Hank

I talked to all the vendors at Sun-n-Fun. No Go for certified yet. Whelen says theirs is submitted, and expect approval in 12-18 months, because it is not a "safety of flight" issue. So I'm waiting, too. Wig-wags would sure be nice to have . . . Their PAR 36 landing light is already approved, and the PAR 46 is also in the works. More waiting . . .

I found an electrical test probe in the engine of my Honda a couple of weeks after the dealer serviced it. On the plane, all I have found out of place was a large bolt lying in the bottom of the cowling . . . No idea how long it had been there. It turned out to be one of the alternator mounting bolts.

Quote: Kwixdraw Know anyone who turns pens as a hobby? I bet they could knock one out for you real quick.

I don't think so . . . but I really didn't look, I just assumed [shame! shame!] that it locks in place in the hole. I always fly from the middle position of my three choices, and my wife sits in the rear-most hole to keep her feet out of the way. All the way back is touching the rear seats, floating free, and I've never known anyone with legs long enough to reach the pedals without pulling the seat forward to at least the first notch. Yeah, the panel is kind of close, but it works. Just think of it as "putting on the plane."

Back to Seat Limit Stops on an M20C . . . For whatever reason, be it the P.O. was an A&P, or the owner before him treated the plane like a baby, my right-side seat stop appears to have the little semi-circular loop on the inside rail. See pictures--I did not slide the left seat forward since I found the loop on the easy-to-reach right seat. Both seats stop quite positively in the rear position. (Please forgive the track being a little dirty . . . ) Closer inspection shows that this "loop" is not just a semi-circle but appears to have been carefully shaped and bent.

I'm just confused about how your towbar is slipping out of the front gear. So I took some pictures of mine [below]. Then I noticed a shiny little tag near the middle, where the cotter pin goes through when sliding in/out, that says "WAG AERO." My suggestion would be to use the fine towbar they make, as it can't slip, collapses short enough to easily fit in the cargo area and is quite sturdy.

I did my Instrument training in my airplane, using an instructor from the local FBO. There was no additional insurance, no riders, no add-ins; but the FBO does charge $5/hr extra for training in personal planes. The only time I've had to call my insurance company was to add the MAPA Safety Foundation as an additional named insured for the duration of a specific three-day Pilot Proficiency Program, and there was no charge for that. In fact, they were happy that I was getting type-specific training. I am now pushing 400 hours in my C.

My 430W is stronger and more clear than my KX197. Checking your connections and antennas is probably a good idea.

Quote: Bnicolette Shoot!!! There goes my warm and fuzzy about my tanks! I know it's coming but hope it takes it time. I have heard great things about the "Wilmar or Weep no More" process and that's where I'll be heading when it happens.

The same topic is in the General Mooney Talk forum, too . . .

N5MD's quotes are in line with what I'm paying with my local broker, at least since I got my Instrument Rating. First year, 62 hours, 0 complex, was bad; 2nd year, 100 Mooney hours, ~170 TT, was $1600; now with IA, it's running about $1300. I'm happy.

That works eastbound, but don't try to make it non-stop going the other way! I went West in my C at ~128 knots per Flight Aware, and came east at 150+ with basicly the same power settings [8500 westbound, 9500 eastbound]. Distance was ~1300 nm each way, so I'm pretty confident in the speed numbers.

Wow--13 more gallons of fuel will go nice things to my range, but that's another 78 lbs of weight in addition to the ~25 of the bladders, so 100 lbs. gone . . .

Hey, guys. I'm rapidly approaching tank reseal time, and am investigating my options. Thank you, I have already gone the local A&P scrape and patch route once, now it's time to do it right. Wet Wingologists and Weep No More both do a chemical strip followed by sealing with the new, improved polysufide sealant material. It takes less than 2 weeks. For my C, costs are ~6 AMU, and the shops are >600 nm away. Midwest Mooney used a chemical strip followed my multiple coats of polyurethane material in a complicated process. Each coat dries overnight [6 days to apply primer and all coatings], and the final coat dries for 5 days. Time is estimated at 4 weeks. Cost is ~8½ AMU. Apparently all 176 nut plates on the wing panel will need to be replaced at $4 each, but it is not clear if this is included or is an extra ¾AMU. Touching up the wing where stripper leaks out is extra. Midwest is <300 nm away. Questions: 1) I've read many good reports about Wet Wings and Weep-no-more here. Any experience with the Midwest reseal? 2) Is the polyurethane & STC worth 50% extra cost and 3X the downtime? 3) How well should the PU hold up compared to the polysulfide? Any information greatly appreciated. Also, is there anyone else between Minnesota and Florida with a good track record on tank reseals? The costs shown above do not include dropping off/picking up the plane, nor my own travel home and back while the work is being completed. Durn it, I have no business excuse to visit any of these places!

