Stefanovm

I am flying a '65 E. I live and keep it on a grass strip. The only two items I worry about are my very rough taxiway and after rain some places get too soggy to support the weight. I stuck it in a taxi area that looked acceptable the second day after I got it home. Six helpers on the wings helped me to push it out. It would have been impossible to do by myself. The tire and gear cleaning took several hours. I am careful where I taxi now and it can stay in the hanger for a couple of days after severe rains. I have a Top Prop conversion with a good deal of ground clearance. The photos below are during time previous to Mooney, which is why the C152 is featured. I have been too busy flying to take photos at home. We have some from the 10+ hours this weekend, but they are from air away from home and still on the camera.

I have a '65 E, probably a conversion, but I do not see it in the docs. I have not found it as a delivered option in the docs, either. Would it have the visual check opening? I have not noticed one. I will go out and look.

Several of the approaches that I would like to frequently use have a DME requirement. My new to me M20E's DME is a King 65 with KI 265 remote that does not work. From the logs, it seems to have never worked very well. Are there suggestions on a replacement for the King? My C152 had a KNS 80 that I really liked using, but I think it is too big considering the Mooney available panel room. I would guess if I made the KLN 94 IFR certified, it might work. My local radio shop says do not bother. I have another radio shop that I have used 80 miles away versus 7 miles that seems more inclined to work on existing equipment rather than pushing new Garmins. I do not have that kind of funding.

Similar to the previous, although not a lot of terror for me, but possibly for the guy in the right seat demoing the airplane. I WAS very concerned and concentrated on flying and solving the problem in the now owned by me 1965 M20E. We took off, me with ZERO time in a Mooney, although former basket case 1962 C310 owner. I had experience in all kinds of things failing at inopportune times with the C310. On takeoff little things started to be noticed. First the gear green light stayed on even though I felt the gear tuck up. The tower said no transponder and cycling did not help. Letting go of the wheel, the right wing dropped 30 degrees. I once flew a simulator with the same problem. Turned off the PC, which helped. At 4,000 feet slowed down to see how slow flight would feel for my first landing. Right seat said no stalls during a demo, hmmm?. Now the real problem started when no feel of gear when switch moved to "down". I was pretty sure it had come up at least partially from the feel when cruise setting had been obtained as all the indicated speeds and power settings matched what I had read. The green gear light was still on all the time. I grabbed the manual provided by the owner - no emergency gear procedure anywhere in book. I asked right seat for guidance and got no help. I flew airplane while he tried to call a mechanic on his cell phone. I deided to try to crank gear down as the procedure should have been similar to my C310. During first 3 turns (<10% of required) the bolt holding handle onto the shaft sheared. I now was holding a seemingly useless handle in my hand. A fly over the tower confirmed the gear was UP, very well. Back to the practice area and 4,000 agl. I located a screwdriver part in the baggage compartment, right seat got off cell phone to fly for a few minutes, and I jury rigged the handle. I started flying and cranking. After 20 turns I asked right seat to fly airplane again as it was becoming more difficult to turn shaft and fly. After it stopped turning I noticed that we had lost 1500 feet. I asked for the airplane back. When I aded power, I was seeing power settings and air speeds consistent with what I expected for gear down. Back to tower at 115 mph, yes the gear feels down. Real close to the tower with a "gear looks like it is down and locked" reply from the tower. Cleared to land from that position I asked to widen my downwindand and given pemission.The tower was midfield next to the runway. We were on a right 500' agl downwind. My first landing in a Mooney was probably one of my best so far, now at about 30. We touched down with me squeezing the throttle hoping I could recover if the gear was not down. Used no brakes on the 3,000 foot rollout to the third turn off after a real ear pleasing, but short duration, tire squeal and very smooth touch down. I said it was a microswitch problem. Investigation proved me correct. A year of the airplane not flying after the last annual contributed to the "stuck" microswitch and gear down light always on. In this condition, the motor was locked out for down direction. I agree very much that one should get experience with putting gear down with the crank. Of course the better way is as suggested in a controlled environment and not as a true emergency.

2575 - 1658 = 917 M20E. I have a boat anchor for a DME. My wife wanted a 210 or another 182. She had grown accustomed to a high wing, '69 C150 (10 years), '74 C182 (4 years), '69 C310 (not really a high wing, but we had it for only two years '83-'85), and a '78 C152 (7 years). We are both happy with the M20E (2 months), low wing and all. I am barely able to afford it, so a 210 would have been eliminated for the same reason as the 310, flying costs. Mooney has this category, flying costs, hands down! As our mission is just normally my wife and I, the 260+/- pound payload with her, I, and full fuel is more than adequate. This is especially true when compared to my C152 at 20 pounds payload, sold two months ago in exchange for moving up to a Mooney. The 100 +/- pound difference between a Mooney and 210 or 182 means nothing to us, except once in a blue moon when she has wanted to carry 6 people. In my 100+ hours per year the opportunity for more than 2 being flown is less than 5 hours, so the extra costs would be wasted. The Mooney has almost the same range for our normal mission. When we have carried passengers, the mission is usually very short at less than 100 miles.

