DrBill

You HAVE to fly in to First Flight at Nags Head and go visit the Wright Brothers Museum. Flying in and out of there just adds to the experience. Bill, Mint Hill, NC

Kurt, If I were you , I'd pay to have it put in a hangar. I'm in Charlotte and my mechanic just called (his asst is washing and waxing it) and said they will keep it in the hangar over the weekend even tho I have an on -field hangar!!. If the hangar collapses, well, you tried your best. if you leave it out and it gets hammered by debris, you're stuck with dealing with repairs long distance. Bill, Mint Hill, NC

The MSC in Lynchburg charges $600 and does a thorough inspection. Checks for SB208 (cage corrosion), spar corossion, engine compression and logbooks. Takes 1-2 days depending on schedule. Should make an appointment. Bill,

I just had the sensor gaskets replaced during my last annual. Was 5 hours including filling the tanks and checking for leaks. DrBill

Pics are now posted.. Not great (in Hangar) but I'll get better ones outside this weekend. DrBill (Engineering Dr, Not MEDICAL)

I had the prebuy done my my local A&P. He and his staff took everything out. I asked that they do the 208B- SB and the fuel tank one (223?).. All the plates were removed, belly pan removed, all interior and sidepanels. It was ugly. Naked as a j bird. THe only thing he found was leaking fuel senders. Borscope and engine test. AOK. He was quite impressed with the plane. He compared it to two other Mooneys on the field and this had less problems than any of them. Checked brakes, wheel bearings. We swung the gear. I got in and did it several times as I've never done it before. Checked all the avionics, lights (strobes) etc. Other than the fuel leaks everything was AOK so it's now mine. The mech continued and I now have a new annual. I'll fly it Sunday for the first time (other than with the previous owner) with an instructor. Need 10 hrs of dual then 10 solo before pass. Guess I'll be busy then next few weeks. Bill

Thanks to all who replied prompty. It really gave me some ammunition in discussing this with my co-owners. Last night I went over to my airport and met the other two Mooney owners (both planes '65 vintage) who have planes there. We talked about this issue. Neither owner had his prebuy at an MSC. Both owners understood the owners reluctance and in fact they too were concerned that they did not have enough information about that particular MSC and the possibility of the MSC grounding the aircraft at a significant cost due to "interpretation". Then the airport manager came over and he agreed with the seller. He had a Piper Seneca that he took to a PSC for a prebuy. They found 4 pages of squaks. After 30 days of picture exchanges all but 10 were determined to be "in error". Only after he said he would nullify the deal and take the airplane back did the PSC agree that not all were "airworthy" issues. Unfortunately, the three pilots agreed, that in this economy, the MSCs are used to working on 200K+ aircraft and a $5k bill is 2.5% and tolerable to most owners and really helps their bottom line. To a 50K aricraft ,the same $5k bill is 10% and not something to be considered lightly. The equivalent bill for the $50K AC is $1250. They all recommended our local A&P who works on their AC and will work on mine (and has when I had my Beech). So,I'm making my list of things for him to check in addition to what he normally does. Thanks again for everything and I'll let y'all know what happens next week.

I am looking at buying a 65 E model . The owner and broker are reluctant on me using an MSC for prebuy due to the aircraft age saying they will keep looking until they find enough problems that match the worth of the a/c. Does anyone else feel this way ? In a way, I understand, they will look at all sorts of stuff but then again, that's what I want, isn't it ? They suggest an indepedant mechanic who knows Mooneys. Any recommendations in the North Carolina area ? I could have my A&P do it, who will be servicing the plane for me, he already does 3 other Mooneys but the wife is kind of insisting on the MSC. I appreciate all comments as I told the broker I'd call him back tomorrow morning... Bill Mint Hill NC

Thanks for all the input. I'm looking for a model E and this is my highest concern. Most everything else is normally visible. Bill

Anyone deal with AIRMARK in Lexington KY ? They are listing a 20E I'm really interested in but out of 5 emails I sent them they have only replied to the first. To me, that's not a good start. I wrote a letter to the owner indicating this and asking if the plane was still available. Bill, Charlotte, NC