Amelia

I wandered out to show this information to John the IA, who has also done some of the stec troubleshooting. He read through Jake’s thoughts item by item, nodding in agreement as he went. Apparently we did all that. So it seems the stec30 either must be tolerated as is or replaced. John would like to send the new, yet to be installed Aspen 2000pro back and replace with two Garmin G5s and, a Garmin 500 autopilot. Claims it’d be solid, capable, simple, work together well with the GTN 650, and last for the rest of my flying life. (I’m OLD!) But, I really like my legacy Aspen, wanted two, and Garmin autopilot won’t play with them. So I ansked about other autopilots. Hate the idea of sTec again, but I already have stec servos, John says the 55X is a nice unit if one is to be found, would allow all the capabilities of the Aspen to be used. Ohhh, yes, that big screen Garmin would do nicely. but I’m still looking for oil in my back yard without success. so, I should have prices and options by Monday. Then the big question will be, will he get the new equipment installed before the September Summit in St Pete? That’s the trouble with having a multitalented mechanic who does it all… everybody else wants stuff done yesterday, too.

Thank you for your always-helpful thoughts! My problem with the sTec30 is that the nav function doesn’t work at all, and the altitude-hold doesn’t hold. It gradually wanders upward. I miss the glide-slope capture of my old KAP150 in a previous life, and like the idea of a level button within reach of my non-pilot right seater to buy him time to sort things out if I become unuseful. I’ve spent a fair amount on repairs that didn’t work. My esteemed mechanic notes that the Mooney panel is riveted in, and he’d like to only remove it once, so make up my mind. Then I looked at price tags. Oof! Maybe that wing-leveling sTec can be tolerated after all. And I do like Aspen.

The old joke about “Exciting women are expensive” has passed its sell-by date. I need to consider what makes the most sense. Other than sell the airplane, of course. And it looks as if the G3x is only for experimental aircraft.

I treated The Beast, a 1999 M20S with shiny overhauled 550 hp engine, , to a pair of new-and-improved Aspens. I like my legacy Aspen very much, and the upgrades have been waiting on a shelf for installation for months. Now I have reached the end of my rope with the crummy sTec 30 autopilot Tired of throwing good money after bad to repair the thing. So, I am told I can return the unopened new Aspens for a pair of G5s and a Garmin GFC 500 autopilot, which will play nice with my GTN 650. But I know nothing about the G5s. ,I know many of y’all are at OSH this week. If you have a minute to browse the offerings in the Avionics building, or offer good advice based on your own experience, I’d be so very grateful!

Asking for a friend. No, really! My esteemed mechanic is needing information about a Brittain vacuum-controlled wing-leveler for a customer’s 1966 M20c. He says there’s no vacuum going to the servos. Vacuum is good. Must be a controller someplace, but it’s not listed in the parts book. He’s looking for a schematic, or some information on where he might look. It isn’t where the manual he found on line that says it should be. Anybody have a clue? He’d like not to tear the airplane apart on a fishing expedition. Thanks!

I think you’ll find most Mooney owners proud of their planes, and happy to show them off. Some are so pleased, they even ask passengers to remove their shoes. I will bet you could stop at almost any small airport and ask around, and find a Mooniac to proselytize at you. If you’re up for a road trip, to EDE, NC, I have a very fine long body to might try on for size. It’s not for sale, though. I’ve been told you don’t “get in,” a Mooney, you “put it on”. Short and fat granny just sort of rolls in. Some disabled Angelflight passengers ooch up the wing on their bottoms and slide backwards onto the seat. They exit by sliding off the wing forward, into the waiting arms of an attendant. My very tall and broad passengers are grateful when I remember to crank the front articulating seat all the way down. Their shoulders are far aft of mine.

Hallelujah! That did the trick. The guy in Wichita had ONE. He put it on the truck and it should be in my corner of the swamp, NE NC, by Thursday! Thank you SO much.

Apparently one battery charged up just fine. The other has a direct short. But if we manage to find a second Concorde, I may yet get to fly before the snow does.

No joy either place. Wonder if there are any second-hand ones for now?

Well, it has been a year. The overhaul is done! The initial break-in flight went beautifully. My first landing in a year went well. The new io550n hummed like a very energetic sewing machine, all the numbers looked great. Round the pattern at 3000’ and 200+ mph. Whee. Checked for leaks, found one, (thanks Continental) and on the next flyable day, found both Concord RG24-15s were totally dead. They had been on battery conditioner most of their year off, for no good reason, it seems. Now my plea. Does anyone want to sell me a couple of batteries? Or know where they might be had? It’s not funny anymore. One dang thing after another.

Well, it has been a year. The overhaul is done! The initial break-in flight went beautifully. My first landing in a year went well. The new io550n hummed like a very energetic sewing machine, all the numbers looked great. Round the pattern at 3000’ and 200+ mph. Whee. Checked for leaks, found one, (thanks Continental) and on the next flyable day, found both Concord RG24-15s were totally dead. They had been on battery conditioner most of their year off, for no good reason, it seems. Now my plea. Does anyone want to sell me a couple of batteries? Or know where they might be had? It’s not funny anymore. One dang thing after another.

Thanks so much. The latest theory is a stuck check valve. New one is ordered, though probably soaking the pump will have done the trick. It is, in theory an easy and cheap fix. We hope!

Um, make that phone number 252/339-0287. and the part number I need is 649364-4

File this under “NOW what???” After 10 months, my bright shiny nsewly field-overhauled engine is ready to fly. Now is when we find that the fuel pump is inop. Not but 230 hours on it, still new looking, so the mechanic didn’t send it out. Said it should be good for a long time. Works fine with boost pump, but nothing, engine-driven. New ones are $5000-ish. And several weeks out. Probably just a dried-out seal, right? $0.25? So what are my options? Salvage? Ohhh help! Anybody got an extra to unload? Mimi 252/330-0287

File this under “NOW what???” After 10 months, my bright shiny nsewly field-overhauled engine is ready to fly. Now is when we find that the fuel pump is inop. Not but 230 hours on it, still new looking, so the mechanic didn’t send it out. Said it should be good for a long time. Works fine with boost pump, but nothing, engine-driven. New ones are $5000-ish. And several weeks out. Probably just a dried-out seal, right? $0.25? So what are my options? Salvage? Ohhh help! Anybody got an extra to unload? Mimi 252/330-0287