Amelia

Hector at Aerocomfort in San Antonio, TX did my Mooney 231. He covered the side panels and overhead in cream Ultraleather, the seats in beautiful shades of full-grain cream and tan scraps from a biz jet job or two, and the glare shield in leather as well. He stuffed a little extra padding in the front seats so I could see over better. It was a perfectly gorgeous job. I suggest putting yourself in Hector’s so-very-capable hands, and prepare to be amazed. Just don’t cheap out on upholstery leather or choose an odd color he won’t have stock to make small repairs down the road.

I fly the route from the inner banks of NC to the outskirts of STL several times a year. Going west EDE to ALN is a four-hour trip. I may add a half hour to the trip for passenger comfort and cheaper gas.Then I’m having lunch with my son and his sons. A couple of years ago, I had to attend a meeting in STL, lwhich required an airline trip. From my door to ORF to ORD to STL and hotel took a grueling 20 hours. The return trip was less, only 9 door-to-door no-delay flight, which is typical. The drive from my house to ORF accounts for three of those hours. Airline is a little cheaper, generally, especially going from a hub to a hub, or clear across the country, but my M20S, hangared ten minutes from home, can easily beat the airlines to any destination east of the Mississippi, and it’s a lot more comfortable! And fun. Compared to airline cattle class, Mooney seats are downright luxurious! Luggage is never lost, and TSA doesn’t know we exist. I hope I can keep this lovely hobby for a few more years.

Outstanding shop! Did my annual a couple of years ago, and I was pleased with both expertise and price. Location is nice, too. Reserve a car while your Mooney is being cared for, and go enjoy the mountains. (If I didn’t have a fine shop right across the ramp at EDE, I’d go to AGL every year!)

Gahh. Men and their rulers.

1. The iPad mini fits nicely on the yoke, obscures nothing on the Mooney’s panel, and gets a steady stream of fresh air to keep it cool. Its aviation software (and ForeFlight is not your only option, just the most expensive) is highly intuitive , capable and efficient. For elderly eyes, I find the zoom to be useful. Bigger wouldn’t be better. A regular size would be in the way for me, as I have my seat all the way forward. Lap would not be an option, even if the gizmo weren’t hot and slippery. 2. if you are happy with your current system, why change? I liked my Samsung phone, used a regular laptop and desktop with Windows, was reluctant to switch systems and wary of the Apple interlocking components. 3. I hate KoolAid and fashion. Fast forward to the right sized iPad mini which I loved happy with it for years, tried out all the EFB options. Somehow then I tumbled into an iPhone pro max which has proved to be lovely backup, and then a (free) I-watch. Say, this KoolAid is right tasty! It works! The lost ithings find each other. The phone really is waterproof. Not enamored of the Apple laptop, but it’s just a matter of getting used to it. why don’t you find an I-friend and go flying with both systems? Then if the iPad works better, buy one and try each of the EFBs on the market for their free month before you buy.

I’m assuming your puppy will be crate-trained, and will think of it as “home,” his own den. It will make travel much less stressful, in the airplane, in hotels, in other people’s homes, in cars. I’d thread a seatbelt through the carry handle, to add security in turbulence. When he is full-sized, and the size xl crate won’t fit through the door, fit him with a good, comfortable harness, and secure it with a seatbelt through the chest strap. He will have room to sit up and look out the window, but in rough air he won’t be thrown around. Nor will he feel free to join you in the front left seat on short final.

I bought a medical grade sheepskin from Amazon to fling over my husband’s grandpa recliner to brighten the room up. It is really pretty, seems good quality, thick springy sheared fleece, a pale cream color. I ordered the single pelt size L , and not only does it dress up the dingy recliner, it may have another use. I took it out to the airport, to see how it fit a Mooney seat. I stuffed the narrower end between the headrest and the seat back. The rest fit smoothly to the front edge of the seat. Sides could be tucked between bulkhead and seat cushion. Obscures neither emergency gear handle nor gear down indicator, and gets me a half inch closer to the panel and just a bit taller. Lots cheaper and easier than full seat covers. I gather the thing fits in a washing machine if need be. An hour of pattern work just to see how it felt in the real world, and I’m happy. May order another!

Not really impressed with Mr. Mojo’s in-depth understanding of Mooneys. First, there’s a good bit of difference between the speeds, space, and performance of the various models of Mooney M20. (A through U?) Second, he started off talking about the manual gear, then showed us the electric-gear one. Third, he told us how cramped they are, without differentiating between the short bodies, the long-bodies, the ones with articulating seats, or pointing out the sports-car low seating with legs stretched out front. We had plenty of room for four adults in our K model, and even more leg room in our Screaming Eagle. Seems like he could have spent a little more time on his “preflight” before taking to the air.

An enthusiastic thumbs up for AGL at KMRN. Also, I am very well pleased with John Sanders, at KEDE. Quietly competent, meticulous and knowledgeable, he looked after my 1980 K for several years to my satisfaction, and now does a very good job on my 1999 20 S. It is lovely that his shop is now right across the ramp from my hangar, otherwise I’d be making the cross-NC journey westbound to see Lynn Mace at AGL. Either way, you can be confident of a good, honest job.

