jwilkins

I'm 165 lbs. My son is 180. We can carry 40# baggage and 6+ hours fuel in our K running LOP at 160TAS at 12K MSL and still be under gross. I thought I would need LR tanks. I don't NEED them and usually only fill the mains. I LIKE having the LR tanks and will frequently put 90 to 100 gallons in when I'm by myself just because of the options it gives me to divert, in case the destination has a fueling problem, or I'm after hours on departure day. Having 3+ hours fuel on board at destination after a 4 hour flight doesn't allow me to get back home, but gives me a lot of options where I can go next. If I were buying today I'd look for an Encore or Encore conversion to get the higher gross weight.

It is my understanding some models came from the factory with a separator. I'd first check to verify yours was a aftermarket add-on, then check to see if it was a factory option. If the supplier is out of business you could ask your mechanic to submit a 337 listing 'inspection of previous installation'. It probably won't get approved but it may. You'll need the installation instructions and ICA, but I'm sure someone on here will have the records to assist your mechanic on whatever brand you have installed. I've never had ANY luck with going back to former shops and mechanics who didn't do the paperwork properly; missing 337's and "see A/C records for new W&B" when there was none in the paperwork are always met with a 'Sorry, we don't have records for that' - even at a Repair Station where you know the records are on file. I like my separator; it keeps the belly cleaner and returns oil to the engine which would otherwise be lost. On a long trip my oil level will go up a pint or even a quart after sitting overnight compared with the initial after trip hot check. Planes I've flown without a separator didn't recover nearly as much. Maybe the dry Arizona air is a better environment for a separator than one of the more humid areas of the country; but I like having it. When I bought 1MS there was an old AM /FM radio and a Motorola SAT phone interface installed; both were aviation TSO products but not in the logs. I sent for the FAA records and found there were no 337's on file. I had both of them removed by the shop who made a log book entry along the lines of 'XX removed; installation not found in logbooks'. Sometimes I wish I had a homebuilt........

Jose, You really should look into this "she could be my granddaughter". If she is, you might get a family discount at the MS store. Jim, who refuses to run 8 on any computers as long as I can still buy a license for 7 and replace it.......

My N7 downloads Avare fine. We carry it as a backup, so don't have a lot of experience using it in transit, but it downloads without a hitch and has always worked when we've tested it.

I did some consulting work for a Mass company a few years ago and flew into Lawrence (KLWM) every month for about a year. It's a bit more of a drive but the folks at 4 Star Aviation were absolutely wonderful. Fuel was reasonably priced and once or twice they loaned my the crew car when I had a short meeting in the area. I admit that I like the airports and FBO's where you can meet and deal with the owners. I'm not trying to impress clients with the super high class amenities at the really nice FBO's - I like dealing with small but nice FBO's and 4 Star was one of my favorites. Check it out; if you're not trying to make a high class impression on passengers or people you meet, you might find it worth the little extra drive. I also got to see the Terrafugia making some of it's initial taxi run tests at LWM. That was cool. Jim

"more than 20 years old" So by the time the Govt gets around to seriously considering this, current production 2014 planes will probably be eligible.... Yes, I'm cynical. I'd love to see this, but I don't think I'll be around long enough. Back in NY I had an AP/IA who was willing to teach me correct maintenance procedures, check the work when I did it myself, and sign off when needed. It didn't help with the use of non-approved parts but I sure learned a lot. Jim

I'm disappointed Dan @ Lasar couldn't help you. He's a great resource. It used to bother me that repairing our old instruments was so bloody expensive. It's worse now that we don't have that option at any price. I have a JPI 830 in the plane but it's not supposed to be an approved replacement, so I R&R'd the inop Aerosonic with a used unit. The JPI is much more accurate (based on refueling numbers). Jim

Pacific Southwest Instruments has this listed as one they can repair. http://www.psilabs.com/MRO/Aerosonic/manifold-pressure-fuel-flow-indicator/651035-0107 Lasar typically can get almost any of our instruments overhauled - talk to Dan Reisland in Parts - (707) 263-0581 I found an as-removed instrument a few years ago just to keep the OEM working but it's not as accurate as the JPI. The newer heads with the fuel totalizer capability can be installed and will work for FF and MP without having to install the totalizator computer/ display

