donkaye, MCFI

Mine was installed as part of a major panel upgrade.

I looked back on my invoice from 2014 and I was charged 40 hours for installation of the 6 cylinder MVP-50. Except for wiring a couple of CHT and EGT probes the 4 cylinder should be close to the same.

While my installation was taking place I read every manual several times. I highlighted items along the way that I thought important. Getting the new avionics was like going from the Dark Ages into the light. Certainly there was a learning curve, but it was a curve I wanted to be on.

Mine took 6 months with one person doing all the work except for installing some antennas. They were installed by a second person. It was supposed to take 10 weeks. On the plus side there were no mistakes. To quote the installer, "In six months you won't remember how long it took, only the benefits of what you have". He was right. I believe my installation at the time was one of the most complex of any on this forum. It was done early on when Garmin didn't have any diagrams of such an interface. The planning took a month. Avionics to be interfaced: G500, Gad 43e, GTN 750, GTN 650, GTS 800, GTX 330ES, GDL69A, GDL 88, GMA 35c, ESI 2000, WX500, MVP 50P, AOA, Shadin Miniflo-L, Flight Stream 210, and yoke interface for the Aera 696. Over time the system morphed to the G500 TXi, GTN 750Xi, GTN 650Xi, GCU 485, GTX 335, G5, GFC 500, LHS, and yoke interface for the Aera 760. I also added Aero LEDs for taxi and landing lights, and the Whelan Strobes and NAV light combination. Later Whelan came out with an LED replacement for the Recognition lights, so those were added. Except for the GFC 500 install which took 3 weeks, the down time for the replacement avionics were in days, not weeks. Although the cost at first glance might seem excessive, I got significant money from the sales of the old avionics and old KFC 150 autopilot, and large rebates from Garmin and EI from purchases made at Oshkosh. Luckily at the time of the original installation I didn't know what I didn't know. In hindsight I'm glad I did what I did, but I wouldn't want to go through it again.

Thanks, I appreciate your comments. Don

It looks dated because it was done over 10 years ago and technology has moves ahead. It took awhile to set up the camera on the ground and an experienced engineer to help with the syncing of the 2 cameras, the editing and compositing. I don't like the way the modern cameras show the prop in the forward view even with filters that I consider poor. It's distracting. One recent purchaser upscaled the video to 4K but could not get the menu to be included. That was more unsatisfactory to me for distribution than the current resolution that includes the menu.

Thanks for the critique. I'm going to change the Website to clearly state that the video quality is not current, and that if video quality is more important than video content, then the video should not be purchased, but if you want to learn how to land your Mooney properly the video could be a very beneficial purchase. Edit: My Website has been updated to reflect video quality.

If you think it wasn't of any benefit in helping to learn to land your Mooney correctly and are only interested in how good the video looks, let me know and I'll give you your money back like I say in each email I send out with each video. In all the years it has been out I've had only one person do that. I did the video with iDVD that doesn't exist any more, so to keep the menu and the video content intact I haven't redone it and I don't intend to. As it is, I'm practically giving it away anyway. Does Bold Method do it with an experienced Mooney Specific Instructor? Since the purpose of the video is to demonstrate technique with the Mooney, the current version accomplishes that purpose, and without prop flicker, as it was done with tape. My main purpose in doing it was to help prevent prop strikes, and I hope it helped to that end, but I'm not going to give it away, old technology or not. If you want demonstrations of landing a Mooney including severe bounced landings and recovery, buy the video. If you want 1080P done in non Mooney "Plop on" type airplanes that require little landing skills, get it from some other source.

No objectivity here. It's the one you own.

I just had all of them replaced during Annual. Does not include 1.00 Hour labor to install. 880057-001 Cowl Flap Lens--$11.26 880058-001 Rudder Trim Lens--76.07 880060-001 Wing Flap/Elevator Trim Lens--65.36 What a difference!

I'm sorry, but I don't remember; too many AirVentures in between.

