Greg Ellis

I understand that Mooney is going through rough times. And these may be times they just can't recover from. I am grateful that they are producing parts especially for these older airplanes. It was a little bit of a kick in the gut to be at Oshkosh and see the various airplane manufacturers with huge displays and presence and the only Mooney presence was in the North 40 at the caravan tent. Cirrus had nearly a full block at Oshkosh and they were packed with visitors. Music playing loud enough so you wondered where it was coming from when you were walking nearby. They had quite a few brand new aircraft on display and really put on a show. Now, not sure if any of that extravagance turns into sales but you can't sell a plane if you don't market the plane. And they know how to market a plane. I am not trying to start yet another Mooney vs. Cirrus discussion, That horse has been beaten to death. It was just a little sad to not see a Mooney display. I am thankful to all of those that keep our old aircraft flying. Some of you are on this forum and I appreciate you very much. I would call you out by name and thank you but the list would be long and I may miss someone. So thanks to all on this forum that provide advice, and help keep our fleet in the air.

Not sure if anyone has posted this but here is George Braly’s press conference at Oshkosh regarding Gami’s UL fuel.

For those who are going to Mooney Summit in October, Dan Gryder is on the list of speakers.

Interesting video. Garmin now has SmartGlide. Not quite autoland, but helps you to get on the ground in case of an engine failure. Couples with an autopilot to maintain proper airspeed, find nearest airports etc... while you have the apparent time to trouble shoot the issue. Kind of interesting.

Some of you are aware and have provided excellent advice on how to solve this ongoing issue of the repetitive noise I have through my #2 comm. To review, my avionics shop checked all the wiring again, they installed a different #2 GNC 300XL to see if it was my GNC 300XL. They took out my GMA 345 and put a new one in to see if it was my audio panel, they checked all coax cables, all grounds, even went back and forth with Garmin multiple times. Nothing worked. I was getting tired of not having my airplane around when I wanted it and not having quality radios that were quiet. So, getting tired of this I figured, hey, money can usually solve airplane issues so I threw a little, well a lot more money at the problem. I had them remove the GNC 300XL and all its components like the tray and wiring etc... I had them install a Garmin GNC 355. Viola....all noise is gone, everything is quiet and the radio sounds great. So I wish I had something really cool to report but according to Garmin, there was something about the actual tray that the GNC 300XL sits in and the connectors at the back that was causing the issue and that is why a different GNC 300XL did not solve the problem. It took a more modern GPS install to solve the problem. I am just happy that I no longer have to listen to that awful noise on the #2 radio and I can now start putting money towards the GFC500 Autopilot!!!! Thanks for any and all advice from the group.

Thanks Scott for doing this. It will help anyone heading to Oshkosh. I will be watching for sure.

If I recall correctly, at one time the A and B models were listed on Garmin's website of models to be certified in the near future when the early C, D, E models were still in the works. Now they have been completely removed from the website. Makes me think Garmin is done with the Mooney line.

According to his Avatar he flies an A model.

In my 63 C model I have a 10.5 inch iPad pro mounted with a RAM mount to the yoke in portrait, no way it would fit in landscape. Fits fine. A mini would be better I suppose but I can see a full approach chart without having to scroll or zoom in or out on it. Does not block anything on the panel either. When I need a new one I may switch to a mini just for its smaller compact size.

There is one in the download section on the second page of the Pilot operating handbook section.

It’s on Wednesday at 4:00 pm at the AOPA Pavilion for anyone interested.

Yep. That just came out yesterday after I posted what I did the day before. I found out about it, funny enough, while I was at my avionics shop, yesterday, talking to my installer. The message came across his phone while we were talking.

If the controller said that you weren't allowed to fly through the Bravo on an IFR flight plan then I think he misspoke. Now, he can vector you around the Bravo if he does not want you to fly through it but I don't think there is a FAR that actually makes it illegal. In fact I have flown through the DFW Bravo many times but it was usually at a very slow time at night or very early morning. I fly out of an airport under the Southwest area of the Class B airspace at DFW. This is quite a congested airspace that is compact with a lot of satellite airports close to DFW itself including some big ones like Dallas Love and Addison, Alliance, Meacham, etc... When I fly from my airport (Fort Worth Spinks) over to the East side of the airspace I am routinely vectored south east, outside of the Bravo, along the southern edge then back up the east side. There are a lot of arrivals and departures daily into DFW as well as Arlington, Grand Prairie, Lancaster, Dallas Exec (all close together), etc... and having me out of the way lightens the load. So, do not expect any sort of direct routing unless you hit it on a slow day or a slow time, otherwise you will be vectored around. If you look at a chart of the arrival corridors and departure corridors for DFW and Love traffic, you will realize why they vector you around.

My C model has velcro. And it is damn good velcro too. Not sure what type it is but it is strong and stays in place and in 15 plus years of ownership it has never had to be changed out. I like being able to pull up the carpets, clean them and then put them back in easily.

Nice work. Airforms used Dzus fasteners for easy access openings to the upper spark plugs. Yours looks like screws. Either way, yours look really good.