scottfromiowa

Docket, You made my day. Just laughed out loud at his "getting even" with the keys prank. That is CLASSIC! Thanks for sharing.

I enjoyed reading all these replies especially Berry and Jim's comments. CJ, it really comes down to mission. If you are NOT flying cross country 400-600 miles then speed is NOT the thing. Why pay for a retract Mooney when you can get your Cherokee 180? I have flown Cessna's and Cherokee's...For my primary mission (flying 400 miles) the 172 was 3 hours and the 180 was 2 1/2. The Mooney is 2. You stretch out more in a Mooney. They accomodate tall just fine. I am 6 feet and I have to slide Waaay forward to pedals (get that shoulder harness). The M20C M20E are three person airplanes...(unless you have children or are 150 pound occupants. That does NOT apply to my wife and I and our kids refused to stop growing...but one is now in college so we are FINE. The Mooney's strengths are speed, efficiencey (fuel burn) and strength (the roll cage and strength of the Mooney wing are Legendary). Go sit in one. Go fly in one. I will NEVER be happy in a Cessna or a Cherokee after flying Mooney...Regarding service. Don't buy a hanger queen. If the plane hasn't flown at least 50 hours a year for the past few years you will pay to get maintenance squared away....walk away. If a mechanic knows Mooney's you should be fine. DON'T pay to educate somebody. Find a mechanic that KNOWS MOONEY's. If you fly 100 mph on final and 80 mph over the fence landings will be a non-event. If you fly 100 mph over the fence on a short runway and try to force it down as the big Laminar wings glide and glide...then you have no-one to blame but yourself. Flying with a wife that doesn't like to fly means getting there fast. Less time for her to vasilate. When she gets there in 2 hours vs. a 6.5 hour drive even SHE will understand the value of a Mooney. Good luck with your decision and watch for 1. Corrosion 2. Weeping wing tanks

ps to my previous post...less than a year ago just north of PDC in LaCrosse those same bluffs took down a flight for life helecopter with loss of life to all aboard. I wondered at that time if a 496 Garmin would have saved their lives...

Thanks for sharing the link (youtube) night off airport landing. I have landed at PDC and the airport has bluffs to the south (of the runway) and running north/south of the airport. This would be a TOUGH area to do an off-airport landing at night. The pilot did a fantastic job of decision making and electing to use the alfalfa field...off airport...vs. continuing with faith to try and make PDC as directed by controller. The value of the Garmin and other GPS's with Nearest only a click away and having com (lights) info at your fingertips as well as terrain awareness are TRULY potential lifesavers in a scenario like this. What does everyone think about gear up or down in this scenario? I am going in gear up with full flaps and tail low. It appears that this pilot lowered gear and sustained a nose gear collapse? Yes, even knowing outcome I became emotional and was riveted for the 10:00 minutes...Good stuff! Remember your best glide and ratio to figure make it or not...

What a distrubing youtube video. I don't think that was an intentional spin! Power on stalls and slow flight I can really stand my '66 E up, but I REALLY make sure my ball is centered. An uncoordinated stall in my Mooney will get a VERY pronounced wing drop. KEEP THAT BALL CENTERED! I did one without centering the ball ONCE...Don't want to go there again. Mooney's loose a lot of altitude in a spin. I would NEVER intentionally spin my aircraft... After that high profile stall spin on (3-fatal) final (Very high time Mooney pilot in right seat) I am extremely conscious of bank angle and airspeed on turn to final in the pattern. Down low a stall is end of the road...Don't go there. Nice use of shoulder harness's (NOT) during landing and flight. Any CFI I ever flew with WOULD NOT allow what took place in this video! Good what NOT to do training.

Thanks in advance for your work on putting photos and "how-to" together Bryan!

Quinn, Can you refer me to your website so I can get a comparison?

BRILLIANT! Can't wait to see your "how to" Bryan. Well done!

In Iowa I pay no annual property tax for my '66 Mooney. Registration is about $35/year. There was a one time state sales tax with the purchase. Earth Quakes, mud slides, wild fires...and high airplane taxes, OUCH it can hurt to live in California...but I have heard there are some perks too

Thanks Mitch. I usually check out display during another visit as there is SO MUCH TO SEE at show, but museum is worth a visit if you haven't seen display's before. The Eagle's Hanger has some great WWII aircraft including a rare XP-51 and a P-38 made up like Dick Bong's with "Marge" on the side. ENJOY ALL! Hope to meet you at the show. I usually miss out on the Mooney's as by second weekend the "birds have flown". I enjoy the extended warbird fly by in the Air Show. The sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin is in my humble opinion one of the most beautiful aural experiences...

I will be going second weekend. For more flexibility I fly in to Appleton (just North). I have a friend that lives there and has "connections" with family that have been long time Oskhosh supporters. Appleton treats you well and I believe they have a shuttle to and from Oshkosh. I grew up in Platteville, (Southwest WI) and my dad and I (he was an artist and big time scale model builder) would drive up and sleep in the back of a VW stationwagon...Dad placed in an art contest up there with a couple of entrys. I can remember R.A. "Bob" Hoover's show...VERY good memories. Check out dad's display in the Museaum. Tribute to Francis Gabreski. Leading Allied ace in ETO. He had a scratch built P-47 Thunderbolt model built by a master builder named Richard Howe in Massechusett's. He would send information (research) on the plane in 8x11 manilla envelopes. On each envelope he would do a custom scene such as a P-47 straffing a locomotive or a sketch of the chief designer...after the third envelope the Westminster post master hand delivered the envelope and said " You are keeping these, RIGHT"? They had a nice display in the post office of the envelopes that made the local paper...Dad sent all around the world to get Gabby's medals...toughest one was the Polish Cross of Valor. Dad did a display and took to Oshkosh...the curator was not impressed...until he saw the display. Dad was an early eagle member and CAF Wing Man. He loved Oshkosh. Dad passed away at 62 in 1991. I try and go each year in tribute to his memory. FLY SAFE, Scott

