donkaye, MCFI

The Yaw Damper operation is not well documented. Actually it's not documented at all except to say, "not to be used on takeoff and landing". I have rudder trim and fully trim it right on takeoff. Since the YD can be turned on independently of the AP, after takeoff in the climb, I turn it on. Since even with full right rudder trim some right rudder needs to be held on takeoff, when the YD comes on some torque is apparently generated by the YD servo to try and hold the ball centered. The YD operates with inputs from yaw rate, roll angle, lateral acceleration, and airspeed. Changing to level flight changes the forces on the rudder. I disconnect the YD, the rudder pedals significantly move having been held in place by the YD servo. I trim the rudder for level flight and then turn the YD back on. I figure this means minimal torque will be constantly held by the YD servo. Periodically, I'll turn the YD off and then back on to check if extra torque is being held by the YD. In level flight it is not. I try to stay out of turbulence for passenger comfort through proper preflight planning, but have gotten into moderate turbulence from time to time. While subjective, the YD does make a difference. In the shorter body Mooneys I would think it would make even more of a difference, since the arm for the stabilizing rudder is shorter. The extra cost of the YD is small in comparison to its benefits in my opinion. Just know that, while it is not a rudder trim, it will try and hold the ball centered in the climb. Therefore, when you transition to level flight, turn it off, stabilize the airplane, then turn it back on. For those who are flying or have flown the big iron (@Bob-S50), I'd be interested in knowing how the YD is handled in those aircraft. With the Citation, I just remember turning it on right after takeoff and off before landing.

Since I'm not at the airplane but only have the information manual for the M20M, I don't see that statement. Under required equipment it says "Battery", not "Batteries". In the Placard section of the Limitations section it just says, "Both Batteries must be installed", not both Batteries must be Installed and functional". Having said that, it is just common sense to have 2 functional batteries. Where the 2 batteries must be functional issue could arise as a problem would be if you have a failed battery and need to fly to your maintenance shop to get it replaced. You would need a Ferry Permit in that case if both needed to be functional.

In addition to having the 2 stabilizing brackets missing on the pitch trim servo installation, there were a couple of settings that were not correct. I went through all settings with the flight test pilot (in person) who did the Bravo certification, so I know they are correct.

I took the Flight Safety Course in SAT, also in 1992. Still, in the POH it just says don't try to start the airplane with both batteries dead. I assume they mean no external start. I asked, Mark, from Top Gun last week and he confirmed he wasn't aware of a one battery limitation.

If you're considering either one of those, I'd consider it only at a pretty hefty discount, especially the Bravo. A Reman from Lycoming installed will be about $85,000 with the Overhaul from Lycoming being about $8,000 less. Much less for the J. I'm on my 3rd Bravo engine. The first one went to 2,295 hours before I changed it out because I do a lot of IFR flying. It had the Bravo modification done at 1,300 hours, which meant it got all new cylinders and oil injection. The second one needed a couple of cylinders overhauled at about 1,100 hours due to leaks in the intake valves; cost $9,000 for the two. It was changed out at 1600 hours due to a mishap during an Annual. I fly at 75% power most of the time. One other thing; check to make sure the gear actuator is not a Plessey. If it is, then discount the plane another 18K for a replacement. You can't get the back clutch spring at any price. PER-I-OD.

I know I read that somewhere a long time ago, but can't find it in the POH of either the M20M or M20R. Did you?

The settings per airplane model are fixed in stone. I got into big trouble with Garmin when I posted that I had changed one of the settings, not realizing that was a big no-no. Since extensive testing was done within the whole legal operating envelope of the airplane and at various airspeeds and altitudes, the ones given in the installation manual are the only ones permitted per the STC. Changing them is not only illegal, but would probably nullify your insurance due to having a non airworthy airplane.

