Jeff_S

The obvious first choice would be to take it to Joey Cole at Cole Aviation in Rome, GA. He is a dedicated MSC (I've never seen anything BUT a Mooney in his shop) and is well-known and respected. He will be very thorough, but will give you good information you can use in your negotiation.

One thing you should consider is, if/when you send it in, you ask instead for an I-RAN (Inspect, Repair as Necessary) instead of an overhaul. If you ask for an overhaul that is what they will do, and you will pay the full cost of it. If instead you ask for an I-RAN, they will determine what if anything really needs to be fixed. If it does need an overhaul, well, so be it, but otherwise they can fix it up and you can come away with less cost.

That was great fun to read! Sounds like Ferrari's had quality control problems back then. You would expect more of a $250K car!

Google is your friend. I just searched on "iPad aviation apps Europe" and this popped up: http://ipadpilotnews.com/2012/02/skydemon-brings-full-ipad-aviation-app-to-european-pilots/ It is a year old link so I don't know if the app is still around, but could be worth checking out.

I wouldn't worry too much about moisture. When it's that cold, the air can't hold any moisture anyway. I used to have an oil cooler plate for winter ops in my Warrior but I've not heard of such a thing for a J.

The engine will be fine if preheated. Leave the cowl flaps closed if you want to get any heat into the cabin, otherwise you'll freeze your patootie off. And as for lift, well, methinks your Mooney will, for a day at least, be transformed into the most amazing STOL aircraft you've ever flown!

Cool, but I'd like to see it again with the music track turned down or off...it's more fun to hear the cockpit conversation. Was there any time during the trip that you threatened to blow chow? That's that I'd be worried about.

Are those alternatives legal for IFR flight? As I wrote that, I started wondering if it matters because technically any MFD is considered for "situational awareness only" as the HSA or DG is considered primary. But is there any concern about these systems being used for such purposes? I'm curious....

You should definitely submit this to IFR Magazine for their Back Cover feature. It's a great one!

Well, there is a wealth of information in various threads already posted on this forum so you would be wise to do some searches on the LOP/ROP topics and read through them. But to try answering a few of your questions... First, percept power is a factor of RPM and MP and Fuel Flow, so your simplified approach is definitely NOT the way to determine this. Your POH should give you various ranges for power level settings based on the factors noted in this sentence, so a good place to start is studying those. However, I never pay attention to percent power myself, preferring instead to use the generally recommended technique of leaving throttle wide open (WOT), reducing RPM to a cruise setting you like (2400-2550 for me) and then leaning to the appropriate setting. The way to do this is with your engine monitor. You don't say which one you've got, so I'll assume a JPI 700 as a baseline. Also, you don't say whether or not it has the specific LOP Lean Find mode. It should if it has the correct software. But the way to find peak EGT (not CHT, by the way...they all work by measuring EGT) is to set up your engine as I've described above and then follow the instructions with your engine monitor. As a non-fuel injected engine you may have trouble getting to LOP without undue roughness, but you may not...it depends on how well your carb is adjusted among other things.

Here's a better look at the full footage. It is funny how "horrifying" something like this can be to the uninitiated. Even though we scoff, I believe that if any of those anchor people were in a plane attempting this maneuver, they probably would wet their pants. https://www.youtube.com/embed/sqVU2YDTCkY

Just to follow up my prior post here, I did end up taking my Dad for a scenic cruise around Atlanta on Friday. It was a beautiful day to fly, cool but not cold with plenty of sun and no wind. And our little technique of having him sit on the front of the wing and then scootch back until he can swing his legs into the seat, and reverse for egress, works like a charm. So that may be somethign to consider for anyone else who is trying to get "mobility challenged" folks into your Mooney.

I have an S-TEC 55 that was installed many moons ago and still works like a charm. It has the GPSS module as well as the altitude pre-select/alerter module, so when coupled to the 480 (or any WAAS navigator) it can almost fly the plane by itself.

Yeah, really cool, except one question. Does the green on the model match the green on your plane? It seems from the pics that the model has more bluish tint to it.

If we get nice enough weather I'm going to try to fold my Dad into the J for a scenic cruise. One thing I've learned owning this bird is that it is not easy for "less spritely" people to get in and out of. My dad has no strength left in his legs and arthritic shoulders, so just stepping onto the wing and plopping down in the front seat doesn't work for him. Getting out is even harder. We've figured out a way where he sits on the front of the wing and slides backward until he can swing his legs into the front door and then scoot himself into the seat...and reverse the process for egress. Heaven forbid we should ever need an emergency exit, though. We would probably both be toast (unless adrenaline kicked him into a higher gear!).

I don't have any tips or tricks but I agree with the point. Whenever me and my A/P do it I let him take lead and just tell me what to do. I have a J but I assume the R is similar in difficulty. The goal seems to be to get the edges out of the joint as gently as possible and then lower it so it doesn't hit the prop. But my (also three blade) prop has plenty of scratches on the blades near the hub, testifying to the difficulty.

I grew up in that neck of the woods and have landed at Jabara. The report is right...there are three airports very close together...in fact, the Beech Field airport is almost literally across the street from Jabara. But it's amazing to think that professional pilots could confuse a basic GA airport such as Jabara with a behemoth like McConnell AFB. Perhaps that long flight from Italy had them tired. Or maybe, the pilots are all overweight and suffered from sleep apnea throughout their voyage and thus were disoriented!

I've used it occasionally but to me it's more of a curiosity than anything. I am in the camp that will not be likely to pay for it. But I can see for flight instructors and students it could be a good way to debrief flights and things. I have to admit I was always amazed at how it can calculate the TAS and wind speed/direction independently. I found that it generally got things pretty close. It can only be using available wind speeds and altitude temps on the 'net to do this, so that part of the coding is pretty cool.

Yes, I think it's better practice to let the engine stabilize in a ROP cruise mode for a few minutes until you see the temps stay fairly steady, then go LOP. Otherwise you are trying to lean while other factors will be changing those temperatures, such as normal cooling from increased airflow, etc.

Touché!

I thought Darwin lived here in Georgia, up at Gainesville. Did he move to Arizona recently? I'll have to look him up, haven't talked to him in awhile I guess!

The only thing I will say to counter Mike's point is that there is SOME intrinsic value in owning an airplane, if you've truly got the bug. It's fun just knowing that she is out there, waiting for you to come fly, or just give her some TLC with a wash and wax job. Men have been known to just spend time at the hangar than for no other reason than to enjoy her company. And NO, I'm not talking about a mistress (at least not a flesh and blood one). But of course, this requires you have the discretionary means to engage in this type of love affair. But if you do, it is oh so worth it...

Yes, that's a K model according to the registration so 3-bladed prop isn't unusual. My plane has a 3-bladed prop and it's never had a prop strike. I really like the news story about how the plane "crash landed" but "the pilot is okay." It must be a slow news day in Florida.

Joey Cole in Rome GA will do patches. He patched up my tank nearly two years ago and so far it has worked. His website seems to be in a perennial state of flux but give him a call at 706-295-4353 and talk to him about your situation.

I've thought of this a bit. It seems the non-flying spouses would fit into two categories. One, those who are really interested and should learn to really fly the machine, even if only for co-pilot duties. The second would be those spouses who have no interest in flying but would experience some comfort in knowing how to get the plane down in case of an emergency. For the latter, I think any manner of check list as broad as the one Brett posted would be overkill. What they really need to know how to do is control the airplane in visual flight rules, reduce power at the appropriate time, and land. That doesn't require too much of a check list, and should be something they can do from memory.