NotarPilot

12 hours ago, PeterRus said:

My Bruce's covers have microfiber on the inside for the windshield/windows and wingtip lenses. I am not sure if the HomeDepot window shades protect from the elements...

Protect from which elements? I use them on the inside and for me they serve two purposes: Keep the majority of the heat out (which they do) and keep prying eyes from looking at my panel and hopefully any would be thieves from seeing what they can steal from my plane.

Being a CB here, does anyone use a homemade set up using climbing rope and maybe a carabiner tied to each end? Assuming you get quality carabiners, and not ones from Temu, I would think you have enough strength to keep your plane grounded in strong winds. The carabiners could be used to attach to the airplane tie down loops, and directly to the eye bolts on the ramp and then just simply tie a knot in the middle of the rope to take out the slack. Would this be a bad idea?

Several years ago, I came across a post either here or on Beechtalk about someone making their own window shades using heat shield material from Home Depot. I did the same and I think I ended up having to buy two rolls to have enough material to make shades for all the windows. You simply place a section of the material large enough to cover the entire window and use a Sharpie to outline the shape by feel. I think the two rolls ended up costing me less than $25.

I have a Bruce's cover that came with my plane but I prefer my CB home made window shades. They weigh A LOT less, cost a fraction of a custom cover, take up less room in the plane, install from the inside in about 1 minute, keep prying eyes out and I don't risk the custom cover grinding sand onto the windows on a windy day. I wish I had a photo of them installed to show you but I can say they work great and have lasted 4 or 5 years now, still in good condition. I definitely wouldn't spend several hundred dollars like some of those pre made ones. 

People will talk about the sun reflecting back through the glass and eventually causing crazing on the plexiglass. Yeah, maybe/probably if you keep your plane outside all the time, but for occasional use for a few days at a time, I don't see the harm. My plane normally lives in a hangar so they really only get used for several days per year.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-24-in-x-10-ft-Double-Reflective-Insulation-Radiant-Barrier-24x10DRI/314983628

How good would a heavy duty leather bag be at containing one of these theoretical iPad fires? I found this video burn testing different leathers and  materials and it seems you could possible produce a simple leather bag that might slow a fire or maybe maybe even starve it of enough oxygen to kill the fire. Maybe. 

I switched to Concorde from Gill after buying my plane. Never had an issue. I tend to replace them after 4 or 5 years regardless if I feel they need replacing. This is probably a bit premature on my part.

8 hours ago, wombat said:

The following week might work, I'm actually pretty flexible on this.  Where are you based?

PM sent.

On 11/23/2025 at 4:16 AM, Kirch56H said:

Looks great so far! I am considering a very similar setup for my J. Who did you choose to do the work? 

I have a dual screen setup in my J and I’m very happy with it. I have a 10” screen on the left and 7” screen on the right. No AP yet as it wasn’t STC’d yet, when I did the installation. I had @Baker Avionics do the work and I was very happy with the end product. I’ve used the Dynon and Garmin G3X with one of my students. Both are extremely capable but there are some nuances that have me lean towards the Dynon. Cost being probably the biggest. 

5 hours ago, wombat said:

My Mooney Rocket is finishing up in a paint shop down in Santa Maria, CA and I need to get it back to Portland Troutdale for the annual.  I need an IFR current CFI with Mooney experience for 2 full days during the week of 15 December. Adventure! Excitement! But not too much.

My plan is: You are based either within driving distance of Portland, OR or Santa Barbara (Or Santa Maria), CA. I pay for your airline ticket either to Santa Barbara, CA or back to Portland, OR and a hotel for you, and two days of your time or more if we are waiting on WX. You sit right seat and provide instruction on the XC flight from KSMX to KTTD. I'm planning for about 3 hours of flight time. We should expect to use O2 and to be IFR

 

Why do I need a CFI?

• I'm one approach short of being IFR current.
• I'm 5 days beyond my current medical.
• I'm out of the country so I can't fix either of those issues easily.
• Ideally this flight will happen during a relatively short window although there's not an absolute 'must-go' date. But I don't want to wait in a hotel room for a week for the weather to clear enough to conduct the flight under VFR

About me:

• 2,200+ hours
• Instrument
• Commercial
• CFI
• 600+ hours in M20 (300+ in this aircraft)

About the aircraft:

• M20K 305 Rocket
• In annual until 1 Feb 2026
• G500
• GTN750xi
• KFC150 Autopilot
• Non-FIKI TKS

I would do it but I would have to do it the following week. I work on the 16th til 19th and I don’t work the following week.

