John Pleisse

They bail out support of old units over liablity. For instance, I have a 396...Garmin is required by law to support it for another year, then game over ( I was told 7 year commitments). Look at the poor saps who own 2004 to 2008 Ovations and Bravos with G1000. If they want WAAS, they have to pay exorbitant numbers. Poor customer care. As for new boxes, I understand Scott's frustration. They are careful to stage and incriment each upgrade to maximize marketing and profit. This works well when you have a monopoly, but times are changing and I think Garmin is beginning to miscalculate their position. Thank you Aspen, King, Avidyne, Chelton, I-pad Apps, etc...

If you're gonna get into rigging, consult MAPA for a previous article written by Kerie McIntyre on how to rig a Mooney. It is highly simplistic and informative. Have a MSC do it. The know-how, rigging boards and ability to do it in under 2/3 a day is already there without any on the job traing or renting boards. Also, check your logs and make sure a control surface was never replaced....before you pay to rig it.

Quote: jetdriven Each to his own. I wonder if a Rocket owner has the same feelings as he passes the SR22T at FL240

Clacking and grinding? Probably not the trim motor, more like the jack screw or there is a rod from the trim motor to the jack screw. Many of them chaffe and end up breaking, bending or warping. Trim motor is likely a symptom of another tail cone issuse. Trim motors usually work, or they don't.

Quote: Mazerbase I can't answer which GPS devices feed the Aspens. I can tell you that Aspen claims to have a backup GPS built in but there is no way to enter waypoints other than through your GPS unit.

I have an Stec 55x, GPSS, Aspen 2000 dual adahars with an additional 1 hour battery and 4 of my 6 steam guages remaining. Either would be a non event. Point being, leave some steam.

They have a good rep. They re-did a 201 pretty well. Their price started at 138,000 and they feel they are are giving it away low at 109k...I have watched it. Nice bird and a good pick-up for someone. They pitch a lot of frustrated Bonanza-wanna-be owners and make delighted customers of them. The owner rattle's numbers off with seemingly not a lot of thought, but his basic estimates are generally dead on. He makes no quams about making a good living and is fair. His reference list of light GA refurbs is extensive. If it is what you want to do, it seems efficient. You can keep an eye on profit margings in one place, not 10. I had several meetings with him considering a total refurb of a 1 owner, crazy low time Twin Commanche I found in a barn in SW VA. We ended up not doing it, because he was fair and realistic.....too much money for me. Oh, he was also discrete about my not yet purchased find. Good Dude. I wrote this before I read the thread, then just double checked to make sure I wasn't the Lone Ranger...quite the opposite. Good for him.

I would suggest an Acclaim is a lot of airplane and mission specific. But joining the plastic mustasche club is fun too. Go nuts with training and proficiency if you get one. The MAPA high altitude course and endorsement is awesome.

Quote: ehscott I had a little over 200 hours but had not flown in a number of years. Bought the plane, got my BFR and initial dual of 25 hours, then my IR and have been flying happily ever after.

I had my plane painted by Lancaster Aero in 2001 (ranked in Av Consumer list). The work was substandard. In my opinion, they did a poor job. I am about to have Hagerstown Aircraft redo it. They are wildly expensive (starting $15.5k for a 201), but local and worth it.

I just bought this....it is the bomb. I will post video for you later. I bought the top-of-the line GPS version, but still figuring it out. It really does cancel the prop effect. http://www.nflightcam.com/

Every IA I have ever met says even their most dutiful, eager A&P's run from it. The stripping processes by Wilmar, Muncie and or Midwest are the result of years of pain. It's all about the strip job and these guys now have it down to a science. I have been told a gallon a side.

I will fly at night XC..no issues VFR. My IFR mins are 700-1, no night, no circle to land. I have had these mins since 1998 when I got my instrument ticket and they have served me well. I have never changed them or busted them. In your M-20 F stats, this would also mitigate significant risk in the already low stat of 1 in 10.

In the late 90's (top of the dot-com boom) I was looking for a good 201 and they were all sold. Yes, there was actually a time when there were only 6 or 8 Mooney 201's for sale nationwide. I spent 6 months in a seller's market. Take 6-8 months if you have to. Send a flyer to all Mooney Service Centers outlining what you are looking for and present yourself as a cash or pre-approved buyer. You'll stand a better chance of finding a good plane. Trolling Trade-A-Plane and Controller could take longer with worse results. Be patient...don't buy a used-up whore or some godforsaken basket case. Take your time. You have that luxury.

That seems normal... a 1 in 10 fatal rate, all in preventable scenarios involving proficiency which is controlable and manageable. Actually, one in ten is very good, comparably speaking. The F is a safe plane.

Quote: takair Good point, could simply be the prop o-ring!

Start with the prop and work your way back to the crank seal...I would bet it is the prop.....If it it the engine, put the screws to FWD. Politely remind them of your patronage and fixed costs you will absorb.

Luray, Bryce, Hot Springs, Shannendoah, and Galax....all within 1:45 and in VA. Watch your density altitiudes.

Mike...goood luck with it. I have a J and it suits most missions. No kids? Even better. I have a friend with a Turbo Arrow I have flown quite a bit. I really don't like it. I also fly and A36 for a local flying svc. The Mooney 201 is the best all-around, bang for the buck plane.

I like GPSS...helps with napping (just joking...ok, no I am not).

Not flying, but taking my sons to PAX NAS for the Blue Angels.

I queried Aspen and they said it was going to be a future software unlock. I would also add, I find the altitude alerter very sufficient and it is already in the Aspen unit. I have an Stec 55X. In fact, between the mins and altitude alerters, I don't feel the need for pre-select. If I were flying an AC with performance around 2k fpm....I would then want it.

Byron and George beat me to it. I would add if you have made improvements and you have a strong attachment to the AC you could become easily dissappointed. I would also buy Quciken and keep track of every dime. There is a partnership available locally in an old Luscombe. It was a highly eveolved financial enterprise...balance sheets, P & L, monthly statments...etc. Btw, how did you end up doing cylinders at 800 hours? Seems a little low and I am always on the lookout for indiosyncicies.

Brandon...The electric AI is important, but I have kept my old, analogue Strikefinder. It works remarkably well and is dead on accurate. Can't you sub your electric AI upgrade in the turn coordiator spot? I would think long and hard about removing a sphereic that works well. I was on the gound around Washington DC one time. One entire quater of the Strikefinder screen was painted solid. I had checked the weather...nothing was forcast. It was a local flight and upon my return, I checked the wx again. A large complex had developed off the coast of Atlantic City. My Strikefinder painted this wx from 150 miles away on the ground!!

Quote: DC_Mooniac I recently bought a 201 and have it based at Freeway, which also is IMHO a very good MSC. As best I can tell hangers are hard to come by in the DC area. Manassas has good hangers, but no idea if they have any available now and I think they cost $400/month. Manassas is not an option for me because it would probably take nearly an hour to get there on most days (even weekends). Also if you live near Manassas and need to commute from that far out into DC each day, I would guess the commute would be over an hour as well. As I am sure you know, if you are anywhere near the DC area, you will need to deal with the hassle of the FRZ and/or SFRA every time you fly. Freeway and Manassas are based in the SFRA so no need to jump through the hoops to get an FRZ pin, but you'll still need to do the SFRA training course on the FAA website and file an SFRA flight plan for each flight.