TWinter

Usually 5-7% of the sale. They will post it in all the usual sites as well as their home page. They will help weed through the tire kickers and real prospects before you as the owner have to be notified or get involved. I was going to list myself and give it a try, but honestly I was really only wanting serious buyers. I think stats show a broker will usually move a plane within 90 days of being listed..usually much sooner. I just listed mine yesterday with a broker and he has already dealt with several calls with one serious looker. We are waiting to get logs scanned etc..I'm a busy person and for me it is worth the commission to not have to deal with people who are not serious. Just like listing your home for sale and hiring a real estate agent or for sale by owner. -Tom

Hello fellow MSers. The time has finally come and I've had to make the tough decision to put 7741M on the market. AirMart is listing and brokering the plane for me. Please check-out their page for details. 41M has taken me on many great trips, lots of firsts and good memories. I truly feel this is the plane that got me hooked on flying again. I'm not hanging up the wings, just changing the sight picture for a while. 7741M is a great bird and has no issues. I wouldn't think twice about starting it up in the morning, tossing a flight-plan in the GTN750 and heading out on a long cross-country. It will make someone a great traveling machine. Still have love for the Mooney and I wouldn't be surprised if at some point I don't have another parked in my hanger. -Tom

Put that on your toolbox as a reminder...Old stuff might look and appear right, but it's still old. It took a shotgun approach of replacement parts and a few thousand dollars until I figured the problem out. Great thing about MS. Maybe the next guy will learn from our money and time spent. Mine sounded right (buzzed and the plane would start if it was in a good mood), by the end it was nearly always difficult. Still had some spark, just not enough to do the job. It was always kind of quirky to start, but I thought it was just mastering the hot start technique. Like I said, after the new SOS it's a non-event and I never dread shutting down for fuel stops or whatever...always a pucker whether it would catch or not..just got worse over time. I wonder how many guys are flying and worried about hot starts when actually most of the problem is a weak or poor performing original SOS?. Glad it worked out and your flying again. -Tom

Mine started getting harder and harder to start. Finally got to the point of screw it, I didn't even want to mess with it or fly. My AP started a shotgun approach to try to fix the problem. It would crank and crank until flood and dripping fuel. Then it was just a typical badly flooded engine. I would go back the next day and try again. I was getting very discouraged. I might get lucky and it would catch and fire up, but was always a gamble and usually a 35-40% chance it might start. This went on for a week. First he suggested a bad left mag..we replaced it. He said it was probably due for replacement anyway as it had been on for many years.. ( I didn't buy that, but he's the expert). So I bought and replaced left mag. Still not better. Replaced the plugs, still not better. Kept working my way down the line...many hours of research of the possible root of the problem and many hours of my own time checking wiring etc. P-Leads, looking for ignitions shorts etc. Bottom line after checking everything possible with exception of SOS box,( it couldn't be that). It was showing all the systems of a properly working box. I've got the buzz, the spark etc..It must be good (Yeah right). I finally caved and took the chance on the SOS and ordered a new one. Swapped them out, pulled out of the hanger and started on the 3rd swing. WOW..could this have been it. Shut it down and repeated 3-4 more times easily, again and again within just a few swings. Even hot starts improved. I keep the old SOS little son of a bit@H box sitting on my workbench to remind me that even if something might look and sounds okay..It's still 50 years old and can fool you. Nearly a year later and starts are a non-event, a few swings and the lion roars. I really think it starts better now than it ever. -Tom

According to my bank account I'm afraid it will probably only be temporary, having the two is getting expensive. I joke with friends and tell them it's equal to college tuition. By the time I found someone in my life that would tolerate me she had already raised her son and I have none. We are both in our mid 50s, so I'm pretty sure life will continue as just the two of us. I have no children and her son and daughter-in-law have done well and make more than I will ever earn, so maybe in the long run they will support us .. So as long as I can support my business and my aviation addiction life is good... I just nickname the planes "College" and the other "Tuition"..Probably what I would have spent raising and putting kids through college. -Tom

Had some time over the long weekend. Did some flying and finally had a chance to get the plane cleaned and detailed from my New England trip. As I was finishing up I pulled both planes out to sweep out the hanger. Took these side by side pics. Had several pictures, these were my favorite.