19 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

I went to Avidyne training back in 2018 and Gary Reeves was using the docking station for a 430 and a 530 to run the IFD 440 and IFD 540.

 

I would make this guy an offer: https://www.ebay.com/itm/146768937356?_skw=LONESTAR+GARMIN+430+DOCKING+STATION&itmmeta=01KB2GTN5TDMJTJK6R0TMGB5JF&hash=item222c1c418c:g:IZsAAeSwXJhom9bX&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAABAFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1fRDKYpP6ELX82xCEe6ZQUPlDl9RUAnz3nbBaCHtChS657u7wbSsuS1PvQalbObq12jMMbYa9eme9jLFFkZs9SVviG5QXVG6v3K5Kew6o920Bmoqu503Bw9mWIn2bdcaRdrEc9rPSqco6YfN6OHLt7rF7sAjPQRssCmnFnWoVN2MwooFZ%2FT%2BOgRlZd1F9eGogna5k5SD77VmQxqQpVj1bpN8f%2F6aErupukExGFrDgBZrGobl0XmsJ4JTuCExMj%2BYgvLSY9iUpUu%2BzQAp7uDjkI7YLB5DLym28NhZ4qF2SbA4JiaInC2yzmFRxXgutuFNis%3D|tkp%3ABFBMhtPq0Nhm

Thanks, Lance. That answers the question perfectly and I think I’ll bid on that unit for sale.

Maybe some electrical engineer or someone can help me out. I want to buy a docking station for my Avidyne IFD 440s so I can remove them from the plane and update the firmware at home. Lonestar Aviation sells one for the 440 for $399 and one for the 430 for $329. I called Lonestar to ask what the difference was being that the trays are the same and they are interchangeable drop in replacements. The guy I spoke with in their engineering department gave answers that didn't make sense saying the connecters are different. That's not true and you can see the back of both units are the same. When I told him the connectors are the same he then said that the voltages could be different and mentioned some are 12, 24 or even 16 volts. I've never heard of an aircraft with a 16 volt electrical system. The guy almost seemed like he didn't know what he was talking about or just trying to justify why I need to pay $70 more for a product than a less expensive one which will do the same thing.

Has anyone used a Garmin 430 docking station and stuck an Avidyne 440 in it?  Is there possibly any truth to what this guy was saying and that I need to get the Avidyne specific docking station?

9 hours ago, Pinecone said:

And exactly how does this get signed off in an certified airplane?

As an owner produced part?

Let’s be honest. Mooney pilots would never pay to use a dating app.

On 2/26/2025 at 11:29 AM, James L. Beck said:

Hi All,

I will be installing a Dynon 1100 system into a Mooney M20J with the new Dynon Autopilot.  I do not have the kit yet, but it seems pretty straight forward.  The original Pitch Trim servo stays with the Trim/AP DISC switches.  The Autopilot interfaces directly with the Dynon Glass system.  This is my 3rd Dynon system install.  The first one in a Mooney.  I will keep posted as I progress.  Everyone stay safe and have a nice day. 

What’s a Dynon 1100 system? I’ve never heard of that.

I hope Garmin learned something about where they choose to manufacture parts in the future. 

This is wonderful news that I’ve been patiently waiting for. Perhaps @Baker Avionics can chime in and talk about what this would cost or labor hours needed to add to an existing Skyview system. 

22 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said:

I don’t know where the $18k came from, as I said, 100 hours at $100/hr is $10k…certainly not trivial but not ridiculous by any stretch for a glass panel and autopilot installation.
I never said I expected to get operating costs back, just pointing out you do get some of the avionics upgrade costs back at sale and 10-20 years of operating costs will dwarf the net costs of a avionics upgrade.

I don’t know of any avionics shops in 2024 charging less than $120 an hour. And, while ridiculous, I would imagine there are some shops charging close to $180 an hour. Perhaps it depends on what region of the country you’re in but hourly rates have really skyrocketed these past few years.

