wmrunyon

Captains, It is a sad day for me as i closed on the sale of my Mooney. It is comforting to know the plane is in great hands as these two gentlemen have moved up from a 231 (some of you may debate this point!) which they sold last month. And i know they are flying a ship that will provide great safety, efficiency and fun for years to come. My wife and i have a young boy and another on the way. She wants a cabin class plane with pressurization, so we will be moving on from the Mooney product, with heavy hearts. I have owned two, loved them both and they have served me well over the years. Great trips and memories and experiences. My best advice: Take the MAPA Air Safety Foundation PPP Course. Even if you have been flying your steed for years, you will come away with knowledge. It is worth every penny. Fly safe and train often. All my best, bill

I bought an iPhone a few weeks ago and now know what the "buzz" is all abought. What a great gadget! My question to the those in the know, what are the favorite aviation apps? Fore Flight looks interesting and gets a good review from Aviation Consumer, but it is pricey at $75. AOPA's Directory is free, so that is easy. What else is popular? bill

Buster, I have TKS and feel it is a worthy option. It is interesting that i have used it more in the summer months than winter, even in the southern states. A lot of times it will be at or below freezing, flying in the teens and you run thru some higher layers. TKS is on, nothing is sticking to the aircraft, and life is good. Yes, there is a weight penalty, but i rarely fly with the tank full. So you can save a little weight if you plan appropriately. The opinions you need are from TKS equipped pilots....could you find one who has it and who would say, "naw, i would not do it" ? After a flight to Colorado and we had some minor icing on final (i called it frost, but my wife recalls we were "iced over"), Tanya insisted we get TKS. She is much more comfortable with IMC flights knowing we have this capability. And one last point, TKS is very effective; it will work if you need it. But be prepared and have it activated before entering into conditions below freezing. It takes a few minutes to pressurize the system and effectively get fluid thru the panels. Good luck in finding the right plane for you! Bill

George, very well articulated . I agree, this pilot's ticket deserves to be pulled not only to preserve his life and the lives of his passengers. But also to preserve our future in aviation.

I was wandering the sane thing about the FAA looking into this...it would not be too hard to find the guy. The flight obviously started at Van Nuys airport and the Bonaza tail starts with N65. They guy that posted it gave the date of the flight last week... I am sure it would not take long for someone to find the plane's owner.

My guess: the L-39 pilot was experienced enough to break off, climb and file (illegal, but safer) or reverse course to VMC. I wander what kind of fuel flows the L-39 has at such an altitude, and at our speads?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nm8pNgqBAk I am sure Mooney Pilots make better decisions than Bonaza Pilots! Bill

I have a Bruce cover on my Mooney and have been very satisfied. The fit is extremely snug and the cover does not move around in a breeze. There are 5 straps: three straps to secure it up front and two in the back. One fore and two aft of the nose gear and two of these do slip in the crease where the gear doors meet the cowling. So they do not go over the doors. The materials feel to be of high quality and the stitching very well reinforced. There is an inner lining that feels like a fleece or soft cloth material for added protection. The outer canvas repels water, even after a long rain. Yep, they are a bit more expensive, but i went off the theory "you get what you pay for". I only use it on trips (hangared at home) and it looks great after 4 years.

I had an interesting flight last Sunday and WAAS came in very handy. I was picking up a patient at Monroe, LA (KMLU). The weather was b/w 400-700 feet and the GS for RW 04 was Notam’d inop. We were vectored & cleared for the 22 ILS and the GS came alive but i never got the localizer, so went missed. After a query to the tower, they responded that it too was inop. My only option now to get below the weather was a LPV approach and after a quick vector we were able to get in. There is a reason the FAA did not invest in or install any new ILS approaches for 08 & 09…WAAS is here to stay and the future for our approaches. Bill