My two-year-old iPad mini 5 with all the memory and gps, but not hooked up to cellular plan, is my all-day go-to computer. It boasts enough memory for two EFBs and all the data bases, plus photos, word docs, Kindle and internet foolishness. It’s perfect horizontally mounted on the yoke of my M20S, obscures nothing, is bright, sharp and fast. Mounted with an x-back ram mount, I have never had it overheat. It and my iPhone are linked. It runs both Garmin and FlyQ just fine, and flight planning is a breeze. The Stratus III works beautifully with FlyQ, (I’m sad Garmin insists on playing ugly) and it is just a very satisfactory bit of wizardry. I forgot it once, had to unfold a paper chart to find my way to the other side of NC, and was reminded how very spoiled I’ve become. With an ordinary two-usb 2.1 amp cig plug, it will fully charge the Mini during the course of a flight, with power left to top off the iPhone. I expect to use this one happily for at least another year or two.

I think I know which one you’re favoring, just wishing you could move HGR closer to home, right? I love the camaraderie I find at little uncontrolled airports. But sometimes the big FBOs will pull your plane out, have it topped off and ready to go? (I wouldn’t know) I love having Mx on field. I would not love difficult hangar doors, poor approaches and night limitations. I sure wouldn’t love 2400’ of icy, snow-covered runway with a gusty crosswind and low ceilings all winter.. $25/mo extra isn’t much to pay for the security of your own hangar. A big monopolist jet-loving FBO and a long drive would be drawbacks for me.. But sounds like much of your flying is for trips, not going for a half-hour hop after work, where convenience would be a plus. You’d spend the extra drive time juggling planes around to get yours out of the gang hangar., anyway. Subscribe to books on tape, and go for the longer drive.

One of my favorite people is a lovely giant of a man, easily 6’5”, and massive, maybe 350. He mentioned he’d forgotten how tight Mooneys were. His head was tilted sideways mashe against the overhead. That when it finally occurred to me that my last passenger was a kid. and the articulating seat was cranked all the way up. Oops. Add one more item to the preflight checklist. Once he cranked himself all the way down, he was much happier. The airplane flew just fine, seatbelt fit, and seat was undamaged. And since I fly in the all-the-way forward position, his fully aft position was no competition for shoulder room.

Mine is in the shop, same problem. The core went to American Welding, (AWI) in Minnesota, where it is being “rebuilt” or at least the new one will have the old flanges reused, if I got the story straight. Long annual! Like everybody else, the welder says good help is hard to find. I want a discount on my airplane insurance!.

Amen, brother! My hometown mechanic is splendid, even without the fancy logo. He did an annual on a Mooney that had just had a prebuy from a Very Famous Mooney Shop, and was appalled at the stuff that was skipped, or done poorly. It turned into a much bigger job than it ought to have been. I believe it must be easy to outgrow your capabilities, become too big to supervise a large staff, too tempting to simply rest on laurels. My airplane may back go to a MSC one day, just for a second set of eyes, but it will be a much smaller place, much closer by, with superb workmanship to match its good reputation.

I have a Mini5, and always a sucker for airplane bling, I went and played with the newest iPad mini6. Yes, the slightly bigger screen is nice, and the display seems lovely, and my current nearly 2 year old mini5 has a small crack, but honestly, I find I’m not tempted to upgrade. This one, the 5, still does everything I need to do. The size is perfect, it’s easy to hold, plenty bright and fast, and I think I will wait. You might find a good refurb deal on the iPad mini 5.

Oh, yes. Weak tummies seem to run in my husband’s family. Elder grandson defies all efforts. He is green before we get the hangar door open. Younger one is a great airborne companion, serene and interested.. My daughter has become a bit of a worrywart in her old age, and her constant nervous inquiries to her own daughter on hot, bumpy flights has poisoned that well, and she won’t ride with us any more.. When my granddaughter has ridden with me without her mom, all has gone well, and she has enjoyed it, much to her mom’s chagrin. We have the elastic wrist bands, chewable Bonine, icy water, ginger candy, mints, cool air vents, and an ample supply of sick-sacs. My husband, a natural-born skeptic, finds his Sea-bands very useful, even so.. He dons them at the first sign of turbulence, and goes right back to sleep.

Frozen seedless grapes are good to keep kids happy. Small Hawaiian rolls with Swiss cheese and ham tucked inside (if you use honey-mustard, be sure to spread it thin,) are one-hand, two-bite size. Same for turkey, cheese and thin rye hors d’ouvre-size bread. The mini sandwiches are nicely manageable, keep well, and sustain a hungry crew. And there’s a reason, I think, that airlines hand out little pretzels. They don’t roll under the seat. Mozzarella cheese sticks work, too. I pack these goodies in the smallest size ziplock bags,

Think I told the story a few months ago. Oil filter was all sparkly. Much metal, both ferrous and nonferrous. My A&P looked glum, spoke of engine overhaul and months of down time, not to mention the price of a small house. Told him I wanted a second opinion. He rubbed his chin. Pulled a stool up to the bared engine, pulled some pieces out, and offered me another opinion. “Your lifters are crap.” That lopped a zero off the bill. It still took weeks, but that was a parts supplier’s incompetence. Much easier than rebuilding the engine.

