Bolter

Always a complicated balance of using them enough so they keep exercised, and not so much that they wear out. Having flown a J without speed brakes for 1000 hours, I find I don't use them much, now that I have them on my newer Mooney. -dan

You would need to confirm with the POH for that plane, but 120 mph Gear Speed is the fastest indicated air speed that you can drop the gear. Retraction maximum speed may be lower. As a manual "johnson bar" landing gear, I am told that bringing it up as soon as possible is a good idea to keep lower aerodynamic loads that you need to overcome.

If in doubt, you can apply this value for your taxes: 1.74/mile per the GSA travel site (as of 1-Jan-2023). Good enough for government employees, good enough for me. Note that the car mileage rate matches the standard IRS rate. https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/transportation-airfare-pov-etc/privately-owned-vehicle-pov-mileage-reimbursement-rates -dan

In terms of similarly capable to several Mooney models (speed, range, useful load, 4 place) I think the RV-10 is a good candidate. It is cheaper than very new long bodies, but more expensive than most Mooney's. -dan

I found that once I had a good system that was easy to access and use in flight, I started using it more than I expected. Great for night flight, and keeping more fresh for long flight days. Another happy user of the Mountain High O2D2 to sip the O2 slowly. I got the tall skinny bottle that hangs on the back of my seat, but rests its weight on the floor. I can reach it from the pilot seat if I decide I want to use it, mid-flight. -dan

I am in the process of installing Artex 345 in my Ovation. Among other reasons, I was in a seminar on crash survival. Giving search and rescue the best chance of finding you is important. I no longer consider the PLB and 406ELT as redundant, but as complementary tools. I chose Artex 345 because my preferred shop has installed them before, and labor accounts for as much or more than the unit cost. I suggest you ask your shop what they like, and maybe save a few bucks in labor's learning curve. As background for the problems with the AmeriKing's (AK 450), see this article: FAA issues AD for Ameri-King ELTs - AOPA They had all of their approvals to manufacture yanked by the FAA. I do not know what their quality shortcomings were, but apparently there were numerous ELT failures. -dan

I think that my original post was incomplete/unclear. GPSS on the G5 with the HDG mode on the AP was ONLY for GPS navigation. VOR tracking was always NAV on the AP (VLOC on the 430W), which is to say no GPSS for VOR tracking.

Just some tidbit from a similar panel in my previous Mooney 201 (430W, KAP 150, G5 HSI). I just had to set the 430W to VLOC and then the G5 HSI displayed and fed the AP the VOR path instead of the GPS path. The AP was in NAV mode for both GPS and VOR tracking. For the G5 in GPSS mode, the AP had to be in HDG mode, not NAV. -dan

Not specific to this Ovation Ultra, but all Ovations (including mine) there are some weight limits that can get you, even though it is hard to get out of the CG. Assuming you already know what you want for your mission, I would watch the Useful Load of the FIKI or Air Conditioned Ovations. This Ovation Ultra lists for 940 lbs UL. If you have 3 doctors/pax on board, you may only be flying an hour before getting to your IFR reserve. And possibly still above the maximum landing weight of 3200 pounds when you get there, if your doctors are heavy or carry a lot of gear. A typical set of values for an Ovation: 3368 Gross, 3200 Max Ldg, 2350 Empty. (gross and landing weights are the same for Ultra and previous Ovations with 310HP). PM me with your email and I will send you an example Ovation POH and TKS supplement for FIKI. -dan

