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ghovey

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Everything posted by ghovey

  1. They have that airplane already. They call it an f-15.
  2. I had the same thing happen on an approach in IMC, barely able to hold the yoke back until I flipped off the electric trim Replaced all trim servos and it did it again and replaced the garmin board. 10k later finally got the problem fixed. It was not the servos
  3. I would love to hear what you find out about the upgrade cost. I have been told by numerous folks that autopilot upgrade is mandatory, then the WAAS upgrade with the VNAV capability (otherwise why do it) and the cost is around 70k. There will also be costs with updating the G1000 software to get Safetaxi and the airway capability in flight planning.
  4. Ovation 2 with the 310 STC. WOT and max RPM to 1500 ft then usually reduce rpm to 2400 to keep the CHT's under 400, at 5 k then I lean to the white line on the EGT. I run 15 degrees ROP up to 8500 then I run LOP 25 degrees lean. I also have GAMI injectors but I don't think there should be any difference. Cylinders made it to 1500 hours before replacement.
  5. Your original post said you were flying West for 900 miles regularly. Two to three times a year I fly from Southern California to CT/MA by way of Nashville. 2/3 of the time there are bad headwinds coming west and I fly down on te deck just above the minimum section altitudes to avoid antennas and such. Going east I climb to a minimum of 13.5-17.5 (a couple of times I have had to stay at 9.5 because of bad wind). Normally aspirated 310 hp, never have had a problem over the Rockies or the Sierras. Take your time and climb high. But if you are flying at night, or in IMC regularly, get the engine that makes you feel the mst comfortable.
  6. A few years ago I did spec out a new Acclaim with all the options, AC, extended fuel, Fiki TKS, Oxygen, airbag belts, and the result was a negative Payload with full fuel of -30 lbs. so if you filled it up you would have to have the tanks drained. But, if like myself 90% of your flights are solo it is a great airplane.
  7. Well, I am not sure what the point is. But if You install the tip tanks on the new G36 and fill it up you have a payload of 714 lbs. And if the pilot weighs 200lbs then with 3 passengers there is no luggage, no golf clubs, no heavy coats. Still not a useful 4 person airplane. To get the speed up you need to add the turbo, which further cuts down the payload and increases the cost of the aircraft by $60,000. Then you would probably add speed brakes. So there s an upgraded Mooney that will do what you want and it is a TBM 850. Just a few dollars more.
  8. By the way, you will love that new Ovation. I have flown all over the country, coast to coast more than 6 times and the coupled WAAS Approach would be nice but in no way is even an issue. Just go fly.
  9. Really a disappointing issue. About a 70k upgrade. The only good news is that it is unlikely the ADS-b requirement will be enforced by 2020 based on the latest congressional testimony. There will never be a justified return on investment for recreational GA. And the usefulness of the technology is questionable particularly in high traffic areas where the ADS-b is useless because there are too many alarms due to the number of planes in the air. In uncongested areas it works great-except there aren't any other airplanes to worry about. But at least we will all be looking inside the cockpit at the screen showing the airplanes we should avoid and we won't have to look out the windows anymore. I can't wait until I get clipped by the pilot who tells ATC that they have me on the "Scope" but actually got me confused with the aircraft that was one dot over on their screen and forgot to look out the window. Yes that close call has already happened more than once with the existing technology. Traffic technology is great but its main planned benefit is for commercial traffic which is why they try to sell us on the cool free weather we will get.
  10. Well that is a little unfair since the Bonanza only has 74 gallons of fuel and only goes max 175kts. With 74 gallons the Acclaim has 550 Lb payload and goes max 242 kts. I hope the pilot and her husband can meet that weight limit. It is all about the speed.
  11. The low hanging fruit in cost reduction has already been picked. You want to sell more Mooney's-improve the product while you control costs. Sell a 200kt cruise Ovation and a 250kt Acclaim. Continue to improve the interiors and the look of the panel, dress them in a great paint job and let those birds loose.
  12. New Cessna 172 is $364,000. Reducing production costs is difficult. Reducing regulation on already certified aircraft and parts=no benefit. Reducing product liability insurance? Lance Wilson estimated these costs at 75 k per unit including all turbo props and small jets so for Mooney the number is much smaller. Eliminating all insurance cost and you turn a $650,000 ovation into maybe a $600,000 Ovation. I can't remember how long the waiting list was for the 2008 Ovations, or for that matter a new Cessna 400, or a new Bonanza or Cirrus. There is very little demand which is why so few airplanes are built. And insurance and regulation won't matter unless you are willing to buy an unregulated, non insured airplane built in an overseas factory and engineered by people with no previous experience designing and building aircraft. How many people are putting their deposit down on that $200,000 single engine aircraft?
