Chris White ex-N205KD

Quote: sabwjz Hello all. Just wondering what the general consensus was of the G model. I know it has the smaller engine with the larger airframe. Is it underpowered? What type of numbers could I expect in cruise? I'm looking at one that is for sale in Georgia. Is anyone familiar with a MSC or reputable Mooney mechanic in that part of the world available for a prebuy? Thanks

Quote: docket I am getting ready to pull the switch on a Garmin upgrade with 530, 430 a new Garmin audio panel and transponder. The quotes are around $30K installed with some exclusions like removal of the headliner on a T&M basis. I am doing this only because I want to get GPSS steering from the autopilot and because one of my radios has an attitude. I am beyond the whether or not I am going to do it, I am just now at the where to do it question. Anyone have a shop that they like (preferably near Houston, Texas). So far the best quote came from Avionics Unlimited in Conroe, Texas which was recommended by my favorite MSC. I look forward to your suggestions.

As a reference, I got an email a while back for a Factory refurb for older interiors. They won't redo it in composite like the new birds, but will recover your Royalite in ultraleather, recover and foam your seats, redo your carpet, headliner, hat rack, and glareshield for (what they say is) cost. If you did everything they offer, it is around $10k. Price list for individual items and contact info below. Recover Royalite $3,326.00 or Recover Fiberglass Panels $2,553.60 Recover Kick Panel $1,008.00 Recover Glare shield $873.00 Replace Headliner $847.00 Cover Yokes $445.00 Hat rack Backing $285.00 Replace Carpet $1,365.00 Recover Seats $3,000.00 Contact info: Ronnie Kallies Sales and Customer Service Manager Factory Service Center ______________________ Mooney Airplane Company 165 Al Mooney Road N., Kerrville, TX 78028 Office - 830-792-2935 Work Cell - 830-285-0621 Fax - 830-792-2054

George, Now imagine having all that (switch to Billy Mays voice) and MORE! If you can, borrow an AnywhereMap to compare. You'll get the same WX, but have access to every single approach plate in the US with your position geo-referenced, fuel prices, fewer wires, etc, etc, etc... You will spend way less on the AnywhereMap to boot. http://www.anywheremap.com/pdfs/ATC-Comparison-Report.pdf No finacial interest here, just a satisfied AnywhereMap customer who's used both. Quote: GeorgePerry OK, I'm sold...the 496 with XM and the "faster" update rate is a great piece of gear. I borrowed a buddies for a trip to Louisville KY last weekend. With a line of T-storms to fly through both coming and going there would be no way I could have made the trip safely without the Garmin. The price of the unit seems high but I guess in the grand scheme of things it's a small price to pay for much increased aircraft utility and more importantly safety. WX avoidance isn't something I've given much thought too...For many years now I've had the ability to go over the weather. GA is a different story...no such luxury. I've included a picture of the trip out...40+ knot headwinds and bad wx on either side of my route. It sure was nice having the information real time in the cockpit.

Man, I tell you, I LOVE my PDA AnywhereMap. I used a 296 before, and although the x96s are very nice, they have nowhere near the capability of an AnywhereMap, and cost more to boot. If I was buying today, I'd get one of their new Pro systems with the solid state hard drive. XM, TAWS, geo-referenced plates with weather AND terrain overlain, lifetime subscriptions for data available, BT connectivity (very little wiring visible). Too much stuff to mention. http://www.controlvision.com/ultramobile.aspx I have never had any issues with connectivity or integration, and my system is coming up on 4 years old. It just works.

I remember seeing this on the various resale sites. If I remember correctly, this TLS has never had the Bravo conversion done. That would be a pricey endeavour nowadays...

Yes, Bill is now a "former" Mooney pilot, unfortunately. He is partner in an F33A now. Last we talked, Bill strongly recommended I stay out of the Caravan until they started running it more like B2OSH. I am IN for this training! Sounds awesome. Quote: JimR Many of you probably recall (former?) Mooney pilot Bill Kite's article from a few years ago comparing and contrasting the Mooney Caravan and the Bonanzas to Oshkosh SOPs. The Bonanza guys have been down this road before and would probably be willing to help. I'm not talking about formation flying techniques here (as I'm sure that George and his fellow F-18 pilots are eminently qualified) as much as I'm talking about liability and regulatory concerns. I remember seeing the American Bonanza Society's office at the airport in Wichita a few years ago when I was at Flight Safety. All Bonanza and Mooney biases aside, they would probably be willing to share their experiences and best practices.

