231flyer

Almost all of us fly with Chinese made parts in our airplanes. Most of our avionics like Garmin contain sub-assemblies, displays, circuit boards, etc that are actually manufactured in China. Flextronics assembles a lot of boxes for Garmin and other avionics manufacturers. I believe the Chinese will do a good job of manufacturing or assembly (like the iPhone) if they actually move any parts production to China. However, the business case for moving low volume parts just does not exist. For example it makes no sense to move the manufacture of 20 elevator skins to China especially since 90% of the market is in North America. Transportation costs from China are a big hindrance let alone the setup of the supply chain for components. The Chinese already manufacture major components for Boeing and Airbus and China is a major MRO destination for large jets. American Airlines sends most of its widebody jets to Hong Kong (Haeco) for their heavy (C&D) checks. They shut down their huge maintenance facility here in FtWorth and moved all of that work to Haeco. The world has globalized and aviation is no different.

http://www.mooneyworldwide.com/ Enjoy the vision for Mooney!!!!!!

Mooney means Wealthy in Irish. The transliteration of wealthy in Mandarin is considered auspicious by some. Sorry no anatomical references in Mandarin. Btw Coca Cola was transliterated to mean "Bite the Tadpole" when they first went to China.

i would be really surprised if a new M20 airframe is ever manufactured again in Kerrville or in China. As mentioned here its an old design using old aerofoils and old production techniques. The type certificate dictates the production process as much as the design itself. Given the current technology airframes (Cirrus, Diamond, and Cessna/Lancair) it does not make business sense to invest in resurrecting a 20+ year old design. Although all of us faithful love the elegant Mooney wing, donut landing gear, and hinged trim system; there is good reason it has not been adopted by ANY new design aircraft. Cirrus and Continental Motors were purchased by AVIC, the state owned aerospace conglomerate, for their technology (composites and diesel). Meijing is a real estate development company with other group companies involved in mining and construction.....no aviation. I can only guess they were interested in a global brand that can be extended to their domain - real estate. Thus the various renderings of Mooney themed development projects. As China evolves from an export driven low cost manufacturer they need global brands and Mooney was available and cheap. Most of us would be hard pressed to name global Chinese brands beyond Lenovo (PCs) and Huawei (communications equipment) unlike all the Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese brands we recognize and patronize. Mooney serves a very definite need for Chinese business. I do believe they will keep the parts business alive although it probably ends up outsourced it to someone like Aviall (Piper) given the low volume business model. I am not encouraged about a new Mooney aircraft taking to the skies and that's a shame! For all the talk about GA in China the market is tiny. 90% of Chinese airspace is controlled by the PLA (Military) and they are not about to allow GA to flourish. GA flying in China is a royal PITA - plans have to be approved in advance. No spur of the moment $100 hamburger (Chow) runs !

I had similar symptoms on my TSIO360LB engine.....fuel stains visible near the right cowl flap and streaking backwards. On decowling discovered fuel trails near the cylinder bases and the various tubes and structures on the lower right side. Visually checked the lines etc and all seemed normal. Cleaned off the stains and ran the low boost fuel pump. The engine driven fuel pump was spewing fuel on the exhaust, the inner gasket/seal had failed. I had just flown from TX to CO and was fortunate to have avoided an inflight fire. Got the pump rebuilt by Mike's Metering in Tulsa. Although the fuel pump was leaking it was functional enough to keep the engine running without experiencing roughness or anything obvious. The fuel pump showed no external signs of leaking, it looked clean. After the visual inspection was unsuccessful at finding the source of the leak, my mechanic wanted to pressurize the fuel system. Turning on the low boot pump did the trick. Easy but expensive fix......$750 for the overhaul and $500 for the labor.

Check your engine driven fuel pump.

I have an extra set that came off my 231. PM me if you still need them.

I have an extra set I am not using. Took them off my 231 years ago and sat on a shelf. Please PM me if you need them.

pic attached.