  13. Turbos, pressurized, turboprop or jet engine-even better. It is ALL about the money.
  14. Yes I fly with a Dahon Pu folding bike. I take out one of the back seats and strap it down with the seat belt. No problems-they do have to go in through the front door. When my wife comes along we take 2 Dahons (a bike with fenders is a good idea) we take out both back seats. The bikes weigh about 23 lbs each. They have 20" wheels and ride great. Bike Fridays, Bromptons, birdy bikes are all worth looking at. And when we get where we are going we put them in the trunk of the rental car. Have fun. Go do it and while you are at it get an inflatable paddleboard.
  15. Has anyone had any starter adaptor issues with the Camguard? Mine started slipping (i don't know if that is the correct word) about 50 hours after I started using Camguard. Probably coincidence.
  16. I just got done reviewing the prices of used Mooneys on Controller. Looks like if I wait a year or so I will be able to buy a late model Ovation for less than the cost of the parts. The price collapse is astounding.
  17. Wow, reading this thread I just figured out why younger folks don't want to learn to fly. They would have to hang out with us.
  18. I'm with you. So many upgrades already in use just not "blessed".
  19. I guess I still wonder how they managed to easily certify the G700 autopilot on the Mooney at a time when the company was already out of money yet the 150+ airplanes with the STEC couldn't be certified. Again it begs the question as to what actually, factually, the true story is. I hope the new owners of the Mooney company think this is important. I would also hope Garmin would step up for these owners of Mooneys, Diamonds, Cessnas. We all just want to fly safely. Obsolete equipment in certified aircraft within 1-3 years of purchase is not good corporate policy. Rather than help fix the STEC problem they certify a new autopilot?
  20. Supporting your existing customers is the primary responsibility of the Mooney factory. I say "factory" because I don't really know what to call the new company yet. Continuing to supply the existing fleet with necessary replacement parts and upgrades and to introduce safety improvements once they are known and widely accepted is in fact a primary obligation. Selling new airplanes-terrific if they can do it. The official Mooney history say they have delivered over 11,000 Mooneys. I would think trying to improve them and assist their owners in keeping them flying would be a sustainable business model. Selling new $730,000 Acclaims is great, and they will sell some, but there is a lot of other things they can supply to us, including improvements. And I hope to see a faster Ovation and Acclaim. Nothing like bragging rights.
  21. Thanks Marauder for the info. We are all just looking for the straight story.
  22. Yes, you are correct that WAAS is not a requirement to fly the airplane. But it is a requirement to fly coupled RNAV approaches with perfectly fine equipment that is completely capable of working-except for the Mooney company and Garmin. People were told that they could upgrade-but they weren't told they had to tear out their old autopilot, put in a new autopilot and pay 50k+ for an avionics system that was BRAND NEW!! In ten years if they tell me that they aren't supporting G1000, oh well that will be a bummer but they will also have stopped supporting 530s and 430s and 500s and every other system they designed before 2010. And we pilots will have learned a valuable lesson about computers in airplanes, while the computer in your house or business needs to be replaced every three years, the new price is always lower. In airplanes we do not have that experience or option. I learned to fly with steam gauges and it is fine to go back-only this time I would stay all electric, or, we may all end up converting our airplanes to experimental-because that is the unintended consequence that happens when the market place does not function properly due to poor regulation and monopolies. At the end of the day the Mooney Ovation is the best long distance two person airplane on the market. It is a shame that Mooney factory and Garmin are trying to make it obsolete.
  23. You should have the autopilot checked out. My STEC flies the ILS perfectly without incident, and I have flown a fair number of them including to minimums at night. A solution needs to be found, how hard is it to certify Garmin avionics with STEC autopilots when all of the avionics shops across America are selling upgraded glass panels with Garmin boxes and STEC autopilots? And yes this affects hundreds of aircraft not just Mooney. 84 sold in 2005,about 60 in 06 and I don't know how many with STEC sold in 07 but at least a few.
  24. Montrose, Colorado hotel right at the FBO; Tucumcari KTCC Blue Swallow Inn-call Kevin he will pick you up (this is a historic property on Route 66): Albuquerque International-one of the marriotts will pick you up at the fbo; prescott, AZ has a hotel walkingbdistance; Hartford KBDL several hotels nearby; latrobe, PA hotel just down the street and they pick up;
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