Ditto on recommending All American. I've bought (are you sitting down?) 4, yes f-o-u-r, Mooneys from them since 2003, all step-ups. Jimmy will not screw you over. Quote: Rustler LWH-- I bought my 1980 M20J in October from All American Aircraft in San Antonio: http://www.allamerican-aircraft.com/ Yep, they're brokers, but I can tell you without any hesitation that everything they told me and everything about all the planes I looked at was true. No hype, no BS, no jive. And I got a real good deal. The beauty of dealing with Jimmy is that he almost always has a lot of airplanes at his location, and you can look 'til your heart and wallet are content. I recognize that it is a good ways from Springfield, but San Antonio is real nice this time of year, especially when compared to the upper Midwest. Congratulations on your choice, welcome to the forum, and good luck in your hunt.

Thanks, Brandon! We've got all of this done, except for 5d. Quote: eaglebkh Chris, Here's a basic test plan that I derived from a few that I've seen before. There are some parts that don't pertain to the Aspen because it's an overal test of the A/P, GPS, and Aspen. Enjoy! Acceptance Test Plan 1. Check agreement between the EFIS and the round gauges a. Airspeed b. Altitude c. Vertical Speed d. Turn Coordinator e. Attitude 2. Test the HSI and each of the RMI’s using the GPS and NAV (simultaneously) a. HSI with GPS and RMI with NAV b. HSI with NAV and RMI with GPS 3. Verify the display of the basemap and flight-plan on the EFIS 4. Re-peat steps 1-3 using the back-up battery (reversion mode) 5. Have the autopilot track a GPS flight plan a. Turn anticipation b. Check identification of source and name/freq on the HSI and each RMI c. Left or right offset (0.5nm) d. Test the EFIS GPS by turning off the 300XL before/after IAF and FAF 6. Verify that the GPS is in the “ARM” mode at 30nm from destination and in the “APR” mode within 2nm of FAF. 7. Have the autopilot hold a heading, and alter the heading to ensure smooth turns without excessive banking. 8. Engage the Altitude Hold and test sensitivity to trim 9. Have the autopilot track a VOR radial, both inbound and outbound a. Check identification of source and name/freq on the HSI and each RMI 10. Have the autopilot fly a GPS approach 11. Have the autopilot couple to an ILS; test backcourse ability as well

We sold about $7k in old equipment when we did the Aspen / 530W install. Took a bit of the bite out of the $25k bill. If you have an HSI to remove for one of these, better get it out quick. When the Aspen came to market, King HSI's were fetching $6000. When we pulled ours out in January, it got $3500. Quote: KSMooniac Those Aspen quotes sound good...last year I was quoted 12.5-13.0 AMU to install one as well as remove my entire vacuum system. It would be great if they come down a bit more!

Would you mind posting or sending me your test plan for the Aspen? Quote: eaglebkh I am still running through an acceptance test plan for my new avionics, and one of the things on the list is to fly some GPS approaches while turning off the GPS at various points. I'll let you know when I'm done how the Aspen GPS performs in the absence of the Garmin input.

Seth, We just installed an Aspen Pro in our 205 (see our gallery page for images - it is cool if I do say so myself!). The Aspen does have an integrated GPS, but it is for backup ONLY. If you lose your primary GPS, the Aspen's unit will fill in. You will have to couple it to another GPS source for regular use. We put in a WAAS 530 at the same time, replacing a KLN-94. Pricewise, it will largely depend on where you have the installation done. Ours was done by Gann Aviation in northern Georgia (9A5), and I do not think you will find a more reasonably priced shop. It did take a while as we were behind a G600 install, but once they got into it, they had it done in short order. Our Aspen install was about $10.5k, the 530W $14.1k. Go to one of the big-name shops, and you will likely pay thousands more. We had quotes from Sarasota Avionics and the like for around $14k for the Aspen. Let me know if you have any other questions. I'd be happy to help. Quote: Seth Does anyone know if the Aspen Avionics is WAAS capable, or if it needs some sort of other GPS device to drive it? I really don't know enough (though I'll go do research). The reason I ask, is because if I'm looking at a 430w vs 530w, why not throw in the Aspen PFD for price comparison and capability comparison. I realize I’m looking at a major capital investment, but over time it will be worth it. Any thoughts? I know Roberto had an Aspen in his previous Mooney - anyone else fly with one?