FoxMike

Used to be a service called Ship Sticks. You sent your clubs via FedEx or UPS. I have not heard any advertising about them for several years. You might check them out.

I had a problem with a slipping starter on a TSIO 520. To make a very long story short slipping traced to Aero Shell 15-50. Walt

CFO hangar's are pretty full but you might keep an eye out for hangar on that airport. Walt

I been in and out of Glenwood Springs in my Bravo several times. Not the best place for learning mountain flying. The Bravo uses most of the runway as Don says so you need to have everything going right as their is almost no margin for error. Many years ago the FBO in Glenwood had a Mooney M20F. He landed a little short of the runway and rode the airplane down the cliff to the rivers edge. He lived but I do not think we was not able to fly again. Demanding airport for Mooney Drivers.

Let me add a couple of thoughts. Someone mentioned a flying school near Johnson Creek, Id. Do not waste your time there. They are teaching techniques to allow the pilot to use back country airstrips (grass, gravel and rough). Mooneys generally and especially Bravos are not suited for those airstrips. I heard of a guy who showed up in a J model and they refused to train him. The Bravo is a good weather airplane and works well over the Rockies. I have flown mine IFR over the rocks on more than one occasion.

You might look at the webpage for Colorado Pilots Association. They have an excellent Mountain Flying Course. Unfortunately the last class was taught this weekend. You might be able to contact one of their instructors and work out some instruction. Their is a lot to know about flying in the mountains so plan for at least one full day of instruction. A "quickie" mountain checkout is really not sufficient.

I just read a thread on BT that was asking about FBOs and customs at Provo. Only information provided by others was they had good treatment from Provo Air Center and Blue Heron. No pricing was indicated but discussion was among jet owners. Foreflight says Provo Air is 1 649 3394101 and Blue 1 649 941 8000. If you check it out please report back. I just checked both FBOs have websites. Provo Air has lots of information.

I have always stayed out of the T&C. I admit it looks beautiful from 10K gazing down on it. I have researched it several times and have concluded the cost to fly a piston airplane there is far too high to make it practical. I have been to the Dominican Republic on several occasions and found it to be a better value. I met a guy who owned a motel in the T&C and could not stand the business climate so he moved to St. Thomas. You might contact the Caribbean Flying Adventures (they show up at OSH) and get some recent information.

Someone asked how I thought I damaged my shoulder. In my case I got drafted right out of college. My draft notice arrived at home before I got there. Lots of pushups had to be done before I got shipped off to Southeast Asia. I should sue the government for the abuse. If you have shoulder surgery pending I would recommend you buy a cheap sling so you can practice day to day tasks with the use of one arm. Was helpful for me. One thing that has been emphasized to me is the need for physical therapy. Find a therapist who has experience and plan two or three sessions per week for months. I have heard of folks who have not taken PT seriously and do not get a good outcome. A few need another trip to the operating room.

I just had my old shoulder ripped out and replaced with metal. I am about 5 weeks out and was sitting the airplane yesterday and found I could operate all the controls. Replacement was right shoulder. I cannot reach battery select switch comfortably or overhead switches. Repair surgery may require more time. I am not quite ready to fly and will take an observer who can help out when I am ready.

Have ben OSH many times. Camping is OK depending on weather but you might try to snag a dorm room. Reason is airfield may fill up so you will have to go to Fond du Lac or elsewhere. You can camp at KFLD but then you will be riding the bus to the show. If you leave from Houston on Friday you will be late getting to OSH which means the field may be closed for the airshow. If you get into OSH getting out after the Saturday Airshow can be a real traffic jam. Much better to plan a Sunday departure. Weather can be a factor which can cause more delays either or both ways. I normally plan Monday departure, Tuesday/Wednesday at show and Thursday home. I do not go into OSH anymore as departures are so unpredictable. You might want to leave on Thursday to give yourself a little more time at the show. It really is a great show and for a first timer 3 or even 4 days would be worthwhile. Have a good time if you go and plan as best you can for the unpredictable.

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.