FoxMike

I flew into Wilmer rented a car and drove to MSP. Rental plus drop charges made it expensive but I am not big on others flying my airplane.

My Bravo lives at CFO. A couple of items you did not ask about but may help you out. Lately we have been having a lot of windy days so you might find the approach and landing challenging. If you are VFR approaching Denver Class B we have a 1995' tower just east of the Class B. If your IFR controller will keep you clear. CFO has become a favorite for training. You may be mixing it up for 4 or 5 Skyhawks. Highest activity is 7AM till 2PM. Often the tower is training controllers so the traffic pattern gets really large. The tower chief wants his trainees to be comfortable so he allows them to put miles between aircraft. This is less of a problem now than it was a month ago. If you can get hangar space it is usually a good idea. It is a little early for hail season but a late snowstorm could delay your departure if you are outside.

Models B and C have Battery in the front. E models and later have rear mounted.

I use Foreflight and often call the FBO or airport manager if I need additional information.

I taxi my Bravo around lean and after runup I set the mixture very lean. The theory is if I get onto the runway get distracted and open the throttle before I go full rich on mixture the engine will quit before any damaged is caused. At takeoff I use full rich till I get the airplane cleaned up then I do a power reduction. With Class B right overhead I keep the power down till I get quite a ways from the airport. CFO has lots of student traffic and we are all constrained to under 7000' so flying at moderate speed makes sense.

Our hangar is 40' from a grass strip which harbors many mice. A couple of years ago we had a bumper crop of mice and it was not long till a good many of them took up residence in the hangar. All seven of the units facing the grass strip could not empty the traps fast enough. One day I noticed a hawk siting on a nearby hangar. Late in the afternoon the hawk would make a low pass over the grass strip and after several weeks the not a mouse could be found.

I know of two Bravos that had the system installed and both removed the system after a short period of time. The factory got approval to install on turbo engines but cannot provide competent advice about problem owners encountered.

Years ago I owned an E model. When the humidity was high I used to put a handkerchief on the glareshield and rub it on the windshield several times during taxi and just before takeoff. Like all the early Mooney's the defroster left a lot to be desired. Having a blower assist on the new ones is a real advantage.

i do not understand the question. Standard configuration is 2 70amp alternators. If you have air-conditioning one of the alternators may have been removed for the compressor and a larger alternator installed to provide extra power for the air conditioner. Someone else may come along who knows for sure.

Oscar, I have not flown to Jamaica so unfamiliar with those paperwork requirements. I do know that you will need an overflight permit from Cuba. Because US does not have banking relations with Cuba you need a company who can arrange payment. I would try Jim Parker at Caribbean Flying Adventures. His website is Caribbeanflyingadventures.com Jim can help you with all the Jamaican paperwork also.

To my mind the Bravo takes more effort to maneuver because it is heavier. The extra weight requires more airspeed attention to approaches and landings. The turboed Lycoming engine puts a lot of weight foreword so trying get the speed right in the flare is a challenge. Being either too fast or too slow can cause serious problems. The donuts on the gear are not sufficient for the airframe weight so even taxiing around takes more effort and the passengers notice the rough ride. Overall the Bravo handles acceptably but the other Mooney models are better. Donuts last 5 to 6 years at best. The Bravo does best in weather. It really gives the pilot confidence when flying in wet, bumpy clouds. I have put 2000 hours on my airplane in 19 years of ownership. Every airplane has plusses and minuses.

I have owned a Bravo since 2003 (actually it owns me). Great airplane in weather and over the Rockies. Downside is cost of operation, hard to flare when CG is forward, gas mileage is poor, you need to wear O2 to get efficiency. When I chase down a hamburger 100-150 miles away the Bravo is overkill but dealing with messy weather on a 800 mile trip the airplane is just right. My Bravo is FIKI. It really depends on your needs. I have hours in a 201 and think it is about the best of the Mooney fleet. Shopping for a Bravo is difficult because many airframes do not get the continuing maintenance they require. You might end up doing 2 or 3 prebuys to find a good one. The Bravo prices are lower because the airplane costs much more to operate and it is not as much fun to fly as the others in the Mooney fleet.

The lower panels began in 1999. I have flown behind both and prefer the lower ones. I suppose you could have a lower one fabricated or hunt around in the junk yards for one. The newer models have vertically adjustable seats so a taller panel may work ok. The big problem I see is the rewiring. It might not turnout to be a big deal but most likely the techs that are doing this for you may run the shop hours through the roof. While doing radios may help the situation it will not eliminate it. My suggestion is that you shop for what you want. I did a custom panel in an E model that I owned many years ago and found that even with good planning lots of problems presented themselves.

Thirty years ago I used RHV a few times. The manager and staff were a pain in the butt back then. If the stated reason for not allowing 100LL to be sold is to lower the lead in the air I doubt they will reach that goal. Both based and visiting aircraft owners are still going to operate with 100LL although they may be inconvenienced by needing to travel to get it. Bottom line is the same amount of lead will be drifting down on land below. The real reason they want to quit selling 100LL is to encourage pilots to move elsewhere. I doubt this will work as the bay area is under supplied with airports.

You might check the engine timing.

2500' is Ok but not great. I ferried an M20K for a friend who bought it from a competent pilot but who had an incident on his home airport due to it being only 2000' long. Getting an IFR clearance on the ground at uncontrolled airport can be a problem. I have a drive of 35 minutes to my airport but have little other choice. Even though it is further I would go for Hagerstown.

O2 leaks are hard to find. When the control knob is in the off position the control cable may not be moving quite far enough to shut the regulator off. The control cable probably could use lubrication and if the bottle was replaced the cable at the bottle end may not have been reinstalled per spec. Check to be sure the the lever on the regulator is all the way closed.

I have been to Cuba twice in private aircraft both times with a group. Cubans are glad to see you but the last administration limited the rules so trips like I was on could no longer be done. A few people I know have gone to Mexico then on to Cuba. One of those folks got his passport stamped by the Cubans and customs caught him. Unless the rules change I do not think a trip you envision could be done. The only US tourists who are able to get into Cuba now are aboard cruise ships. Keep your overwater gear nearby because things will change in time.

I would love to dump the donuts and a gross weight increase would be icing on the cake. The difficulty with the weight increase is the increase in stall speed. The Bravo is already at the stall speed limit. Maybe the landing gear improvement kit would include a set of vortex generators.

Not a good idea. The higher you climb the less O2 in the air. Concentrators not designed to work at higher altitudes having less O2.

Tough question. First does your A&P want to do the job? He may have a day job that consumes a lot of time so he likes to do only small jobs. Do you have a hangar that has enough space for a job this size. Instead of asking a group about this you ought to talk to your mechanic he can better judge the situation. The install is going to consume a lot more than a week. You have to remove the old engine, maybe repair baffling or other things then install the new engine (33 hoses to install). BTW does your prop need an overhaul?

If your engine continues to run acceptably, I would order an engine from Lycoming and be prepared to wait. While waiting you need to get the hoses, engine mounts, etc. ordered so when the engine arrives you have everything. The overhaulers are having trouble getting parts and something like exhaust valves guides not being available stops the progress of an overhaul. You will be paying a premium by getting a reman but having the plane down for 4 to 6 months is a big cost also.

If Mooney is not making the interior parts you want you might be able to find the at a salvage yard and then reupholster as required. I would think the new parts would fit the older Bravos but it might take a few changes to the airframe to accommodate for new attach brackets. I like the new style interior in my 99 Bravo.

To save money on redesign of the airframe you could wear a spacesuit.

The MT equipped with nickel steel leading edge is 10 puunda lighter than than the McCauley on a Bravo.