I have a bench seat in my 1980 231.....unfortunately no provisions for a third set of seatbelts, I researched when I purchased my plane in 1992.

Yellowstone NP is by far my favorite National Park in the lower 48 even though we have a place 15 minutes from Rocky Mountain NP. We visit often and I have flown into all of the YNP trinity airports (KWYS, KCOD, KJAC). Each airport has something unique to offer although KWYS has the most remote location and lack of development. My friend's dad runs a dude ranch 10 minutes from the airport and she actually grew up in the area. Nice airport with decent facilities including a mechanic. Just make sure you book your rental car in advance and confirm before you arrive. YNP gets real busy in July/August and rental cars are at a premium. Not a lot near the airport so I assume you plan to drive into YNP and its host of facilities. I highly recommend the Old Faithful lodge and the Lake Hotel. Reservations are hard to come by so keep trying and hope you catch a cancellation. Cody WY has the most facilities including several box motels, a Walmart, and a delightful Rodeo. Jackson Hole has nice upscale lodges and hotels and a very vibrant apres-ski/apres-hike entertainment district. KCOD is my preferred airport from KGNB but probably the least scenic of the three. You should definitely plan flights to each of the airports regardless where you decide to base yourself. YNP from the air is a breathtaking experience and should be on every pilots' bucket list. My 231 had no issues with the density altitude but you do need to be careful especially in a non-turbo a/c. ENJOY!!!!!

We are based at KGNB (vacation home) and find the front range to be great for flying when the weather is nice. We fly into KGNB from Dallas and its an easy flight. I cross the front range at 14500 over Corona Pass. For this particular flight I would fly KASE follow SH82 to Carbondale then direct KEGE direct RLG direct KGNB direct Denver if pucker factor is a major consideration. You are always within 25 miles of the next airport. Its beautiful country and unique from the air. Get some mountain flight training before you enjoy. Highly recommend!!!

Xalapa not Ixtapa (auto spell). Ixtapa is on the pacific side.

I assume you are headed down for the fantastic diving around the Belize Barrier Reef, Hol Chan marine preserve, and the Blue Hole.....true wonders of nature and still unspoiled for the most part. San Pedro (MZ10) is the largest settlement on the island and has a small airport with regular Cessna Caravan commercial service from Belize City. Its a short 15 minute flight from BZE so lack of facilities (gas, hangars, MX) isn't an issue but you might be alarmed by the lack of security. I last visited in 2009 and the airport had a perimeter security fence and a strategically placed hole so locals could cross the runway on bikes to the slums on the other side. Security was absent along with any services although the people were very helpful with tying down the plane. You do need to stop at BZE and be prepared to pay dearly for everything. I think Island Handlers still provides agency services and highly recommend you get a service to help you with all the procedures including procuring 100LL at BZE. Lots of Americans around and English is the official language. The pilots at Tropic Air and Maya Island Air are very helpful and will help sequence you as you approach San Pedro. Its all VFR flying once you leave BZE. Don't be alarmed if locals cross the runway as you touch down...they seem to be experts!. We rented a private home on the beach and my wife still claims it was her the best beach vacation ever.. Info at http://www.goambergriscaye.com The transit through Mexico has become very expensive lately though I had no issues with security. MMVR has good facilities but you are better off making pre-arrangements. We used an agent for our entire trip but I believe the FBOs in Mexico will help with all formalities for a fee . I like Veracruz and neighboring Ixtapa. One of my UT college friends is from Ixtapa and I have even driven down from Austin back in the 80s. IMHO Mexico gets a bad rap for security outside the border areas. People are very friendly although things are not cheap anymore. Long gone are the days of $2 cases of Corona . Its an easy flight down with the stop in Veracruz but it WILL be expensive. Its a shame flying into Mexico has become such a hassle and so expensive. AA and UA have direct flights from DFW and IAH and Tropic Air will get you to Ambergris for a lot less money!

