Cris

Wanted: I am interested in acquiring at a reasonable cost the Moritz digital fuel guage cluster installed in the Mooney R Ovation as optional beginning in 1999. Specifically I am looking for one that has 89 gals or more ie 95 or 100. this may also have been in the M Any suggestions are appreciated short of contacting either Mooney or Moritz as I've been there done that. Thanks

Quote: maniago But, I don't see personal attacks or name calling. That is clearly beneath us.

Ok enough already. I am not an engineer but I will say that we all have opionions and I work at being respecful. Allsmiles generously bought our Mooney Group Lunch yesterday & I as well as the others say THANKS. I tried to get him to come over but he had family pressures. Had he been there he would have been treated to a good laugh & I'll bet he would have even lauged at himself as we were all prepared to push & pull pn my poor Mooney hoping that the prop would not disintegrate. What we need here is the ability to get to know one another on a personal basis which allows a great deal of fun. Any takers? And these are my two cents .

Quote: Cris I know I can't just take it to any welding shop for repair and need to send it to an approved welder. Any help would be appreciated. Why not? It's just welding. So long as your A&P signs it off. That's what I've done in the past.

Dupl

John- Needs vs Wants, well said. Years ago I was convinced I "needed" a Malibu and was coming off a 231. After I went thru Malibu training & purchased the A/C it did not go thru pre by.. Thank Goodness. I went back to a 201 & was thrilled that I did not have the maintenace & had almost perfect dipatchability. Some times one just gets lucky.

Welcome Jared-As you say tax issues are personal but here is a start that will provide an agent & proper paperwork for either an LLC or Corp and specializes in Aircraft. They are quite reasonable. Call them for advice. Nevada Corps also provide a great deal of privacy so you might do a Google search in that state. Since you are from Louisiana do not fly the new A/C into Florida for any reason in the first six months or so of ownership as Florida automatically will send you a sales tax bill for simply flying in their airspace. It is not pretty. Delaware Registry, Ltd. 3511 Silverside Road, Suite 105 Wilmington, DE (USA) 19810 302-477-9800 302-477-9811 (Fax) 800-321-2677 corp@delreg.com

I get the point that McCauley, Hartzel and Mooney tell you don't move the airplane by the prop but what is missing is the rationale. There are any number of things in the POH and elsewhere that are there as warnings. In the instant case is the warning to prevent damage or to prevent inadvertent engine start or for some other reason. So I am asking is there anyone who has documentation from a prop or overhaul shop to show that handling a prop by hand caused actual damage? Anyone? Just sayin

Ok Now you guys have my attention. Does anyone have any documentation from any prop shop or any other place indicating that the prop had to be overhauled/repaired due to moving it by hand with the help of a tow bar? Frankly I think the "recommendation" from the mfg are more for legal reasons than enything else. We were all taught that a plane might start if you move/turn the prop ie fault ground. Having said this I try not to touch the prop & just recently thought I had a concussion from hitting the ground & then my head especially hard from a tow bar that slipped. I went back to my Robotow & holding the prop I'm a non believer

If you paint now be sure to get some extra touchup paint with the thought that you will be able to repaint the seams or possiblly the wing panals where the access panals reside. Assuming the best case you will have a beautiful paint job that you are proud of for years to come. Assuming the worst case you will have to do touch up and a quality reseal shop will make it virtually unnoticible. If they are ham fisted as mine was when I resealed the tanks the paint shop did a great job of matching the color so that it is really not noticible. Like Piloto says if it aint broke don't fix it!

Check out the latest AOPA magazine article on the Mooney M20 E It includes all of the "myths" in this thread. Ok who amongst us blabbed to AOPA

It is full of the " Mooney" myths -unfortunately

Consider that most pilots were trained in the Cessna or maybe a Piper. In both cases the seating is akin to being in an SUV or maybe a sedan. That is what the new pilot is used to & may well continue to fly as they progress with experience. Unless they are sports car owners & like that seating position (like Dockett me & many others) ie relatively low with one's leggs stretched out they will initially feel cramped. It is simply perception vs reality. In addition the Mooney is a numbers airplane & needs to be flown that way. Again the Cessna/Piper pilot can be sloppy on an approach, drop those big boards & make acceptable landings. Those A/C are more tolerant of poor tecnique (which is probably why Mooney never could get a handle on the trainer market) than is a "numbers" plane like our Mooney's. In terms of maintenance I really have only heard that issue with the avionics guys at least since the one piece belly & in that respect they are probably correct. The proof is in the "base rate" for an annual be it a Mooney, Cessna, Piper, or Beech. The labor in most cases is quite similar. Cirrus got it right by taking the automobile paradigm and applying it to an A/C. The seating is high with nothing in front & a lot of glass. It just feels bigger but really isn't. Perception vs reality is the issue. BTW Cirrus just announced their "new" SR22 five place A/C which really just adds an extra seat belt in the back like the Ovation 3 already did but we hear nothing about it. Just wait till all your friends start talking about the fact that the Cirrus is bigger because it is a five place and the Mooney is only a four place. We'll have a new myth with which to contend. Perception vs reality.

