Jeff_S

Okay Squirrel. Unless more than one of us has a 50 year old Mooney, we'll know who you are but promise to protect your pseudonymity!

I have tested my BadElf on several different airliner trips and it has worked fairly well. There was a problem that they fixed with a firmware update (Brett can elaborate) where the unit would cut out at higher altitudes. I did experience this once on a trip out west, and after installing the update did not see it again. I have tried it a few times in the Mooney and it works fine, but I have seen some inconsistencies in how ForeFlight works with the BadElf plugged in, specifically with maps not updating correctly when you zoom in/out and scroll around. The problem was intermittent, though, so I don't know whose code would be responsible. The nice thing about the iPad is that you can rotate the screen fully 360°, so when I have the BadElf plugged in I actually flip the unit upside down so the BadElf is on top, which keeps it out of harm's way at the least, and potentially improves reception.

What was with the whole penchant for red interiors back in the 70s? God, every time I see a plane with a red interior I want to run and hide. And especially the bright color of red that all the plane manufacturers used...it's so garish. (Apologies to anyone who's really a fan of blood-red vinyl.)

Quote: jpusser If it takes you 10 hours to learn how to control the prop and put the gear up and down you probably should reconsider flying. The military starts you with a 1200 hp turboprop after your private.

Kurt, here's my experience for what it's worth. I had a Warrior that I flew for three years after getting my PPL and put on 500+ hours. I got my IR in that plane. Bought the J a year ago and now have about 120 hours in it. I did not have a complex endorsement before buying the J but got it over 10 hours in two days with my transition instructor. The fact that I already had my IR, and over 500 hours, kept the 1st year insurance premiums on the J respectable (~$1800 as I recall). I can tell you that with my flight pattern, mostly shorter weekend flights and a few long cross countries scattered around, it did take me a good 50-60 hours in the J before I finally felt comfortable with all the systems and like I was "wearing" the airplane like I did with the Warrior. There's just a lot more going on in a complex plane. So adding that complexity while at the same time learning to master the intricacies of IR flight training will certainly give you a workout. Not impossible, but just something for you to be aware of. Doug, are you coming to the SE Mooney Fly-In at the TN Museum of Aviation on Feb 26? We'd love to have you there! Here's a link for more info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134362489964121&index=1.

Sounds good, Kurt. Look forward to seeing you there. Seems like there are some nice Mooney's on the market at the moment...time to jump in! Jeff

Hello all, The next fly-in for the Southeast Mooney group will be Saturday Feb 26 at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation. This museum is right on the field at Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg (KGKT) and we will be able to pull up and park right on the ramp of the museum. For more information about the museum, go here: http://www.tnairmuseum.com/ For more info on the fly-in and to RSVP, go here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134362489964121&index=1 If you're not into Facebook, please let me know via this forum or send me a PM if you'd like to attend, as the more folks we get signed up the better group rate I can get for admission. Thanks! Jeff

Quote: HopePilot It says 14v, but will this work for a 12v 201?

I've used an MRX for several years now, first in my Warrior and then in the J. For some reason, I think it did a better job in the Warrior. I've had it on top of the glare shield in both planes, and there is a lot more electrical activity going on in the Mooney with two GPSs, MFD, full auto-pilot, etc. What I've noticed in the Mooney is that it has a harder time picking up traffic below me, but it does a fine job with traffic at roughly my own elevation or higher. So I suspect that the additional interference with everything going on behind the panel contributes to it. But still, for the price and simplicity, I like the unit. It's just a second set of eyes that gives me some notice to keep looking around. I did have some occasional problem with "ghosting" in the Warrior but none in the Mooney.

No one has mentioned it, but this is essentially what the LSA program was all about. I haven't done a thorough study of the accident statistics and causes, but I do recall seeing something in the NALL report that the LSA safety record was showing some concern. And yet, part of the reason is likely the increase in pilot activity in this segment, as was mentioned in the above article. And there's no denying the growth in innovation in this area.

Yeah, sorry folks...was doing the Vidalia Festival from memory. It is end of April first of May. Sun-n-Fun is end of March early April. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks Mitch! I'll also point out to people that the first Georgia Mooney Ambassadors event will be the Vidalia Onion Festival airshow on March 30-April 1. For more information on this and all activities within the SE Mooney Group visit our Facebook Events page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mooniacs/161723733722?v=app_2344061033&ref=ts. I haven't entered the other two events Mitch mentioned yet but they will go up, as well as other programs we will start to have next month. I encourage any Mooney owners in the Southeast area to participate. Cheers

Quote: HopePilot Congrats. My advice is to start your instrument rating immediately.

I investigated this yesterday only to learn that it shows on "History Television" which is not to be confused with "The History Channel". The former seems to be only on Canadian soil...at least I know DirecTV doesn't carry it.

So, I just watched the second episode last night. There was one glaring error, when the narrator described following the landmarks as "dead reckoning" instead of "pilotage". You'd think someone would have caught that. And as I feared, I think just in two episodes they're starting to run out of interesting flying footage and flying stories, so we get to see suspenseful pictures of people in a waiting room hoping the fog will lift, or a village elder butchering his moose and eating a bit of raw heart, or the (admittedly sorrowful) funeral arrangements for a teen suicide. I wasn't aware of Ice Pilots or the other show mentioned above so I'm going to check them out. But hopefully Episode 2 of FWA was an anomaly.