I have other links on the Accu-Trak (addition to standard PC wing leveler). BIG HUH?...from me regarding keeping wings level with fuel burn(previous post)...your wing leveler is NOT working properly as I have NO issues with keeping wings level even with significant 25 knot cross winds...Accu-trak is a nice option as you can gain tracking with your GPS as well as A VOR Trak. I am in process of having Jerry at Brittain go through an Accu-Trak I purchased (control unit and servo) that I will be adding to my existing PC system. When my plane is trimmed in cruise flight it requires very little input to maintain altitude (I can fly hands off or light input to maintain altitude...the traker will give wings level even in severe cross-wind with directional tracking from certified GPS left right output...I am combining with electric servo and neweer 201 stye yokes...vs. push buttton (hold to cancel vacuum input). Yes an S-Tec would be superior...but my costs are gong to be under $1,500.

The years 1969-1973 were trying times for Mooney. Butler Aviation intended to integrate the fast Mooney's into a line with even faster Aero-star twins. It didn't work out, but Butler produced Mooney's with strange beak or bullet protubernces sticking forward from the top of the vertical stabilizer. Production ceased in 1971 and did NOT resume until late 1973 when Republic Steel bought the line. Taken from buying and owning your own airplane second edition James E. Ellis.

Article on Pre-J Mooney's from "Consumer Aviation's Guide to Used Aircraft" said that Butler built airplanes varied greatly in quality due to cost cutting and economic measures (I'm paraphrasing) taken with the purchase. The more extensive zinc Chromate (anti-corosion) process was eliminated in some areas and the flush rivets on wing/retractable step changes to fixed step...all took place after '67 with Butler aircraft in late 60's...Every plane is different. Some were considerably slower than earlier NON-Butler built aircraft. Inspect, fly to check rigging and speed. Some had the weird "stinger" on top of vertical stab. Scott

I wish this plane would have been out there at this price when I bought my '66 E. Nicely equipped and low time engine. Sigh...

Keep your airspeed up.

I often don't use flaps on take off when flying alone in my '66 M20E. On a recent flight I went to pump in flaps on short final and pump was loose (no pressure). Landing uneventful and had braking action on roll-out. Mechanic pulled belly panel and replaced 0-rings in master. We really had to work forcing hydraullic fluid into reservoir to get flaps to function... Here is my question...I have now flown three times following the O-ring replacement and during pre-flight I have had to do a couple of pumps to get pressure...and then the flaps do their normal four stokes to lower full flaps. Anyone else have this. I previously had immediate pressure and two strokes to 1/2 flaps four to full. Thoughts? Second question...Plan to replace tires and brake pads at annual. What is involved in doing seals for brake master cylinder? Where is it/are they (one or two)? Thanks in advance for the "free" education. I know the brakes and flaps share the same hydraullic system...Also How big a deal to change brake lines (exposed on gear) These are OEM and I believe some leaking occuring here... Scott

O.K. here is my most recent experience with Wilmer. Brother-in-law sanded my 201 yokes...lost one of the aluminum trim caps. I asked Dana if he could find one/had one. He said "No", but he could send the same thickness piece of aluminum that I could have fabricated...Good solution...and I got the aluminum in the mail in three days UPS ground. Good business and excellent follow-through! For something that was NOT a money maker...

I have so many positive experiences regarding Wilmer's parts department contact Dana...that I could NOT list them all. I have not heard anything regarding anything less than above average business practices. They have been in business selling and servicing Mooney's for a Long LONG time.

I saw some text about upgrades in Canada etc...and (nothing to enhance use for US users)...and we're increasing your costs by $60/year. The hits just keep on coming...

I do not know of any restrictions regarding items on glareshield. I have my XM antenna wedged on right corner between glareshield and plexi...

I just finished reading (online) my favorite aviation magazine...and the winner is...AVIATION CONSUMER. I love the "this is good and why" of the new from avionics to GPS...to knee boards. The magazine as with Consumer Reports has NO advertisements, so you are getting as unbiased information as possible each month. The reviews of classic aircraft are also fun reads and expose the "Good...the Bad...and the Ugly" to steal Coy Jacobs stolen phrase. Good stuff on affordable aircraft ($60k was benchmark for article) M20C and M20F made the grade, but no E...Oh, well. Check it out if you have never seen it online. It is a pricey annual subscription,but in my opinion worth every penny. Plane & Pilot is a close second.

Check other threads and with Brittain. Servo valve $160 re-conditioned from Brittain. Switch on 201 style yoke.

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! Brian ND looks fantastic. I hope to see it in person some time. May you have some nice flying weather. Definitely going to be faster with that slick new paint...moving and standing still. Very nice. Scott

I just purchased (used on ebay) an Accu-Trak and TC-100 Gyro. I had already purchased 201 style yokes and electric vaccuum cut-off valve. Anyone ever had conversion done from standard vacuum yoke cut-off to electric cut-off? Anyone ever replaced yoke roll trim with tC-100 turn and bank equipped roll trim? I would like to discuss...