cliffy

Don't know I'd have to go to airport to find the Mooney P/N. Don't have it here.

You have enough on your plate Just stay away from DC. I lived there once upon a time and moved away never to return. Good luck on your check ride! Try to relax and enjoy it. You can do it.

Part found thanks to this forum !! :-) :-)

Just a couple of thoughts Is it an aviation paint shop or auto paint shop? Auto shops may use too much paint. Are they using primer/surfacer before color coat? Adds to the weight. How many coats total are they putting on? What kind of paint are they using? How "light" is the aileron when weighed clean (no paint)? That will tell you how much room you have to work with. Use as little primer and color as you can get away with. One last thought- are they pristine surfaces or have they ever been repaired? No repairs allowed on flying surfaces. Check your logs. Could there be any dirt or dried stripper hiding between the aluminum surfaces aft of the hinge line? I've not seen anything relating to "adding weight" to balance a Mooney surface.

Just thought of something- If you are going near the Washington DC "TFR" have you done the study and on-line test required to be in or near the area? Can't even go near it without the test completed.

WOW!

Seems to be a big fire burning around Clear Lake near LASAR 100 sq miles big!

Just west of El Paso TX is Dona Ana Co airport just over the state line in NM has a good FBO and crew car and a restaurant about a mile down the road that is good. Winslow AZ has a great Mexican restaurant on the field Payson AZ (PAN) has a great restaurant on the field. Kingman AZ has one also/ All of these are generally open for lunch but no dinner Dona ANA restaurant is open 24 hrs but you have to arrange with the FBO for a car late arrival. There is also a new hotel right next to the restaurant. It looked real good for a quick nite stay when I was there last summer. If you get north of Houston (@ 1 hr) Llano Co airport is great place to stop for fuel and food. Crew car to go to Cooper's BBQ in town (@ 3 miles). If you like BBQ its pretty damn good. Usually good fuel price also. Don't use Carrizozo NM for fuel. Nothing there. Dona ANA much better than El PAso Int'l for a stop. Not much between Dona ANA and Winslow. Fuel expensive around ABQ. Winslow has a self fuel that is good price. St Johns AZ probably has the best fuel price in 3 states but you need to use crew car to get food in town. Cool trip Can't wait for the travel log.

The shop contacted them directly that's where the $1100 and 12 weeks delivery came from,. Lots of companies show the switch but none have any in stock

I'll try one last time for those who are challenged- NO ONE told the owner the airplane was grounded. NO ONE grounded the airplane with a log book write up. THE OWNER has elected to not fly (GROUND) the airplane until the correct switch is found. IT'S HIS CHOICE TO DO THIS. CAN EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THIS? You are reading way too much into this. Yes the shop is picky about FARS. I am too. If it's broken it has to be fixed OR if it flies it has to follow the INOP/DEACTIVATE regs. To just put an INOP tape across the switch is not enough in this case BECAUSE the switch has come apart internally. There is no guarantee that (because it is both a circuit breaker AND a switch and you can't just "pull the breaker to inop the switch and system) an internal short from vibration could not happen and possibly cause a fire on the panel. Therefore, I would have recommended (IF I HAD BEEN IN CHARGE AND HE WANTED TO FLY) that the switch be removed (SYSTEM DEACTIVATED) and a log book entry made to denote same. In this case, that would have been the safest way to go had he wanted to fly. I had nothing to do with the owner electing to not fly the airplane. The shop had nothing to do with the owner electing not to fly. IT WAS HIS CHOICE TO GROUND THE AIRPLANE. BTW, the FED with the comment about the cigar lighter was absolutely correct. Technically it has to be noted in the logs with a removal weight comment BUT because it is under 1 pound change no new W&B sheet is needed. YES, it would be a CS violation or notice BUT it would be something that a Conformity Check for a 135 airplane would come under. Its considered a "Change" to the original Type Certificate and should be accounted for. As was also noted, I'll bet not 1 in 50 airplanes out there are completely conforming. They can always nail you with something.

Hadn't thought about suggesting the ball lever Klixon switch but I will. Remember I'm just in this as I was asked to look around for the switch. If I could find one, fine! Maybe it would work until the correct one is found as the owner wants. It's MIL spec so it's OK to use. MB65E we think alike and I was just bringing to the forefront issues that frustrate me when I see people unknowingly or purposefully put themselves in legal jeopardy with the FEDs. Granted the chances of an issue happening is slim but all it takes is an accident or a ramp check and a FED flexing his feathers. Been there done that. Went toe to toe with a 121 Fed on the ramp in KMDW once but I had my ducks in a line and won. He got transferred. Have seen others raked over the coals even here on this board with a recent thread on a ramp check out of the blue. I just don't want anyone to get the shaft if they don't have to. I've gone 50+ years in this business of flying and A&P stuff without any LOIs, violations, accidents, bending an airplane or hurting anyone but I've seen s*&t happen when caution is thrown to the wind. Lots of it is avoidable with a little common sense. I too think some of the "certified" crap is just that-crap but unfortunately I don't think we will ever live long enough to see the Pt 23 overhaul. it's being buried for a reason. It will never see the light of day so until then we all need to take care because there are Feds out there that want to make a name for themselves. And I understand that I am getting older and less tolerant of certain things but what I really want is everyone to enjoy flying as much as I have for half a century and keep the Feds out of your hangar.