We've been to AirVenture every year since 1999 except Covid year when they didn't have it and last year. We've flown in with the Caravan a few times and they were all good experiences. Very professionally handled! For ease of entry and exit we fly into Madison and rent a car for the hour and fifteen minute drive to Oshkosh through beautiful farm country. We've rented the same house for all the years we've attended. I think the lead was originally gotten through the Tourist Bureau. If you buy a lifetime EAA Membership you get the perk of using the Oasis, an air-conditioned building on the front line that supplies free drinks, candy, ice cream, tables for sitting, and other goodies to members only. I wish I had known about it 20 years ago. I had purchased the lifetime membership a few years earlier, but only accidentally found out about the Oasis last year. Learn the Tram System, if you want to save yourself miles of walking. Traffic getting in in the morning is terrible, so plan accordingly. Some of the discounts could just about pay for your trip, if you were planning on buying stuff like avionics anyway. I saved thousands on Garmin products when I did my upgrade. They were giving great rebates when buying multiple products at the time. I think I got a 20% discount on my Jeppesen subscriptions last time there. A lot of great dinners or breakfasts from AOPA, SAFE, NAFI, and others. Hangars A, B, C, D are usually packed, and the Flymart has interesting products. Of course there's all the airplane exhibits. Anybody whose anybody in GA displays their products there. Then there are the many, many seminars given by leading experts in the industry. They're all listed in the EAA app that's updated yearly. And don't forget the daily airshows with top performers starting in the early afternoon and the night airshow a couple of nights during the week.. I miss MAPA and Mooney. We always had a great time meeting Mooney people and sitting around and talking. Not to be forgotten is the journey itself. Planning and executing a long cross country trip in our magic Mooney carpet is a good part of the adventure of AirVenture.

I was the one who couldn't get the O2D2 to work with the Bravo. I wish it would have, but I could never get the O2 Sat level above an unacceptable 93% even on the highest setting. I do have a dual O2 setup in my hangar, but I'm considering terminating it. Airgas used to be reasonable; now they are not with fees upon fees upon fees and their delivery cost is now out of sight. With only 2 tanks I send them back half full. Their monthly fees have just about doubled over the past several years. Just buying at Top Gun is now cheaper than maintaining an in hangar setup with Airgas.

The above would work for storing multiple airports with approaches. Once the new airport approach was activated from the catalog, different approaches could be activated from the same airport, but why do that? If you still have the approach from the airport you just used and ATC is vectoring you, you can save the step of going to the Catalog by just tapping the Approach, tapping Select Approach, Selecting another airport, and selecting an approach from the new airport. The original purpose was to load an approach from another airport while still flying the missed and not loose your current navigation. If ATC is vectoring you, you can load another approach from any airport following the guide I mentioned above, because you don't have to fly a particular sequence.

This is one of the many great benefits of the GTNs. Any approach to any airport can be loaded while on the missed approach from your current airport and the current missed will continue and not be deleted. Absolutely no need to delete anything. When you're ready for the next approach you can activate it. I "ping pong" approaches off of 4 different airports in the Monterey Bay area all the time. Without that capability the workload would be significantly increased. With it I can easily do all the required items like setting frequencies and getting weather, and flying the plane (or monitor the AP flying the plane) and the Controller can easily fit me into sequences effortlessly without unnecessary vectoring.

As part of the DVD package I send, I include a very important document that complements the video. I, also, send out an email that discusses how best to use the video. I have sent a number of copies of the video out by WeTransfer and separately send out the documentation along with the supporting email. It adds a separate step with regard to playing it. The .cdr file doesn't just automatically play like inserting it into a CD player. On the Mac it plays with "DVD Player" or on both a Mac or Windows machine it plays with a multimedia player such as "VLC". The video is not long (but each type of approach can be played over and over again), is not a polished production as many videos might be, but is different than any videos I have seen in that it was shot and composited to show in one picture the approach perspective from both the pilot's view and side view from the ground. Since it was made with tape, there is no prop interference and the unintentional but beneficial low alternator noise demonstrates the proper use of power in the approaches, ie, the less power changes the better. One other thing, I unapologetically included an unintended go around to show that, no matter what your experience level, when the unexpected happens, a go around can be started with a quick decision with no anxiety. Bottom line, the video can be sent out as a download.

As you probably already know cranking the seat down also moves it back. On long flights with little or no turbulence I move mine all the way back. If you do that with the passenger seat, just remember to lock it in when you begin your descent. It's a big no no to drill holes in the seat rails and I'm not aware of replacements with holes in different places.

I recently changed my Website to enable my preferred way to purchase through Zelle. If you purchase through Zelle PLEASE provide your email address and address to send the video.

I saw the document and may have saved it, but I can't find it now.

As mentioned above those references are waaaay out of date. It used to be that you could use GPS as a monitor to VOR approaches from the FAF to the MAP. Within in the past several years that has been replaced with you can use GPS as the primary nav source from the FAF to the MAP if you monitor the underlying nav source. WRT HILPT, they wouldn 't be in the database if they were illegal. I'll continue to teach their use when available in conjunction with ILS approaches. Actually, AIM 1-2-3c seems explain it all. I see a distinction between 1-2-3c4 and 1-2-3c5. The first was flying the approach in lieu of the underlying navaid and was used initially as an overlay approach before new GPS approaches were designed. The second is used when the underlying navaid IS available and can be used in conjunction with it to fly the final approach segment. 1-2-3c2 specifically excludes GPS in lieu of ILS, LOC, and back course approaches.