Just a glance and quick off the top of my head I can see $80k+. I've got most of the same or near equal. I've tried to get pricing on my new project and it took no time for the price quotes to be north of $60k and I have not even included many items such as GDL88, remote audio and so on... I suggest buying something someone has already opened their checkbook to. I didn't realize how much I had tied up in my E until I started to get quotes to get the Comanche near my Mooney level...Has really made me reconsider selling the Mooney and trying to work two planes into my monthly budget. Avionics is an EXPENSIVE upgrade, especially glass. -Tom

Vinyl wrap for now, maybe paint in the new few years. I only had a few pics on this computer of the old, but as you can imagine how the rest of the interior was. The seats, carpet and trim was well worn. The last picture is the finished painted and placarded panel. All in all pleased with the outcome on a slim budget. Going all of it in a non air conditioned hanger in July in Tennessee was not so much fun, but it does feel like a different plane. The paint needs a good buff to bring the old shine back, but that's for later in the season with cooler temps. -Tom

I don't know Lee... She still maintains a climb (be it very slow I'll admit) even on one engine. It might have actually increased my chance to land safely with just one. We did several full engine outs and completely dirty it still maintained controllability. Being a smaller twin I also was a doubter about the flying ability and one engine theory in the Comanche, but I will say it will stay above blue line with careful management. It's not a Baron, Dutchess or something with more HP, but think they don't get the credit due as far as single engine out ops. I would have preferred to find one with CR props, mine does not. So extra attention is due to compensate for non-CR props. Just my .02... I'm only about 50 hrs in it now, so still learning, but really feel it would get me safely to the closest airport on just one engine. Hope we never have to find out. -Tom

Finally got the Twin Comanche out of the 60s. She's not as slick and nice as the Mooney, but it is looking better for a budget build and she is solid as a rock. Love the Mooney, Really like the Twin. The Comanche has 530W, S-TEC 55X A/P, 345 Transponder, FS210, Many speed mods by previous owner. So far I've done new exterior graphics, polished spinners, static cling tint to windows, new interior upholstery, new carpet, repaired broken plastic, re-placarded and painted the dash panel and glare shield. No avionics upgrades other than the FS210. Engines are 475 SMHO. As the old song said, "Torn between to lovers".. Anyway, quick before and after of the Comanche.

MS is a tough crowd to post a for sale ad on. Opinions are strong, sometimes comparable to POA members. Not sure why that is. Several have posted various reasons. Kind of like walking on egg shells if you are not thick skinned. Just like when you sell something to a friend or neighbor. You want to sell it, but he is your friend and neighbor and you want to keep it that way.. I'm hoping to start a new business venture (opening another fitness center in a adjacent town) In the next few months and unfortunately I don't think my wallet can afford two airplane payments and keep them both serviced and flying regular. I'll be putting my E on the market and other than this mention and probably a quick short post in our MS classifieds I won't push it hard on MS. We are a tough crowd, I have a ton invested as I thought it would be my forever bird, so not much was left to do. Not high-jacking the thread, but avionics wise we are very close in comp. 41M is a 74 E and will be listed just a hair north of 100k. I'll be curious to see where this goes and the comments posted. High dollar asking price with lots of mods. Should be interesting. Don't think it will fetch asking price, but I sure wish it would. Good luck Jesse and owner..Maybe we will give WingSwap a try next month.. -Tom

Posting just for fun as I've already had my turn at "show-n-tell", but this is our business promo vehicle. We seem to have quite a few car guy and bike guys so thought I'd toss this out just for fun. There is a GM 350 under the hood. Not a daily driver, but fun for business promo events. Makes absolutely no sense, but fun at promo and charity events. -Tom

Very good research and cool find. I do plan to keep working my through the history...Really interesting, meaningless, but really intriguing to me. -Tom

Managed to save the original backings that were signed. Still plan to follow-up with Piper. For what it's worth this was the new finish. Still lots to do, but a start...and a crappy picture of the new seats. -Tom

Watching to see where this goes..I'm hanging in there, but the air is thin carrying two planes. -Tom

It's got me intrigued. I do plan to have my upholstery guy carefully remove them. I'm hoping to follow-up on this. If I find out more I'll keep the thread going. I enjoy following up on things like this. Keeps things interesting. Still aviation related and not as expensive as Avgas. -Tom