I used a "10 day" to finish up in 2004. It may have been easier for me as I already had 40+ hours of instrument time, with 9 actual. I had passed the written 3 times (1977, 1982, and 1985) and let them run out. The "10 day" forced me to finish before letting the 4th one run out. I took a weekend "pass" class for the fourth pass and got the lowest score of the four passes, an 85. The "10 day" I took required the written to have been passed before starting the "10 day" course. I paid up front and the instructor kept finding little items to extend for the whole ten days rather than be obligated to refund any money, my biggest complaint with the process. We only flew about 20 hours, but I got a lot of ground instruction, almost too much to take. The DE, anti-climatic to the grueling 10 days, was very happy with my performance and knowledge. However, the CFII was not really familiar with my C152 and KNS80. He had taught me some bad habits. I had disagreed with the CFII about several of them, but his way was the instructor way :-(. I was happy to learn from the DE that my way was the correct way, but the DE re-teaching me extended the check ride by about 15 minutes. Make sure that you can get along with the instructor using an accelerated course. The 10 days goes by rather quickly with little, none in my case, opportunity to change instructors. I am now up to about 100 hours with no more "actual" approaches, the only being some during the 9 hours way back in the 80s. Several of them were to minimums. I have more hours of enroute, now, with approaches that have been VFR before the initial approach fix. A lot of my 9 hours was in multi-engine, a C310 and a King Air C90, although my ticket is for SEL. Both of the twins had no "working" autopilot. The weather in Texas has seemed to not cooperate for additional actual approaches as either it has been too bad or the aircraft has not been ready. The M20E sems to be easier to fly IFR than any other airplane. With good nav radios I know it will be. Unfortunately, my Mooney 20E has two Collins Micro Lines, sort of relaible, a VFR only KLN94 on the co-pilot's side, and a DME. The shop says the DME is unfixable and mounted further right than the GPS. The DME works unreliably, showing a 100% wrong (>5 miles) miles to go too many times. I can not wait until I can replace one of the Collins with a 430, as until then actual IFR approaches will be hard to fly. The KLN94 would be good, but the cost to make it IFR is about 60% of installing a 430. GPS or DME required approaches are the main ones close to my home airport. However due to the speed and range, it may be easier than in my C152 to do the simulated approaches. My C152 was replaced by the M20E a little over two months and 20+ hours VFR ago with a little enroute IFR. I absolutely love N5520Q. It flies using less fuel than the C152. Fuel burn is way less than the C152 when I slow down to accomodate my neighbor's Grumann. He used to slow down for me ;-).

Try iFly 700. http://ifly.adventurepilot.com/ It is a very easy to use GPS. Updates are very reasonable, $89 per year covers all-sectionals, airport data, runway data, TFRs, IFR approach plates, and enroute carts (low). XM being developed.

I knew someting was missing. I will try to find the parts mentioned. The repair and parts manuals were not very helpful. I also thought that a safety wire solution would work. I am glad to see the suggestion. It will require the cushion to be removed. The other solution suggestions are also appreciated. Thanks.

Not yet. Thanks.

Try iFly 700. http://ifly.adventurepilot.com/Home.aspx

I have a slightly different problem with my ram air. When I picked my 65 E model up two months ago, I noticed that the flap was not closed. Every time I tried to close it the cable housing just backed out of the last clamp. Therefore, I do not use it. It does not seem to come open if I do not touch the control and have forced it closed (left photo). However, if I open it with the control (right photo), I have to close it later by removing the side cowling and forcing the outer cable and actuator arm to move forward. This is very hard to do in the tight conditions. I took photos through oil cooler opening. I tried to see if I could find a better way to anchor the outer cable and the oil cooler is not normally out of the way when I force it closed in very tight conditions. My A&P did not seem to know what would be an "official" repair. I know it needs work. Any suggestions for central Texas? San Marcos probably. The door gasket also appears to be in pretty bad shape and should also be replaced. I am sure stuff that should not be getiing into the system may be doing so around the gasket. It does stay in a hanger, but I fly from a grass strip. Infiltration worries me. I wonder if it is not staying closed even though the control is firmly against the panel. However, when back on the ground it seems closed by looking unless I have accidentally pulled the control after the last hand closure from the engine compartment. Again it also needs a new gasket or door. I am contemplating a temporary plug using expaning foam.

I listed at 07TS Georgetown, TX.