Bennett

The PowerFlow exhaust system fits within the LoPrest cowl on my 201. A bit tight, but it does fit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I once made the mistake of deploying speed brakes in a descent through ice. Wasn't there long, but one froze in the extended position when I tried to retract them (vacuum version), and then I couldn't get the one that retracted to deploy again to maintain symmetry. Finally descended into warm rain, and everything worked right again. It was easy to deal with the roll aspect of only one speed brake deployed, but I could see ice piling up against the speed brake at an (to me) alarming rate. Lesson learned - do not deploy speed brakes in icing conditions. Yes, this was a case of an inadvertent ice encounter while IFR. In my 261, where I thought a descent made sense to get out of the icing situation, and where ATC was cooperative. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have found that spending money for a survey (marine) or pre-buy inspection for an aircraft or boat that I did not buy was the best money I ever spent. I've been around (owned) boats -power and sail for over 50 years, and as a potential buyer, with all that hard won experience, still missed spotting problems that ultimately had me rejecting the purchase and writing a good size check to the surveyor - more than a few times. I have always had LASAR perform my Mooney pre-buys, and their reports have allowed for substantial reductions in the selling price - enough to pay for all the work that needed to be done. I really suggest that you work with one of the MSCs like LASAR, Top Gun,,Don Maxwell, or one of the well known Mooney specialists. I've even hired a broker to represent me in the search for decent aircraft, and the subsequent price reduction negotiations following a thorough pre-buy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Does anyone else get a false aircraft signal when crossing a ridge line at relatively low altitude? Only lasts a moment or two, but getting a traffic alert for an "aircraft" at your exact altitude and position really gets your attention. I have had the FAA in flight test done, and everything seems to check out perfectly in the written report. My setup: dual GTNs, GDL 88. This false signal most often happens in the Bay Area of California, where we are saturated with aircraft equipped with ADS-B in-out, and many closely spaced ground stations. It is astounding to me how many aircraft show up in the 6 mile radius data ring, even filtering out aircraft that are 3500' above or below. I usually watch the trend lines carefully, and switch to the 2 mile ring as soon as any aircraft poses a potential threat. I also use the data block option for a specific target as it provides some additional useful information. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Dynon SkyView system offers a heated AOA probe which I had installed. Never had any ice in the DOVA, as I think any ice would have been a huge problem. The weight of ice would have been critical, and the wing was fully flush riveted and designed for laminar flow to the degree possible. She was legally IFR because the manufacturer said it was (even though Rotex did not certify the engine for IFR). The LSA rules are somewhat loose in applications. The reason I mention this is that I believe (hope) that Dynon glass panels (complete IFIS systems) just might be allowed into our Mooneys in the next few months. Should that actually happen, if might make sense to have the optional heated AOA installed, even if the accumulation of ice would effect the accuracy of the AOA. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Amen to that having owned several MGs and Triumphs (and even two Fiat 124s) with Lucas electrics. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Strange to quote myself, but I wanted to add that for overwater flights (including coastal flights), I keep an AIS (McCurdo 520) beacon with the PLB. These AIS units are used normally for Man Overboard situations, and many vessels have receivers that provide information as to azimuth and to some degree, distance to the MOB person. We carry these (in a pouch attached to the inflatable life vest) for offshore sailboat races. They are required equipment for the Pacific Cup - San Francisco to Hawaii race. For coastal flights I keep (manual inflating) life vests on the back seat with the small survival bag which has its own floatation. It is very hard to spot someone in ocean waters, and the AIS beacon can be a real life saver. We tested these units before the last Pacific Cup race, and the combination of the crew's individual units, and the graphical display onboard the sailboat made it easy to locate the MOB person, even a mile away. I know this sounds like overkill, but AIS units are under $300 or so, lightweight waterproof, and easily deployed which turns them on. Hey, I own a risk management consultancy, and mitigating risk is something we do everyday. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do the same. The aircraft is equipped with an Emerging Technologies 406 ELT, with built in GPS, and panel mount controls. I keep the PLB in my small survival kit I keep on my back seat where it is easy to reach. When flying over water for any distance I keep the PLB on my ditch bag (floating), that also has both marine and aviation transceivers in waterproof pouches.