That's kind of what I was thinking. Would be interesting to see if they had record of it. I was thinking he would be in his 80s as well. I've done some basic searches and have not found much so far..still looking. -Tom

I'm having the seats recovered in my Piper Twin Comanche. Took the seats down to the upholstery shop and after my guy started tearing the old covering off we discovered this written on the seats. I posted this on the Facebook PA-30 page and there were lots of folks that enjoyed this..Thought my Mooney guys/gals might enjoy as well. Even though it's not a Mooney it is very cool aviation history. I've had several Piper folks suggest I cut these out and frame them as hanger art or just keep them for the nostalgia. I'm picturing on November 14th 1966, a few weeks before Thanksgiving and just another seat coming down the assembly line and it's close to the end of the day (it was a Monday, I checked) and some line worker on the assembly line thought...Someday someone will see this and say "Wow, how cool. wonder who this WCS guy at Piper was".. I certainly do?. You can tell in the doodle drawing of the airplane he was kind of particular..The detail in the airplane is good, now this other "bird" thing he has drawn...no idea. Maybe his wife was pregnant and he had a stork on his mind.. -Tom

This is what I did. Flew my Mooney to Memphis and picked up my instructor and flew him back to my base. He flew the twin back to Memphis and I left it there until I finished my rating. It was about 55 miles one way (great way to build XCountry time). Just flew the Mooney to and from everyday until I was done. When I finished I flew the twin home and had a buddy take me back then next weekend to get the Mooney. I'm now flying back and forth to the same instructor and school for my IFR. One day I might take the Mooney and the next time I fly the twin. If the wallet is feeling extra thin I always opt for the Mooney to train in.. The plus side is I'm setting a record for hours I flown in a year. Already at 89 hrs this year and still have the rest of IFR training to go and a trip back to New England and also one to the Florida Keys scheduled. That's a lot of flying for me.. -Tom

Great ad.. It should sell quickly.

A few days of IFR training done (3 days). Been mixing it up some. Flew a couple of lessons in the Mooney and a couple in the Twin Comanche. Kind of just brushing the rust off VOR work. Working with the steam gauges is the Comanche and then to glass in the Mooney the next day feels strange and takes a few minutes to get my thoughts lined up, but it's coming along. Probably won't be the quickest or most efficient learning process, but at least I'll be able to fly either under IFR situations. Doing radial tracking in and out, climbing and descending turns while changing altitudes to a specific altitude and timed turns. All back to the basics under the hood. The last time I worked VORs this hard was 20+ yrs ago for PP. It is coming back to me though. Flying with modern GPS as a VFR guy with "direct" has spoiled us over the years. Could have used that IFR to get home yesterday. Took the long way around to get home avoiding summer thunderstorms. The bright side was at least I was flying and not stuck on the ground. I'd rather take the long way home than sit and wait looking out the window. I didn't hit any weather until getting some light rain as I entered the pattern at home. -Tom

We fly fast, so we better be looking good while doing it. You just don't own a Mooney, you own the Mooney lifestyle...zoooooooooooooom

All this hot flying in the south makes me glad I got my PPL in New England during the fall season....I was also much younger and lets just say slightly more "streamline" when I was in my late 20s early 30s compared to 54 yrs old now. -Tom

I'm up for either, the fun or challenge, hopefully the "fun" has a slight edge over the other..lol. I understand the IFR is the toughest though, but I think I'm ready to give it a try. -Tom

Well, as if getting the multi rating in the June heat in Tennessee wasn't enough hot torture I've decided to keep on rolling and jump into my IFR ticket since I've gotten some of the rust off my brain. The training will be at Dewitt Spain M01 in Memphis, same place and instructor I had for the multi. First lesson starts today at 1 pm. I've been working on the ground at home the last couple of years off and on using Sporty's IFR course and whatever I could pick up on my own through whatever resources I came across. I'll be going two days a week instead of the four I did with the multi. Will be using the Mooney for most of the training, but some days with Twin Comanche so I feel comfortable with either aircraft. Hoping to be completed by end of summer. Then onto Commercial during the winter. Hoping for cooler weather this go round....Wish me luck!! -Tom