Ned Gravel

I had mine done this year too. 28 AMUs. Four years after I bought C-FSWR. It was 350 hours to TBO when I bought it and I thought I might be able to make it go beyond TBO. In Canada, I am told that is called "on condition" that it is showing no signs of needing an overhaul. It showed the appropriate signs at 1951 hours - so I got it done. I got three and a half really good years out of the previous engine and the investment I made is for the next 20 years. If I were to buy an aircraft at TBO I would only ask myself who is paying for the previous use of the engine. If you think it was paid for by the previous owner - then no discount. If you think you are the one paying for it (in the cost of the overhaul) get them to drop the price by 25 AMUs and you can put it through the overhaul. Anything you pay over the 25K is on your nickel. Just my opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it.

Buster: In 2004, I looked at eight Mooneys. Of those eight, I had six actually inspected - only one of which was looked at here in Ottawa. I had one inspected by a shop in each of: Ottawa, Ontario; Sprinkbank, Alberta; Charlotte, NC; Joplin, MO; Mobile, AL; and Waterloo, Ontario. All inspections were at my cost, ranging from $500 to $800 each, with the agreement of the vendor. I picked the shop (all local) and they delivered the plane for inspection. Every one of these inspections saved me from a $50,000 mistake. Not one of these inspections resulted in a list of airworthiness issues totalling less than $14,000 to fix. Only the owner of the E model that was inspected in Waterloo agreed to cover the costs of needed repairs, and we made the deal. By the time the aircraft rolled out of the shop two months later (with annual done) I had put in about $7,000 in other things, including a tank reseal, new style gear pucks, and some small panel adjustements. Here was my thinking. That shop owner works for me. They are my eyes on the aircraft and my instructions to them were to "go to town." They did. The reports were concise and informative. They found prop strikes not properly repaired, corrosion in the wings and on the steel frame, leaking tanks, holes in all kinds of hoses and tubing, tail feathers out of rig, and a whole host of other issues. My search was successful. I got three things out of this work. 1. A great Mooney that meets my needs, at a price I could affort 2. A much better understanding of Mooneys (at least E models), and 3. A great MSC owner (who also flies an E model of his own) who takes very good care of mine. All round win in my opinion. Secret to success? Find a good shop, pay them, and let them "go to town." They will work hard for you and help keep you from making an expensive mistake. Just my 2 cents....

Jolie: Don't want to take up too much bandwidth on this topic, so I thought I would just send you a picture of what I get. Getting to the page is not the problem. And the videos are at the bottom of the page. An attempt to open the video is when I get the attached. Hope this helps.

Jolie: Able to get to the facebook page, but unable to view the video without a facebook account. Sorry.

I do much the same, a little lower because I do not have O2. Started this three years ago when numbers 3 and 3 were replaced and my AME (Cdn for A&P) convinced me to spend the money on the JPI 700. I have also not yet taken to climb management based on a target EGT. I might try that this year after the new engine has its 50 hours completed.

Theo: I see where you are going with this. One of these days a manufacturer of one of the little glass panels is going to offer it up for about 2 AMUs for the TSO'd version. Until then, the fight is between the G600 and the Aspen (for substantially more than 2 AMUs), while we are always looking for little extras to make things easier for ourselves. Stuff like the JPI 830 (?) to replace all your engine instruments, a backup electrical generation system to pull the vacuum system and dispose of it because we can use electrical (or electronic) gyros. And then there is the possibility of having GPS, VOR and ADF all there to provide double redundancy. Radar altimeter as back up when you get to MAP or DH. WAAS to expand your choices when ILS aren't there or not working (or you're stuck on a back course without vertical guidance). How about Wx displayed on the little AI or HSI in front of you, without having to look at the centre stack. And finally, TCAS info to tell you what flight following may not yet see. .....Someday.....

I have the NL as well. Great starter. Combined with the Concorde sealed battery, the engine cranks strong and fast. It weighs less than the one it replaced. My useful load went up by 9 pounds.

I have the Alpha ones too. Great investment in safety IMO.

Mine made it to 1951 hours before leaking oil at one of the lower bolts on #2 caused us to check for binding on the shaft. Turns out there was a 7" crack in the case from that bolt going aft and down. Major overhaul time. I do not believe it was looked after very well before I bought it at 1640 hours. Now it is 25-30 hours for an oil change and I have a JPI on board to keep an eye on things. Manage the temps and use it a lot. That is what my AME (A&P for y'all) tells me.

Rimm: Not associated with the company? You are well placed geographically to get good info on what is available. You are about 10 Mooney minutes away from Tri-City Aero, a Mooney MSC whose owner keeps his ears to the ground looking for projects as well. The shop's contact details are probably on the Mooney website at www.mooney.com. The owner's name is Clarence and his current Mooney project is a 66 E model. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to beat him on putting together the Ultimate E model "J killer." Higher, faster, stronger... Oops. That is the Olympic motto. Ours is just "faster."

Hello All: My name is Ned Gravel and I have owned my 65 E model since 2005. I have been flying for about 20 years but I have only really starting buiding time and ratings over the last 4 - now that the kids are grown and gone. I retired from the Canadian Forces (Army Signals) in the early 90s and I am currently on my third career. Lots of travel, but when the destination is within 4 Mooney hours of Ottawa, I try to make use of my own steed. My fourth career will probably be as a flight instructor. I have been a constant user of the aviating.com Mooney archive and a sometime user of the MAPA one, but it is very nice to see this site take off and include many not heard from on the the other sites. I am always ready to learn from the experience of other Mooney Drivers.