Jeff_S

Since this is purely hypothetical, I would say go for the gusto and install a GTN 750 instead of the 530W. There really is superior functionality in the GTN series, with better display for all the cool whiz-bang ADS-B graphic output (e.g. Wx and Tx) and much improved flight planning ability especially for IFR trips (e.g. airways routing). Sure, you'd spend more money, but as you said, this is hypothetical so why not dream big? Oh gosh, there I go again, acting like a big spender. Mea culpa!

At the risk of moving this thread in a different direction, I will loudly assert that there is only one "e" in argument! Flame on.

That's quite a jet stream. I read the article quickly, but it seemed that the author either didn't quite understand the relationship between airspeed and ground speed, or didn't bother to clarify that for the reader. The section about those speeds being "well in tolerance with the jets' designs" means that someone, somewhere, thought the planes were actually breaking the sound barrier. It makes good headlines, anyway...why let truth get in the way?!

This doesn't show routes, but it does allow you to log which airports you've visited and whether or not you were a pilot. Find it here at: http://www.ourairports.com. I'm not sure how active the developers are on this site, as it doesn't seem to have a revenue model that I can discern, but it's been around for as long as I've been flying and I still add airports to it because it keeps a nice list. It does have any GA airport you're likely to need in it.

You can tell the ground clearance of any prop by looking at either the original Type Certificate for the plane or the STC if it is an add-on prop. That will tell you the prop diameter, which you can then use to calculate the ground clearance. I had a three-blade on my J, but that's what it came with so I can't give you any comparisons. I had no problems with it and did experience great climb rates, although that is probably also because I was seldom at full gross.

Tullahoma will be great...not sure if Jolie will be negotiating for Mooney Ambassador booths at these events again but I'm happy to help organize as needed. We've got it down to a science now.

Fuel tank gremlins are the most fun. I came back to the hangar on New Year's eve to do an Angel Flight. I had tankered up a week and half prior because the cost of fuel is going down, so the right side was at it's 44.5 gallon mark. Wouldn't you know there was a circular stain on the wing walk right over the fuel tank access panel that lurks underneath...even a little squishy with fuel. As I golfer I would have called it "casual water" (or "casual avgas" I guess). Obviously one of those screws is seeping when under pressure. Who would ever think something can leak upward?! The fix is easy..burn the right side first! But one more thing to add to the squawk list.

Interesting that not a single person said a Cirrus, and it took until the third page until someone said a Cessna TTX/Corvalis (pick your version). I have to say that when I first got into GA I was seriously smitten by the Cirrus and the Columbia/Cessna. As a new entrant to the field I liked the look and feel, felt more like a regular car. The parachute didn't bother me. Once I finally got exposed to the Mooney mystique of course my mind changed, but if the question is "what if there had never been Mooney?" then I would have to say I would probably have gone with a Cirrus.

I know that plane and the owner. He's the one who sold me my J back in 2010. After he sold me the J he bought an Encore and totally revamped the panel, then decided to sell that and get the Acclaim. I didn't realize it was the original Acclaim though...way to go, Pat.

Any purchase decision is about the cost-benefit. I respect Don's opinion as to what works for him, but we don't all have the same requirements. First, none of the Mooney G1000 planes are ADS-B capable yet, as Mooney has not done the work to make them so. I don't even think the 2015 models are set up for this, at least according to their listings (see the post on the 2015 ad from Premier.) So no matter what you're buying, if you want a G1000 Mooney you're taking a bit of a gamble in that regard. You just have to decide what that risk means to you financially. As to the capabilities of the non-WAAS systems, no doubt if you need to shoot a lot of approaches to 200' AGL then you better stick with WAAS. But if that's not your mission profile, then I will re-assert that even the non-WAAS systems coupled with the SVT are a kick-ass way to get down out of the clouds. And even right now, you can get them at a much lower price than those WAAS equipped birds. I'm not saying DO or DON'T to either option...but there are valid reasons to go either direction depending on your needs and desires. The buyer has to weigh all this together.

