exM20K

speculation over on BT and 2nd hand reports that the prop came off. Pics don't show any prop evident. https://www.theledger.com/photogallery/LK/20200213/NEWS/213009975/PH/1 very sad, and a horrifying scenario to imagine. -dan

"Everybody Knows" what keeps an aircraft aloft is Money.... Lots of money. -dan

@Nick Pilotte for sure no offense taken by me. I've dealt with this G1000 Garmin vs OEM stuff for years with Diamond, and I don't think it is a show stopper. Only in one case (a handful of IAP's were suppressed) has an update been required, and that instance has been fixed. The G1000/GFC700 is an excellent, reliable combination, and while it may not be upgraded to include new functionality, it is very capable as-is, and I am not concerned about support/upgrades. Naper Aero is a very nice place to live - PM me if you'd like a tour sometime. -dan

JGG; Thanks for the concluding thoughts. This paragraph resonated with me: I was close-ish to selling the Acclaim S and buying an R-STOL 340 last year. Now I have another validating datapoint supporting my decision, and one can never have too many of those! Enjoy retirement and low-stress flying as you spoil the granddaughter. dan

Why would you think that? If you can find an owner who must sell, you could probably get a lot of airplane for not a lot of money. I suspect, but do not know, that the used, late-model Mooney market is not great for sellers at the moment. -dan

dupe.

Yowza! I elected to hop on the germ tube for a Chi->DFW three-day meet this past monday. The PAX I was to pick up nearby had the flu, the weather mid-week looked challenging, and I *had* to be back Thursday. That's an easy three strikes. One of the biggest go/no go challenges I find is mid-range icing forecasts (2-3 days). I wound up looking the soundings model forecasts on Windy.com. I'd probably benefit from the live seminar in this area. Will you be doing any live seminars again? Or is there one of the for-sale webinars on your site that would cover this? -dan

When my 231 got to that level of oil consumption, oil was very evident on the belly and the tail tie down ring. It is a lot of oil. So if it is getting burned up, I’d check the turbo seals and get a good look at the cylinder walls. While it’s unlikely that the walls are glazed at 1200 hours, there could be one or more that have surface corrosion, which would account for the oily plugs and consumption. -dan

This is an excellent idea. I usually align heading bug with runway heading and hit the Go Around button so that the command bars give me Vx pitch on climb out. I guess it would be a 2 button push for me... FLCH & AP. -dan

Not that I’m aware of. I do have the most recent software, I believe. Will try to update this post with software version number later this weekend. -dan

Not sure, but that’s the word I’ve gotten from Super-AME Dr. Bruce Chien

Just got my crisp, new 3rd class today. Yay! surrendering the old one which has been in my wallet for two years got me thinking: It was in really bad shape. The Feds don't want them laminated, and the certificate just gets all beat up in my wallet. So... why not just keep it in the plane? I really don't fly any other planes currently, so is there really any downside to leaving it (and maybe my pilot's certificate) in the document folder in the plane? I can't think of any obvious reason not to. -dan

On my 231, I lost a copper nozzle. One thing to be alert for is letting the tether for cowl plugs slip between the back of the spinner and the front of the cowling. It can get hung up on the nozzle. -dan

I flew some in this plane when @MooneyMurph owned it (Hi, Jim. Still here?) The new paint and panel look great. My distant recollection aligns with most power increase mods: most evident benefit is in T/O and climb, especially when high/hot/heavy. -dan

Not when operated LOP ;-) Bravo and acclaim guzzle tons of fuel in the climb, and there is plenty of leftover, unburnt fuel to make CO in that flight regimen. Both my Mooney’s have shown 30 ish levels of CO in taxi and climb. No biggy for me. -dan

A 120 KIAS climb in a 310HP Acclaim will get 12-1500 fpm climb all the was to the flight levels, which means that for the entire climb and for some distance after, a return to the departure field is easy-peasy. Very nice capability to have for sure. Even the stock Acclaim covers 42 nm in a cruise climb from SL to FL240. Glide is > 2NM / 1000 feet of altitude, so there you are... -dan

Someone considering using this fluid may want to check Ph and specific gravity against the spec. Those, I believe would indicate if it’s ok to use. Spec is on DW Davies site somewhere. -dan

Lol. one of the design challenges that's obvious is one that Mooney faces in trying to get more useful load: where to stick the nose gear? Hence, the tacked-on housing below the cowling. Ugly and perhaps will be refined before production. -dan

thanks. i knew something sounded wrong about 285....

285HP is stock. 310HP is an STC owned by Bob Minnis. Stock redlines at 2500RPM. STC redlines at 2700. -Dan

Mine set itself free a few weeks ago. Local shop had no problem finding one: 880024-003 $78.55 If you'd like to know where they got it, PM me. -dan

Diamond is about to find out with the DA50 -dan

No pictures from this morning's flight, and it was all of .1 or .2 on the tach: LL10 to KARR to get a COM antenna replaced. 310HP Acclaim with only 30 gallons on board, on a windless, bright 12* morning. Climbed out like a homesick angel, traversed the snow-covered landscape, and touched down with barely a bump. What a way to start the day: a memorable 6 minute flight. -dan

With great sadness, I'll agree with this. It's a great time for those who can afford a SETP. -dan

The flight you describe is basically the same in the Mooney. Yes, we have to put gear up and down, but Cirrus pilot has to unpin and re-pin the parachute. One big difference: I climb and cruise way faster. Ramp appeal is very different. My acclaim was recently nestled into a tight MX hangar in front of a new SR22T. That plane stands much taller, is much wider, and the two doors are more welcoming than crawling into my Mooney cave. The plane feels more substantial to the non-pilot, and Mooney really never has an answer for that emotional comfort level on the part of the non-flying SO. Maybe Mooney had the right idea with the to doors, but perhaps too little, too late. -dan