Ronnie, welcome aboard and i sincerely appreciate Mooney Factory expertise on this site for input. I will have to say that i need to echo previous posted concerns. My plane was re-painted in 2005 at the factory, and it is unfortunate to say, the paint is virtually peeling off down to metal. It is painful to watch and it will need to be dealt with this fall. I have been told by factory personnel and other paint shops i have talked to, my situation is likely due to poor prep work. My question is: Has the paint facility at Kerrville been upgraded? Has a contemporary environmentally controlled paint booth been added? The previous facility or “paint booth” was a step up from a barn! You could see daylight thru the walls and on a windy day, i can imagine dust/dirt blowing in. There was obviously no control for temperature or humidity, much less, outside contaminates. If a proper booth has not been constructed that provides over-pressurized air filtration and temperature/humidity control (like Tejas and others), the factory paint jobs will always be a compromise. The best painters in the world can not do quality work with poor equipment. My paint job looked beautiful ( and still does) but it is literally falling off the plane. It is unfortunate that it has not lasted 4 years and i have to reinvest in this process to preserve my plane. I have learned my lesson to personally research and inspect the facility & personnel who will paint my plane. Bill

1. M20M 1991 2. Current engine time 950 hours, Lyc reman; only engine problem has been with the exahaust system, expensive to repair or replace. 3. The 1st engine made it to 1850 hrs.

Scott, Thanks for digging up D Maxwell's explanation. I may just fly over and let him figure it out. My mechanic states he is certain it is the gauge and i'm of the opinion it is wiring. bill

I need some advice. i have a '91 Bravo and the right fuel indicator (in the panel) has been erratic for about 3 months. Now about half the time it is asleep against the left side peg; it might come alive for awhile indicating what it thinks as correct fuel levels. Then it will bounce around as if it has a short, then goes off line. Apparently the wiring diagram for these could wallpaper a small office, but my mechanic swears it is the indicator itself and not a connection, ground or anything with the fuel sending units in the tank. The gauge, which he recommends replacing, is $850. Ouch. Is there a cheaper alternative? Please advice. Thanks! Bill

I am in total agreement with a forum for MAPA and wish Trey would purchase this forum from Craig for his wonderful effort, incredible expertise and support of this site. He has done a great job and deserves compensation for the idea and implementation. I am a member of the MMOPA (Malibu) group also. They have a fantastic group and their website is broad and deep to include a very nice forum such as this. I feel one strong advantage with such a forum is the historical conversations that are kept on file. For example, if in two years from now a new guy comes on board and wants to know about Bladders vs. a reseal, he can learn everything he needs to know, plus some in just a few minutes, vs. 2-3 days of exchanges. And think of all the conversations that have taken place over the years on the MAPA email list that we do not have access to. A lot of institutional knowledge is lost, or at a minimum has to be recreated by someone else asking a similar question a year later when the problem creeps up. And my last comment is that i just hate opening up my email at home, after a long day’s work, and having 50 emails from MAPA. It is less intrusive and more logical to access a website to pick and choose what topics you are interested in, such as this Forum! Or have the option of having every email exchange forwarded to your inbox from the forum if you are so inclined. Bill

Gentlemen, Great input on protecting the fuel cap seal. Triflow is great stuff and worked quite well lubricating the moving parts of the cap making its function smooth and easy. When my plane came out of annual this past spring (at a MSC), i noted on preflight that the O-rings had not been replaced. So i brought it up and they scurried about and replaced them acting a bit perturbed. In past annuals at a different MSC it had been part of the annual, which i brought up. They responded it was not part of the Mooney Inspection List. Needless to say, they were cracked and i had just expected them to be replaced. About a week later i got another invoice for the O-rings, two of them. I was so stinking mad, as i assumed they replaced all four. I should have watched them! Dangit. So i flew back recently to make the point, and made them do the inner rings. From what i understand, its the inner rings that are more prone to be the source of a leak than the outer rings. What i found amazing, they did not know there was an inner ring on the fuel cap. I had a long chat with the head A&P explaining the level of anticipated service and attention to detail we expect in our planes. I continually wander what else they missed?

Being "less educated" i was wandering how long it takes for WW to complete a strip and reseal job?