Folks, that is just a stock Premier advertisement. Notice that it says all pictures are file pictures meaning that's not an actual 2015 Mooney. They didn't do a good job proof reading their ad, is all. But it does point out that the 2015 Mooney doesn't seem to have much that the prior model didn't have. As for delivery charges, you guys know that's just a negotiating tactic. I love seeing things like that when I'm buying a car...just gets the bargaining juices flowing!

Possibly something that got sucked in through the alternate air door? That provides an unfiltered path the intake manifold when it's open. That almost looks like scat tubing to me.

Having recently gone through this decision process I'll tell you how I analyzed it. Then you have to do the research and decide for yourself. For me, one thing most people don't talk about is the actual height of the panel. If you get into a DX or pre-G1000 Ovation, you'll notice that the panel physically takes up about 2" more in height. Compared to the J I used to fly, I found this to cause a significant degradation in visibility especially on the ground. Sure, it's not a total deal-breaker and something I could have gotten used to, but my wife felt even more strongly about it. The adjustable seats can help somewhat but then your head starts getting pretty close to the ceiling and your legs start butting up against the yoke, at least they did for me. I have a short torso but longer legs, so that may have contributed. I really like the visibility of the lower G1000 panels. As to the path to WAAS and ADS-B, I'm sure you've read through the other linked thread shown earlier here so you've seen my analysis there. I'm confident enough that Mooney will have a solution next year, and even with the current set-up (non-WAAS and S-TEC 55x) I love the integration of the G1000. So good luck...there are some nice models out there just waiting for a happy new owner.

Cool pics...that must be a great benefit of working for the AOPA. Are those going to appear in the Pilot magazine anytime soon?

Wow, such vitriol after making an innocent suggestion. And as I read through the posts, I don't think I was the only one who offered up the idea of a J. My personal financial situation had no bearing on my comment...my first plane was a Piper Warrior so I know all about budgets. My point was to expand the OP's thinking about which planes fit his mission and not let a current budget number be too restrictive. Who among us hasn't had a budget in mind for a big purchase, like a house, and then all of a sudden the PERFECT house comes along that costs more? Where there's a will there's a way, I guess was my only point.

My J would reliably settle in at 6 quarts on the dipstick, and I would only add it 1/2 quart at at time when it got to 5.5. I did have the M20 air/oil separator installed on that engine and I think it helped keep oil off the belly and in the crankcase. I know that not all industry experts agree with using such a device...Mike Busch in particular seems to rail against them whenever he gets the chance...but it was on the plane when I bought it and I never had any trouble with it. I'm still learning the tendencies of the Ovation. I just finished the first oil change after break-in, but I went 24 hours with only 1 quart added during that process, and it seemed to like hanging out at 6 quarts as well. I will reserve judgment on that until I've had a few more cycles.

I think you need to look at a J-model as your starting point. Even if you have to expand your purchase envelope into the $80K range, you are buying a very solid and trusted airplane which will give you more interior room and the best efficiency of any aircraft ever made. The C & E models will probably be too tight if you truly want to take four adults. Even a J is pushing this in my view, but it's manageable as long as you don't try to make your flight legs too long.

Geez Jose, I'm not saying that WAAS isn't great. I know the benefits, as I had them in my J. One of the ones you left out is that technically with a non-WAAS system, I have to use an airport with ground based approach as a legal alternate to an IFR flight plan, and I'm supposed to check my VOR receivers every month for accuracy. (Would be curious to see how many folks actually do THIS!) And if you've read my posts you see that Mooney HAS given a target date of Q2 next year for this. Now, that's a target date, and we all know that can vary, but they do acknowledge the situation. I feel confident that enough people will pressure them to get this done. I'm confident that as all these solutions evolve there will be something better than the $70K swap-out to a GFC700 system. (Of course, if they decided to make that a $30K update I'd be all over it in a heartbeat...I've heard that the GFC700 is an awesome autopilot.)

Panel space aside, just adding a GTN 650 doesn't make much sense I don't think. If what you really need is the WAAS position source for ADS-B, then the GDL-88 is a more elegant and obvious solution. The G1000 already has the interface elements to take external traffic sources, presumably including that of the GDL-88, so you would get the full benefits of ADS-B and still have a totally integrated solution. The only thing you'd really be missing is the WAAS approaches of LPV and LNAV/VNAV minimums. But this reporter has noted, the Synthetic Vision capabilities of even this non-WAAS system are pretty sweet and cover all the needs of the average IFR flyer. I have to say that I am a total convert to the benefits of the G1000. The more I learn and use it the more I love it, so any solution I deploy would have to factor that in.

