Mooneymite

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......

Yeah, like move to Florida!

Where is the plane? Maybe someone on Mooneyspace would be willing to ferry the plane for you? I mean, we've all watched that show about repossessing airplanes.

Good overall discussion about oil temps at: http://www.avweb.com/news/maint/182617-1.html?redirected=1 Excerpt of interest: Oil can also bypass the oil cooler if the vernatherm valve is defective. The vernatherm is just like the thermostat on your car's radiator. It's a temperature-sensitive valve that regulates oil temperature by controlling oil flow through the cooler. As a rule, it strives to keep oil temp at around 170 degrees F. You can check the vernatherm's basic operation the same way you would a car's thermostat. Just drop it in boiling water and it should open wide. That's nice, but it really doesn't tell you what you need to know. Be scientific and methodical about this: Get a good, accurate thermometer (or temperature probe on a multimeter) and put it and the vernatherm in a pan of cold water. Start heating the water. (Some mechanics insist that water is not as accurate as oil, and use oil instead, but it's a messier proposition.) Continental vernatherms, for example, should open when the water temperature gets up to 180 or 190 degrees. If it doesn't, chuck it and get a new one. A Continental vernatherm marked 77 C should travel at least 0.090 inches as the water temperature climbs from 120 degrees up to 170 degrees. Those marked 173 degrees should travel at least 0.16 inch as water temperature rises from 135 to 173 degrees. Lycoming Vernatherms....

Yeah....I grew up near Leesburg, soloed at the old Godfrey airport. Property values are crazy up there. We're happy to be where the pace is not so frenetic and my salary goes further. Incidentally, the listed house is not directly on the runway. It is on a taxiway that goes by the horse farm ( http://highflightfarm.net). Short taxi to the runway.

I hope I never find out!

Wow! That's a great picture of your Culver Cadet....Who took it? I can't tell you how many times I've been tempted to buy one, but I bought a Mite instead. Mooney-style efficiency. >>>>>Just looked at your neighbors ad, that looks like a great deal for a nice house and hangar!<<<< Yes, that's a very good price on a very nice property. I suspect I'll have a new neighbor soon. I hope he has aMooney!

All of this highlights the benefits of an owner assissted annual. Staying "in the loop" during the process. Unfortunately, it requires a dedicated chunk of time from the owner. They wouldn't call them "annuals" if they were quick!

You have a very nice community there. I've flown in lots of times in various tail draggers.....nice flat, smooth runway! I think we inherited one of your residents....Lyle, (or his wife) has a Mooney. Come see us! Your moniker....do you own a Culver (cadet?) another Al Mooney influenced plane?

She will definitely fit in....Uh, does it have to be cold?

I'm sorry. To live here, you'll have to call her "LUCY BO".

I don't. Not in small planes, not in any planes. I got stuck in UGN when the wind-chill was -40 last winter. We're more realistic about cold weather flying: You don't fly when the temperature in degrees F is lower than your age in years.

Uh....make him an offer! It's been off/on the market for awhile. Very nice place, but it's the most expensive house on the block....

Well, at least your dog would fit in..... Is her name "Bo"?

I thought you Yankees all had snow tires on your Mooneys!

Zactly! That's what I was saying. We live in a Republic. If voting made any real difference, it would be illegal and only the crooks would do it.

Dang! I'm beginning to think you would fit in! What beer does your dog drink? I hope it isn't some yuppy-puppy brew.

Location, location, location.... Right? When Western Airlines became part of Delta Air Lines, all those California pilots came to Atlanta and thought they were in the candy store. They bought the biggest houses they could find with the change left over from their CA closings...and still had money left over. Drove prices up and kind of ruined the cheap housing here....

Okay....pays at least a million dollars in taxes. Adjusted for inflation.

Is it present on the ground and in flight? Is it present when the engine is not running? (Hopefully on the ground ) Is it present when all headsets are disconnected (on speaker)? Tried disconnecting all mic's? Can you easily switch antennas? You might see if the noise moves with the antenna connection. Keep trying various combinations of radio/mic switches, see if it makes any difference. I once had a persistent "rattle-sound" in my headset that turned out to be a VOR mixer switch....static can also be associated with broken grounding straps. Good luck.

Well, let me turn the question on you: If we want wise people to govern us, why should people who don't pay taxes, own property, or contribute to society's well being in some defineable way be encouraged to vote? For example, we have someone on this board who apparently thinks that ours is a democracy...do you think he's a "good voter"? Are we digging, yet?

Universal suffrage.