FoxMike

Many years ago I stripped a tank on an E model I owned. The lesson I learned was to never do that again. It can be done but it is a lot of work and requires a lot of care although you might not think so.

I did not make the MAPA convention this year and wondered if anyone who did could pass on any news of the event.

I have owned a Bravo since 2003. Previously, I have owned a T210 and two M20Es. I also used a K model for a trip to Roatan and Guatemala years ago. The Bravo is more comfortable than of the other Mooneys I have owned or used. I did add some memory foam to the front seats as the factory foam was too soft for me. I do long trips and appreciate the slightly larger cabin and bigger baggage area. I took a couple who own a 252 on a trip from Denver to Havana a couple of years ago and they liked the extra room in both front and back seats. Downside is that the larger airplane does not handle as well as the earlier models and the maintenance is more expensive. The Bravo does ride in turbulence better than the other Mooneys. Overall I am satisfied with the airplane. If you keep the power around 75% you go about as fast as K and use 4-5 gallons more an hour.

Just guessing but I think this time it will be a go. The instrument they are modifying has been on the market for several years and is successful. Although a stretch on their engineering talents they only need to add a flight director and AP outputs and get that approved. I think by winter they should be shipping. I have been wrong before.

I have an MT on order. The STC says it weighs 63 lbs including the spinner. The weight and balance of the Mooney shows the installed weight of the spinner and prop to be 80 lbs.net change 17lbs. Someone said his Bravo lost 38lbs. during the change. I wonder how that happened. Am I missing some information?

I had a somewhat similar problem years ago. I found the factory had misrigged the flaps. Left side was 0d and right side was up 5d. I would suggest you measure the flaps. You may find the stops on one side or the other to to be out of adjustment.

USAA many years ago brokered aircraft insurance. They decided that their aviation book was too small to justify having a specialized staff. They worked out a sub agency agreement with Falcon. I pay my premium through USAA and they get a part of the commission Falcon makes on the brokerage.

I had problems with the foam in my TLS (too soft). I bought some memory foam and had it installed. It was not cheap to install but a 1000 mile day is far more comfortable. If you do this be sure and get burn certificates.

The Colorado Pilots Assn.has planned a fly-in to Alliance, Neb. We got an allocation of 50 parking spaces and will be joining another 200 aircraft or so for the event. I am thinking that the excitement of the eclipse will be eclipsed by the excitement of the arrival and departure. This event should be intense. BTW the airport will be closed to all except for the registrants. Hats off to the FBO and town for allowing this to happen.

The FIKI question asked earlier maybe a reminder that booted airplanes still need a vacuum/pressure system. Mooney FIKI needs only electricity.

I have never looked at that problem but you might try channel locks or vice grips. Try not to mar the nut. Sometimes you can use a screwdriver to put between the mixture and prop nuts hold the mixture nut.

I talked to both King and Sandia at OSH. The KI 300 is definitely a Sandia 340. I own one and am reasonably happy with it. I has an internal battery good for two hours. I use it as a standby six pack (think of it as Mini glass) replacing the turn coordinator. The face of the instrument is small and the flight director cues may get hard to read when you are hand flying for a period of time. Since I just had the KI 256 and HSI Gyro overhauled I am probably not in a big rush to buy a KI 300. I am pleased that King is close to a replacement and I have good vibes about working with the Sandia folks.

My guess would be it depends on how old you are. If you are above 65 I would say be careful. I would discuss the claim with your insurance broker before you file the claim.

Mooney Aircraft put on a great feed on Wednesday at the Mooney tent in OSH. The food was great but did not last long. I hope they secured a few new airplane orders during the week.

I will have to look in the hangar but I removed a crackup step from an E model years ago. I will make the whole assembly available to you so you have some extra parts for the future. Will get to the hangar this week and let you know. Walt Bell

chrisk, A letter would be a good idea but unlikely to do much damage. I would suggest you address it to the Montrose County Airport Manager, 2100 Airport Road, Montrose, Co, 81401.

I have landed on dirt and grass a few times but do not recommend it. The Bravo is heavy relative to the earlier models but the undercarriage is the same. You can do it but risk of damage is higher. I do not fly into OSH any more as I do not like to taxi in the grass. The conditions at OSH very a lot year to year. I prefer to use paved strips.

I did not read the initial post very closely but here is why my tank leaked (99 Bravo). When you use O2 you turn the knob in the cabin to on position. When you get done you must turn the knob to the off position. The shutoff valve at the bottle is controlled by the knob in the cockpit. The cable joining the two sticks a little so when you turn the knob to off you must hold the knob for several seconds to make sure the knob does not snap back a few degrees of rotation. If it does the valve on bottle will not close tight. If you are leaving the knob on all the time all your O2 will leak out as the O2 ports in the ceiling will not hold a seal that well. Always use the Off/On knob. And make sure it is completely off when you are finished using the O2.

If you need a Vor/Loc converter for your installation I have a KN 72 which was removed in a recent panel update. Works well, let me know if you have interest.

When inbound from the west IFR you generally get routed to one of the corner posts, either northwest or southwest. I usually get 16 or 17K. Depends on the controller and the time of day but you can get vectored around a lot. My Bravo lives next to DIA so the controllers have problems finding vacant airspace. If your are going to the west side of Denver you get a slam dunk. Coming in VFR can be less hassle but a bumpy ride. If you want a preview of the IFR arrival checkout the Larks 8 arrival.

BJC is a convient airport to Boulder, a good stop except for Signature. Boulder airport is a good idea except for the glider operations. Longmont is OK except for sky diving on airport. Compromises everywhere! You might well get a rough ride but one thing not mentioned yet is the Class B and Class D airspace that you will need to negotiate on your way from east to west. I do not mean this to be discouraging but lots of challenges need to be faced in the last 30 miles.

Speed brakes are useful on my Bravo. When coming into Denver from the west the letdown is often a genuine challenge. My airplane lives just east of DIA and some vectoring I get to cross from west to east is difficult to do without the generous use of speed brakes. When I enter the traffic pattern from other directions I often cruise right up to the airport and slam on the brakes to get down to traffic pattern speed.

I have a KT 76C that was removed for a Garmin 345. It is out of a 1999 TLS that was always hangared. Low time would be a super replacement. Let me know if you have interest. Walt Bell

You could try removing one from a nearby location and see if it fits. If it does run down to NAPA or other parts store and match it.