Geoff

My old K model with a new custom paint job...

Has anyone heard an ownership update recently for the Mooney Factory/Parts business?

Merry Christmas. I’m grateful we all have as many choices as we do to park our toys. May Santa bring you peace and joy.

Bit of a smear job don’t you think? This is Hurricane Harvey aftermath. Many airports flooded as well as homes and businesses. It was tragic for many people. For aircraft owners, and people who watch the weather it was predictable and many had the chance to move their aircraft prior to the storm. Most good insurance policies pay you to do so. Regarding the pull fee the CFI is partly right and partly wrong. If you want your plane pulled from your own t hangar or cover from the east side of the airport to the west side terminal they will charge you. However, if you can also just pull your own plane out for free. Self service fuel is available and cheaper than the $5.54 for FS you mentioned above. If you hangar there they offer FS fuel discounts and have weekend FS fuel discounts for everyone. My comment on hangarage was for privately owned common hangars where a private individual owns the hangar and you rent space from the owner. Many have a deal with the airport where they get a number of free pulls per month and they put that into your lease. IWS is not the perfect airport by any means but I have had a plane under a T shade and in a hangar there for 7 years and know the details of what I am sharing first hand should others wish to compare facts.

If you are not wedded to your own t hangar, there are common hangar spots at IWS for less than the C/D hangars at SGR. The airport staff pulls the plane for you to the terminal and this minimizes hangar rash.

Welcome! You have found the best source of Mooney information on the internet. I'm based at IWS and there is a Saturday morning pilot crew who meets there if you are seeking other pilots in Houston to socialize with. There are a few Mooney drivers and former Mooney drivers in the group. Where are you based? -Geoff

Comments that work for me: 1. Ensure the system is working properly before you need it. 2. Be sure to have enough fluid 3. Turn it on at least 5 min before you bet your life on it 4. Have a plan if it doesn't work as expected 5. Turn OFF the windshield spray on final approach 6. Use the cabin heater to help with the windshield

Mooncharlie, Under what regulations are you operating FAR's, EASA, CAA, SCAA, other? The regulatory regime will determine how often you MUST perform inspections. The Mooney maintenance manual will provide what SHOULD be done during those inspections. The Pilot is responsible for deciding what WILL be done and when. I am not trying to be pedantic, sometimes it is necessary to ask more questions before providing the right answers. There is a tremendously helpful group on this board that is eager to share their knowledge. Geoff

A rare sighting of the nearly extinct Cessmooney!

Vikings are super fun to fly. The wing is smooth no rivets and the aileron response will feel fast compared to the Mooney. Go fly ground maneuvers and have fun with the turn rates. They do not float on landing and the pitch trim is on an overhead spinner which I can never remember which way to turn. Glides like a Steinway piano so you can make an high approach with no problems. Need ANR as they are louder inside than a Mooney.

It was not my intention to raise a contentious issue or be critical of the STC or anyone who has chosen to do it. I only suggested that anyone considering it should seek as many perspectives as they want before making a personal decision.

One very experienced mechanic I trust when I asked about the upgrade said the STC on turbocharged engines unduly increased the stress on the motor and he was not a proponent. This was not a message that there was/is something wrong from a safety standpoint but rather a longevity perspective. There are a lot of variables that could go into his observations but he has seen a lot of the fleet over many years. just another perspective to consider.

Talk to some knowledgeable mechanics before deciding on the 310 upgrade.

I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder on that one...

Lancair Evolution showed that even in kit form a 4 place pressurized TP will cost ~$1.5 MM. Add the cost of factory labor and certification and you are in the same price range as the M500/M600. So you may not need the extra seats but you get them for free in the Piper just in case.

I was at the race and the advertised "Jet Flyover" was indeed underwhelming. I guess the DOD is spending your taxpayer $ for more important things like arming the new Afghanistan government.

In your opinion is the reverse then true? That if there was magically now lead in avgas that Cali would stop shutting down GA airports or even build new ones?

The M22 had oleo struts which met the drop test at the higher weight and fowler flaps to meet the stall speed requirements at the higher weight. The design engineering for both M22 parts continues to be held at Mooney and could be what has been referred to. There may be significant redesign required to apply either or both of these changes to the M20 airframe. I'm no aerospace engineer so I'm just speculating.

The labels are etched.

Hi all, I bought a set of printed covers from another lister for my 231 and no longer need them. I offer them here to anyone for $20 + shipping. it is a complete set and I won’t separate. happy new year! Geoff

This is exactly why I like this idea. The current Acclaim/ovation with Fiki is ALMOST a no excuses air plane. As everyone said, it has all the speed and capability for 2-3 people but with the piston up front but I hesitate to do long night/water/mountain crossings. Plus if you live anywhere but the US fuel is and will become a bigger issue. Dispatch rate would be higher with fewer oil change maintenance events during the year. I started thinking this way after a good friend had to land on a highway at night after an engine failure. I would rather have a turbine than BRS personally. I guess I could always go buy an almost used up meridian for that $1 MM, but at 6 ft I don’t really like the cockpit (too cramped). Which is pretty rich for a Mooney driver to say. Plus I would need another $200k for an upcoming engine OH. Anyway, I just wish (and think others do too) there was a capable new or near new TP in the $1mm-$1.5mm range instead of $2+mm. Maybe I’m just old and think everything is too expensive.

I understand the new gear for the GW increase will be taller than the existing gear so there may be a few more inches to work with before resorting to S turns on the taxiway!

The potential 300lb GW increase from the factory got me thinking... Could it be a stepping stone to a RR250 500 SHP conversion sans pressurization? Imagine a fowler flap, oleo strut, 130 gal, RR250 powered M20TP with a gross weight of 3750 and an empty weight of ~2350 (since the RR is lighter than the Continental). UL of 1400 and a full fuel payload of 529 lbs. The RR250 burns ~25 gph so full fuel would give ~5 hours of range at a speed of who knows (225 knots? at 17000). 4 hours might get you 1,000 NM down range. Acclaims gets ~205 knots at that altitude on 20 gph on only 270 hp so its not unthinkable. There is a market of the Matrix, perhaps there is a market for folks who can't get/don't like avgas. Once the certification is done on the flaps and landing gear would an engine change be that much more work? I don't know. Its a $1 MM plane at least but so is an SR22T. Happy Friday!

If the above doesn't solve the issue, beware of a failing alternator clutch.

Suggested solution: Give Gmax American Aircraft a call and buy your next plane from/through them.