Sven

It's a heart-wrenching decision but we are selling our rare M20D, one of only three still flying. She's in amazing shape and just passed her last annual with no squawks and a new interior. She's ADSB compliant with a new Stratus transponder. We've created a blog site with all the information, price, and lots of pictures and stories. Hoping she goes to a new owner that appreciates and will maintiain her rarity. 

https://fixedgearmooney.blogspot.com

 -Sven

We bought ours because we love it when ATC reminds us to lift our legs, constantly.

Just like Bug Smasher, I'm hangared at KSTS and concur about the horrible weather here late afternoon and evening yesterday. Our local paper has updated all the information on this accident. You can find the link here with more on his story including pictures and video:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/8197786-181/san-diego-county-pilot-dies

"Carl Morrison, 75, was piloting his 1990 Mooney M20J propeller-driven plane from the airport back home after a work trip north in his role as a consultant with the Sonoma County Water Agency, according to a Facebook post from his family. Morrison, an attorney and vice commander of the Pacific Region’s Civil Air Patrol, had served in the U.S. Marines and often flew his plane for meetings around the country."

Peace be to his memory.

On 11/22/2017 at 4:20 PM, Raptor05121 said:

Sorry I'm just seeing this Raptor05121 or I would have warned you to only use aluminum tape. But now you know that. I hope it didn't increase the wing walk real estate too much.

It was announced in July and the day is here. Technically it costs 99 cents but that is donated to charity. The app is for VFR only and has a lot of the functionality of WingX available. I'm downloading it now. My subscription to Jeppesen's VFR product is about to expire so this will be a great alternative. We use Foreflight for the big stuff but I like to have a basic alternative on my iPad, just because.

Ron actually works for Sonoma Jet Center. The Red Cross is not out hat STS as they are in the city. However, if you drop anything off at KSTS use Sonoma Jet Center and they as they have strong contacts with us and we be very good stewards of what you bring in. The big thing is gift cards, especially Target. Kmart burned down as did Kohl's so no gift cards from there, please. We don't need bottled water. I have 45,000 bottles and another truck is on the way. Most of the shelters and distribution centers are receiving goods from Convoy of Hope and other organizations.

-Scott

Just to let you know, there's a couple of us Mooney folks here in Santa Rosa. We have all had a horrific week in Sonoma County. The unthinkable happened in the early hours of Monday evening as a firestorm sped from Calistoga over the mountain into the heart of northern Santa Rosa. My wife and I were awakened by a neighbor for an immediate evacuation with a firestorm raging on the hill just above our neighborhood. The smoke, flames, explosions, severe wind and the roar were unbelievable and what I would describe as evil. My wife was injured trying to wake an elderly neighbor and required an ER visit but our hospital seemed to be on fire as did all of Santa Rosa. We left with the clothes on our back and our cat. We were certain we would lose our house. As we became refugees our day was filled with anxiety as we grasped the reality of losing "our stuff." Remembering that I had webcams it was late morning when I saw that, unbelievably, our home had been somehow spared. We actually felt guilty about that as so many of our friends narrowly escaped with just their lives in Fountain Grove, Coffey Park, and Larkfield/Wikiup where we live. One of our Mooney brothers, M20D6607U, lost his home as did many members of his family. So many families had multiple members in these neighborhoods. You would think when something like this happens you could stay with relatives but when every family member loses their home it creates a real dilemma. I am helping to run an evacuation and disaster relief distribution center and I connected with Ron personally today, getting him and his family some relief supplies, loading him up with everything I could from sleeping bags to Gatorade to toothbrushes and socks. He also knows and is helping several other families who lost their homes and we are supplying them as well. I know he's going to be upset with me for telling you all this but I thought it would be great if you left him some words of encouragement. I'm not sure when he'll see this but at some point I'll tell him what I did unless he busts me sooner. He's a great guy with a heart of gold. 

All of our Mooneys are safe. The airport was about 2 miles from the fire and has been a base for Cal Fire, National Guard, and several GA relief efforts as have the smaller airports near us like Healdsburg, Cloverdale, and Petaluma. There is a sizable TFR overhead of which a small chunk was left open for KSTS in case you're flying in here.

When faced with the possibility of losing your home and everything in it, you often wonder what you would take with you. When the evacuation is immediate and dangerous there is no time or decision making. You leave it all. We snuck in past the barricades the second day as the fires were still raging next to us, expecting our home to be destroyed. My wife and I looked around and wondered what we'd pack into our van. All we took were our important papers, old video tape of our daughters, and a couple extra changes of clothing. We left everything else. The night before, when we were convinced we lost everything, we let it all go. It was just stuff at that point. We had each other, our friends, and we were safe. What we used to think was so important now made us feel embarrassed. The new sofa we took so long to find, the perfect giant HDTV, the piano, and on and on and on. It was just stuff. It wasn't important anymore and it seemed a hinderance. On this second trip in all we brought out was a laundry basket with very few things. The van was empty as we headed back to the shelter and we walked away from our home with no regrets.

