rubixcube2k3

Happy Friday Mooney Family - So....I've hit what I'm hoping isn't an entirely unique dilemma. I've got a TC100 (12V version) that has failed in my '75 C Model. It's currently at Rudy Instruments but after talking to Mike earlier today, it seems that the cage is worn beyond serviceable limits. Due to parts availability and Brittain being closed, he is very uncertain about their ability to effectively complete the overhaul on it to a quality they'd sign off. I know that it's a long stretch, but I figured I'd start here first to see if anyone has one sitting on the shelf that they're looking to sell. The funny part - it failed on the last day of a 10 day Instrument course which now has my check-ride on hold temporarily. My avionics tech has advised on placarding "In-op" and logging it, which I am fine with, considering that I have an Aspen and it serves as a backup only in that respect. My concern, however, is that it takes the wing leveler and the autopilot out of the equation as well. I'm not too worried about hand-flying for the check-ride without them, but I'm not sure that I want to venture out after as an (hopefully) instrument rated pilot, without those safety margins available to me. From the bit of research that I've done, it seems like my options are pretty limited. Basically, short of finding a serviceable unit, my main option is to have the entire system pulled and upgrade to a newer auto-pilot ($$$$$$$$)... I've given thought to a GFC500, but the path upgrade path sounds painful and I'm told they don't play well with Aspen and cannot receive Heading bug or Altitude instructions from the Pro 1000. Bendix's AeroCruze 100 seems like a viable option, but they're quoting 5-6 months and requiring payment entirely up front. (Been there before and don't feel comfortable shelling out that much that far in advance without a reasonably defined delivery date. Have also had some issues with Bendix Customer support in the past.) Anyone else dealt with this dilemma, or have any thoughts/recommendations on a best path forward? Am I the only one still flying around with a Brittain System? Thanks in advance! Abe

After having my Kannad Integra AF for just over 5 years it is now time to replace the battery. During the annual we ordered a replacement kit from Spruce. When it arrived, however, it had a large notice in the package that it is "ONLY" to be installed by a Kannad Approved Operator, Kannad Approved Battery Replacement Center, or a Kannad Approved Service Center. My IA told me that batteries on ELTs are typically shop or user serviceable. I've called the numbers to a series of the shops listed on their approved battery replacement list, but have not gotten an answer nor have I gotten a call back. Is anyone here familiar with the process? Have you had one replaced before? I'm wondering if I shouldn't go with a different ELT for long term serviceability and ease of battery changes. Thoughts and feedback are welcome. Thanks! Abe

***Sold***

When is next time? I'm based in Bay Minette at 1R8. Wish I had caught wind of this sooner. :-)

Had to drop 63V for a IFR Recert. Took a couple "family" pics while waiting on rental car ;-_

Just sent you a PM.

Yep! Probably time to update my avatar. The oldest is 1 month away from her 6th birthday, and the youngest just turned 1 last week. They both love aviation and hanging around the airport. Blessed to have kids whi love my hobby. Thanks for the pic rotation. No clue why it imported 90 degrees off.

Figured I'd post these here before I listed on E-Bay. I have a set of Shaw Aero 431-9 Caps that came out during the my bladder install. Asking $150/ea or $275 for the pair.

I have the exhaust that was pulled from my 1975 M20C when my Powerflow was installed early last month. It’s the standard ribbed factory exhaust - part number 630060 . There was a MVP50 installed, so all stacks are drilled for probes. Was working great and no signs of leaks, cracks, or damage when removed. It had approximately 240 hours on it since it was last overhauled by Dawley in 2010. Not sure what the real market value is, but PM me a reasonable offer for it plus shipping if you need one, and let’s see if what we can work out. Thanks, Abe