Just to clarify - burn tests are not required for CAR3 airplanes if the material meets an ATSM or other NATIONAL standard for fire resistance. The manufacture of the material can supply what standard the material meets. Many vinyl materials are made to a US standard and can be found on the manufacturer's website.

Good job!

Jeez folks where are you going with this? The switch is broken, it can be "inoped", nobody said it couldn't, BUT the owner wants it fixed before he flies again so in his mind it is grounded. His call as he owns the airplane. Nothing was ever written in the logs "grounding" the airplane! No shop "grounded" the airplane! The owner says it's grounded until it gets fixed! We're stretching things a little too far here people. No new switches are available anywhere, after numerous calls, that is why junk yards are now being checked. I might add that if you have never been the subject of a full on FAA investigation you have no idea what you are in for when it comes to following regulations. Here's an example from an FAA lawyer who said recently about installing flashing LED position lights- 1 violation for installing them 1 violation for signing them off 1 violation for an annual if one was done 1 violation for EVERY flight that was flown with them installed! Plus you would be subject to a violation of 91.3 and 91.13 And the snowball rolls down hill from there! It just ain't worth it to be cavalier about the regs.

Yes you can fly day vfr BUT you still have to comply with the "inop" equipment regs to remove or disable the item, including log book sign off. An MEL CAN be approved for any Pt 91 airplane by using the generic MEL from the Feds for Mooneys and modifying it to fit your particular airplane and then getting approval to operate under its restrictions. It can be done and they are aircraft S/N specific. Trolling junk yards now for the switch. Can't use the old switch as it sounds like a baby's rattle when shaken.

You may have an issue with your IA at your next annual though. He is specifically required to look for new interior and see the fire rating certs before he signs off on the annual. Being an F model it is under CAR3 rules (and not Part 23) for fire resistance and that can found in A/C 43.13-1B Chapter 9, para. 60- (2) If an annual inspection is performed on a CAR-3 aircraft with a new interior and there is no mention of a manufacturer’s statement that the fabric is flash or flame resistant as applicable, the possibility exists that the fabric is an unapproved part. The mechanic should take the necessary steps to ensure that the fabric meets or exceeds the ASTM or national standards. Note that as a CAR3 airplane the rules are a little different that for a Part 23 airplane(refer to the entire 9-60). But the easiest way is to have burn tests done for @ $25/sample by a certified lab. Technically you can't do the burn test yourself. Also there is a way to hand spray a formulation onto the fabric that allows it to comply even to Part 23 standards. Now, you as owner/pilot are allowed to "repair" your interior (under "Preventative Maintenance) but you must still sign off the work in your Airframe log book just like your mechanic does when he works on your airplane. Part 43 Appendix A Para, C and AC 43.12A outline the work allowed as Preventative Maintenance for a pilot/owner to perform. AOPA has a great write up on this at : http://www.aopa.org/Pilot-Resources/PIC-archive/Aircraft-Ownership/Preventive-Maintenance The form and content of your required sign off is contained in the FARs in 43.9 I encourage owners to get involved in the maintenance of their airplanes but I also don't want them to get their butts in a wringer by doing something outside the limits of their authority.

Unfortunately no MEL on this airframe. MELs are aircraft s/n specific and have to be approved for that specific s/n. The owner doesn't have one yet.

1395 Nope! It's a rocker switch w/ CB built in. Thanks for trying.

Enjoy the ride!

Bis Ass Fans are just small helicopters

Yup Switch is out , shop did it. Sounds easy to find but the shop came up dry all day today.

Been there done that If you need to talk send me a PM

Forgot to add- Why is it grounded? Because the shop is picky about FARs and the owner doesn't want to deactivate the system as called for in 91.213

Well, lets say that I am not connected with the local shop other than they call me on Mooney stuff if they are stumped. They specialize in Cessna 206s and 207s for the most part. The owner of the airplane (NOT mine OK) wants to fix what he has and not add anything to his bird. Actually it's a very heavily modified G with an E engine and lots of outside mods. Yes it is a Klixon No I have not started looking for them other than saying I'd post this for them They have been calling around most of today trying to find one. I don't know who they called as I was only there for a few minutes today and they asked for my help. I will probably have more info tomorrow. I just got involved with till late this afternoon. I will be checking the above lead also. Thanks for it.

The local shop has a G model in for an annual and the Landing Light Switch/Circuit Breaker is toast, dead, kaput, no worky. They have 4 hrs on phone calls trying to find the part. The manufacturer says they will open up the line and make one for $1100+ and a 12 weeks lead time! I'm guessing that this may be one of those parts that finding one is like finding gold in the parking lot but does anyone have any ideas on where they can look to find one? The part number is- 20TC2-RA-25 Thanks.