I’m one of the fifteen hopeful ones lured and dumped.. My stec30 was troublesome. A well-loved and respected Mooniac talked the 3100 up, said it was exactly what we each needed. Well, we all know where that led. We waited, called, and waited some more. My avionics tech told 3100 horror stories. My dear friend, tired of waiting, died,, and my stec autopilot,overhauled at considerable expense, is still disappointing. I am an admittedly slow learner, but nope. Fooled me once…. I will put up with what I have, and let the next eventual owner of this wonderful bird make that decision, I think, unless somebody else comes up with a very good alternative.

This habitual proofreader had the same reaction. “Oh, dear, what in the world happened? And I had such a good experience with those nice and very competent folk.” Glad I got it backwards. I will return to AGL one of theses days, for the second set of eyeballs on The Beastie, but the recently-lured mechanical genius right here at KEDE is so very careful and honorable, not to mention convenient, I’ve stayed home. But still noisy in my praise of my MRN friends.

I had the opportunity to fly a Cherokee 180 across the country and back twice, as a very partisan turbo Mooney pilot. The Piper was comfortable, but slow. Three hours was just about its limit. It gasped for air at 10,000. But as a practical, economical short-leg trip, it was excellent. As somebody else is paying most of your bills, my inclination would be to stay right where you are. Got the instrument ticket? Get while it’s cheap. Then in a couple of years, when you relocate, reevaluate. Will you be able to continue to leaseback your Archer in the new location? If so, +1 to Piper. How’s the insurance? Probably another Piper advantage. Hangar? +1 to Mooney. Longer trips? Another +1 to Mooney.. Nicely equipped? +1 more. A Mooney is a thing of joy. I do love my fast, efficient, comfortable, load-hauling 20S+, but cheap, it isn’t. Maybe you should be patient at least until you can hangar it.

I had old second-hand anc David Clarks for years. The factory service, on the rare occasions it was needed, was stellar. I didn’t much mind the snug fit, and found those volume knobs on the earphones perfect for hanging the O2 nasal cannula tubes on. After many years, I splurged on what seemed more comfortable AKGs, liked the 6-pin power jack, (look, Ma, no batteries!) and the Bluetooth was neat, but after maybe 5 years, the ear seals were looking shabby, and last week, the sound got scratchy, intermittent and died.. Well, shoot. Then I remembered the Clarity Aloft set I inherited with the “new” Mooney, tucked in the back seat, and was very pleasantly surprised. I hate stuff in my ears, and have no pretty hairdo to worry about, so had never even tried them. Wow! The noise-cancelling was nearly complete. , quieter than either anc set.. It was far cooler on a hot day, and didn’t interfere with my glasses at all.. Very, very light, and I soon forgot the earplugs entirely.Haven’t tried the O2, so can’t say how all that stuff around my ears will work out. And didn’t even think to wonder about Bluetooth.

Try Pilots’n’Paws, a volunteer (501c3) pet transportation organization that does not charge fees for the service. Pilots fly the critters entirely at their own expense. ( www.Pilotsnpaws.org ) Be sure to include specific airports at both ends, weight, dates of travel, any equipment that will be included, what arrangements will be made for receiving Finnegan at Denver, contact phone numbers, etc. Practical information is especially appreciated. Be aware of what pilots of little airplanes will need… a clean and de-flea’d dog who hasn’t had breakfast, for starters, and a positive way to turn the pup over to a responsible person at the destination FBO without delay. (If you drop the dog off at a Memphis FBO, your pilot and dog will certainly beat you to Denver by many hours, perhaps a day or two, right?) Tranquilizers aren’t generally needed. Dogs make great passengers, usually snooze the whole way. I ask that uncrated dogs wear a sturdy harness through which a seatbelt can be secured, with just enough slack to permit the furry passenger to peek out the window, but not enough to be tossed around in turbulence. good luck!

There are dedicated programs for non-pilot women, play areas and crafts for children, and amazing sights to see, including the seaplane base, the colorful ultralights, the crazy bins of stuff for sale at the fly market, the (air-conditioned!) EAA museum, the evening programs at the Theater in the Woods. The night air show will have them captivated. The regular afternoon air show maybe not so much. Build in down time for the littles. Arrange central meeting places with spouse at times-certain to trade off. Let the kids collect a little swag at the exhibits, pick out a t-shirt or toy each, decide where to go next.. Don’t expect to see and do everything or keep up a hard-core aviator’s pace. It’ll be fun (she said).

Right. My personal minima are much higher these days, and while there’s much better out there, what I have is good enough.