flight2000

Nope, I believe the minion was the one holding it all together back there.... Cheers, Brian

For now, yes. I have an EDM-900 penciled in for the future once I recover from this upgrade...probably two years out for that. The Shadin FF, Insight G1, and mechanical gauges will do until then. Cheers, Brian

I've started this topic even though I now own a Beech because it doesn't matter what type of plane you are looking at buying - the same thing would apply. How many of the shops out there look at the plane's panel and electrical work (especially if there have been recent upgrades done) during a pre-buy or even during an annual inspection? I know we check for functionality, but as I found out, just because it works now doesn't mean it was done right. The guy that did my pre-buy didn't and I haven't come across many that do. I don't think the ABS Service Clinics take a peek back there either on the Beechcraft side of the house. So where am I going with this. Well, I sent off my plane on May 12th to get some work done - i.e. ADSB transponder, new audio panel, GTN750, and a few old things removed. Thought the process was going to take two weeks. What I got back from the chief inspector upon opening the panel up almost made my heart stop. Wiring everywhere......and to make matters worse, the biggest bundle of wires was not secured to the upper firewall and was literally riding up and down on the vertical yoke scissor when you pull on the yoke....not good in a center yoke Beech... Pictures from day 1 are below. They spent 4 full days so far trying to figure out what the last shop did and fix it. I'm furious that a shop would do this kind of work and sign off on it. They found wires crimped with pliers and not a crimping tool (most were barely hanging on), wires not secured to the proper channels on the fire wall, and the biggest issue - the HSI, GTN650, and KX165 were all tied to the same 20 amp circuit breaker instead of doing 5 separate ones like the STC calls for. One fails, they all fail.... So, and be honest, did anyone look behind the panel to see what was going on back there during your pre-buy? I would love to fly back to the shop that did this on the east coast and ask them WTH they were thinking!!! Better yet, if the shop was told to do it on the cheap, I'd like to slap the CSOB owner because this could have killed someone. To easy for something like this to start an electrical fire from loose or frayed wires or get caught on the control yoke. To be fair, the previous owner was flying under the same conditions because it was the previous owner to him that had the upgrades done. If I showed him these pictures, he'd probably have a heart attack. Overall, it took 4 weeks to fix everything, but at least I'll have confidence going forward now. Bottom line, make sure you take a peek behind the pretty panel before buying.... Cheers, Brian

I had trouble getting the oil filter off one time and then realized I forgot to grease the gasket on the filter to keep it from seizing itself to the mount. Are you using grease on the oil filters gasket before spinning it on? Never an issue getting it back off when I don't forget to add the grease. This is what I use: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/dc4.php?clickkey=147022 Cheers, Brian

Yes, it is expensive to get the paperwork and testing pushed through the FAA. However, you are also paying for the testing to make sure that the charging port does not interfere with other avionics. I used one of the plug-in versions like the one on the left in the M20E before I knew anything about these buggers and I had static in the radios and the GPS would act wonky while charging an iPad or iPhone. Removed the cheapo USB plug from the cigarette lighter and the static went away....the only time I ever got static was when it was plugged in. I just installed the Appareo version in the Bonanza ($295 street price) and have zero issues with interference to the audio, GTN750, or other electronics equipment in the panel. YMMV... Cheers, Brian

That's good to have, where did you find that at? Thanks! Brian

Hats, O2 mustaches, sunglasses, works well with all. No laughing....this one was taken in the M20E at 14,000 feet... The cub yellow is my set, this black set was "claimed" by my son....lol....

Did you get the full amount for them and how long did it take to sell them? The last three sets that have gone up on BeechTalk lasted less than 30 minutes before being sold. One pair sold in 6 minutes.... Absolutely understand they aren't for everyone though. One other benefit, I get a little more clearance from the ceiling...

Halo's if you can snag a pair either on the used market or new from QT when they show up on the website. Never had a thought to augment the Halo's with another pair of over the ear type ear muff. No reason to since the noise reduction is just as good as ANR headsets that are 3x more expensive and still give you the clamp headache, bad hair, and sweaty ears in the summer. I will NEVER wear another set of head clamps. Having said that, I'm used to wearing earplugs due to work, so it was a very easy transition. Some folks can't get used to the earplugs, so that is another aspect to think about. If you don't like them, you can usually sell them again and get your full amount. They are that good to some folks.... I'm currently using the black supersoft foam inserts and they feel better to me and do not need to be replaced nearly as often as the yellow ones. Cheers, Brian

Cool, may look you up when I get to VA in July. What are you guys charging for simple N number changes? Got a custom number reserved, just need to get the paperwork and have it painted on. What would be the timeline on something like that? Cheers, Brian

No real issues and pretty friendly. Made closing the IFR flight plan easier and will make getting the clearance going out easier too.... Lot of jet traffic in there yesterday.