So maybe I'm not crazy. It's going to take a lot more people to complain before Garmin is likely to look at it. The issue in the turns is that with less than about 30° of turn, the bank angle does not go to the maximum of 30°, so the trim servo moves more slowly and can keep up with loss of lift of the wing. With 30° of bank the nose will drop and the pitch trim servo starts overcorrecting back and forth. If I hold the pitch trim wheel and override the servo, I can minimize the oscillations both in turns and on approach, but I shouldn't have to do that. I've flown the J model and it flys both turns and glide slope perfectly. Not so my airplane. What makes the problem more interesting is that the GFC 500 will fly a multiple step-down VNAV profile perfectly without any oscillation. While I love the GFC 500, I am disappointed in those idiosyncrasies. I just can't complain to Garmin after they helped me so much last summer with an installation problem that fixed a major pitch oscillation problem in level flight. I feel like they'd think I was crying wolf.

You're right, Mike. I'll give him a call. I did his transition training.

I don't know but my previous KFC 150 installation had all cables except the pitch trim servo, same as the Garmin GFC 500. The GSA 28 servo, a brushless DC motor "smart" servo is 40% lighter than the weight of the BK servos and cost $1,500 compared to the BK Servo which cost twice that much just to repair. Reliability, when compared to most other autopilots should be much better in spite of what you say regarding cabling. Add envelope protection both with the AP on and off, the LVL button for someone having a very bad day, IAS climbs and descents, auto VNAV descents, and you're left with a pretty amazing autopilot.

I hope another Bravo near me gets the GFC 500 soon. While I love the unit, and other people say it flys an approach "on rails", mine flys it on rails alright, but the rails are attached to a shallow roller coaster. The same thing occurs with turns greater than about 30° of heading. The pitch trim just moves too fast resulting in some pitch oscillations. Maybe it's my installation but all cable tensions have been checked as correct.

What didn't you like about the installation? You're really missing out.

I thank my Mother who had me start at 7 years old. Studied with Masters from the Cleveland Symphony and the Principal Clarinetist with the San Diego Symphony, all inspirational people. Playing a musical instrument in my opinion is one of the highest levels of human activity. In the case of a wind instrument, it requires coordination of mind and fingers and tongue with the ability to read ahead of where the fingers and tongue are acting. It is definitely an aid to keeping the mind sharp. Similarly, flying instruments, and just the mechanics of piloting an airplane can keep the mind and body sharp.

I flew up to Sacramento to visit a friend last week. His son had moved to California. Although we hadn't seen each other much over the years it was like the time had stood still. I realized that outside of family, I have known him longer than anyone else on earth, 63 years. We both were in the orchestra in junior high 7th grade playing the clarinet. We moved to California the next summer and have only seen each other a couple of times over the years. We always liked the same things. He got his pilot's license in the 70's but didn't take it any further than the Private. He was busy with his Profession, an Opthamologist. He continued his clarinet hobby to this day, playing in many Dr.'s Orchestras. I did it a little differently. I almost went professional with music out of high school, but chose a different path, engineering and real estate. I got all the flying ratings and just recently took up the clarinet again about 5 years ago. I didn't give age a second thought until early this year I was denied insurance on a training of a student on a new Acclaim specifically because of age they said. It was unfortunate, since I think I have more teaching experience in Mooneys than anyone else in the Country. I should, I've been teaching in them for 25 years full time. I didn't do the training. Then one of my best friends, Dr. Bob Achtel, only a couple of years older than me, died a couple of weeks ago. My friend from junior high school wanted to see my plane, so I took him out to the plane. I demonstrated how to get into a Mooney. I think it is simple once you know how to do it. My friend got in and I discussed how much aviation had progressed over the past few years. Then it was time to get out. He had a very hard time. We're the same age. I still don't find it difficult, but my eyes were further opened. I still plan to go for the 2nd Class Medical in a few weeks. When Shirley is over, we walk 2 miles every day. At other times I run/walk at least that much or more. I have been running since I was 30, but only on a track and not on concrete. I plan to fly and teach for the foreseeable future. Especially instrument flying keeps the mind sharp.

