Greg Ellis

I do take long trips but most of my weekend flying has been local, working on different things such as stalls, steep turns and other maneuvers. And right now, most of my flying is devoted to learning the GFC500 that was just installed and using it along with the GNS530W and the Garmin GNC355.

This is awesome. As someone who has an engine monitor but is woefully inept in interpreting data from it, I think this forum will be extremely helpful. Posting data, along with what the final problem was as mentioned earlier, would be very helpful in trying to learn how to properly interpret data. @kortopates has been very helpful, through Savvy Aviation, with me learning about my engine monitor and trying to interpret the data and I think this forum will be an excellent resource. Thank you to all that had a hand in starting this forum.

Whether or not they actually have any fuel in the tanks available would probably take a phone call, but Garmin Pilot says yes at $4.45 a gal. The chart supplement produced by the FAA says yes to both 100LL and Jet A and airnav.com says yes. But whether or not their tanks are full would take a phone call.

I probably would just return it if I were you. If you make any adjustment to it even if it is advised by the owner of the company and it does not work out right or something happens to the cover later on (that is not related to this issue) you may have voided any warranty by making an adjustment to the cover.

I think one red flag on the fit of the cover is that they use the exact same stock photos on their website no matter which you choose (early models vs 201 and up). Seems pretty generic that they do that. I have also been burned by Amazon before advertising something and what I get is not what I ordered. For instance, they will show a photo of something, say a 4 pack of something, advertise it as such and when you receive it there are only 2 of them. It pays to read the reviews on Amazon but fish out the 4 star and up reviews that are just supporters of the company selling the product. I feel there are a lot of fake reviews on Amazon to bolster the product on the website. For instance, I ordered a compost bin off of Amazon. It got great reviews. But there were 2 reviews (out of hundreds) that stated that when they received the bin it was missing a key part. I thought, well that is just a fluke. There are so many great reviews it could never happen to me. Sure enough, mine arrived missing that same part. Called the company. It was misrepresented on Amazon. The other part that is important to the bin is sold separately but the Amazon ad did not tell you this. All the good reviews were there to bolster the product and not legit reviews. So that is my buyer beware on Amazon. Sorry it does not add much to help but sometimes you just got to rant.

While I don't think it is nuts to mount one on your leg, you have to be careful if flying a Mooney with a Johnson bar. I cannot put anything on my right leg because it will interfere with the movement of the johnson bar. I used to use a kneeboard when I first started flying my airplane (before I had an ipad) and it was a little bit of a pain to make sure it was out of the way of the swing of the Johnson Bar. And I can't put it on my other leg because it is against the edge of the cockpit. So I gave up on a knee board. I tried using the ipad on the leg once. Nearly broke the ipad putting the gear up. Last thing I need when departing or arriving is adding one more movement to swinging the gear (meaning...remembering to get the ipad out of the way; it is tough enough to not accidentally unbuckle the seat belts).

Interesting. I have only had two flights with it, both in moderate turbulence so I did not come close to Vne.

I do get the altitude alerts at 1000 feet and 200 feet with the GFC 500 and the G5's. It is a tone, not a voice but I do get the alerts.

This sort of situation begs for a subscription to Savvy Aviation Maintenance (I am not a spokesman or sales person for them and do not get paid to mention them). I don't know if you would want to do this but they would be able to find you a mechanic that could do the work for you and help you get things done when you are a continent away from your airplane.

Thanks. I hand flew this airplane in IMC for 16 years with approaches to minimums and I will say that this airplane has made me a better pilot. But after 16 years it was time for some automation. I am just thankful that Garmin took the time to get something certified for these older airplanes. Mine may be one of the oldest with the GFC 500. I ordered the autopilot last year probably on the first day it was certified for the 1963 C model. Garmin had done the 64 and newer but had some work left to do for the earlier ones. I thank Garmin again for forging ahead with these early older airplanes. I know there are those that don't particularly care for Garmin or the way they handle their products but I for one am a Garmin fan, as you can tell by my panel. The autopilot is awesome. It even handled continuous moderate turbulence with what seemed to be ease but I am sure it was getting a real workout. I will follow up with a pirep on autopilot vs no autopilot.

Thank you. I don't think I have stopped smiling since I pick her up. I was able to lose the vacuum system as well that had failed me 3 times in the 16 years I have owned the airplane.

Well, at last my GFC 500 is installed on my 1963 C model. It is absolutely fantastic. I have never flown with an autopilot until now and I got my PPL in 1993!! It was kind of a strange feeling letting go of things and seeing the airplane do its thing without wanting to intervene. Especially since the maiden voyage was in clouds part of the time!!! Anyways, I am posting the photos of the evolution of my panel from 1963 vintage to what I have today.

Ron Blum who was an engineer at Mooney did a talk at Oshkosh last year about Mooney aerodynamics and the vertical stabilizer design does have a lot to do with aerodynamics. @Ron Blum has not been around here in a while but maybe we can get him to drop by and speak briefly about it.

Well, technically the first MS Flight Simulator may have had a Mooney. The wire framed monochrome flight simulator of which you speak was created by SubLogic.

I think you are correct. This website lists Nylok screws with the NK prefix. Screw Nylok – NSN Parts, Aerospace Parts Sourcing (asap-aerospace.com)

I got my Private in 1993. I do not recall ever seeing a Mooney until I went to buy one 16 years ago. Now, I probably did see them around the airport but I just did not pay attention to them until another member of this forum, @KLRDMD, advised me to look into Mooneys when I was going to purchase one. I am so glad I took that advice because Mooney never entered my thoughts at the time. Of course, its like anything....let's say I want to buy a red corvette. Well, all of a sudden I see them everywhere. I think it is the same. I bought one, now I see them everywhere.

This thread goes into some good detail about removing the shock discs using aircraft weight to compress the discs. It may be helpful.

You could possibly try this thread that was from last year. Maybe they would be something you could use. They are not Rosen but may work for you if you don't get anywhere with the company. I am not sure if @DonMuncy is making these any more.

I watched the video yesterday or the day before when he first put it up on youtube. I hope he follows up with a video on how the valve is doing after a few hours of flight. It was interesting to watch someone do this. There is another good video about this but it is all external. Mike does a great job showing the internal aspect with the borescope.

Where in Fort Worth is it located?

John Deakin discusses this in his Pelican Perch Articles. It is actually #36 (really #31-36) and he states that the turbo is it's coolest right before touchdown and then proceeds to heat up again on the ground and when idling. He states that the best thing for it is to shut it down and then open up the cowling to allow heat to escape that way. By running it in idle it just gets hotter. I think the engine guys at Advanced Pilot Seminars in Ada Oklahoma also showed this using their engine stand or something to that effect.

If what you mean by the middle part is what I have circled in red then that looks like the center housing with the oil inlet and outlet to lubricate the turbo shaft.

My Mooney is considered a 1963 C model. However, it was built in 1962. So if yours was listed as a 1970 but built in 1969 then it may have missed the Aerostar take over in 1970.

Not sure, in the world of STC development, what this truly means but with the amount of time it has taken to get this going I think the following quote from the article speaks volumes to the fact that they are still a ways away. BendixKing has received STC approval for the AeroCruze 100 in the Mooney Series aircraft and is continuing to optimize the systems with an STC revision. Makes me wonder after all this time, what does optimizing the systems with STC revisions means not only to the development of the product but to the timeline as to when it will be released.

Glad to see Harley still lurks!!!!