sleepingsquirrel

My M20B is 5/16 inch 18TPI.

drain the gasoline first ,use a pneumatic drill motor,helicoil

It doesn't help the delay, but I've written several letters as the mechanic to insurance companies stating the aircraft was down for maintenace for X months (never waiting on me, usually owner assisted and delayed work, or lack of funds for major issues) and the insurance on most occasions gave back credit for liability. Might get you a few bucks back, 6 months is rediculous for an annual ! Quote: 1970m20e I got you all beat. Dropped it of on 30 December 2011. Still in the shop. It keeps getting "bumped" back for other planes with urgent repairs. Engines, skydive planes, turbo props, other customers. Not liking this at all. Oh and I paid in advance. Nice. I cannot wait to see the date when the annual is signed off. It will be a June 2012 date I'm sure. That's 6 months and not because anything major happened.

Looks great ! I love the paint scheme.

...

http://mooneyspace.com/index.cfm?mainaction=post&forumid=2&threadid=1332&postid=36119&postaction=quote&reset=true

Quote: sleepingsquirrel This was the start for my M20B dip tube. I check it on a fuel fill and find it close enough .

Once again the Mooneys steel roll cage has proven it's worth for safety! Had this strike occured without the steel bow behind the windscreen , it would have folded into the cockpit. Note the pictures with the bow showing through the aluminum which was deformed around it. Pic# 1,Pic#3 I propose the deformation was already funneling the duck into the cockpit but was stopped by the steel frame. Asbestos Britches On,( which happens to be my new super power).

Quote: DaV8or ...... Remember, depending on how bad or location, sometimes you can fly a long time and just live with a little leaking.

Quote: kevmor Thanks all for the info, that's another thing I noticed (the gross weight). Do you know what a typical empty weight/useful load is on the B model? I'd like to get as close to the 650lb. payload with full fuel as possible...

For centuries men have gazed skyward at the heavens trying to wrap their heads around its immenseness. They even dreamed of leaving their earthbound existance in flights of fancy , perhaps to cavort among the stars and planets free from the bonds of gravity. Yesterday I saw something very unique while flying and wanted to share it with you. Although I have been known to never let the truth get in the way of a good story ,I have a witness to this strange ,unlikely event. I was demonstrating the Cessna 150 to a prospective buyer yesterday and had finished the demo. I had already told him the Mooney is not for sale but as we talked I realized his mission would be better served by letting him get a taste of Mooney flight. We preflighted and prepared to take off with the last of the Sun dipping below our horizon. The navigation lights were just beginning to show from the ground reflection as we turned onto the active runway to bound forward then skyward. Everything was right as the engine wound up to full power and before he knew it I was pointing out the 1100 FPM climb showing on the VSI . He has a "59" straight tail 172 and was duly impressed with Mooney performance. Back to my story, we climbed to 2500 feet ,leveled off and flew the same circuit we had done earlier in the day in the 150. I turned onto a Northerly heading and no sooner had given him the controls when, something passed in front of us. I wasn't quite believing my eyes as it streaked from West to East across the windscreen fully visible for at least three seconds as it disappeared in the Northeast darkness . It was slightly above our altitude , and glowing white hot at its forward end and then yellow then green to blue at its tail end. It left a trail in the sky of green that streached all the way across the Mooney windscreen. It must have been doing 127,000 MPH even though we both observed it as if it was in slow motion. I would take an oath that I could see sparks emitted from near where the white turned yellow. Firstly I suspected a flare, but it had no discernable arc, the color was wrong. Then it hit me ,not literally, that we had seen a meteor. It was up close and personal. All I could say was , did you see that? He answered that he had indeed seen the same thing. Then I told him that it must be a sign , he asked what kind of sign ? I said I'd take this as a sign that you should buy my 150! We laughed and described what we saw to each other just to be sure and then turned toward the field for landing. I took the controls for a landing I was proud of as the landing light streamed ahead in the darkness, realizing that the small effort I had made to reach the heavens had been rewarded by the heavens reaching toward me.

What I have learned: A private pilot/owner may not sign off an AD unless the AD specifically states that he can. I could have legally ignored the SB (although it would be stupid to do so) and wait for the AD to be issued. Since I did not ignore the SB and performed it as pilot/owner, the AD is satisfied because it gives credit for work already performed under the SB.