Lean-of-peak vs. rich-of-peak didn't matter anymore (hahaha). Neither did politics, sports, or any other argument or opinion. It all seems so petty now. I drive through the burn area on my way to work every day. There's no way around it. The familiar landmarks that defined my neighborhood are gone, obliterated. I'm hoping that visible scar on our community will be a constant reminder to not get caught up in the "stuff" trap again. Family and friendships are what's important. Giving to others and serving your community, being generous and grateful and all that good stuff, that's what's important.  

-Scott 

If you want to see a real fixed-gear Mooney, ours will be there. I won't be flying it but one of the partners will be and is looking forward to attending. It's only a 15 minute hop over the hill. Lasar always puts on a great event.

Here, hold my Maker's Mark.

Love the pics and the video, Jolie. Wow! What was the lead ship they were shooting from?

Here's our tie downs. I have a great friend who is a metal guy who helped me with this.. Heavy gauge aluminum and the recommended rope. We didn't like the hammer and so during a rainy winter we spent way too much time making a matching set. We even custom embroidered a bag.

Wow, those shots are amazing, Jolie!

So if Ron's is 10:3:1 with the gear up, what's your guess on a fixed-gear bird? I'll probably take her up to altitude and give it a try but then I'd have to do math.  Any bets on the ratio?

Nice picture, Ron. I need you to take one of me!

The only reason we stripped it was that we needed to work in the tank and so we had to remove the top panel. I would consider refreshing it once, but I would strip it before doing it a third time. If you look at my original photos you'll see half was stripped and half was refreshed.

Thanks for the props. I've never had an issue with the fuel tank. The stripper does not seep in and did not cause any issues. I neglected to say to drop your flaps and cover well with plastic. The big tricks learned are the aluminum tape and especially putting the can upside down until the grit releases from the bottom. I left mine in the warm hangar and a week seemed to do the trick. It makes mixing it up so much easier. I've painted this onto a few non-aviation surfaces and the mixing has been the most frustrating thing. I even tried using one of those mixer that goes on the end of a drill. Don't try it. Trust me.

Make sure the aluminum tape edges stay on the paint and not on the wing walk. You cannot press down a good clean edge if it's on the walk. Get your reading glasses and get in close if you have to. It will pay off. The directions say it's dry after 6 hours but I would not trust walking on it for a few days. Already made that mistake. Let it cure and be patient. Here's another picture of the clean edge that aluminum tape leaves.

-Sven

At our last annual we had to do some tank work which means the old wing walk had to come off. I’ve done this a couple of times and have made some handy discoveries I thought I would pass on hoping it will be of some help. I’m going to include pictures, hopefully in the right order.

Before you begin this project order the wing walk paint. I’ve always used Randolf but I’ve learned a trick. Don't thin it out. When my can arrives I turn it upside down for a week or two. It will come in a plastic bag so just leave it in the bag in case it leaks, which mine has never done. The grit at the bottom of the can is hard to deal with and this method, though slower, really pays off. Leave it upside down until the grit has shifted to what is now the top of the can. You can feel the change in the can when it does but it takes a while. That’s why you order the wing walk first and do the next part later. Patience will pay off later.

 I start by using aluminum foil tape I get at Home Depot. Not sure why this works so well for this project but it does. The tape needs to have clean edges, not dented or damaged. I carefully place the tape outside the existing wing walk and make sure I use ample plastic to catch any drips. I’m also careful to press down the edges of the tape making sure there are no wrinkles. You want a good clean seal on the edge of the tape.

Now that I have the wing walk area masked off it’s time for the stripper. I use Citristrip. One small bottle is all you will need. Using a disposable brush I apply a thick coat all over the old wing walk. The trick to this step is that you do not want the stripper drying out. After a thick coat is applied I cover it with Saran Wrap and carefully press it down over the goop. Then I double check that none of it is, or will, drip off the boundaries of the aluminum tape onto any paint I want to keep. Now is when you walk away and leave it overnight.

The next day use a plastic spatula to scrape it all off being careful to not drip it on any paint you want to keep. You’ll be amazed at how well it works and there’s no fumes. I dump mine into a small box and throw it out. Using damp paper towels I carefully wash off the residue being certain not to create any runoff. Once I know it’s clean I use a solvent on it just to be sure. If you want to use Alodine and AlumaPrep now is the time. I take off the tape and clean it again paying careful attention to the edges of the tape. Hopefully you’ll get a nice clean stripped line like I do every time. I’ve never had any stripper get under the aluminum tape.

