FlyWalt

I would really like to hear of your experience here.

After ten years of of aircraft ownership, I am seriously considering pulling my support of this industry. Over the past 12 months I have had three visits to three different maintenance facilities. The increased prices combined with lack of parts availability is bad enough. However, when you add the the lack of labor in these shops, it has me truly worried about mistakes being made that will effect my aircraft and my family. Furthermore, I have been blatantly RIPPED OFF by a used parts shop and a propeller shop in this past year by misrepresentations and lies. In both cases they are shops that I have done business with and used to trust. I spend a lot of money every year, making sure that my aircraft is maintained up to the same standard that I enjoy at my airline job. It is simply necessary in my opinion. I do not carry squawks all year till annual time. I get everything fixed when it breaks. I keep my databases up and watch the expiration dates on required maintenance. But we have to have help from the shops that we are paying for vital services. If the major organizations such as AOPA and EAA are not going to stand up and set a standard for the services that their members receive in the market then why should I be forced to do that job for them. As things are now in General Aviation, it makes more sense and sanity to sell the airplane and rely on the airlines. Or even buy a share at NetJets or PlaneSense. What Say you?

The hill will be a lot smaller in the future. This kind of work will only be given to "Experienced" Mooney Shops. Why someone, (With 3 sets of eyes in the shop), didn't see the rudder going full right deflection while she was on the jacks, I will never know. However, If anyone wants to know of a shop to avoid in Georgia then PM me your cell number. We will talk.

Gentlemen, Thank you for the assistance. We have this issue figured out. In the setup, the standard default is 50 gallons. I have raised to 72. So far I love this EDM 830. Fly Safe, W

I have a newly installed 830 and am still learning it. One issue I am coming up with is on boot up it asks if I’ve refueled. I say yes and then it instantly shows 50 gallons onboard and offers to let me adjust. I try to adjust to full tank which is 72 gallons. But it will only allow me to adjust up by 13.9 gallons. Any thoughts? ive tried to find the reset if this perimeter in the install guide but can’t find the setting. Thanks in advance, W

Good Morning All, I have an overhauled Pitch Servo that is being delivered from Autopilots Central this week. Since there is no avionics shop on the field I have an A&P friend who will assist me and do the sign off. I would like to know if anyone has advise on this install. I am currently reading the installation manual of course. But, wisdom from the group is certainly appreciated. Happy Thanksgiving, Walt

Quick, unrelated question. Is it possible to get GPSS Steering out of a Century 4?

Can someone with a parts manual confirm the following upper truss part numbers and what model they go to? 540004-511 verus 540004-509

EXCUSE ME!!!!!!??????? At that price, I will give up my flying job, rent Edison's ramp space, buy a tug and work there full time managing the aircraft movement and storage. The only reason FBOs charge that kind of crap is because aircraft owners are simply paying the bill. I will be avoiding FXE when we are in the area for Thanksgiving. Thank you for the heads up.

Good Morning All, Here is an update. My IA advises that the replacement truss that was sent turned out to be the wrong part number. We have found a replacement unit on the shelf at one shop. Thank god as I had worries of waiting 4 to 6 weeks to have our original repaired. What makes this incident especially agitating is that I"ve just 6 months without an aircraft due to our engine shop waiting for parts for overhaul. The FBO where the engine shop is located, damaged the truss on delivery day. What a quagmire of AOG time. Sickening to say the least.

Good afternoon, I am on the hunt for an undamaged upper truss for a 1980 M20K. If anyone has one on their shelf, please reach out to me via PM. Thank you in advance. Fly Safe, Walt

That is exactly what I was thinking when I was running it through my mind last night. They are good guys. But its a newer shop and these guys are young. However, from now on, major Mooney work will be done by our local MSC which is just an additional hour north of this shop. Oh and no more towing is allowed with a tow bar.

There was no kick on landing. That is the weird part. It centered itself after full retraction. And then there were no abnormalities when the gear was extended. I certainly will post the final answer here. RIght now the mechs are working on it.

"Didn't you see this on the gear swing after the nose gear work?" No, as I am the owner/pilot, not the mechanic. And the shop is 85 miles from my home base. Thus, I was unable to watch this process.

Good Morning All, 'Last night I had to reject my aircraft after a test flight. The work being tested was the installation of an upper truss and new shock discs on my nose gear after a towing incident at an FBO. After liftoff, while the gear was in transit to the up and locked position, I noticed a movement of the rudder pedals to the right with a corresponding yaw to the right. This lasted for a few seconds and and then righted itself back to the center. I came around in the pattern and then lowered the gear for a low pass for visual confirmation of gear down. There was no yaw at all during gear extension. During the low pass, the mechanic on the ground advised me that the nose gear looked good. I then did a go around and retracted the gear. Same exact experience when the gear came up again. The rudder self activated again to the right along with the corresponding yaw to the right. Then it centered itself again. I came back around and landed without further issues and advised the IA of my findings. It is back in their shop for evaluation. Does anyone have insights or suggestions that can help? Thanks in advance, Walt

Good Morning All, I just received a replacement upper truss for our nose gear from a shop that damaged ours while towing. There was no paperwork in the box. Shouldn't there be an 8130 form that accompanies this part certifying its airworthiness and where it was repaired? Thanks in advance, Walt

Good Morning All, I just received a replacement upper truss for our nose gear from a shop that damaged ours while towing. There was no paperwork in the box. Shouldn't there be an 8130 form that accompanies this part certifying its airworthiness and where it was repaired? Thanks in advance, Walt

No I do not. I’ve only owned this aircraft for 18 months. From the looks of the gear paint I’d say she has been beat up in her past though.

Good morning all, I am at a new shop that has a good bit of Mooney experience. They found this damage on one of my nose disks. Have y’all seen this kind of damage before? Thanks, Walt

This is a GREAT point. And I totally agree with you. However, this is not about a litigious society. There is nothing worse than walking into a market, Aviation or otherwise,, spending your money to get said product or service and then having to fight and negotiate to get what you paid for. Doing the right thing doesn't mean doing the easy thing. When a mall is populated with stores that get a bad reputation for stealing from their customers, who simply want to pay a fair price for products or services, all of the stores will suffer. Eventually that mall closes due to a lack of patronage. The same will happen with General Aviation unless they fix their problems: Litigious society or not.

To be perfectly honest though, following my recent 5 month long engine overhaul nightmare which included: 1. Contintenal's non delivery of cylinders 2. Other companies not able to send us parts 3. Staffing issues causing a myriad of other delays at outsource shops 4. Rising prices that far exceed the price of inflation And in addition to this, some scum bag shops such as a certain avionics shop in Griffin, Georgia that scared up my MT propeller with a tow bar and socked me with the bill...... I am SERIOUSLY considering pulling out of general aviation. If the industry players such as Continental can't support their customers, then why would we want to support them.

Having looked at a few of the Turbine Bonanzas, and their performance numbers, the chief advantage is the ability to get up high, very quickly. I will opt for a PA46 or TBM if I ever go turbine.

Has there been any progress on this project?

Hmmm, I wonder if this should be the test bed for a turbine conversion.

Clarence, A Sincere Thank you to one of the great mechanical minds on MooneySpace. We greatly appreciate it. Walt