Bob_Belville

I probably have 1500 hours flying with a 900. I would not pay much extra for that feature. Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

I’m based in NC and file IFR virtually always but when I toured the West a few weeks ago after Oshkosh from KCUT all the way around to KPWA I stayed VFR with Flight Following. I had no interest in going IMC in those mountains. This route should work at 10500’ or even 8500’ following the pass through the mountains that are not a lot a lot higher than our NC Appalachians. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The 900 does not rotate the display with aircraft heading changes. The 950 might, I’m not sure. In my experience that’s not very important since I clear the display frequently. 10 minutes ago is ancient history when maneuvering around CBs. My 90 is 360 degrees. The range is selectable from 200 nm down to 25. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

My ‘66E got a SWTA panel in 1997 which I replaced in 2012. The new panels are in one plane and are somewhat taller than the original. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Erik, Bennett Avionics is a good site to get a feel for relative values. Their prices are high but you'll get a feel for the market. https://www.bennettavionics.com/stormscope-strike-finder/

I like the warm, fuzzy I get from a nice clean Blackstone report... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I’m with Byron, I have a 900 which I had overhauled shortly after buying the plane. I agree that I don’t like to fly w/o a Stormscope. Even though I have a GTN and an Aspen I have the panel space and I prefer the stand alone display to adding more info on the GPS screen. I clear the SS pretty frequently when there’s CB activity. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

John, quite a few MSers use @AGL Aviation, MSC at KMRN. Their current flat rate for an annual on a NA Mooney (M20-M20J) is $1840 according to their published list: https://aglaviation.com/pricing-rates That price includes changing the oil but not the cost of the oil or the oil filter which the owner is free to supply if they'd like. My memory is hazy this morning but I think the flat rate book for an M20 C-J is 32 mh. Not more, might be less. Lynn Mace has many years experience on Mooneys and catches a lot of stuff overlooked or ignored by non-Mooney mechanics who may have done the previous annual(s).

Like the best teachers we had in school, at least before Ms. Smarty Pants Google, some of our MS experts know we'll learn more looking something up than being given the answer. (A few of you may remember Sydney Harris, a widely read pundit who has probably been dead 30 years. Every so often his column was titled "Things I learned while looking up something else".) I never know what I might discover while trying to be a little less ignorant in some field...

Hey Dustin, no intention of worrying you. Perhaps those cables have been replaced and the original knobs retained. McFarlane says engine controls have a useful life of about the engine's. But it's your plane and any advise you get here is worth what it cost you. Or less.

When one posts a pic on MS he/she should be prepared for comments that don’t address the issue at all. So... I’d suggest you do some checking on the condition of the engine controls. The throttle, mixture, and prop all appear to be original... well over 50 years old. If a cable comes apart in flight it can get exciting. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

My old E has one more advantage vs. newer Mooneys... the Precise Flight speed brakes are neither vacuum nor electric, they’re mechanical. Deployment/retraction is almost instantaneous using a lever between the seats, beside the gear JBar. Installed in 1997 and other than annual lube no fuss. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That choice is not obvious to me. I want the EI device to be the hot one on start up to enjoy the heralded easy starting promise so I would think that means replacing the left mag, not the right one which is the non-impulse couple mag that is grounded when the ignition switch is held to the right. BICBW.

I don't know... has anyone used it as a drag racer? Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

@AGL Aviationis the MSC at KMRN (Morganton NC). Good folks and they know Mooneys.

I have 64 gal bladders in my old E. I usually cruise at 8.2 gph LOP and 140 ktas if near gross, 145 if lighter. Range is awesome, over 800 nm no wind. At my age a gallon antifreeze jug is a necessary accessory.

No argument here...

