Rustler

Never thought I'd say this, but in all fairness to the insurance guys, these rates might be closer to the raw actuarial tables than previous rates were. I wonder if players like the airlines weren't providing a subsidy for our rates in a time when no large payouts were extant for a prolonged period. Then come the 737MAX hits and a reduction in the numbers of companies willing to play in the market, and premiums aligned accordingly. Parker was a great help in suggesting Avemco. They took me on as a first-time insured with them and my association with them has been as cordial as possible. It doesn't do much to remove the bad taste from all this, but it is what it is. My question, I guess, is what happens when I hit 80. A lot of folks get better with age, but that somewhere got lost in the small-print footnotes.

My one-of-a-kind 1981 M20K is now for sale. The sale is being handled by Gafford Aero, San Marcos, TX, and Ken or Michael Medcalf has the information. It can be seen at https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/198755197/1981-mooney-m20k-231-piston-single-aircraft The reason I'm selling primarily has to do with the insurance quagmire we find ourselves in. I've been flying since 1957, have never and an accident, incident, or claim. In two years my insurance has gone from $1100 to $2800, with a promise from the only company that would quote that it would increase next year. The virus hasn't helped, either. If you are interested in 414MS, Ken or Michael will give you my number to have any questions answered. Thanks for your interest.

I don't. I merely translated what the OP wrote.

בשוק סמייא צווחין לעווירא סגי נהור ~~ In the land of the blind, the Cyclops is king.

Paul, Please add me. Thanks.

Oh, I don't know. Here's a picture of a JPI 930 installed in a large hole in the panel. I really like it flush mounted.

I have 8, 4 in the rear light fixture and 4 in the front one. While each of the fixtures is capable of operation with the master off, it is usually the front one that is the culprit because of its proximity to the door. I haven't gone to the effort of figuring out how long the battery would last if one were to leave them all on overnight, but I suspect it would be a considerable period. Could you engineer the relay small enough to fit in the fixture itself?

Don-- Why not replace the 1816s with LEDs? The equivalent number is BA9S-WWHP5 at superbrightleds.com. There are 8 of them. You can get the LED in either warm or cook renditions.

I thought you took a Cardinal to Rome.

Hector at Aero Comfort has carpet almost that color. He'll ship you samples.

When I rejuvenated my panel and removed the vacuum system, I installed a PFD1000 Pro and a Sandia Quattro. The units are independent and each has its own backup battery. Works well and there is no clutter.

Don-- I tried Foreflight and didn't particularly like it. I use WingX Pro but recently went all out for FlyQ and find it the best for me. You can use it concurrently (I do with WingX) with any other program you're using without interference. It is intuitive, contains a wealth of features, and the company is sound as far as I can tell. They respond almost immediately to questions you have. I don't think they will offer the lifetime subscription again, but I'm not sure. Their FlyQ Online is pretty nice, too.

Ditto Don's remarks. The weight delta was a big issue to me; that's a lot of weight from which the crankshaft is relieved over an extended period of time. It might be interesting to see if there is a study about the replacement of crank seals with MTs and heaview props. Sam, I responded to your message; if you didn't get it, let me know.

Over the years, for several airplanes, I have used Aircraft and Marine Assurance, Vancouver, WA, 800.466.4944. They are great folks to work with and are very thorough in their analyses of the policies they recommend. Can't beat 'em.

I'm in.

Well, I'll go for the district extra the city, but prosperous may be open to interpretation. Smithville is just sort of out there.

The town of Smithville, TX, has announced the hiring of J.D and Laura Casteel (Southwest Texas Aviation) to run the FBO at Smithville's Crawford Airport. http://www.statesman.com/news/local/smithville-hires-fixed-based-operator-for-crawford-municipal-airport/0ioQIORNZ8Sde0lNoVkD9M/ Congratulations!

It is no longer available. I bought it from John some time ago.

Don-- My guess is that this guy was from Colorado. They have leafy green engine break-in enhancement tools for sale there.

+1 on Tim. I bought my M20K from him and cannot think of a straighter shooter. He'd probably bring it to you to inspect.

If you looked at the Hoskins strobe light in a darkened environment, I suspect it might make you slightly disoriented, but induce a stroke? Maybe, but I doubt it.

Yep, you're right. Like I said originally. "if I could." Without a second electrical system the redundancy wouldn't be there.

The late Russel Stallings once told me that when they used to race Mooneys in his earlier days (those of you who knew Russel know that in later times he couldn't get into a Mooney), they would take off with two people in the front seats, and as soon as they were underway, the guy in the right seat was sent to the baggage compartment. I've had a vision of this transfer in my mind for many years.

Oscar-- Sorry about the lapse here, but I was away for a couple days. CHTs are running cool and even, 335-340 across the board according to the JPI930. The variable timing is active until about 7,000' MSL, then remains constant, from what I understand. We're at 7100' here in Taos, so I don't notice much difference in takeoff power. Absolutely get their wiring harness and keep the wires apart so you don't get cross-wire talk and confuse the system (see photo). Mine happen to be blue, not red, but it is what ElectroAir recommended. Cost? I think the 4-cyl kits are $3750+/- and the one for the Continental TSIO360 is around $5500. Add installation--and it takes a while to do, especially if your mechanic hasn't done a Mooney--and you're probably talking about $4500-4700 for a 4-cylinder and $6500 for a 6-cyl. YMMV. McDeuce is right--ElectroAir is a good company, both to their patrons and to their dealers.

Lee-- Have had an ElectroAir in my M20K for over a year and would never go back to two magnetos; if I could, I'd replace my remaining mag with an EA. They're not cheap, but I've experienced, perhaps, a quarter-to-half a gallon per hour decrease in fuel consumption, so at some point it pays for itself. Engine is very smooth throughout the operating RPMs, and starts are almost instantaneous. Engine temperatures are a bit lower but not spectacularly so. We had no problems with the installation, but it required some planning to get all the components located ideally. The unit fires the lower plugs, which were changed to Tempest Fine Wires, per the suggestion of EA.