The comments from astelmaszek may have been harsh, but VALID. Please: If you want to document on a public forum that you went flying after identifying a non-airworthy condition, don't use your name and tail number. You read about every week that someone got fired for posting a comment on Facebook. It's only a matter of time before we read about an insurance investigator quoting comments made on a public website to show either specific liability or a 'history' of non conforming actions. Shortly after I moved into my City of Prescott hanger both the State sales tax dept (TPT) and the AZ MVD Registration dept sent me notices of non compliance. I had to dig out the records from when I bought the plane to prove I paid the TPT (sales) tax and the registration paperwork to show I had registered the plane three years before. The city of Prescott reported to the State that I had rented a hanger and put a possibly unregistered untaxed aircraft in it. What right does the city have to disclose what N# aircraft I have in my leased hanger? According to an attorney friend, NONE. But it's not worth fighting over. He said "If you had not paid the tax, you'd be guilty and have have no credibility. If you are not guilty you have no damages. Just let it go". Your posts on these forums, your leases, your pilots certificates, your Face Book posts, your life, and perhaps your 'private' emails,are NOT private. Either keep your posts 'clean' or register without any personal information. Either way, be careful what you post. It disturbs me, but we all need to understand that there is very little privacy in the world today. BY the way, even though your mechanic said something like "Looks OK to me, go try it" do you think he would have taken responsibility for a new engine if there had been a major oil leak in the air? Would he have told your insurance Company that he had given you a maintenance release if the prop had failed on take off? I guess I'm in a conspiracy fired doom-and gloom mood today...... sorry.... Jim

"Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be directly or indirectly identified with you will remain confidential." Is NOT the same as "Please consider taking 15 minutes to complete an anonymous online survey."

When I get frustrated dealing with websites that are not easy to dis-enroll I will update my credit card information with a 'typo' on the number or expiration date...... A few years ago I called AOPA and told them to take me off the auto renew as they were renewing much too soon (a pet peeve of mine) and I wanted to review my options each year. They were very helpful and took me off the auto renew. Jim

The baffles, V Belt, and hoses, etc. don't look heat damaged at all. If those are original, as they appear to be in the photos, the probability of any heat damage to the engine itself is extremely low. The Insurance Co likely required the data plate to be removed to avoid possible liability with subsequent owners. The log books are not included, but you could probably find someone who worked on this or maybe the previous owner to get information about the engine. If I needed an engine for an experimental I'd be down there tomorrow with my checkbook to look & talk.

These may not be applicable to your A/C but here are a few things we've done to improve the winter cabin comfort: 1. The rudder linkage boots on our C and F leaked air, not enough to create a draft but enough to cool down the already cold foot areas.New boots REALLY helped. 2. Our C had a radio stack cooling vent on the pass side which could be closed off in the winter to reduce the outside air flow. There was a lever on the vent which could be switched to shut down the airflow for the winter. You'll need to crawl under the panel to find it the first time. Originally it had a scat tube to direct the outside air to the radio stack. On our C it just blew cold air on the passenger's legs. 3. Using UL approved aluminum tape to seal up the seams behind the side upholstery and under the back seat and baggage areas controlled the airflow and improved comfort levels. Most of the seams were taped once but the tape was just sitting there, not sticking to the aluminum. 4. On our K the heater control plate was not fully opening. After adjusting it it puts out MUCH more heat. 5. The previous owner of our C had flexible air ducting that he would slip over the heat outlets. His wife would bundle up under a blanket and stick the air duct under the blanket. After we sealed the seams and replaced the pedal boots the cabin was tolerable. 6. We moved to Arizona. Jim

When I bought my last two planes I called Jimmy Garrison at All American, explained what I thought I was going to be doing for missions and talked about my budget plans. Jimmy was a wealth of good information and suggestions. I bought two of my three Mooneys from him and will go back to him when I need another. He not only knows the market but gave me an honest evaluation of how realistic my goals and budget were. The last time I was shopping he told me my plans were probably 'doable' but he didn't have anything that fit the profile. After a couple months while I was still looking he came up with an excellent fit for me, which I ended up buying. Give him a call at 830.885.5723 He's not a sales person; he's a Mooney consultant Jim

The last time I was at Dugosh a few years ago they showed me the original PFM prototype (minus the engine) in a back room. Now it's minus one gear door that I needed, too. Except for the missing engine the airframe looked pretty complete. This is significant in Mooney's history as the PFM partnership was, allegedly, was how Mooney funded the long body development. However, it was a tad slow, the gearbox had reliability issues, and the payload suffered from the engine / gearbox weight. As I remember, AOPA bought, or at least flew, a PFM for some time. I remember they really liked the single lever power control. If Porsche had stuck it out and refined the concept instead of bailing on it, we might all have this option today. Great concept, but, as with many new products, the first iteration needed evolutionary improvement. Porsche bailed rather than working through the design refinements Jim

When I had my 62 C I used to have to 'remind' the A&P to replace the O-Rings every annual. The mechanic who took care of my 67F always asked if I wanted them changed (answer was always yes) The shop that takes care of my 80 K strongly recommends all four caps get new rings every year, and I absolutely agree with them. It's not a 'rip off' to me to have a mechanic who is watching out for things like this - especially the ones that don't cost much and potentially prevent a huge problem, I expect them to go ahead and do them. I always thank the shop and the mechanic for being professional enough to know what things we SHOULD be doing. Not all of us owners think we are being 'ripped off' when our mechanics are watching out for us. Personally, I wish ALL mechanics took the time and effort to be thorough and professional enough to take care of things like this. Much better than the possible alternative. I guess the lesson is to try not to be offended by statements made by some people.

