Lowbid

Picking the new plane up March 1st. C will be going on the market soon...

Thank You for the suggestions...I have a call in to CrownAir. Hopefully I’ll be submitting a new post soon with pics of the new plane.

I have reached an agreement to purchase a J model. Any pre-purchase/annual shop recommendations near L.A. are appreciated! The seller has agreed to pay additional to cover the cost for a full annual. Last year's annual was performed at Foothill. Also... my 1965 C model will soon be on the market after I take care of a couple minor issues (DG needs overhaul and G430W needs upgrade and refurbishment). It has been a great plane, but time to travel a little faster in a newer bird. It is equipped with an STEC 30, alt. hold and GPSS. I am the third owner. Second owner had it since the mid 70's. I would be embarrassed to tell you how much my first annual cost at Willmar... live and learn.

I believe it was 2013 (?) when Whelen introduced the Orion wingtip nav/strobe light. I purchased all of the Whelen exterior lights that year at Oshkosh. I did the non-OCD install and have been very happy with the set-up. This year, flying into Oshkosh, the ground controller after Ripon commented on my "lit-up" mooney.

After reviewing many battery maintenance threads, I have decided to use the Schauer Battery Master Charger. It's hard to believe an additional $200 is necessary for the Minder. My battery went bad after five years, and my shop replaced it with another Gill wet type. I wish I had researched batteries before they replaced it. I would have purchased a Concorde.

If it makes you feel any better... when I purchased, I hired a local A&P in Kentucky (which I refused to pay) for a thorough PPI. I ended up paying 1/2 the purchase price on my first annual (at Willmar). I can rattle off a list of the squawks, but it is irrelevant at this point. Since then, I have had very minor issues. The engine is a marvel. Overhauled by Mattituck 1,500 hours ago, and it still uses less than 1 quart between oil changes. I truly am amazed with this engine. I wish Mattituck was still in operation on the east coast, their quality control must have been the finest in the industry. I was also ready to throw in the towel when I received the estimate of repairs. There have been plenty of plane buyers who have sucked it up and found the cash for their first post-purchase annual. I am very happy it worked out for me... and can feel your pain.

My only concern is the make-up oil consumption. I believe one of the Blackstone analysis' showed 8 quarts of make-up oil? My C uses 1 quart between changes. 8 seems very high, but maybe I'm spoiled.

Thank you Dan! I just finished ordering. Also... shoulder harnesses being installed at next annual. I have often wondered how I would ever avoid head injury without a shoulder harness should an off field landing be necessary.

Yes on Loctite... for some reason the threads do not allow a tight tourque. Once the screw was all in, there was no cinching further. Kinda weird.

Ask and ye shall receive. Thank you. My STEC30 works just fine. I also have the GPSS installed. My only complaint... during climb only, it has a noticeable and annoying wing rock. Also, in rough air, it tends to wander and works noticeably better locked into the HI rather than the GPS (430W) in turbulence.

Having an STEC 30, can somebody enlighten me what the difference is? I did a quick forum search, but did not see anything. Thanks. I am also assuming the KAP of KFC Autopilots are the most desired compared to the other brands?

Narco CP136 TSO audio panel.

Pictures in my Gallery...

Aviongoo was the one I remember...thanks. Keeping track of planes on your short list via xcel spreadsheet is also a great idea...thank you. I will post pics on my gallery. Plane will be going on the market soon.