DaV8or

If Dan no longer has his, I have one too. Also MP gauge and all the original Garwin gauges too.

Quote: Magnum Maybe it is possible to create a Europe forum here on Mooneyspace?

I too avoid night, Hard IMC, mountainous terrain, large bodies of water, large forrests and dense urban areas. This doesn't mean I won't fly over these things or at night, I just minimize my time there and will go out of my way (not always direct) if it allows me better options. In the case of night, I plan around it most times unless there a super compelling reason to go.

It is a buyer's market now. Prices are really low and selection is high. I think for the first time buyer, the process is just so different than for any other consumer product, or even a house, that it becomes frustrating. Your options even now, are scattered all over the country and vary quite a bit in condition and equipment. You have to be prepared to travel, obsess, pay for pre-buys and ultimately, walk away from potential trouble. It is the most complicated shopping experience you'll have. Difference is, in the old seller's days, it would be the same two or three over priced planes week after week in the papers and people were buying up and dumping serious money into the dogs out there just because that's what there was.

Here's a good pre-buy checklist from LASAR's website. They also have a good buyer's guide too.

I agree with the above and to add, beware the alure of the personal airline. You can use your Mooney to travel, you just can't adhere to airline type schedules. You can shoot for departure and arrival times, but you will need hours and sometimes days of flexibility built in to your plans. Gotta-get-there-itis has killed a lot of pilots (families too) and probably accounts for many of the flight into terrain and loss of control in IMC you read about. Don't be seduced by fancy equipment in the cockpit either. It's been proven that even the latest glass cockpits like the G1000 with GPS, terrain, weather and autopilots don't prevent pilots from crashing the same way they did in their Grandpappy's day. Good equipment is helpful, but only with training and practice.

How about fuel venting issue? Tested the vents on the tanks? Maybe your engine driven fuel pump is dying.

Quote: AustinPynes I am still working out getting used to the smaller trim wheel. I liked the larger Arrow one better. Setting up on descent so I don't have to muscle it into nose high on landing needs more practice with the trim wheel.

I don't know where you live, but if you live in California, you're OK to ditch the SF. If you plan on traveling anywhere east of the Rockies, it seems like a useful tool. Aren't there remote strike finders that display on PFDs like the Aspen or G500 now? Maybe that's a way to have both. I'm $ure there'$ lot$ of $uper $olution$ to thi$ $ituation... and I'm here to help!

The way I see it, Mooney is broke and has no credit with anyone I imagine. That means that anything they produce, they have to front the money for materials and labor. In the case of components, that means minimum production runs, again all up front. In the case of the die formed elevator, they have to buy a quantity of aluminum and then hire back the workers that know how to make them. Most of those workers have moved on by now and probably aren't too interested, or able to come back to just do a contract job. No customer is going to front the money for $18,000 worth of control surfaces not knowing if Mooney will even be around for another month and if they'll ever see the parts. So, Mooney is stuck. Having said all that, it would be nice if they reached out a bit to their loyal fans and customers and gave us some insight. I'm sure they're still hoping for an economic recovery and a miracle investor, but at some point, they'll have to call it quits and work with what they have... us.

Had a great time. Great Mooney turn out, I counted at least 23 planes from a '62 C up to an Acclaim. Well represented. I put lots of photos in my gallery and a few here.