Now it’s time to re-tape the area just like before and prep it for wing walk. I place the tape just barely over the paint line so I’m sure I get clean coverage. Here’s where turning the can pays off. Open the can and start chopping up the grit blob with the paint stir stick. This process is so much faster when the blob is at the top of the can opposed to all the grit being stuck to the bottom. Keep chopping and stirring. Wearing a work apron and safety glasses would be smart in case some of it jumps out of the can. Chop and stir, chop and stir. 

I apply the wing walk using a 4” foam roller and a disposable tray. The roller works much better than the brush which is the recommended method. Pour a little less than half of the wing walk into the tray. The trick is to keep it moving and mixed since the grit likes to settle fast. Apply evenly and watch for streaks. I apply two full coats and wait about 30-45 minutes between applications. After the second coat has dried for 30-45 minutes I remove the tape and plastic masking. 

Now is the time to be patient again. The last time I did this we waited for 3-4 days to be sure it was hardened and then we went flying. In the hot Redding sun a passenger turned his heal on the wing walk and it must not have hardened enough and created a small divot. Your results may vary but this time I am waiting a week to ten days before using it. I do not have pictures of the full process but I have enough it should make sense.

-Sven

Forgot to post links to the tools.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dzus-Tool-Wrench-Screwdriver-Quick-Turn-Driver-/270607167554?hash=item3f0171b042:g:tgcAAOSwLEtYmIRk&vxp=mtr

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VS6WQE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Our mechanic strongly suggested we start using a proper Dzus or Snoopy tool to open our access panels. Since I do not like to have a handful of tools on my preflight inspection I thought a tool modification would be useful. We ordered a couple Dzus screwdrivers off of Ebay for $6. I took one of them and put it in a vice near the base of the handle where it meets the blade. I clamped down on it and released it and turned it a couple times and repeated the process. I then placed the blade in the vice and using a large screwdriver and hammer I persuaded the handle to release the Dzus blade. I had recently purchased a new fuel sampler that happened to work perfectly. I just swapped out the reversible screwdriver bit with the newly liberated Dzus blade and it fit perfectly. I've attached a couple of photos so you can see what I did. It works great on the fuel access panels, too.

-Sven

Just as a follow-up for those searching this topic in the future. I was able to use a Dremel with a thin cutting wheel and cut the Dzus fitting apart on the back side of the door. For the love of God wear safety glasses when doing this, please. I had a cutting wheel break in two a long time ago and hit me in the face. Always wear protection! Once the fitting was in two it easily popped out. I did not have the special flaring tool and I was impatient so, using the grooves in the Dzus fitting I managed to get the new fitting mostly through the hole. It was a simple matter of pressing hard with my thumb and it popped in. I did not make the hole bigger in this process and the fitting will not come out. I purchased a stainless Dzus fitting at Spruce with the part number FJ4-35SS. I installed two and they fit perfectly.

Here is th link to the fittings: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/dzus2.php

I also did something else. With the advice of our mechanic I purchased a new fuel sampler. Because our old sampler had a standard flat head screw driver fitting on it he urged is to use a Snoopy tool. We bought two off of eBay. I put one in the vice and separated the blade from the handle. I then replaced the flat screwdriver with the Dzus blade and we are in business! I've attached a couple photos of the new tool. I will probably include this tool mod as a new post since it worked out so well.

-Sven

Something just wasn't right with this this little trinket and so I fixed it. Now it's a proper flying machine.

-Sven

One of these decades I'll actually make it there. We've got the plane down for her annual at the moment and we're fixing a little fuel leak. That airport is a favorite destination of ours but I've never tented it. Some day...

Welcome to Sonoma County, Joe. This is TFR country, especially during political seasons and Petaluma is often on the edge or included in the big TFRs. They pop up at Sonoma Raceway, too. Enjoy the scenery and welcome to the neighborhood. 

I don't want to miss the party. Please add me as well. Ain't no party like a Mooney party. Thanks.

We have an ever-so-slight leak on the right brake. We took them off and cleaned them up and put on new o-rings. My question is does anyone use a thread sealant like Loctite 545 on them? Or do they get installed with no thread sealant? Also, the Mooney Spare Parts Manual says the fitting I need is an AN823-4D which has an outside tube diameter of 1/4" The elbow I removed has an OD of 3/8. Am I measuring this wrong or should I suspect these are not the original brakes?

Here's a little before and after shot for you taken when we changed ours out.