Seth

Very much cause for concern. There is a single attachment point under the yoke. Tighten it up. Know that it will continue to loosen up. Make sure it is tight so you don't have the yoke come off in flight. May be a good time to upgrade. -Seth

Yes - he has long range tanks

I just found out there's a prototype instrument that you wear on your finger when watching TV. If you fall asleep, it senses it, and commands your DVR to record what you are watching so when you wake up you can go back and see what you missed. Really. I think that's going too far. Smart and cool, but man, going to too far. -Seth

George- Those pictures look professional! Which they are. Any chance they'll be featured in an upcoming AOPA article? Still need to swing by to see your new Eagle. -Seth

As mentioned, it depends. Both times it happened to me I simply couldn't lean, and when I when I pulled back power to far my engine ran rough. As a pilot I respect once said to me, if you ever find yourself as a test pilot, meaning you feel the airplane is trying to kill you, do only what is necessary to maintain control. Make the envelope so small that you keep control until after landing. Both times I did not lean once I determined that caused roughness and kept power and RPM where the engine ran smooth at a good temperature and left it there until the landing patten at the airport when I knew I could glide it in and then reduced power to rough running. It will affect your speed, mixture, and range, this ensure you land at the closest next destination over be Gulf. -Seth

I fly the Mooney Missile and was in the same predicament you were. I did a lot of research and found that the PAR 36 Whelen LEDs do not throw as much light as the PAR 46 and some people are not happy with the PAR 36 Whelen vs a regular bulb. They have their newer 2nd generation now which may be brighter. My research pointed me to Aero Leds 36LX and 36HX. One has the ability to blink and one is simply an on off bulb. My Missile has the K Cowling so I have two bulbs up front. I purchased two bulbs. Both AeroLEDs as they are the brightest. One 36HX and one 36LX. They are also PMA/TSOed now with documentation (whichever he correct term is). The Landing light is less expensive as I got the no blink version. The taxi light was more but I'm having it set up to have three settings. On, pulse, or off. So I can have the landing light on or off and the taxi light with its greater viewing angle on, off, or pulsing. If I had lights in my wings I'd wire them for wig wag on, off, or pulse. The blinking version comes with extra places to attach control wires. No extra hardware is needed as it's programmed into the bulb. Just set up your switch/toggle right and you're in business. At first I just had them both in on one circuit as that was how my wiring was done with only a landing light on/off that controls both lights at once. At annual in six weeks, I'm running wires to the taxi light to be able to use the pulse feature. Then, I'll either run with just he pulse blinking, or the landing light on and the pulse blinking after I see what it looks like from a distance and what people tell me on the ground/air to air. For the par 36 size, go AeroLEDs. -Seth

It will start with cargo flights. It's already started. Originally there were multiple crews. A flight engineer or three, a captain and first officer. Then, just one flight engineer, captain, and first officer. Soon it'll be on the cargo flights a computer flying the entire thing with a safety pilot on board. Once the safety rate increases with the entirely automated flights in the cargo world, with the computer flying the entire mission with a single pilot on board, it'll transfer to the airlines. Then they'll start cargo flights without pilots. I'm curious when or if that trend will occur with the airlines. -Seth

An Aerostar, a 414, and a 421B all available here. Hmm. -Seth

The SF260 has the paint job from Air Combat USA and is number 207. 208 is on the webpage for Air Combat USA. I'm curious if this was one of their birds or if it's one that used to be theirs that they sold off. I know that they rebuild them every x hours, and maybe after so many, they sell them and get a new one (or lose one to a bank). They currently have 7 aircraft. -Seth

2014 will be my lowest totals since purchasing a Mooney. I purchased my F model in 2008 and averaged 150-175 those first three years. I purchased the Missile in 2011 and since it goes faster, my cross country flights take less time. So there's less wear and tear on the airframe for distance flown, but my numbers are proportionally down. In the Missile ownership years I have flown between 110 and 140 hours per year. 2014 however, I got married, did not fly across the country solo one last time (2013 - 30+ hours on that trip alone) and may not break 100 hours. I'll hit 90 hours today for the year during my BFR. -Seth

Since you have your A&P, and if you can get it for a steal it may make sense. With no log books, being a wood A model, it will have very low resale unless you find the right buyer. Should you move forward with this airplane, decide the resale is nothing or simply parting it out. That way if you get anything for it, it will be a bonus. If you plan to fix it up, fly it, and keep it yourself, the resale doesn't matter and you'll get a very nice cross country machine for 2 adults and at times a third or a kid - rear seat legroom is limited on the short body models. Good luck! -Seth

