Mooneymite

As the OP, I am amazed at the incredible collective technical knowledge of Mooneyspace. You guys are incredible...not just in your technical expertise, but your ability to explain difficult concepts to us, "less than brilliant" pilots. However, I have been so distracted by the erudite discussion that I have missed the answer to my original question: "....can anyone explain why Lycoming does not make recommendations for straight weight viscosity based on the average engine oil operating temperature instead of just ambient temperature at startup? " Can I actually use W80 in Atlanta in the summertime if the ground runup ambient temperature is less than about 90 degrees F? My biplane oil temp runs about 190F summer, or winter. Lycoming would have me believe the answer is "Yes, W80 is fine".

I suspect virtually every member of the "runway slide club" would have said he ALWAYS (no exceptions!) put the gear down prior to landing.... right up to the fateful flight. You can be humble and accept that you might forget the gear and need all the help possible, or you can be made humble after you forget the gear. It's a choice.

On Mooneys of that age and era, how is the aft spar? How is the nose gear truss?

Hank, I know you're not serious, but you do highlight the value of using all available resources to ensure a safe flight. Single pilot CRM includes the use of automation...including automation to make sure the gear is down prior to landing...especially when that single pilot is distracted. I remember the pre-CRM days at the airline when the salty old captains felt their manhood and impeccable qualities were threatened by having a copilot offer a suggestion. Pilots who needed CRM training resisted it the most. Perhaps we see the same phenomenon with pilots resisting a persistent voice saying, "Gear: Too low! Gear: Too low!".

Have it your way. We have been preaching procedures, checklists, gumps, and magical incantations for years and years. The gear up landings continue unabated. If the 121 world and expensive planes with EGPWS have figured it out and all equipped with "technology" and have a virtually zero incidence of pilot induced gear ups....why don't we take a lesson instead of thumping our chests that it "only happens to careless pilots"? We can all be "careless pilots" when distracted. Yeah, maybe we don't need the full blown EGPWS, but the landing height system show great promise of a technology based system that will stop the slides down the runway. I'd love to see how much our premiums would be reduced if Mooneys stopped landing gear up, or out of gas!

The 'M` in TBM is for Mooney. https://www.asias.faa.gov/apex/f?p=100%3A95%3A%3A%3ANO%3A%3AP95_EVENT_LCL_DATE%2CP95_LOC_CITY_NAME%2CP95_REGIST_NBR%3A03-AUG-22%2CCARLSBAD%2CN620WG&_hsmi=222166650&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-87xYMMSNLdT5eaDnpGfCEn8IkzX1jHk5ls1Ql3UkpyltkQS6dvpbpuEt97N49LU1pV9jBAn37Nl6qyXq9oUvZRHEzhdA

Question: How many aircraft equipped with EGPWS land gear up in a typical year? Answer: Virtually none. Those that do, are almost always due to mechanical, not pilot failure. Technology is the solution. After years and years of beating up on pilots, procedures, and...touch and goes we can be assured that such is not the solution.

If you want ever-lasting tire tread, land on grass.

There's a qualitative difference between useful load and useless load. The bladders on my (former) Mooney installed in 1991 were trouble free except for having a 20 minute session with a screwdriver to tighten up an access gasket. Were I to buy another Mooney, bladders would be near the top of my "must-have" list.

Bladders.

I seem to remember multiple posts about this phenomenon on Mooneyspace over the years and I have experienced it myself with my O-360. Just a very brief "roughness" then everything returns to normal. When It happened to me, I presumed it was a "bubble" of water that had failed to show up in the fuel sample. No long term ill effects, no answers, no solutions....just an "anomaly". However, as the previous poster alluded, expect this as soon as you go feet-wet on your trip to the Bahamas. "It's all in your head, mon."

Best UV protection is a hangar. Good for paint and plexiglass. Also effective against wind, hail and vandals.

Happily, in a free market, buyers and sellers can do as they please. There's a lot more to a transfer of ownership than just the PPI. If there's no agreement on how the PPI will be conducted, the other 700 steps probably won't go smoothly either. Best that the owner keep looking for a buyer and the buyer keep looking for a seller. Not every combination of Mooney lover works.

So, as a seller, rather than take a chance, it is a simple thing to say, "Bring your A&P/IA/friend/whatever to my hangar and have a look. If you can't do your PPI in my hangar, have a nice day." As long as the airplane is in the owner's hangar, he's in control. Once the airplane leaves the owner's hangar....not so much.

Ha! I guess the insurance companies think statistically I'm way overdue for a crash! Much as I hate the situation, the insurance companies hold all the cards. We just thought the FAA, the big FBO's and the tax man were our worst nightmares. The underwriters have got to pay for the 737 Max debacle one way, or another.