Jose, I think you're wrong on this one, because the Mooney factory has told me explicitly who is responsible, and it is them. Garmin supplies the equipment, true, but it is up to Mooney to certify any changes to the installation. So this one sits squarely in Mooney's camp. But from all indications I have received, they understand the situation and there is a big enough base of planes in this configuration that they are motivated (fingers crossed) to address it. If the solution is as simple as a GDL-88 and new transponder, that would not be ideal, but would be workable. As I've noted elsewhere, even the current non-WAAS setup, if equipped with the SVT upgrade, is a pretty darn good approach capability. Keep the green Flight Path Marker on the end of the runway and you've got a great approximation of a glide path.

Jose, it's not even clear that this is an approved upgrade path, although presumably it would be. But this route would require swapping out all new MFD device, GPS units, antennae, auto-pilot and auto-pilot servos. It's a $70K operation based on latest estimates. Upgrading the existing equipment should be simply swapping out the GPS units, antennae, and making some software changes. After all, the S-TEC 55X is certified with other WAAS receivers already so the fault isn't in the autopilot mechanism. I can wait a few months to save tens of thousands of dollars!

I exchanged messages with Paul Keener at Mooney last week on this issue. He informed me that they still don't have the official project spun up yet, but are looking at getting going in the 1st Quarter of 2015. He suggested I check back in by the end of Q1 to get the status. We all need to just keep hounding them so they don't lose track of it, with everything else they've got going on.

StinkBug (what a handle!), I can't tell from your post if you are first-time buyer or not. I'm guessing you are, as your questions seem like you're new to the process. And if you felt strongly enough to walk away from a plane during pre-buy then you seem to be pretty savvy to begin with. Many folks try as hard as they can to justify a purchase once they get that far. Here is what I would consider when doing a pre-buy far from home, and without knowing any familiar shops or A/Ps in an area. First, get a recommendation from a couple of different sources. If two or three people all say the same thing about a shop/mechanic, that's probably a good indication. Second, while many on the forum may fricassee me for saying this, I don't think an MSC is absolutely required for a pre-buy. If one is convenient and the price is right, great, but I think any good competent shop/mechanic can tell you what you need to know during a pre-buy. That said, there are some good pre-buy checklists on the MAPA website (if you're not a member yet, join). If you get one of these checklists and provide it to your selected shop/mechanic, then the fun begins. A very wise Delta pilot/RV-Builder/Backcountry flier (yes, all that in one person) gave me my first counsel on a pre-buy. There are really two things you want to check: 1) firewall forward 2) corrosion in the known trouble spots (wings, frame, etc.) Firewall forward, a Mooney is just an airplane. It's got a Lycoming or Continental engine, and a good mechanic can tell you if things are solid in that department. Again, there are a few things on a Mooney-specific checklist that you can verify, but overall this is not rocket surgery. Corrosion is something to look for, but again, access panels are access panels. For older Mooneys prior to 1986, pay careful attention to corrosion around the wing roots as there were some known issues there. But wing corrosion, battery box corrosion, etc. can all be found through a standard inspection. Even the beloved shock discs are easily evaluated by checking for play in the gear, looking at the date on the discs themselves, etc. From what I can tell, you seem involved in the process and have a sense of what's right and wrong with an airplane. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a shop/mechanic anywhere you might be looking at an airplane that can give you an honest and thorough appraisal of your prospective ride. Good luck!

Not to be the naysayer here, but low 30's on a Lycoming engine which is no doubt pretty worn in doesn't sound like a problem to me. I say just follow standard starting procedure but yes, do keep RPMs down until the oil has warmed up.

Yes, Austin still owns X-Plane. I would, too, if it helped me fund a Cessna TTX and a new Corvette every couple of years. I didn't buy into the Xavion thing. I've heard others say it's cool, but it seemed like too much tech in the cockpit to me. One more thing to futz with instead of looking outside and enjoying the view.