Along with an extensive (loooooong) annual - I broke down permanently fixed the dreaded fuel smell in the cabin and blue stains under the wings. Huge shout out to Charlie (the Mad Scientist), Griggs Refinishing and LASAR! They were amazing support partners and vendors for my mechanic and I through the entire process. They nailed turn around for part orders and overhauls. They gave the best phone and email support you could imagine and always served with a smile. Their expertise is second to none, they even helped identify a prior incorrect W&B assessment that gained 18lbs of useful load back. My crew is loving the new odorless cabin, and I’m loving the peace of mind. This annual also left me with a power flow exhaust, so I’m getting used to the new sound and different performance/fuel burn rate... And if that wasn’t enough, we also picked up a new family member for 63V - welcome 1218X to the hangar. She’ll have a little mending to get before flying, but it looks like we may have saved her from a death by stagnation. She’s only got 1700 total hours on the airframe and engine. She should be a great fall/winter restoration. Fun times, more excitement, parts orders, and more updates ahead! Pics included for visual enjoyment. ~Abe

Hey Jimmy, I may have one in the next week. Give me a call if you still need it. Abe H.

Yesterday I noticed that my recently overhauled AI and Aspen both show that my wings are not level when sitting on the ground. I taxied around the ramp a little just making sure I wasn't sitting in a weird place. So I got my tape measure out, and at the wing tips, there's a 1" difference (higher on left wing) when sitting on the ground. Tires are at same pressure, gear discs measure the same height. At the cabin, the heights are measuring 1/2 - 3/4" difference. Is this normal and I'm just noticing after 9 years of ownership? I've got a call in to my IA, but figured I'd soundboard it here before I got too excited about it. Thoughts or advice? Warmest Regards, Abe

I'm based at 1R8 (Bay Minette). We do have a freshly resurface and grooved runway, food for visitors, and probably some of the lowest AV Gas prices around. Be aware that our only runway is east-west though, so during windy seasons, you'll usually be battling a crosswind, as prevailing winds are typically north-south at the airport. Lots of military Helio, T5, and V22 Traffic on nice days there, and we're uncontrolled, so expect a communication from about 10 miles out. Let me know if you happen to stop through the area and need anything. My cell is 251-605-5351. All the information in this thread is true and accurate. KJKA is a bit further south of us, but closer to the Beach as it's locate in Gulf Shores. Their courtesy/rental cars are limited, but the staff is awesome and will work every way to assist. Destin (KDTS) is only 20 mins further out from 1R8. The Donut Hole and AJ's are a couple of my favorites there. Don't know if you'd want to stop an hour further west, but KNEW is one of my personal favorites. Great customer service, as well as an on field restaurant next to the FBO and an "Almost always" availability of crew car. Hope this helps! Abe

Thanks! I thought about that and was a little concerned about any potential liability.

That's a pretty cool idea! I'm combing ebay now for a case and prop. I definitely could see something like that in my office or home.

So I have 4 cylinders and pistons that were removed during 7463V's annual in 2015. The engine was topped because I got a killer deal on 4 brand new jugs from AirPower. They were all above 68/80, but the engine was right at 1500hrs, and I figured it would be better to go ahead and spend a little money having the internals inspected and the top replaced while at it. I took the removed cylinders to Continental for inspection and discussing overhaul as a "just in case" for future use, but I found out that they wanted more to overhaul than I paid AirPower for new. That being said, the old cylinders are all sitting in my hangar in boxes, and I'm not quite sure what to do with them. My questions: Is there any market for resale, recycle, or reuse? Are there other channels for overhaul beyond Continental? Or do I just throw them away? Just don't want to be a bad steward of good materials if there's something that can be done with them other than tossing them in a big blue bin. The valves were removed by continental for inspection, but they're all packaged away in the boxes too. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I've some oldies but goodies that I'm needing out of my closet, so I'm listing them here as well as on Ebay. I know almost everyone uses iPads now, but I'm sure there is still a AnyWhere Map Fan or two lurking around. I'll end the bids on EBay there if someone here makes me a reasonable offer. The Baron Mobile and XM will work with ForeFlight from what I've read as well. Message me directly if you're interested. Will break up, but would prefer to sell as a package.

1975 M20C - I would like to say that it's instrument capable. :-)

Had my original starter shatter the bendix at KBHM on a 28 degree (F) night last December after a long day working a forensic data analysis case there. Drove 3hrs to Aircraft Spruce in ATL, picked up a 149NL to be installed (Along with some other stuff I couldn't live without such as a LEMO harness for my A20, and some tools I had been eyeballing). Drove back to BHM, Got new starter installed, and flew right out. Install took all of 2.5hrs. Love it all over again every time I turn the key. Not long before this, I replaced the battery (a 5 year old Concorde 35AXC) thinking it was failing because the plane was slow to turn over and hard to start. Ended up being the starter paired with a grounded out Shower of Sparks internal contact lead on the right mag. Changed the battery, vacuum pump since it was showing weakness, and had the mag issue fixed. The starter shattered less than 20 days later. No complaints since installing, but probably could have gotten a little more life out of the old battery based on how effortlessly fast the 149NL spins.

