Mooneymite

Awhile back we had to do a Citation XL trip up to Maine to pick up two dogs and take them to West Palm Beach. Nice dogs, but I can't imagine what the bill was even without catering! When you get into the private jet world, it seems money is less and less important than the service.....

Congratulations! Does this card banish the hangar fairies forever?

If you've ever removed an engine sump, you know that there's a build up of goop (that's a technical term for old, congealed, dirt-laden oil ) on the bottom of the sump that didn't flow out during oil changes. While running the engine doesn't assure that all the goop will be put into solution, I suspect that a cold oil change leaves a lot more behind. I would further opine that the longer the engine runs prior to the oil being drained, the more of the offending goop is suspended. You might delay your oil change until your next long cross-country. Come home and immediately drain the oil (and goop). While fresh oil is a good thing, getting the dirt out of the engine is good too.

Landmark loves the monopoly FBO....I'm not sure why airports allow it. Actually, it's pretty easy to figure out....

All well and good, except when prices are headed up, they immediately raise the price, even though what's in the tank is lower priced. They tell me they have to anticipate "buying higher priced fuel". So, bottom line, they have it both ways.

There's nothing like rotten weather to make you feel like your hangar is a bargain!

I just had an email conversation with the guy who runs Landmark Aviation in Roanoke. He says he's going to sell all his high priced fuel at the high price and get another load of cheaper gas before he's going to lower the price at all. It is $7.18 last time I checked. I can understand some small FBO taking this stance since they can't stand to lose much money on fuel. But when Landmark is priced at $7.18 and everything around them is less, I suspect they'll have that fuel for quite awhile. I bought a measley 300 gallons for my home tank and get no volume discount what-so-ever and two weeks ago, I paid $4.58/gallon.....if I can get it for that, just figure what Landmark, buying in 8000 gallon lots can get it for! Notice how slowly the price drops? Wait until someone just mentions that prices may be headed up and the FBO's will be way ahead on raising prices!

Fuel, Fire, Air..... I'd check spark next, but that's just a wag.

I would suggest staying put and seeing how it all plays out. So much of the good/bad will depend on what kind of people you're dealing with. The longer you stay put, the better the chance another hangar may become available.

I spent an entertaining 20 minutes standing in the return line at Walmart..... The things people try! I was actually a little disheartened at what the store refunded in some cases....maybe Walmart is where they learned that this behavior pays?

Please take a look at this present panel: http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/media/062/B-36J%20Engineer.html I think you'll agree, it is a little dated. I really love all the parameters that are monitored, but I can hardly see out the windows! I'm thinking Dynan might have "just what I need". Any suggestions?

Thanks for posting your solution. This is why Mooneyspace is an invaluable asset!

I'm a big believer in "on condition" and "if it aint broke, don't fix it", but as you move beyond TBO, you move into an area where the engine, not you, may decide when "it's time". Yes, the engine will probably give you hints, but nothing lasts forever. My idea of a nightmare would be some small, out of the way location and my airplane needing a new engine. When I was beyond 2400 hours on my engine, a Lycoming rep reminded me that TBO is based on flight hours....tach time includes non-flight hours. He opined that 10% over tach time would be a conservative estimate.

If it's some version of a KT-76, use a hex wrench to loosen it and unlock the cam, pull it in and out of the tray a couple of times to clean the contacts. As I recall, the KT-76 retention works just like on the KT 170 series radios....the one screw accessible through the face-plate controls a nylon cam to loosen and then turn the cam. It is possible to destroy the cam by forcing it....use some care. Gently wiggle the unit side by side rather than trying to pull an unwilling unit from the panel... Naturally the re-installation would be done by a "qualified technician", right?

If you're thinking of making regular trips across the gulf, get a twin.

Vref usually seems to be where buyer and seller "start negotiations".

The on-line magazine "The Mooney Flyer" has a list of Mooney instructors for various areas. Check it out.

Well, I'm now pretty well convinced it is actually a Mooney-secret speed mod. Either that, or it's designed to create a low pressure area above the passenger's wallet.

Several years ago, I asked my tron to fix my storm scope. It would probably be a simple fix; my tron guessed it was dirty contacts on a ribbon connector. Unfortunately, the manufacturer withheld all field repair manuals. Without those, legal field repairs are nearly impossible...no "authority". I ended up sending it back to the manufacturer for a flat rate which was very high for just dirty connections. However, there was no choice other than buying an operable replacement. At least I got a 6 month warranty. Maybe I should have asked the Hangar fairries to look at it.

So, the consensus seems to be that it is a drain hole?

That was my first thought, but it really isn't at the lowest point.

I took off yesterday into cold air and almost immediately there was a squeal coming from the lower aft corner of the entry door. While checking the lower door seal (after I landed. :-) ), I noticed something I'd never paid any attention to....a hole in the door. Do any of you know why Mooney put this hole in the lower aft corner? Do all Moneys have a hole in the door? I apologize for the pictures being side-ways. I haven't gotten the hang of posting iPhone pictures.

Gentlemen, we have a winner!

Aerostar....a newer, pressurized Aerostar.

All discussions of twins tend to concentrate on engine failues and cost of ownership. Both valid concerns. However twins also provide redundancies in other aspects, too. Were cost not prohibitive for me, I would definitely own a twin. There's an old saying in aviation: Security in the air is when you tell your flight engineer "Feather #4", and he asks, "which side, Sir." But four engines is a nice compromise......