I wish I could agree. So far the only time I've ever thrown up in any kind of airplane was doing an intro to aerobatics course in a SuperD. The plane was nice, no doubt...but I learned that neither my head nor my stomach like to go full inverted. Turned a 2-day aerobatics course into a 2-day tailwheel training course...oh well, I still got something out of it.

We AT owners are brothers in arms! But dang, what's with the low price?!

I have an MX20 mated to a Garmin 480 and I think it's great. I also have the GDL-69a weather receiver so it's a pretty comprehensive package. The MX-20 does paint the screen a little slowly at times, but you get used to the response rate. I've seen the MX-200 and it does some things nicer, but not really worth the handful of AMUs it would take to swap them out since it's not just a plug-n-play thing. I think you'd like your set-up as you describe it if it's comfortably within your budget.

All the advice above is general and good, so let me give you some concrete steps that may help you out in addition. 1. Go to the MAPA website (http://www.mooneypilots.com) and click on the Sample Articles tab. These are free to everyone and will give you some good reading to help evaluate different plane options and what prices should be. 2. Keep a running list of every desirable plane on Trade-a-Plane and Controller, and maybe ASO if you feel like it although there are a lot of duplicates there. You may never buy one of these, but it will help you understand the general value of each model, various features, etc. so when you do find a real prospect you have some negotiating knowledge. 3. The usual advice about pre-buys if you haven't already heard it. I have a somewhat controversial opinion here. Many Mooney owners say that if you don't have your pre-buy done by a Mooney Service Center you should have your head examined. There's nothing wrong with an MSC, except there are good MSCs and bad ones just like everything else. So I think it's the quality, integrity and trustworthiness of the inspector that really matters more. (Now let's see if the flames come out again.) 4. I have a spreadsheet I put together when I was evaluating J models. Send me a PM if you want me to mail it to you. It lets you put in the asking price of each plane, then add/subtract value based on installed avionics, condition of paint, etc. All these criteria and respective valuations came from the folks at All American Sales, who specialize in Mooneys, and using this spreadsheet I got my current plane (from a private seller) for exactly the amount they suggested it should go for. Hell, I could go on and on but this gives you a few things to get started with. Good luck!

Yeah, I'm totally lost by that exchange, too, but maybe I'm missing something. I really want to get to SnF again this year but I may have to be in California through the 1st. So hopefully the weekend weather will be good.

I have an MX20 talking to a 480 in my J. It works fine. Yes, I'd love the faster screen updating of an MX200 but it's not worth the price premium and cost to install, in my book. As to version numbers, I would suggest downloading the free users manual from the Garmin website. The early pages of that will tell you what the latest version number of the software is, and will also describe some of the differences in the physical operation of the unit based on its age. As I recall, one key difference is whether the unit has a round, turning on-off switch (older) vs. the push-button on-off switch (newer). After I bought my plane, I paid a one-time price to Garmin to update my PC card with a brand new terrain database and the latest version of software. I think it cost $185 after I returned the old card.

Hey all, If you haven't yet, set your DVRs to record the new show Flying Wild Alaska on Discovery. It airs Friday nights (9 or 10p ET, can't remember which) with reruns throughout the week. I just watched the first episode and it's pretty good. Even given the fact that they sometimes have to describe things in ways non-pilots will understand, they do an excellent job showing and describing the requirements and risks of flying in the Great North and the role of aviation in keeping all those communities connected. The first episode had a great sequence on landing a Cessna 180 on a mountaintop ride to drop off some bear hunters, and then the perils the pilot (and owner of the flight operation the show follows overall) had when immediately on takeoff his left rudder pedal broke. Again, the writers had to dumb-down the description of the problem, but the solution was pretty obvious and yet I had to ask myself: would I have thought of it? The pilot just got into the right seat and everything was normal. The show follows the exploits of Jim Tweto, owner of Era Aviation which operates a rag-tag fleet of all kinds of passenger and bush planes in Alaska. His wife is an eskimo and the tough-as-nails ground operations head. Her quote in the trailer cracks me up: "Ice Road Truckers are a bunch of pussies!" And his 22 year old daughter is a total crackup, describing herself as "the world's worst eskimo because I'm always cold" but she's cuter than hell and entertaining on the ramp. Anyway, it's a good show. Time will tell whether it can sustain a level of interest for more than a few episodes, but I'm enjoying it so far.

Mine sits on the lap of the co-pilot, or the empty seat if I'm alone.

So, I've done some testing on a few airliner flights to see how well the external GPS antenna works. I don't know if the flight attendants just didn't know what they were looking at, or didn't care, but they never hassled me about it one time. I did have one experience where for no reason reception just went totally away. This was as we were climbing from a cruise altitude of 25000' up through 30K on the way to 38K. I have no idea why, but all of a sudden GPS just went totally blank. It came back on though after awhile, and so who knows where that anomaly could lie. But these screen shots show how well GPS was tracking the flight on the route (which I got from FlightAware right before the flight took off).

It doesn't look like anyone else here has mentioned this, so for comfort I'd point you to Mike Busch's Savvy Aviator webinar series on maintenance issues: http://www.savvymx.com. He says repeatedly that the TBO of major engine overhaul is simply a bad idea. The primary reason for this is that the most common time for engine failure is in the first few hundreds hours of new or major-overhaul, as the parts all learn to work together under load. He's got lots of good charts showing historical data showing how the likelihood of major failure as an engine ages decreases for most components. There are a few components that he DOES suggest should follow a time-based inspection, most notably the magnetos. But most other parts he recommends just watching for the normal signs of wear, as others have noted in these posts. You can go get much more than TBO time out of a well-maintained and well-flown engine, all else being equal.