I have the Dynon system myself and I feel like the autopilot certification is imminent. I believe the last autopilot was certified in February so I just don’t see them going a year without certifying something. That’s just my opinion based on nothing. 

As for the Dynon system, I love it! One thing I really like is that it has soft buttons and knobs to do just about everything you can do using the touchscreen. I’d be happy to take anyone flying who’s looking at buying a Dynon system.

On 9/19/2024 at 3:29 AM, tony said:

yup, you just push the button that says mon1 or mon2.  Its actually made by PS Engineering for Avidyne..  

I wish this was possible with the PMA450B.

One reason I’ll never own a Cirrus is that $25,000 cost to repack the parachute. Talk about a deal breaker. 

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the comments on this thread 2 years ago. This little business idea still permeates my brain and as I approach retirement in the nearish future I’m considering doing something like this as I will be able to devote more time to it. I would really like to offer an hourly rate for pilots who might want to drop in and grab lunch and not have issues with taking a crew car for 2-3 hours from an FBO, if they even have one available. I would probably start this business with Brown Field in San Diego (KSDM), to test out the waters. It seems to have enough local attractions to make daily or hourly car rental worthwhile, such as Downtown SD, Petco Park, maybe you need to visit a loved one at the local prison, I don’t know. 

My question is, what’s the sweet spot for an hourly rate for something like a little Honda Civic or do you think a mid size car like an Accord or Camry would be more practical? I’d like to know what pilots would be willing to pay and us Mooniacs tend to be the CBs of GA so that’s likely the best people to start polling.

Secondly, what type of car would you like to see available for a short time rental? Honda Civic with cost being as cheap as possible first and foremost? Midsize sedan for a little extra room but a little more cost? Ford Ranger crew cab with 4 doors for the versatility to take 4 people and throw a bunch of luggage or materials in the bed?

Greg resealed my tanks in 2021. He’s a solid guy and runs a great shop with great work ethic. I would definitely recommend his services. 

On 7/16/2024 at 10:25 PM, William Munney said:

Hello all.

I have a 1996 Mooney Ovation in great mechanical shape with a very nice Garmin glass panel (G500 TXi, GTN 750, GNS530),  a new interior and a factory new IO 550 which I have detailed here and there on Mooneyspace.  The paint is original and what you would expect for 28 years old.  Shiny but nothing special. The autopilot is the capable, but old, King KFC 150.  It is smooth and works flawlessly at this time.

I am getting the fuel tanks sealed this Winter and am considering new paint or the installation of the Garmin GFC 500 autopilot.  My question is….Which one is going to give me a better return on the money at resale time?  What would be your choice?

Thanks all.

If I can add my two cents in and having had my plane painted 2.5 years ago, I have to say that a new paint job was one of my favorite investments in my plane. I’m very happy with the design and quality of work as well as the colors. I chose an all metallic scheme with pearl white as the base with a metallic blue secondary base and black and white stripes. The blue really pops depending on how the sun is hitting it. The new paint make it look like a new plane despite being a 46 year old plane. 

I also redid the the panel with a whole new Dynon system in late 2021. I’ve been waiting for the AP to get STC’d for almost 3 years how. Supposedly, it’s next up for Dynon so it should be “any day now.” That being said, all my flying has to be done by hand, it certainly makes you a better pilot especially if you’re flying IFR. So, perhaps the AP can wait. That’s a decision only you can make.

That’s absolutely beautiful. I was kinda hoping for an Airventure announcement regarding certification of the autopilot STC for our beloved Mooneys but I guess not.

3 hours ago, Paul Thomas said:

I have a subscription to Foreflight and that's what I use. I have FltPlanGO as a backup as it's free. FltPlanGO is a very good and to be candid, I probably should just switch to it but I like the convenience of using the data/documents I've uploaded to Foreflight.

I use FltPlan Go to file all of my IFR flights. Within 5 to 15 minutes I get an email that my flight plan has been filed. I then use WingX to navigate. FltPlan Go is a decent back up.

WingXpro offers a free subscription for CFIs. I’ve been very happy with it and it’s a very stable platform. Very easy to use as well.