An oil change is $100 +/-. Include it if you like, it doesn't change my point, does it? For the record, I wouldn't change the oil with 10 hours on it unless it for something like 4 months or more old. ISTM that oil, like fuel, is a consumable, pretty easily accounted for on an hourly basis, whereas the cost of the annual is, well, and annual cost and mostly fixed whether you fly 30 hours or 5 times that in a year. If I fly 70 hours a year and change the oil at 35 hours is the mid year oil change part of the "annual" or only the one done while the plane is being "annualed"? If not, why not? consumables - fuel, oil, oil filters maintenance and repair improvements - avionics, instrumentation, paint, interior, airframe mods "fixed" cost - annual inspections, insurance, hangar... Only the first category is directly proportional to hours flown. The second may be somewhat so but planes rust out, they don't wear out so zero hours will not mean zero maintenance in the long run. The 3rd class is mostly discretionary and proportional only to the amount of money available. TEHO

In the responses above there's an obvious disparity on the definition of "annual". IMO, the "annual" is the inspection by an IA required under part 91. That cost should not include any deferred maintenance and improvements that are done by the A&P coincident with the inspection. It probably should not even include the cost of an oil/filter change. I would say it should include lubrication, wheel bearing repacking and similar PM. Our pros might tweak my definition. My annuals have never exceeded 2 AMU for the shop to do it all and are usually well under 1 AMU for owner assist in my hangar by our MSC A&P/IA now that I'm equipped and experienced. Now, when we replaced the windows, added to the fuel bladders, installed CiES level sensors, etc. while the plane was down for annual my bill from AGL was higher but it's confusing, osistm, to lump such $$$ in as a "$10,000 annual". I would contend that maintaining a vintage Mooney that's flown regularly and lives in a hangar is not very expensive... once a new owner gets any deferred issues brought up to snuff.

That should be possible... the removal is probably straight forward, in my case (recessed) the technician had to loosen JPI RAD to be able to get to a button on the top of the Aspen to free it. It took a little head scratching. You’d want to get shipping instructions from the shop. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Today I flew over to my avionics shop where the Aspen PFD was pulled and sent to Aspen. I flew back home to keep the plane in the hangar until the unit comes back. (The pitot static connection seal when disconnected so bu asi and altimeter work. Should be 3 weeks or a little more. That’s 10 business days at Aspen plus transit time both ways. FWIW, the flight home was w/o vsi and dg. VFR only. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Careful, as you probably know, if you’re a PP, flying part 91, you can share costs but you cannot charge. Someone else can provide the details of the distinction. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

ISTM, aircraft ownership is more satisfying if you understand that a plane is not an investment.

@Pilot boy, use the search function here. There are several threads you'll find useful. Having said that... Maintenance: a vintage Mooney is well built airplane. Maintenance costs for a new to you plane will depend upon how well previous owners have kept up with the upkeep. A plane with cursory annuals and deferred repairs will mean a new owner has outsized bills for the first few years. Once everything is caught up maintenance need not be but a few thousand a year. Fixed costs of owning any airplane: insurance-about $1000 for $50k hull and an instrument pilot with time in type, hangar-all about location, check with your airport(s), annual inspection-$2k +/-, perhaps subscriptions-up to $1k. (The Lycoming engine and most of the accessories - starter, battery, alternator, vacuum pump, mags, brakes, carburetor or fuel servo - in a vintage Mooney are common with other brands and their individual lifespan is a mystery. Most of that stuff costs several times what it seems it should.) Mooney specific issues: there are a few items to look out for when buying. Get a mechanic with as much Mooney experience as possible to do a PPI. Ask him/her to tell you about spar corrosion, wet wing fuel tank leaks, gear pucks... that first item is causing the scrapping of nice looking Mooneys more frequently as the fleet ages. Be sure the aircraft logs make sense, has the plane flown regularly? Log book entries document what was done. In many cases you'd like to know why. That may sound intimidating. OTOH, Mooneys are, even in a strengthening market, a bargain compared to most other brands. Apparently trade in Skylanes and Archers is great, easy to sell strong prices compared to Mooneys.

Basic question: From the Surefly Site: SIM4N - 4-Cylinder Non-Impulse Mag Replacement Replaces 4-cylinder non-impulse coupled magnetos on Lycoming & Continental engines. 4.0 lbs. SIM4P - 4-Cylinder Impulse Coupled Mag Replacement The vast majority of 4-Cylinder applications will replace the impulse coupled magneto. 4.4 lbs. So, what about replacing left mag with SoS (shower of sparks)? I'd assume I need the "P" but I don't want to order the wrong model.