You should be able to see them at night. They're light around the edges. It wouldn't make sense not to light them.

Do what works for you. I did, and wouldn't change a thing.

No problem. You're just likely to not get premier instruction. Any instructor worth his weight who has accumulated any wealth, understands the risk of having no insurance or being underinsured and not have a waiver of subrogation, probably the most important thing I look for before deciding to take on a student, especially after one recent horrible accident we are all aware of here on Mooneyspace..

I wholeheartedly agree. It only takes about a minute to do a computation from the POH. I've taken off from Leadville with a DA of slightly over 13,000 feet and met the wheels off of 1400 feet ground roll per the POH with no obstacle. Technically, all takeoff and landing distances should be confirmed with the POH for each flight, however, just like working weight and balance "what ifs" for the worst case forward and rearward CG during transition training, when working with known temperatures and previously calculated distances, with many hours in a particular model airplane, those comfortable distances are pretty well known. In the earlier post I should have said, "If you don't feel comfortable with the published landing distances for your airplane, then get additional training from a Mooney specific instructor."

I don't want to be demeaning, but the above numbers tell me more training from a Mooney specific instructor may be necessary. It's a travesty to be limiting yourself to runways no shorter than 2,890 feet and even much, much worse to those no less than 4,000 feet. When doing the PPP in Santa Maria (KSMX) I would routinely finish up a student at Oceano, (L52) which is 2,325 x 50 feet in the Bravos. With moderate braking the first turnoff could easily be made. Although not making it a practice, but just for testing, the ground roll on a properly set up approach in a long body Mooney can be less than 900 feet. The shortest I've take in an Ovation is 2,160 x 60 feet at Fallbrook, California. It's an aircraft carrier approach and landing and was dicey. I wouldn't base any long body airplane there. So the minimum runway length I would comfortably go into would be 2,300 feet at sea level, but only if you've done it with an experienced Mooney Instructor and he/she feels you are practiced enough to do it successfully every time. You should easily feel comfortable going into an airport like Palo Alto (KPAO) at 2,443 x 70 feet with a bern near the threshold and 3,000 feet should be an absolute no brainer. If you are not comfortable with the above numbers, please go out with a Mooney specific instructor and practice until you do feel comfortable with them.

Only available to the Dealer. You need to pay them a visit. The change should take 5 minutes at the most.

I have to disagree. It's an effort to constantly reach up. I'd rather reach directly to the side and slightly down where Mooney placed the KFC 150 in the models that had the KFC 150. Been doing it that way for 27 years and still doing the same with the GFC 500.

No, we didn't.

John, the whole display was replaced. Out with one and in with the other. Thank goodness for the configuration module! We didn't 't have to go through the whole setup process again.

I find that I am basically comfortable with 4 sources of electronic charts (no paper necessary) with 3 different power sources: G500TXi and GTN 750 (Power source 1), Aera 796 (Power source 2), iPad (Power source 3)

There are so many combinations of subscriptions. While I love Jeppesen, their charts aren't necessary on the G600 and GTN 750. The Garmin Flightcharts do just fine for that purpose. I could be wrong, but at present I don't think Jeppesen is compatible with database concierge for the FS 510. Now THAT IS useful for uploading databases to the 750/650 and G600. With Garmin's OnePac subscription you get updates to all their databases, database concierge capability, all databases for one handheld GPS, and additionally get the IFR upgrade to Garmin Pilot. I then buy a Jeppesen subscription to the iPad which also comes with all Charts free for one handheld, in my case the Aera 796. My primary is the Aera 796 with Chartview (and Flightcharts) with the iPad as backup. The Flightcharts work well for additional non north up geo-referenced plan view on the 750 and G500/G600. I secured the Chartview card for the 750, but haven't used it yet, because yet another large price Jeppesen subscription would be necessary, and I just don't see the benefit in doing that.