I want your hanger & the stuff that goes with it !!!

welcome to the forum Justin! I also own a 1967 M20F in England, I am now returning to Fairoaks after a couple years in Madrid. We should meet up! It seems on mine there are liberal amounts of silicone sealant along the top cowling panels, not the prettiest solution but I have never had an issue with water leaks.

Well having had an opportunity to read thru this thread as well as several others that are similar ie turbo vs na I get a kick out of how we all end up promoting, in most cases, what each of us flies at the moment. Aircraft in general & Mooneys specifically are just like the cars we drive. There are a lot of differant models based on our individual needs & wants and finances. Of course when I went to business school I remember that wants off times are turned into needs as time, advertising and finances permit. So I think the answer starts with one's budget & that in turn dictates applicable models & the equipment desired for the mission at hand. One mans efficiency is another mans extravagance so is using 11gph better that 14gph or is buying a 2003 Mooney better than a 1990 Mooney. Well it depends. Just sayin

I was there just after Christmas and used APP Jet Center Communication Phone: 941-355-8100, 941-355-8100 Fax: 941-351-9700 UNICOM: 123.5 I found them to be quite competent Yuo can pull up to the front door & your passenger will enjoy free snacks. The airport is secured so you will have to gain access thru one of the FBO's

Quote: Vref Interesting evolution...http://www.sandel.com/sandel_news_Sandel_Adds_Roll_Steering_SN3500_SN4500.php I know most of the GA people go for Aspen, however for people wanting to keep there KCS55A compass system and wiring makes this a interesting solution...Less invasive and you can keep the KI256 for steering you A/P....rgds Luc

FWITW I take the exact opposite view with passengers in that I work over time to insure the most pleasant flight posssible as I believe we have an obligation to encourage as many folks as possible to share our passion. Often I will refuse to take someone up if the winds are strong or there is turbalence. Typically I look for only the best conditions in which to fly especially with those that have limited experience with general aviation and have heard how all these little planes are unsafe & crash etc etc. Just my thoughts .

Quote: skyking1 Thanks. How much was the cost of the standby alternator? I also like the belt and suspenders approach to flying!

What may be done in our Mooney's is covered in the Normal category in which the Mooney is certificated. For all paractical purposes any aerobatics or intentional spins are prohibited as per the POH & FAR Sec. 23.3 — Airplane categories. (a) The normal category is limited to airplanes that have a seating configuration, excluding pilot seats, of nine or less, a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or less, and intended for nonacrobatic operation. Nonacrobatic operation includes: (1) Any maneuver incident to normal flying; (2) Stalls (except whip stalls); and (3) Lazy eights, chandelles, and steep turns, in which the angle of bank is not more than 60 degrees.

Another way to eliminate the expensive battery is to simply convert the Robotow to ships power with a cigar adapter cord/plug which is what I did. A/C with 24 V work fine but I assume that the 12 V will just run a bit slower. Mine gets moved about 50 ' up a slope with no adverse battery drain although I do use a Battery Minder as a matter of course. This has the added advantage of no concern for battrey acid when I take the Robotow with me.

The Eagle has two battery's like the Ovation. There is more than enough juice to keep you flying for a couple of hours to a safe landing. Do a search on this site & you will find various threads on expected life of the battery when not charging. With that said I have the 20 amp backup alternator in my Eagle typical of the belt & suspenders approach to flight.

You might want to copy this over to the original thread on pre heater switch but it appears to do exactly the same thing at three times the cost. BTW the Reiff or similar oil pan heaters are relatively inexpensive at $150 or so (more with the cylinder heaters) but you could throw your hair dryer into the mix on the occasion that you need to heat the cylinders. The Red Dragon propane heaters also work quite well if you do not have electric. IMHO in the end it has to be easy or you will not fly both literally & figuratively.

Quote: jetdriven Most airplanes can land and stop in less distance than they can take off. Hank, I landed and stopped my J in 900 feet from the first brick with 5 people in it and at aproximately 2400#. sea level, 75 degrees. 72 MPH over the fence.