Should have included a link to the Gila Static Cling window tinting I used. Fairly easy to apply once you get over the first window learning curve.... https://www.lowes.com/pd/GILA-36-in-W-x-78-in-L-Black-Privacy-Control-Static-Cling-Window-Film/1065343 No reason to think it won't work on the Mooney's windows. Brian

Yep, just dropped the plane off yesterday for the new Lynx NGT-9000 and PMA450 audio panel install.

I tinted the rear passenger and baggage area windows with Gila Peel and Cling (bought at Lowe's) and it made a huge difference. I also use the IceBox Portable A/C unit (http://switchboxcontrol.com/icebox/). That's the only way to fly in the summer out here if you can handle the bumps from all of the thermal's. Most of the time, I'm targeting getting airborne no later than 8 am. http://csobeech.com/windowtint.html Brian

Ain't that the truth. I'm looking forward to moving back to the east coast next month, if I can get around those pesky midwest storms... At least you have a turbo to help get above some of the crud. I was running out of steam getting up to FL160 yesterday, but that was out of the clouds (tops were at 150) and I was almost 450 pounds under gross, so that helped. That's the highest I've flown so far and probably where I'll top out in the future as well. Cheers, Brian

So how are you staying current? My preference is to fly in actual IMC conditions versus under the hood to meet the currency requirements. That can be a little dicey in Reno given it's either severe clear or just off the charts type WX with wind shear/icing/turbulence....that's why I was disappointed in myself for not flying the approach yesterday just south of Portland, OR. I imagine that the WX on the front range is just about the same for the most part, but you guys tend to get the big boomers more than we do out here. Can't remember the last time we saw a T-Storm blow through Reno. Cheers, Brian

Congrats! I don't know about you, but I'm always disappointed when I can't end an IFR flight with an approach...same thing happened to me yesterday, broke out at 2,000 and flew the visual the rest of the way in. Should have just said I'm still IMC and done the approach anyway... Brian

Gee, thanks....you just brought back some really bad memories from basic training. Couple hours in the pool until we were prunes, but very proficient at removing clothing while in the water and making our own flotation devices. That was a great workout though... Better yet, just carry life vests if going over water for extended periods and a life raft if over really big bodies of water. This one was close to shore, so thankfully a jet ski operator was close by to help. Going against the tide is bad stuff as a swimmer, even the strongest swimmers will fail that test eventually. Brian

Wash Wax All Degreaser for me. Works like a charm. Brian

And you were going that fast in the airport environment because.....? Poor SR20 driver was just trying to land....sheesh. Making assumptions based on a single "generic" radio call is fun, isn't it.... Brian

Congrats! Pick your poison on the covers versus window screens. When I had my E, I scratched my windshield in the corners pretty good before I realized what happened. It was a by-product of how the windscreen went in and the angle needed to get it to stay. If you are in the sun all the time, the heat can get pretty intense between the reflective screens and the acrylic windows. Never had any issues with the cabin covers, but the down side is it can trap moisture if you're not able to air it out every once in awhile. With the lack of rain in your area, I'd probably go with the cabin cover after using both in the past. You can request a soft cotton material under the canvas cover where it meets the windshield to help add another layer of protection. Cheers, Brian

I've been using the TomCat traps under my son's car and finally caught the little bugger that was chewing up the wiring harness causing 3 trips to the repair center and over $1500 in repairs. I've seen the wheel blocks some folks have down south and they are made out of sheet metal with simple slots to open and close it. http://www.golfhotelwhiskey.com/dealing-with-mice-and-other-wildlife-in-the-aircraft-hangar/ Brian

That is great news for the Mooney community. A lot of their parts and upgrades were on my old bird! Cheers, Brian

I was actually referring to my M20E that I owned for 9+ years before moving to my current Beech. I had no issues parking with full fuel and only had 52 gallon tanks, so can understand the issues with keeping fuel tanks full in the birds with the larger tanks. I've never been comfortable running with fuel loads that are close to minimums when landing. Just a mental quirk that I have...anything less than 10 gallons when I land and I start to get a little more nervous than I care for. In my current ride, I still go with full fuel, mostly because I can and full is cheap where I'm at and can just do my normal out and back runs without refueling. I still feel better with keeping the interior bladders wet versus letting them dry out though. Long term storage of my previous Mooney (>45 days sometimes due to deployments, schools, etc...) always had full fuel and never had an issue with fuel leaking or evaporating, even during the hot Kansas summers. Of course, I also had a hangar, so the sun wasn't continually beating on the wings, interior, and fuel tanks... Cheers, Brian

So if you leave say 5 gallons out of each wing, you're saving a whooping 60 pounds of weight on the gear. That advice from a shop makes no sense at all to me. Any liquid in general is looking for a way to escape its container - full or half full really doesn't matter IMHO. I always parked mine full so I didn't have to worry about taxiing over to the fuel pumps before a flight. Prefer any water that happens to get into the fuel tank to have settled to the bottom overnight or while waiting for the next flight. I also subscribe to the theory that a wet seal is a happy seal and is less prone to dry out and fail. Just my .01 cent worth... Cheers, Brian