Does anyone have the link to GAMI cooldown data and tests? @DonMuncy

Fast and fast asleep. Family in a Mooney. -dan

This is a review for a small audience, but I saw no other GA reviews on this seat, and I expect someone else has questions on this (ex @201er) As we are now traveling with kids in the car seat age range, we have been having trouble with volume in the plane. First step was upgrade from 201 to an Ovation. Now we can carry more stuff (volume and weight), but as expected, still use all the available space. Looking for space and weight savings, I tried this: https://wayb.com/products/pico-car-seat The WayB Pico car seat. You can argue if the car seat is necessary during flight, but it is absolutely required when you land switch to ground transport. This weighs 8 pounds, and folds small. We do use it in flight, as it gives a good seat for my daughter and frees up cargo space. PRO: The fit and finish is pretty good. Feels "engineered." The core is an aluminum frame, and seating surfaces are based on a cloth-mesh. It is light as advertised. Toss it around easily, unfold in place, and strap it in. Installs easily in the airplane or car. The big car seats barely fit through the door or past the front seat. Meets auto and FAA requirements, so you are safe and legal for all situations, including the dreaded commercial flights. Easily leaves room for an adult passenger in the other backseat No complaints at all from the child. CON: Stupidly expensive (almost $400), but that is the nature of small production, limited market items It does not adjust as easily as a standard car seat with a single pull cord to tighten the belts. I do not think it is as comfortable for the child when napping as there is no side support, a small pillow (or large plush animal/doll) should be packed Seat height is less than the typical car seat, so view out the window is compromised for short kids. I have not tried putting it in the copilot seat, but I think it will fit there without conflicting with controls. Be sensitive about curious hands grabbing the door handle or yoke. I found this Mooney pilot on Youtube showing what they use to keep packing small when traveling with kids. Does not evaluate this seat, though has other good tested items. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssnewFyvE04 I paid full price for this item, have no affiliation with manufacturer or seller, and these are only my opinions.

In round numbers, My FIKI Ovation is 1.5 hours at MAX flow. It is about double duration at regular flow. The volume is about 6 gallons. The Cirrus FIKI as a comparison is similar durations but has an 8 gallon tank.

@GeeBee As a newer FIKI owner in the Seattle area, and entering my first full winter with this plane, I have been developing my personal limits. Your summary was useful and included things I had not explicitly considered. In addition to planning, I have additionally set myself a 30 minute rule for getting into ice (presumably expected, but not always) when I require myself to review the situation and decide on what my "out" will be. -dan

If the off-field landing/crash is a "total" then would insurance pay the total insured value, which includes the engine?

I can PM you a link to download from my former 1983 M20J which I scanned in. I think the 1998 had at least these differences: 24 Volt system more electrically operated items, like cowl flaps higher useful load so weight and balance will be different most speeds should be the same Definitely use at your own risk, as they are similar, but not identical planes. -dan

I did file (based on your suggestion), and got a personal email reply from the FAA as part of the investigation. Glad that they found something. -dan

The RAM air on the LoPresti cowl is significantly different from the Mooney factory RAM air, and is actually effective for over 1" from owner's experience (at WOT). On the J, the factory RAM was effectively zero benefit, so removing anything from the plane that has no function was a good choice for the factory. Saved weight, saved money, and eliminated one more thing to fail.

For the record, this is the RAM Air Delete instructions, if it helps reassure you that the delete was legit. Of course, it should be in the logs, as well, referencing this document. I had a video from my J, opening and closing the ram air, while watching the MP. Just a blip from the "shock" then returning to the original position. If I find the video, I will edit this post and add it. -dan ram air removal M20-93.pdf

@kortopates is SoCal based and may know some non-Mooney specific shops that can do a pre-buy inspection if you are not finding someone.

Primer, paint it white, then cover with a Mooney Logo sticker just the right size... :-)

Videos form the pilot himself:

Something not stated explicitly in this thread, if you are using a smart charger, or trickle charger, you will need a low power 12V DC source to connect to the activation pin at all times. The smart charger will cycle on and off, running high and low currents as required, but must always read the battery voltage. If you rely on the charger to keep the activation pin energized, you will eventually end up with the charger not connected when it goes to monitor mode instead of charge mode. @wishboneash hooked up a scope and discussed the results in another thread. Very useful Based on that research, when I had a 12V 201, I wired a plug with a cheap hobby 12VDC source to the relay pin and the ground. The batteryminder charger was connected to the positive and the ground. You could hear the relay click when I turned on the little 12 VDC supply. The batteryminder then worked exactly as it should.

Based on my experience, the weight is not directly a problem, but what you must overcome in terms of terrain (pavement grades or hangar door tracks). My fully fueled J at about 2200 pounds was no problem for the robo-tow on flat ground. I only had issues with entering the hangar itself as I could not get enough momentum going up the grade AND over the hangar track. Either alone was no problem. Just my $.02 worth. -dan

A friend who flies corporate took a video of this Mooney landing at Scottsdale with an open hatch, as he was holding short. Since I have a Mooney, he sent me this image. I have a screen grab (below) with the tail number intentionally not visible. There was a chance that the owner would want a picture, or maybe the video, so I am posting it here. The video is not great quality, like this grab, but shows the plane flying by to landing. Just sharing the image. No judgment. This has happened to several Mooney pilots. I did it myself in a Piper Cherokee.