Your real beef seems be with the mechanic who did the work, but it was 7 months ago. This is an unfortunate situation, and, in my (multiple) experiences not typical of my dealings with AAA HOWEVER, "keep in mind 7 months and 60 hours ago" makes this more of a grey area. When ANYONE makes a referral to a mechanic, an avionics shop, an interior shop, or ANY other supplier it does not mean the person making the referral is responsible for the work. Yes, you had a $500 issue you had to swallow. Your beef may be with Ron, but bashing AAA over a referral they made 7 months after the work was done is not good form. I also don't see what value there is on playing out comments you overheard before you decided to buy this plane. You heard the comments, you bought the plane. I hope you don't let a $500 repair disrupt you from enjoying your new plane.

It all depends on where you are and what you need, and how much money you have. I started out with a 62 C which I bought from a gentleman in Alabama (seriously, an honest and sincere gentleman) . It made a couple trips to AZ and CA with no real issues. I used the AOPA 'suggested mountain crossing routes' pretty carefully when I was flying the C, but never had any issues other than leaving high altitude airports when it was still cool in the AM. The next plane I bought was the '67 F from All American. I REALLY liked my '67 F when I was back East. I did make a couple more trips to CA and AZ in the F and it did OK even on the high and hot days. The F was a wonderful airplane, and was about as fast as my friend's 201. BTW, I see it's now for sale again at All American (N477T). When I moved to AZ with a home field elevation of around 5K MSL, I traded the F for a 231. I didn't want to put the money into a 252 or Encore until I had some turbo experience. The turbo is great out here. If I were going to upgrade again I'd look for a 252, just for the improved engine systems and a little more speed. On a hot day departing Prescott with the F I would sometimes look for thermals to climb. The 231 climbs just fine. It needs more attention to engine management than the F, but, with the Merlin AWG it's not hard to manage. The 252 is supposed to be even a tad easier to manage (better AWG) and faster. The albatross for me is the specter of a $50K engine OH with any of the turbos. I'd much rather have the A3B6 overhaul waiting in the wings, but the turbo is worth the potential cost for me, as long as I'm flying out here. I'd probably look for an Encore before jumping into a Rocket. It's just my personal bias, but I'd rather have the factory plane than a modified one, even though the specs on the Rocket are really impressive and the owners seem really happy with them. If I were still back East going between upstate NY, MA, and New England areas, I'd be very happy with the F, or a 201/ J. I really don't need my long range tanks very often, but having an extra 10 gallons aboard makes me happy. You are fantastically lucky that you have both an F and K available to try out.

After watching a UTube video of a guy landing gear up with the gear warning horn blaring away, I had a voice alert added for gear and stall warning. It's expensive, but much less expensive than the deductible and increased insurance. Jim

This is a true statement, Maxwell would probably have to look at the Sonalert. So woudl MOST mechanics. There is nothing Mooney specific about a stall warning system. You start at the Sonalert, check for constant voltage when the stall vane is deployed, then work towards the stall vane if you need to. This is exactly what Arizona Air Craftsman did last year when I had a stall horn intermittent. If I need my plane rigged or other very Mooney specific work done, I'd go to Maxwell. For the last couple annuals and maintenance in between, AAC has been a great shop for the 231 (and previously the F). For me, one of the keys is to get to know your shop and let the shop know you and your plane by keeping up with squawks and regular maintenance during the year. The once a year 'I gotta get an annual done' doesn't work well for me.

I like visiting Sedona, but, for me, there was also a mental aspect of landing there the first few times due to the plateau terrain. I felt the same the first time I flew into Catalina Island. I've done a couple go-arounds at Sedona when the approach just wasn't right, and I've also cancelled a couple Sedona trips due to high winds and gusts. It's a fantastic area, a nice airport with a good restaurant, but, with the plateau terrain and gusty winds, it's not an easy place to land. It's a balancing act between carrying enough speed for the gusts and down drafts, and being slow enough to land. Since I don't HAVE to go there, I just stay away during bad weather and gusts. Or drive; it's only an hour and half drive for us from Prescott. I'm glad everyone survived.

When Gordon Baxter was researching Mooneys he wrote about why he bought a C instead of an E in one of his Bax Seat columns. I believe it was Charlie Dugosh who advised Gordon to buy a C instead of an E. According to Gordon's adviser, there was very little performance difference, and they felt there were, at the time, some advantages. The vintage Flying magazines are on line at Google Books. It might make interesting reading for you. What better way could you find to spend an evening than reading the Bax Seat columns looking for the Mooney ones? It may not have any bearing on your decision, but would be a fun research project. I had a 62 C, a 67 F, and now a K. The C was the most fun to fly. The F was a little faster, had more range, and better avionics. I did not enjoy having it here in Prescott AZ on the really warm summer days. Start out at 5K field elevation and add in 90 to 100 degree temps and, even lightly loaded, we used to search for thermals to get to cruise altitude . The K is a fantastic AZ / Western traveling machine.

Or get the replacement bulb first and KNOW how the base comes out.