cliffy

@donkaye, MCFI From St George Utah to Houston TX, I can match airline total travel time in my 64' D model !!! About 7 1/2 hrs I can have good catering on board and TRAVEL ARMED!!! :-) Going further we go 1st Class IF possible and if time is of the essence. You have to watch what airline you are flying because most the the lower tier commuters do not have a 1st Class section. Why pay for it if its not available? Look out for "Mixed Cabin" demarcation. Back when I started at Continental Airlines (in the late 60s) we actually carved full Prime Rib roasts seat side in 1st class, with ice cream hot fudge sundaes for desert. Bacon wrapped filet mignon was a big seller! :-) We have found a large (very large ) difference in 1st class treatment among the different airlines with United at the bottom of the list. Delta seems to us to be as good or better than the crowd with "decent" first class service. Going overseas (South Pacific) we have found Air France to be far and away the best for service and pricing. There are maybe 3 different "lay flat" capsules for 1st class service and each one has its own problems. All seem to me to be rather confining BUT much better for overseas and 10 hrs than even Coach Premium. Plus being first off for customs is a big help! All have a big divider between the side by side seats. Over all if I have the time (and logistics) we go by Mooney even to Florida a year ago. Much nicer way to travel than to fight TSA and the crowd at the airline airports even when going 1st class.

Never would have thought Thanks!

Let not forget the fairly large and sudden rotational movement at each start and stop of the engine, even in its mounts, and of course the constant rotational vibration while running. That's why its flexible What seems at first glance easy- has complications. As I've said before, we are flying antiques by every measure of the word. We have the "original" manufacturer willing to still make parts for 60 year old products but at a cost. Name any company in the world still willing to do that! What is a reasonable cost to keep antiques flying? We can complain all we want (to our own detriment) but it won't change the dynamics of the situation. We choose to stay in a segment of GA that is essentially slowly going away by the attrition of airframes as we wreck more of them every year than are made and some aren't even made anymore - MOONEYS! Other, newer segments of GA are booming, LS, experimental, etc taking the wind out of our segment and the desire to manufacture for our segment. Anything new, now, in our segment is nearer to 1 MILLION dollars to purchase. The field is small for those capable of such a purchase. Parts costs are a factor of todays pricing not what it cost a half a century ago to make. Its analogous to buying a 40 year old Rolls Royce today (of which I'm very familiar). There are many Rolls available for an "affordable" price almost all of which have numerous "differed" maintenance items. Just like most of our GA fleet. You can bring an old Rolls Royce back from the dead to its former glory - but at a cost- as with it too, the parts are priced at today's value and not what they cost 40 years ago. We are going to have to admit (at some time) that to play in this game is going to cost a significant amount of money and we will have to loose the "CHEAP BASTARDS" moniker. Time marches on.

Might be easier to just remove the wing and put it all on a trailer to Kerrville! If one just wanted to do the minimum and just do the prop and the rear crank gear AD the metal work probably isn't too bad Might be a good buy for a DIY repair and a keeper for a few years if resale value is not a big mental factor. Might not lose any money in the long run.

I had a mid 60s VW that I could have the engine on the ground, by my self, in 7 mins!! In high school my buddy and I changed many transmissions (Powerglides) in a 55 Chevy in a weekend laying on the floor. We blew them up right and left.

Not quite sure what you mean Lots of "mechanics" use RTV for all kinds of sealing even if it doesn't work. I've even seen it used to seal mufflers! (it didn't work) I guess the comedy of the quip was lost in translation?

RTV seals anything and everything :-)

IIRC takeoff flaps is 15 degrees and full landing flaps is 33 degrees The trim setting will vary with CG location (i.e. one pilot vs two up front or seats full. Maybe by a significant margin. The Takeoff setting on the gauge is a rough estimate and will not be perfect for all occasions One can get close by trimming for say 70 MPH over the fence and then trimming down a couple of pushes for takeoff trim On short bodies elevator near "faired " with the stab is close to takeoff trim (slightly nose up is best -1/2 elevator weight down is real close most of the time). Always remember that if the trim is all the way nose down the airplane will NEVER lift off the ground. You'll go off the end of the runway trying to lift the nose if you don't shut it down early enough. It has happened more than once. If your elevator throws have not been verified in years by using a travel board maybe its time to recheck them. Refer to the TCDS for your model and serial number for the correct throws. Some change inside the model type by year of manufacture.

AN standard bolts and nuts both conform to cad plating requirements if true AN quality

The original cad plated hardware lasted how long? You won't be alive when the new cad plated hardware goes bad again.

If you are having trouble in the last inch of travel up or down look to see if you are trying to crush thick carpet between the johnson rod and floor or the back of the nose wheel well. Also when putting gear down are you crushing the boot at the bottom of the johnson rod at the floor? I've seen that cause problems also. Also have a mechanic check to see if the springs at the top of the main gear that go out into the wings are in fact hooked up. Sometimes the rivets that hold the outer ends of the springs break and the spring can't help to raise the gear.

@47U Basically correct Do the Inspection ONLY Make a list of "unairworthy" items Make a list of items not affecting airworthiness Do no "repair" work on either list unless specifically authorized by owner before work is commenced "Servicing" the aircraft (oil and filter change, wheel bearings, lubrication are all authorized at commencement of Inspection. This gives the owner the opportunity to review, control and choose which items get fixed or not, Never just drop off the airplane and say "give me an annual and call me when it is done" That's just an open check book with no limits on the shop. The "Annual Inspection" is just that- an INSPECTION It doesn't necessarily require repairing any unairworthy items The Annual Inspection can be complete and signed off even though there are unairworthy items on the airplane. The "Annual Inspection" can be signed off (without repairing any items ) as completed and saying a list of unairworthy items has been given to the aircraft owner. It is then the aircraft owners responsibility to fix all the unairworthy items listed before flight with any A&P of their choosing if it goes this way. THE UNAIRWORTHY ITEMS ARE NEVER ENTERED INTO THE AIRCRAFT LOG BOOKS It all comes down to a contract with the shop on just how and when "repair" work will done and/or authorized so there are no huge $$$$$ surprises at the end of the process. Owners need to take control of their own airplanes and not give carte blanc to a repair shop.

Mike Bush has a very good article on how to set up an annual inspection with a shop and not get screwed with "extras" not needed I suggest you find it and read it. NEVER just drop it off a say "fix it"

In the 70s I was flying a Navajo and we were cracking spinners left and right. Talked to Piper and when they looked into it they said their fix was nylon washers under the screw heads. Once we added them we didn't crack another spinner. back then. We might have been the first to use then

My last check list item before touch down? As I cross the fence I check for green lights It works for Boeings to Mooneys "Crossing the fence check for green" Works every time