aerochet

I have a 63 C with moderately-well equipped panel. I do not have an engine monitor, but I want to wait until engine overhaul to add this. I am at 2,000 hours on the engine (all 4 cylinders were replaced in the past 500 hours) and the engine runs great, so I am not planning to overhaul until an issue triggers the overhaul. I want to add the CiES fuel senders now, but I don’t have anything to display on until I add the EIS down the road. I am thinking of buying the Aerospace Logic display for fuel now and removing it in a few years when the EIS is installed. I would sell the display later. Any thoughts??

I have been watching the gear-up/off field landings that are being sold as salvage. I was thinking of bidding on a plane (doesn't have to be a Mooney) just for the avionics, selling the more valuable things and scrapping the leftover. I think you can buy a 60s era Mooney that will never fly again for about $10k. I think you should be able to sell the valuable components for more than that. Any thoughts?

That is a good idea. Thanks!

My 1963 M20C has hinged doors that cover the fuel cap. The phillips-head cam lock is getting stripped and needs replaced. Has anyone ever replaced their camlocks? I am not sure how to do this.

I was truly terrified about 7-8 years ago returning to South Carolina from a vacation in the Bahamas. As a fairly new instrument pilot I landed in Fort Pierce to clear customs and checked the weather. T-storms all over except off shore. ATC would not let me fly off shore north along the FL coast due to restricted airspace with Cape Canaveral, but offered a route via radar vectors that SHOULD keep me out of storms. I accepted and began to fly north. I looked out the window as I flew just east of MCO at 6-7k feet. Although I never flew into the clouds on this leg of the flight, I experienced winds like I have never experienced. My airspeed varied between 140kts to 80kts and back to 140kts indicated in one second, and the airplane was on the verge of being out of control. For a few minutes, I was absolutly unable to maintain altitude and told ATC so. I was only concerned with keeping the attitude reasonable and the airspeed just below manuvering speed. It was scary and I had my wife and 2 kids in the plane. I remember my young son getting mad at me and shouting "Dad, you are a terrible pilot" Little did they know how close I was to panic. I am much more conservative around severe weather now!!

Sounds like a great product if it works as advertised. I had XM weather for a couple of years and loved it, but at $40 and up per month, it gets expensive. I would order one right now from Sportys, but I hate to be a guinea pig when something is first released. It doesn't work here in Mexico, and I am not moving back to the States until June, so for me there is no big hurry.

I work for the US Gov't in Mexico. Hangars here in Guadalajara are 1200 US per month and tie downs are over100 per month. Each time I fly, I have to go though a 30-45 minute process of filing a flight plan. I do it because it is the only way that I can fly my Mooneyduring the two years that I am here. I have a cockpit cover and park it on the ramp. Last summer, I parked it at El Paso International for only $110 per month for a T Hangar! That is a bargain, but I only got to fly about once each 4-6 weeks and a 2 hour commercial flight to get there.

I just had the O-360 on my 1964 M20C overhauled at Heart of Texas Aircraft Engines. I have 22 hours on the engine now and it seems to be doing fine. I went with new ECI Nickle cylinders and also overhauled the carb. Nothing else done. Cost about $17,000. I noticed an increase in power, but I guess that is normal when overhauling a 2100 hour engine. Pictures are on facebook under Heart of Texas if interested.

I would be happy to talk to you about flying in Mexico. I am an American that has lived/worked in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico for 1 1/2 years. I have a 64' M20C that I brought with me to Mex. US#8642267752.