I recently had my nosegear inspected and rebuilt by Lasar. Price wasn't offensive, and turn time was amazing. I had a significant amount of slop in my Steering Assembly and while Taxiing, it was like driving one of those mid 1980 remote control cars with the caster center wheel on underneath. Take offs were "Exciting" to say the least. We lifted my plane and you could actually hear the grease sloshing when the nose gear was moved from side to side. It also had a considerable amount of freeplay in terms of left right movement along the horizontal axis. When it returned, it was amazing how well it performed on first taxi and take off. and even surprised me how deliberate the tracking felt on the ground on each landing since. Abe L. Harper, Jr. 1975 M20C N7463V - 1R8 Bay Minette, AL

I'm curious to know if anyone has an opinion and current experience with the latest versions of Forefight and Garmin Pilot. My renewal for Foreflight is in the next few days, but I'm debating on whether to continue using it or if I should give Garmin Pilot a try for the next year. Last year, I staged myself with the same question, but at the time the price of Garmin Pilot for the version I would need was substantially more than a comparable version subscription to Foreflight. Since my plane was in for upgrade when my foreflight subscription came up last year, I just went ahead with what I was familiar with considering the price delta. I included a panel pic, but considering the functionality of an Ipad in flight now, I went ahead a left a blank spot on the panel to mount mine. A few factors for me in consideration are: 1.) I sold my BadElf Pro when I upgraded my panel, with the intent of buying a stratus 2 or a GDL39. Since then, it seems like AHRS and Syn Vis have become increasingly popular. But since I don't have either one, I'm not married to either system. I will admit that the Flightstream 210 is pretty appealing, and considering that both can benefit from it, I may get one regardless of this decision. 2.) This year, a subscription of the Foreflight Pro Plus is $199, while Garmin Pilot is $74.99 for the base subscription and an additional $74.99 for the IFR Premium package. 3.) They both are now integrating Logbooks, documents, Synthetic Vision, Geo-referenced plates, etc. so it seems like functional features are a moot point. 4.) The only thing I have found that is a big difference is the forefilght Web which is still in Beta, but will make for easier flight planning if I leave my ipad or phone in the plane, car, house, etc. I don't have any real world experience with Garmin Pilot beyond the trial period I enrolled in last spring, which was minimal, but it seemed to be pretty friendly as well. Are there any limitations or advantages of one over another that I'm not considering? It looks like they are going the way of standardization, and it's quickly becoming a game of preference vs. feature set and functionality. I did notice that Garmin has the VIRB integration, which is pretty cool, but would not be a deal breaker for me. Abe L. Harper, Jr. 1R8 N7463V - '75 M20C

Good to have you here CJ! This is an awesome support family for those addicted to Mooney's. You'll find tons of knowledgable people who simply like to help by sharing their experiences. Good luck in your hunt and we hope that you join the family in ownership soon as well! Abe N7463V '75 M20C Bay Minette, AL 1R8

Agreed. I only meant that I didn't want to go inspect it, reverse the wires, and not document it nor have him supervise. Should have clarified that initially.

I'm not sure, but I know certain things are owner approved maintenance, and others require a A&P Signoff. So my reasoning for logging is simple. 1.) I'm a stickler for the rules. After having problems with a poorly documented aircraft in the beginning, I've spent too much money and time redoing things that may have been done before but weren't documented. That being said, IF I ever sell this plane, I want there to be nothing missing from the logs. And #2 I have a wonderful relationship with my local A&P/ IA, I don't want to jeopardize his trust in me to do owner assist maintenance either.

Thanks everyone! I'll put a volt-meter on the shunt when I get back home Tuesday and see if It is reversed polarity. If so I'll get with my A&P to reverse and of course log it :-). Thanks! Abe