I did find this document describing how the AD should be written to allow a PP to sign off an AD. If an AD is allowed to be signed off by the owner/operator holding at least a PP cert, the AD will state that it is allowed. -- January 23, 2007 FAA-IR-M-8040.1A 127. AUTHORIZATION TO PERFORM WORK REQUIRED BY ADs. a. The persons authorized to perform the work required in an AD should not be prescribed by the AD as long as the actions are to be accomplished by persons prescribed in 14 CFR § 43.3. However, when compliance is allowed by persons other than those prescribed in that section, a statement such as the following must be included to ensure a maintenance record entry is made: The actions required by paragraph (**) of this AD may be performed by the owner/operator holding at least a private pilot certificate, and must be entered into the aircraft records showing compliance with this AD in accordance with 14 CFR § 43.9 and 14 CFR § 91.417(a)(2)(v). b. ADs should not authorize the pilot to conduct other than routine checks and specify that, if a defect is found, any further action must be taken only by an authorized person. Pilots should not be authorized to do any task that requires the expertise of a mechanic, such as the use of uncommon tools, test instruments or technical procedures that require training. In addition, if a required check requires maintenance knowledge to interpret what is observed, that check becomes maintenance and must be performed by a person certificated to perform such maintenance. If there are any questions concerning this policy, contact General Aviation and Commercial Branch, AFS-340.

Ok, I don't need a legal expert explain this to me , but I admit this is a lot more stimulating than : LOP/ROP bladders/sealed tanks proper landing /approach speeds and on and on and on.......... and boating is also fun where grounding your vessel is not a safe act ,like flying where grounding your vessel is safe!

Quote: aviatoreb Can someone convert this AD to English for me? Is that what it is - check this thing in the tail within 10 hours - and probably it checks out fine and we are done? Is it a complicated check? Is it a one time check? I am really illiterate when it comes to reading government leagaleeze so please forgive my obvious questions.

I read that AD 2012-05-09 (effective today March 20,2012), supercedes AD 2012-03-52. The inpsection (g) still references the same service bulletin M20-313A, dated Feb. 29,2012. I suspect that if the Mooney fleet (other than the R and TN models and maybe the Js) had responded with a flood of returned cards to Mooney that this could have been kept from an AD without the need of the strong arm of the FAA for mandatory enforcement. Especially if the return of cards was negative for the need of corrective action (SB M20-314A). The return of the mailer by FAX or snailmail is still in the text of the SB, the mailer does not fix the date of the inspection by a postmark or dated FAX cover of the return mailer , it simply asks for the date of compliance. IF, and I am emphasizing the word ,IF I was leagally able to sign the aircraft back into service when this was a SB, this AD still references the same SB as before. I could still sign it back into service today fly the airplane until I deliver it for annual where the mechanic would run the ADs and sign it off as complete. I know this may look like I'm cheap ,but I'm just following the instructions as they are written.

Quote: DaV8or Sucks. Oh well, ya snooze ya loose. I just preformed the SB for this yesterday. Since the card hasn't been mailed yet, it now looks like I will have to pay somebody to do what I just did.

Quote: 201er What is the first thing that reminds you to put the gear down? Do you follow a checklist, operating habit, or the plane talking to you (reminding you to put the gear down or it refuses to come down)? Anyone admit to forgeting to put it down some time? What type of normal reminder failed you? What about the guys whose gear stays down, is there a particular reason you chose the M20D?

I'm sure I can't sign this off but it didn't keep me from doing the inspection and returning the card. I read the bulletin as having 10 hours of flight time before the inspection is due. I made myself responsible for this inspection found no issues. Next I'll get it signed off by a mechanic. I did find this little bit of information: "Service Bulletin Issued by manufacturer to advise of service problems and solutions. The solution is not mandatory as with an AD. Maintenance Records. The owner or operator of an aircraft shall have an aircraft inspected as prescribed and shall between inspections have defects repaired as prescribed. Additionally, he shall ensure that maintenance personnel make appropriate entries in the aircraft records indicating that the aircraft has been released for service. Any record entry must include a complete description of the work done, date, and name of mechanic. If the mechanic signs the entry it indicates that the aircraft is returned to service. This signature is a pilot's assurance that the aircraft has been returned to service with the work completed." No work was required in my case.

I did my own inspection on an M20B. Signed the Service Bulletin and FAXED it in.

http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/MainFrame?OpenFrameSet I go here and click on my model. I was uanaware that they could send them to you.

Quote: jetdriven You couldn't find a pilot to ferry it if it was loose.

These have been flying for years improperly assembled, possibly loose, I checked mine again today.

Quote: DaV8or I'm new at this too. I'm assuming that once I recieve the AD, I must get the inspection done before further flying. Curious though if you are allowed a flight to the inspection location, or does it have to happen in my hangar? I'm also assuming I can do the inspection myself and have an A&P with IA sign off? I was hoping it was going to be an SB and could wait until annual in a few months, but oh well.

I liked this link for the pictures. It makes the job look easy enough. http://www.hangartoolbox.com/Instructions/mooneyshockdisctool.aspx