I flew from Vancouver to Bellingham last summer on our way home to Colorado/Texas from our great Alaska adventure. You have obviously researched the EAPIS arrival process and are familiar with registering your flight manifest and the all important phone call to confirm your flight and arrival time. Once you land at BLI the US customs post is to the left (North) of the tower and both FBOs are to the right of the tower. I was directed to park almost at the base of the tower (I used Bellingham Aero rather than Command) and was met by a US Customs officer. He looked inside and in the luggage area (we were in my Malibu) but did not ask us to unload any of our bags. We had nothing to declare. We followed him into the office to get our passports stamped and hand over our customs declaration form. It was easy and took less than 20 minutes. Apparently we arrived in the evening between commercial flights so did not have to wait to get processed. I have also done the road crossing and this absolutely beats the hour long wait and long lines. On your way back to Canada you will need to file the outbound EAPIS manifest and make the usual Canadian arrival provisions. We enjoyed BLI especially the entertainment district. We did stop by the Costco and will never ever make than mistake again. It was absolutely insanely crowded......we did not even enter the store. Have a safe flight!!

Break-in procedures are specific to type/model/shop etc and I suggest you get detailed instructions. I hung a GM LS1 on my Lancair IVP and the break-in was quite a bit different than the TSIO 360 rebuild and top on my 231. My comments about test flights is to make sure we understand the risks and follow a well established test flight process. EAA has distilled the process from the airforce, NASA, commercial manufacturers, etc. Overhauled/Rebuilt/New engines will either be fine or DOA, I am certain the Zephyr engine will be well tested at the facility and most shipping damage should be readily visible. The real variable is in the re-installation and a lot of things can and do go wrong. I had an engine fire in my 231 after an annual because my mechanic forgot to tighten the fuel rail to the injectors. They were finger tightened and one came loose on the second leg of MGY-LIT-CRP. These things never happen in ideal conditions and I was IMC at 3000 ft when my engine caught fire with a big bang. Luckily I was able to shutoff the fuel and manage a dead-stick landing back at LIT but it was due to a simple mistake. Please incorporate the specific break-in instructions into a documented test flight plan and have someone knowledgeable review it. Follow your plan............ Don't go and wing it .

I would use the longest runway best aligned to winds in the morning. The first test flight (1 circuit in the pattern) should be a complete non-event. You and your mechanic will have run thru a full ground test at full power and subsequent checks to make sure everything is perfect. This should be followed by a high speed run down the runway to a full stop. Again de-cowl and check thoroughly. Finally do a crow-hop and again de-cowl and check. After this procedure the first test flight should be limited to one circuit in the pattern with the gear down. Again de-cowl and check thoroughly after landing. The next flight should again remain within the pattern but retract gear and plan higher altitude and number of circuits to flight check the other systems. I built a Lancair IVP and followed the EAA test-flight procedures to the letter. I followed the same procedure after my engine rebuild and also the subsequent top-overhaul. Flight testing is a well understood and researched process and you should expect and accept no surprises. I strongly suggest you get the EAA booklet (i think it used to cost $4). A friend of mine built a Lancair 360 and followed the EAA test procedures till the second flight when he departed the pattern to checkout the airplane more thoroughly since everything had gone so well. Unfortunately his engine quit 20 miles from the airport and he had to put the airplane down in a field. The beautiful show-quality airplane was completely consumed by the after-crash fire, luckily my friend and his co-pilot walked away with minor injuries. Btw both are very experienced AA pilots. Please follow the correct test flight procedures or get a professional to do it for you. Good luck!

LOL......all marketing hype ......TBO is just recommended.....you and your mechanic are responsible for making the determination if the engine is in good working order......the industry should be more honest and advise on real world experience like a TSIO 360LB needing a top at mid-time and a TSIO550 sheldom making more than 750 if flow in the FLs. I am always amazed how naive new Pilots assume a mid-time engine with good compressions should last another 800 hrs etc (me when I bought my 231 in 1992). TBO = Totally Bogus Objective!