My former F was that way. It liked 6.5 quarts I'd keep it at that level and not put in 8. My current J/Missile takes 10-12, and likes to stay at 10.5. So I put in 10 at the oil change and then a bottle of camguard. It settles out at 10.5 after some time, and when it hits 10, I fill it back up to 10.5, usually once, maybe twice between oil changes (I change the oil every 35-40 hours). -Seth

I still consider myself young (just turned 33) and used to have eagle eyes. My distance vision however is not what it used to be anymore. At some point I'll have to do something for long distance clarity. I hear your near vision goes first, but it's the opposite for me so far. I'm "dirty" 20/20 now, but it used to be better than 20/20. Has anyone else tried the eye supplement discussed above? Does it really help at all? Night vision issues? -Seth

It stinks but you could also consider selling your aircraft and moving up to another Mooney for the price delta. Those in this position however already have very new birds. -Seth

Chorman Field, D74 in Delaware - has a guy on the field that does paint jobs and it's just him. He does a lot of work for the Freeway MSC in Maryland. He did some touch up paint for the E Alan sold earlier this year. If I need anything done for my proximity, he'd be my first call (based at Gaithersburg - bad day yesterday with the Phenom Crash and loss of life). D74 is not far but not close to you. For your price range though, it fits perfectly. We've had some people on this board that have been painted there, and from what I have been told they are happy with it. One of the 201's based in the DC area was painted there just in the last few years - looks amazing. -Seth

99K for a Rocket?!?! Is that the discount for no GPS, missing original logs vs recreated, and an OH at conversion? So the engine won't make it to 1700 hours - what about 1000? Maybe the owner should put a garmin 430w in there and ask $130K What is the next closest Rocket on the market priced at? Thr next Bravo? Acclaim? -Seth

Theferrypilot.com The owner, Ben, used to be the chief pilot of a flight school based in MD. I think he's with the airlines now but he is still active in the ferry world. All sorts of aircraft all sorts of places. -Seth

Another great issue! -Seth

Don't put camguard in until you know the rings are seated. Sometime after 50-100 hours on your cylinders depending on cylinder type, oil burn rate, how often you fly, etc -Seth

Congrats! Now go out and fly! -Seth

That is a very cool 360 cockpit. No way that's single pilot friendly. B-36 had 6 props and 4 jets. Note in the cockpit, the Captain and 1st officer/copilot both have access to the 6 prop engines. However, the jet engines are above only the Captain's head. Kind of makes it hard if he became incapacitated. The Co Pilot, or one of the flight engineers would have to operate the jets. That beings said, the jets were mainly used for takeoff and climb. They did allow for fast cruise but would burn through fuel. Many of the day long or day+ long missions were accomplished with the six piston engines. -Seth

I had an exterior cover that came with my former 1967 M20F. I used it constantly There were also a set of reflective interior sunsheilds. I found that I used the exterior cover most of the time. I also found, and it may be due to the fact that I had original paint and did not wax much as I knew I'd be repainting soon, that the paint without question faded around where the cover was located. Rubbing was not a problem, the old paint fading was. It looked "dirty" and then I realized it was the paint being done. I however soon got a hanger at a nearby airport and moved in there. I pretty much didn't use the cover again as whenever I went on a trip after that I just stuck up the sunshields (easier to do quickly and they take up less space inside the aircraft). Both the sunshields and exterior cover help keep temps within about 5-10 degrees of ambient. Without them, the cabin does indeed heat up. Having them up also gives prying eyes less reason to break into your airplane when parked outside. I ended up upgrading my aircraft to my current M20J Missile 300 before painting the F. It's been in a hanger the entire time I've owned it (except for overnight parking elsewhere). I did buy sunshades for trips. Cowl Plugs: I had them for my F and I purchased them for my Missile. I think they are very important to keep visitors out of your engine compartment. Also, even in my hanger, during the winter, when I preheat (plug in block heater), they are the last exterior piece I pull after taking the aircraft out of the hanger. Less heat is lost during the heating process and then when I pull the plane out, the heat doesn't vanish as quickly. When I arrive at a destination in cold weather, they are quickly put back in place so if it's a shorter stay, the engine cools down more slowly so it's easier to start up again. If I'm going to be somewhere overnight, I know the cowl plugs won't blow away. I also have a blanket for the hanger but I do not take it with me on the road. If outside, I'd use the plugs. if inside, I'd use the plugs. So yes, get cowl plugs - again, a barrier to keep stuff out of your engine (nests, dust, pollen, etc . . .) -Seth

Some do so, but when posting low gas, please include the identifier! Thanks! -Seth

Sorry for your loss. I read about it elsewhere a well. Without question a reminder that what we do including a certain amount of risk. But we do love it. -Seth