Rick, where did you buy the new labels, or where did you have them made?

Depending on your age it probably IS a good idea to feel comfortable with the plane as is before you think about an upgrade. One of the downsides is that next year any upgrade will most likely cost you a whole lot more. For example, when I did my upgrade 10 years ago the GTN 750 cost about $13,500. Now they are nearly $20,000. I spent several months investigating all the products out there at the time before making my choice. For a variety of reasons I decided to go all Garmin except for products that Garmin didn't make at the time. During the past 10 years as Garmin came out with new or upgraded products I exchanged for them fairly easily. There were product upgrade costs, but to me they were reasonable. I got my instrument rating in 1992 and with about 375 total hours, I bought my Mooney 1 month later. I got the rating with the 6 pack, 2 BK radios, and an ADF. That was actually a lot of avionics at the time. You needed to visualize your surroundings, time a lot of things, and hope the Controller didn't forget about you. (There were a number of accidents I recall where they did forget). One of the reasons I got back into flying was BECAUSE of the fancy new avionics that were being created, and the TLS had the latest and greatest. I only bought 2 pieces of avionics in the first 20 years of ownership, the KLN 90B GPS and the PS Engineering 7000B audio panel because I wanted stereo. There was still some visualization necessary because the EFIS 40 was by today's standards a very primitive HSI/PFD. Even today I still think the KLN 90B was the best 2nd generation GPS. I skipped the 3rd generation radios from Garmin because I thought the KLN 90B was adequate for my needs. But then Garmin started really putting out products right and left. The new products offered were like the realization of science fiction when I was born. The enhanced safety features trumped the expenditures in my opinion. I went all in much to the surprise of everyone who thought from my conversations that I would never upgrade, just talk a good story of "someday". 10 years later and with nearly 13,000 flying and teaching hours, even with the new competition from Avidyne, Dynon, and Aspen, having flown and taught in all of them, I would choose the same products. I hope this gives some perspective to those thinking about upgrading their panels. I've posted a picture of the panel in the past, but it seems appropriate to do it again here. Not shown because they are remote are the WX 500 Stormscope, the GTS 800 Active Traffic, GMA 35C Audio Panel, FS 210, FS 510, Eagle AOA, and GDL 69A Receiver. I keep the Aera 760 on the yoke for quick references and Jeppesen Charts.

I've flown and taught in all Mooney models except the D and G, the Cessna 210, most the the Cessna 310s including the R model. I have 1 hour of Cirrus time. That tells you what I think of Cirrus. The 210 carries a lot, the gear is expensive to maintain and it is heavy on the controls. The 310 is the perfect twin if you expect to trade up to a jet later on. You can buy them cheap, but that is where low cost stops. The most useful 310 is the Q because it is turbocharged. They are REALLY expensive to maintain. In today's market the Bravo gives you the most bang for the buck in my biased opinion. I've had mine 32 years in August. If you fly by the numbers, all Mooneys are easy to fly and land. If you don't, you're in for a rough and possibly expensive ride. If you fly with the precision required of the Mooney, most other singles are simple to manage. Regarding annual costs for ownership of the Bravo: Mooneys in my opinion should be maintained by a Mooney Service Center. For the Annual a minimum of 31 hours is required for the inspection alone; that's about $4,500. Then there are other items that have be addressed. Figure $8,000-$10,000 all said and done if nothing major needs to be addressed. Hangar for me is $7,320, but I have a hangar at a Class C airport, KSCJ. Insurance for a newbie could be really expensive, but for me its $3,900 and rising due to age. Then there is fuel. For 120 hours per year flying at $6.50/gal and 18 gal/hr average, that is $14,040. Other maintenance last year was only $5,000. So, based on last year it cost 10,000+7,320+3,900+14,040+5,000 = $40,260. So figure at least $40,000 per year for now to own the Bravo.

The LHS System is one of the best things I have in my airplane. I upgraded to the latest version, but did not connect the other 2 wires. It made for an easy transition. Maybe sometime I will connect the wires, however I liked the way the system worked originally. From a practical point of view I want to hear the "check gear down" annunciation all the time. The issue with it announcing in precipitation I have covered with a switch to disable the unit in precipitation.

It bothers me that most people I do transition training with aren't comfortable with crosswind landings. They are actually the most fun landings. They're relatively easy if you just think "rudder for alignment", "aileron for drift", both done simultaneously. It's the "both done simultaneously" that creates the issue for most people.