Don, my left side yoke switches are set up just like yours with the exception of the audio playback button. That is a great idea, and the next time my J is at an avionics shop, I will have them add that function - just have to find a place for it on a very crowded yoke. I have the remote audio panel for the GTN 750, and the playback function is easy to reach using the audio display on the GTN 750, but a dedicated button would be even better. I had this function on my 261 conversion and found it helpful. The only button on my right side yoke is PTT for non-internal communication. Once again the 750's remote audio functions make it easy to set intercom, music or ATC distribution for co-pilot and passengers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

LASAR is in a very rural setting and I believe that their staffing truly likes the lifestyle there. Plenty of talent, with great competency, but I can understand a reluctance to take on the running of business aspects. Some years ago my father decided to retire from a very successful wood crafting and design business he founded at the end of WW II. He had about 28 employees then, all experienced craftsmen. He offered to GIVE the company to the employees if they would keep the business running. He offered to pay the legal expenses for the change in ownership, and that he would train anyone of them to act as the chief executive, and would draw no salary while doing so. He was proud of the company, and simply wanted to reward his staff for all their hard work over the years. After a host of meetings, the employees asked him to sell the company to someone who would keep it running- they wanted a secure paycheck, and not ownership responsibilities. He did sell the company, but in two years the new owner ran the company into the ground, and ultimately closed the firm. To answer a question, I was not interested in taking over the company as I had my own pathway to follow. I can't imagine owning my Mooney/s without LASAR, and especially Paul's advice and skills that proved so correct over several decades. Dan with his parts knowledge (and his good natured "we can find it" altitude) is simply irreplaceable. I hope Paul and Shery can find a qualified buyer, but I suspect it will be difficult. I wish Paul a speedy recovery. From conversations with his staff I know that even now he is in daily contact, and very much in charge. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I always used Prist in my 261 high altitude flights across the country. All I can say is that while Prist is expensive, and a pain to use as directed, I never had any freezing water problems within the fuel system. If isopropyl alcohol works as well, great. Water droplets freezing in the fuel system is no joke. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now we have to see how the aviation insurance industry will react. My personal guess is that most companies will still want a medical for high performance IFR capable aircraft.

I've posted similar comments so I will be brief: I owned a standard 231, which I later had Mod Works (Coy and Tim) covert it to their 261 Trophy Conversion via an STC. I currently own a 201, and so I can compare them to some degree. First, I am not really interested in fuel economy (except running LOP in the J when I am trying to eliminate an intermediate fuel stop). The standard 231 (mine was a 1980 model) was a fine airplane, but I wanted to go further, higher, and faster. The 261 conversion, with long range tanks was perfect for my purposes at that time. I regularly flew her in the mid FL 20s eastbound, and around 16,000' westbound on my many trips across the country. The Critical Altitude for 100% power was about 24,000', and while this was theoretically possible, TITs were a limiting factor. If I recall correctly, maximum cruise power was set at 78% power, and I used this as my limit for most flights. Her service ceiling was 28,000'. Think of the 261 conversion as a 12 Volt 252, with many speed mods, but square windows. She was a great cross country machine and I owned her for about 18 years, thousands of hours, and ultimately (thanks to Mobile Oil' s fully synthetic oil debacle) a LASAR built fantastic custom built engine. I sold her when my aircraft use needs changed, and after a series of other aircraft brands and types, I bought my current J and spent a considerable amount of money building her into my final aircraft (I am approaching 82). So which is the better aircraft? Depends on what you want to do with an aircraft. The 261/262 conversions can be a bargain in the used market compared to the 252s. Virtually the same performance at all altitudes, and have the same maintenance expenses. The J is less expensive to maintain, lands a bit easier with less weight forward, has the same interior room as the 252/261:262, and up to about 7500' trues out at about the same speed, being a bit lighter. As you climb higher, the 252/261/262 pulls away - no contest. Initial climb rate is about the same as there is only about 10 HP difference for the 252(et al) v the 201, which is a bit lighter. To be realistic, if you don't need to go high, fly out of low level airports, are aware of the limitations of naturally aspirated engines, the J is hard to beat. If I were younger all the hot rods: Rockets, Missiles, and the newer long bodies (Porsche excepted) would be of huge interest, even if I only occasionally flew them to their capabilities. Too many temptations- too little time remaining to do them all. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've only declared an emergency once in my 40+ years of flying. Lost BOTH the engine driven fuel pump and a partial malfunction of the dual speed boost pump. I was at FL210 in winter with IFR conditions below. Over the Big Bear mountains, but an easy glide to Palm Springs. The engine would not run above idle all the way to the ground. LA Center, then (I think) So Cal cleared the very busy airspace so I could get to KSPS in a "Commercial Spiral". All worked out just fine, and there was no FAA follow up. When on the ground I called So Cal (it might have been LA Center- this was two decades ago), and their response was "Glad you are safe. You did your job, we did ours. have a nice day". Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That was my concern. No completion intended. I am just surprised how low you have to be to realize that these are vineyards. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He told me that he left the flaps in takeoff position. He had his passenger open the door and wedged in a jacket before they touched down. They had left the door open, which is why the airplane filled with water and ultimately sank. On a very personal note, I wish he had stopped flying after that water landing. He died flying his second 231 in a horrible stall / spin accident on a missed approach in IMC. Even good experienced pilots can become disorientated and make mistakes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One that scares me here in California is all those "fields" that look flat and inviting from altitude may be grape vines strung along wires, with sturdy posts to hold them up. I would think they would act like a cheese slicer. Does anyone know of a Mooney landing in grape vines? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In a water landing I would keep the gear retracted in all circumstances. A friend landed his 231 in a lake in an emergency, left his gear up, and "skipped like stone" across the water. When the aircraft stopped, he and his passenger (her first flight in a GA aircraft) stepped out on the right wing and waited until a boat came out and rescued them. He told me that he just landed it like we taught to do with sea planes- hold a slight nose high attitude and let it settle on its own. He said the 231 floated for quite a while before it filled with water and sank. Didn't stop him from flying. He bought another 231. The first 231 had just come out of annual, and shortly after takeoff from that FBO, the airplane was seen to have been trailing white smoke before the engine quit. I know the pilot to be a very conscientious person who always used his check lists, so the stoppage must have been mechanical. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My experiment with hangar carpeting was not a success. I had it laid in sheet form (but with contrasting color stripes for the main landing gear). Looked great for awhile, but rain coming under the hangar doors soon discolored the front 18" or so. The worst was that oil soaked into the carpeting, and the spots were difficult remove - same for polish and cleaner. One of our MS brethren who has a hangar near my former hangar, wisely chose to use carpet squares so that he could replace damaged units as necessary. That was a far better solution than my sheet carpet. I do have to say that carpet is more comfortable for hands, knees, and back than my current plastic tiles. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lest you think I am a Luddite, or incapable of learning to use EFIS presentations, I had two Dynon SkYView EFIS glass screens in my custom DOVA panel (yes, I replaced the factory brand new panel with a complete custom built panel) and I kept an analog ASI. The DOVA was very critical in landing speed - stall, full flaps, at 41 Knots. Which of course meant that cross winds and gusts were of real influence. With her short gear (fiberglass with no oleos or rubber disks) and full laminar wing (flush riveted completely) she would float more than a Mooney, and at stall, just stop flying. Nailing the touchdown speed was vital to a decent landing, and reading airspeed tapes on the Dynons was inefficient to using the steam gauge ASI. Even the AOA was digital, and required more attention to look at than the CYA-100 lights in my J. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Revisiting (and shortening) earlier comments in another thread. I flew behind a complete set of Dynon SkyView glass panels for several years in my former DOVA LSA, and with the sacred six steam gauges for several decades before, and after. When I completely redid my current J's panel I set up navigation and communication with glass panels (GTN 750, GTN 650, AERA 796, JPI 830, etc., but I kept my sacred six because I really like the VSI and ASI presentation of critical information. A quick glance at these two gauges is all I need - I hate digital readout of airspeed as a needle pointing to some position conveys information faster, and without interpretation. For what is worth, the most current versions of Dynon's SkyView glass panels have a alternative sacred six presentation to their normal EFIS view. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My two cents: Get rid of vernier throttles. They are great for mixture control and prop RPM, where fine tuning is valuable and makes sense, but in cruise flight many of us run WOT, and in other regimes such as go arounds and minor power adjustments in landing, pushing in a button just adds unnecessary complexity. In another thread I recounted how I had a vernier throttle come apart during takeoff, leaving me with no throttle control (full power). A throttle push/pull with a friction adjustment is simple, fast to adjust, and less likely (in my opinion) to jam or break. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry to hear about the crunch. I only have a single nose wheel line to the hangar, but I use metal plates for all three wheels to define their position. As I bring the airplane into the hangar, I make sure the mains are in line with the positioning plates. The different colors for the floor tiles help to keep the main wheels where they belong. Seeing your photos, I think I will add main wheel lines that lead to the hangar. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's what I did. I drove my Mercedes SL500 retractable hardtop up to Aircraft Designs at Pine Mountain Lake, and he duplicated the seats within the size constraints of a Mooney, and with more aviation like headrests. He is very experienced with building replacement Mercedes seats so it went very well. He used several densities of conformal foam, and I made another trip up there to have the seats fitted to my anatomy. Worked out wonderfully. I never feel that I am uncomfortable flying in the J, even for the longer flights. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've had excellent experiences with hiring a "buyer's broker". He found aircraft I didn't know we're on the market, culled through all the BS, made dozens of phone calls to prospective sellers, made certain the titles were clear (and cleaned up a title problem for an airplane I bought), arranged ferry flights to get the airplane to LASAR for a pre-purchase inspection, but then he really earned his fee as being my price negotiator. I am fair at this, but he negotiated on my behalf to a figure I was almost embarrassed to pay. Some of these brokers act (sequentially) on behalf of sellers or buyers, and they do know what constitutes a fair price. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk