are very different maneuverers. The chandelle is mechanical, the lazy 8 is art. I'm by no means a master instructor, but in general, they are constantly rushed. Two things right off the bat, many commercial students have a REALLY hard time looking out the window. So much that I just cover everything but the TC. I won't try to teach via Mooneyspace but SLOW DOWN. Airspeed doesnt really matter, but 130mph works well in my F...but so does 120, 125, 135...airspeed isnt really important. The maneuver is about capturing energy, then releasing that energy, and then recapturing it once again. I make students talk out loud at the speed of "one-Mississippi" "Pitch, pitch, bank, SLOW". It takes very little bank input and as your aircraft starts to slow, it will bank all on its own. I disagree with not selecting good reference points - and any DPE will too. Don't force the plane to fit into the reference points. Pick some, fly the maneuver well, and see what the results are. Constantly envision yourself on a skateboard half pipe and where on that half pipe you are. Eyes outside always except a quick glance to make sure you're coordinated (and therefore maximizing the energy transfer). This is a maneuver that takes very little control input. The aircraft is doing what it wants to do if you were not there. Look outside. Feel. Listen. Stay coordinated. Relax & slow. Practice and they'll come naturally and become one of your favorite managers. Oh, slow down.

Stellar continued conversations - appreciate it. For fuel, we're in a unique situation as we get an 'urban fee' of VERY high 100LL on airport, but have 3 airports within 40 miles that are $2.50-3 a gallon cheaper. Like $4.30 vs $7.20 (today's prices). Almost all the GA 'normal' folks hangared there fill up nearby and at a very minimum top off those few gallons on base or not at all. About the only aircraft that use the FBO for fuel are transients or .money don;t matter' crowd. That'll be something we can figure out. Mins for partners will be 500TT and an instrument rating (ins company gives some pretty hefty breaks there), and of the guys I know interested, having an a/c safe for real IMC work is important, but that can all come out in the conversations. I will say that building this will be more like a 4 way marriage than a business partnership. I've spent this year getting everything fixed and frankly, it's a fabulous plane now. About the only thing it doesn't have is an AP with vertical coupling (does have altitude hold, however). Flying approaches to mins is a non-issue once you know how the plane feels inside the FAF. And I'm reading every word lol - keep them coming! @Vance Harral You'd make a great 4 hour speaker at Mooney Summits - just sayin'!

A little more info to add some value. My upholstery guy asked if I could get two more headrests. The OEM Mooney we’re a bit jenky in his opinion and sat too far back from the seat to be of use. Back to the junkyard for me - a treat not a chore! Luckily they had a newly arrived 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. Scored two more matching headrests (to the ones I bought earlier). As luck would have it, a 2015 Nissan Murano was parked next to it. They fit too. The Pathfinder has a bit more flat head contact area and the Murano’s has a bit of a head concave. In the pic below, the Pathfinder is left and the Murano is right. Sizing and mounting are identical. The measurement for the posts is a hair under 6” center-center (call it 5 31/32”). Post diameter is a smidge under 13mm (and I mean a smidge). My cheap calipers day 12.93mm.