Hello Captains, I recently had the opportunity to fly to Scottsdale for a meeting and had an extra day blessed w/ the ‘kitchen pass’. I have always wanted to fly the VFR Corridors over the GC, and this was my perfect opportunity. There are 4 corridors that are basically aligned North South that allow General Aviation traffic to transverse the Canyon for sightseeing. These corridors allow you to get lower than the Arizona Sectional altitude restrictions over the Park, but at the same time, stay out of the way of the tour operators. The corridors have specific frequencies to announce your position and specific VFR altitudes while in the corridor. After doing some research, talking to several local pilots and especially studying the Grand Canyon Sectional (which is complex and intimidating!), i came up with a game plan. I made a spreadsheet with all the required waypoints to hit the corridors, transition points or airports. Most of the waypoints are in the Garmin box and some i had to enter the Lat/Long. I flew to Grand Canyon National park Airport (KGCN) and spent the night. The next morning, i departed at dawn to avoid the heat and avoid the air tour traffic. It was a cool and beautiful morning with incredible visuals of the Canyon. There are several airports of note in or around the Canyon. Marble Canyon (L41) is at the base of the eastern part of the Canyon and suitable for landing (barely) and the approach is a 4000 foot descending spiral w/i 3miles of the airport to enter the pattern. Page Airport (KPGA) is next to the Glen Canyon Damn and Lake Powell. Despite the lake being extremely low, it is still a marvelous site and enjoyed flying fairly low around Powell’s eastern end. The GC Bar Ten (1Z1) is in a beautiful side canyon off the northern rim and makes a fun approach. I had plans of landing, but after looking at the runway, i opted to protect my gear and prop. GC West (1G1) is another big Air Tour ops airport and quite busy, but worthy of an approach, if not a visit. Then it was off to Lake Mead and flying over the Hoover Damn, absolutely spectacular sites. We all know that is one big beautiful ditch, but up close and in your own plane is a great way to see this National Treasure. The way i did it, it took a bit over three hours, but i intentional flew slow with several detours and circle backs and a couple of stops. It is a worthwhile trip that i’d encourage you to consider if you are in the region. Fly Safe, Bill

Most of us had the same instructor for both days, but a couple of guys had to switch on day two due to scheduling issues. There were 5-6 of the instructors giving specific lectures on their interest or expertise. One guy is a ATC controller. I think he is in the New York Tracon. So he gave two lectures on IFR procedures/navigation: WAAS approaches, ILS approaches and plate review, T & Q routes, changes to the enroute charts, and how to make the system work better for you. He was great, smart dude. There was an owner of a Mooeny Srvice Center ( i wish he was in my part of the country!) and he happens to be a computer/photo guru. So his powerpoints were exceptional. And he carries a camera with him at all times and takes photos of all the mooneys he services. So after years of work he has a wealth of examples of poor maintenance & neglect and its impact on your plane. It will get you attention! I came back with a list of items for my mechanic to attend to that needed attention. He also had a safety presentation reveiwing notable Mooney "incidents" and accidents. The dates and locations of the next courses are in the MAPA Log magazine or on their website http://www.mooneypilots.com/ and look under calander of events. There are two more this year. It is a bit pricey, but i thought it was work it. Bill

I attended the Mooney Air Safety Foundation's Pilot Proficiency Program (PPP) in Denver 2 weeks ago and thought i'd offer my thoughts. I have been flying Mooney's for 5 years with over 750 hours in type and felt i knew my plane. Well, this 3 day course is just what i needed to reiterate what i do not know and remains to be accomplished to be a better pilot and aircraft owner. The fascilities, location and most important, the instruction was top notch. The ASF is composed of experienced Mooney owners and CFII's who enjoy giving back to us. These guys have thousands of hours and they were all excellent instructors. The lectures were well done with outstanding powerpoint presentations. Topics covered were informative and pertinent, and i especially enjoyed some detailed presentations on maintenace issues and on safety. After a full day of lectures, the 2nd and 3rd day is split b/w flying in your plane with one of the ASF instructors and additional lectures. It is a packed full schedule. If you get a chance to attend one, you will not be disappointed. They advertise in the MAPA Log magazine. I will certainly go again next year. Bill

I will have to agree with George. There is no way i could talk my wife into going to Kerrville. She would run out of things to do very quickly and the hotel is a bit dated. I stayed there last year waiting for a repair on my plane (would not start when i picked it up after an annual!!) and it is the best thing going for the area; but for a destination convention, the hotel is marginal. If i attend, my wife will stay at home. Bill