Flywalt, My original TSIO 360(GB) started collecting sludge after 1600 hrs. I changed my oil change frequency to every 35 hrs and the situation improved considerably. The engine was rebuilt by Continental at 1725 hrs (upgraded to LB) and I have stayed with the 35 hr oil change interval. Sludge build-up is more prevalent in high time engines (mostly due to blow-by and poor scavenging) so more frequent oil changes help manage the situation all else being equal (compressions better than 70/80 etc). Mineral oils are better at scavenging than synthetics but AeroShell 15w50 is a semi-synthetic so it does fine. Continental cams are less prone to corrosion than Lycoming (I also own a Malibu Mirage) due to the location given average usage. The best way to keep your engine healthy is to fly every week and change your oil every 35 hrs. Watch the temp and MP limits.....our engines need more TLC than newer versions but still remain very efficient. I get 170K TAS at 11 gph (11k FT) and compressions are 76/80 or better. Enjoy your plane, I still prefer my 231 for solo XC flights.

In this case the issue may lie with the engine manufacturers rather than the FAA. Use of unapproved lubricants and fuels may negate warranties and in extreme cases the airworthiness. FYI: Blackstone labs quote: ""Many people have very strong loyalties to certain brands of oil. They'll swear by their favorite brand and assure you that anything else is bound to ruin your engine. But we're here to dispel that myth. After nearly 20 years of testing oils from gasoline and diesel engines, aircraft engines, and industrial machines, we have discovered an interesting fact: it doesn't really matter what brand of oil you use. But wait! Before you dismiss us as heretical, listen to what we do recommend. We always suggest using an oil grade recommended for your engine by the manufacturer and a brand that fits your budget. The grade of oil is much more important to performance than the brand of oil. We performed an in-house test, comparing the wear produced by Lycoming IO-360 engines on three major brands of aircraft oils. We wondered if one brand of oil would produce significantly more or less wear in an engine than another. What we found was, the range of metals produced by the oils differed by only 4 ppm. How significant is that? You could have 4 ppm of a metal in your eye and not even know it.""

From the CamGuard web site. CamGuard – The 5% Solution * Turbocharged engine acceptance pending

I have used Aeroshell 15w50 for over 20 years in my 231. Although I live in TX, I fly to the CO mountains quite a bit and the 15w50 is better suited to the cooler mornings at 8200FT. The last I checked, CamGuard was not approved for our Turbo....it may be so now.

I got my IR from American Flyers in Dupage IL in 10 days. It took me 2 extra long weekends (Wed-Sun) with a couple of days in between to go take care of business. I continued into my IR training right after I got my private ticket. My instructor got his dream corporate job with a friend so I was left stranded. The new instructor afforded by the local school wanted me to basically restart my training. American Flyers has a well defined program that involves flying 4-6 hrs a day with 2-4 hrs ground/SIM time a day and a lot of homework. You are required to come with the written out of the way (King or Sportys online). The flying was taxing but not overpowering and my instructor was good. I was brand new to my 231 so I learnt my plane as I got my IR instruction. IMHO there's nothing like hood time to get to know your plane.....no external distractions. i highly recommend AF or similar if you are pressed for time and have a busy work schedule.

I'll be there in N231NJ. Planning to campout Thurs-Sat. I avoid the first day rush and normal everyday rush-hour right before and after the airshow. Early morning (8AM) arrivals are hassle free and always a lot of parking space. Be prepared for bad weather and have a plan to re-position your airplane to another airport if needed. Hope to catch-up with other Mooney jockeys!!!

Quoting an article from FlightGlobal today. I guess its legal to bolt on our ipads to the panel, yoke, floor, etc. I am not sure if they only qualify for the EFB functionality or if the moving map/Traffic/Weather/Standby etc is also legal and for IFR flights.