Quote: flhelo Ok, so I dont know why it had me logged in as someone else!!

Ah, the blessings and comfort of an O-360. Also provides the magical ability to ignore the recurring and lengthy ROP v LOP debates . . . :-)

Nick-- I'm no A&P, but when you deflect the ailerons there is some rudder movement. No, not as much as in a Navion. Try some turns with your feet flat on the floor, then repeat again with rudder input. Normal in-flight turns, course corrections, etc., require very little rudder [if any] in my C. If you give manual rudder input, the total travel should be the same as in a plane without the interconnect, as it will give some input--you will just have to give it "more" for steep turns, etc. Like the PC system, this is a safety thing and a stabilization thing. Yes, I use rudder in the pattern; no, I don't hold down the PC disconnect, I just override it. The rudder inputs I give just add to the amount the plane puts in by itself.

I was stressed FLYING my story. But Plan B and Plan C were both ready. It was smooth as silk crossing the mountains at 11,000, but that ended abruptly descending through 6500. Field elevation is 567 msl, and the wings didn't stop rocking until the nosewheel hit. Immediate braking and flaps up, and the rollout was very short. I HATE gusts during flare, as I must have flared four times, adding power when the gusts hit. KHTW was just 4 nm away with over twice the runway and open approaches, but a larger crosswind component; and I actually had two downwind options with decent winds, the biggest being KPTI. Sure, it's a ways off, normally about 90 minutes but with the tailwinds well inside my available fuel. On the other hand, reading about Ken getting bounced around in his cabin stressed me out! That sounds to me like SEVERE turbulence!! Not a place I want to be, but sometimes our hands are forced. Brief beforehand so you are not surprised, know your limits, know your options, and always have Plan B thought out in advance. Fortunately that sort of turbulence is rare here, but seems to afflict our Western brethren much more often. My first bout with extended in-flight turbulence was flying across WY at 8500' and falling off of SLC's radar for about an hour. Sometimes the price you pay for going where you want to is more than the just the fuel.

Ken-- I'm glad to hear that you and your marvelous F are OK. Weather happens sometimes--I had the pleasure of 70 knot headwinds coming home last week, descending through 6000' of moderate turbulence to land on my 3000' obstructed home field, Rwy 26, with the wind 230V290 @ 20G27 in the ten minutes prior to my landing. It was not a fun ride, but my wife did not complain and my C handled it well. Congratulations on having Plan B ready to execute. Days like that require Plan B to be loaded, with Plan C in the works.

When I bought 50% of my C, I had 62 Cessna hours in my logbook, with no ratings or endorsements of any kind other than my still-damp Temporary PPL certificate. Insurance required 15 hrs with my CFII partner, including 5 hours IMC. The first year I put in 100 hours, and 2nd year insurance was much more reasonable. Several companies refused to write insurance for me, even as an owner. Work with a good broker and find the best deal.

You are right, I am looking to add wig-wag flashers to my wingtips. With the 201-style wingtips, there is only a small recess to put them in, and it will need to be a combination with the navigation light. Whelen said they will have an LED version out "soon,"once they come up with a strong enough system. You must be talking about the cover-melting recognition lights that my short-body doesn't have.

Dave-- I just inherited an original iPad, and need advice on both aviation apps [thanks for the WingX thing--I was thinking about ForeFlight] and general operation for the cockpit. Anything you can PM or email would be great! Note that I live in a high-spped-internet-challenged area. Nothing like mountains, small populations and high poverty rates to reduce availability.

While you're in Mississippi, you may want to look up the Quiet Technologies people. I bought their Halo lightweight headset at Christmas, and love it! They're on sale again now . . . 10% off. Too bad I don't have any financial interest in the good Doctor's company.

I saw some interesting options at SNF, if I flew an experimental. The Whelen guys said they are anticipating an LED that will fit the wingtip recess in another year or two. In the meantime, I don't want to put in the big, powerful blinkers with individual power supplies, since my VOR antennas are inside the tips. Too much interference. So I am trying to feel content with the LED belly strobe I've got on order since my Whelen power supply only puts out voltage on a variable, irregular pattern. I'll submit a pirep about the install when it arrives, hopefully in another week or two.

Quote: aerobat95 Today was supposed to be a nice 3 hour flight from wichita to Columbus, MS. Unfortunately there was a line of sever thunderstorms in the way. Now I am stuck on a 12 hour drive.....I really hate driving.