TWinter

I am a member and will probably renew as my membership is up soon. I agree with both sides of the coin and appreciate the GA representation. I do wish they would keep an eye on the ball and stop trying to do everything. The representation, financial services, flight plan and insurance are probably the best assets they offer. When I say they need to "keep an eye on the ball", well I'm still waiting on the insurance quotes and the return call back to me..this would be from LAST year when I bought my Mooney. They never returned the call. However, on the other hand..I called Falcon Insurance over two weeks ago since they are suggested sponsors on the MAPA and Mooney Pilot sites. The guy I spoke to said they would be glad to quote me. He said he would call me within two days....still waiting? I have no problem w/ my current company. Just thought I would support those who supports our sites. Oh well..Maybe the insurance business is that busy. I'll probably renew w/ my current company in June when renewal rolls around.

I agree..they are great to work with. Nice seat you have there.

Very nice..enjoy!

This will be my first year attending, getting pretty anxious. I tried to go last year and waited too long to get rooms. I made reservations last Sunday and found that most places are already getting booked up. We ended up finding a room 17 miles outside of the city. Just a FYI For any other "newbie" going, start the hunt now. Last year I bought tickets and could not find a room. Money down the drain since we did not go. Driving this year to get a feel for the event. Maybe fly next year...maybe? LOL Hope to see/meet some of the forum members there.

The weather here has been rain, wind and drizzle for three days. I'm having withdrawals. Thanks for taking me along for the ride. Very nice relaxing music with great views.. Thanks

Retired Law Enforcement (Portsmouth, NH)..Later moved to Tennessee and now I currently own two health-fitness centers. Also have some small commercial real estate to supplement.

Hector at Aero Comfort has been great to work with on my projects.

Thanks for the input guys. I'll double check on the 750 price. I have the 650 price in writing and reviewed prior to posting this question. The 750 was a verbal quote after he had given me the 650 price. The exact conversation was me asking, "Well, what if we stepped up to the 750?, my eyes could use the help of the bigger screen", he said about another $2000. Again, I'll double check for sure. I would have the install done for myself, not as an investment. We all know electronics, especially in GA it drops in value like a rock. The 430/530s have been around just over a decade and are already getting to be old news, still great units, but you know what I mean. On the brighter side. The shop has done quite a lot of work for me. Most recently my JPI 830, strobes and rear jacks. We were thinking ahead when I had this prior work done and they did some of the pre-wiring (antenna wiring) knowing at sometime I would put the Garmin in..just a matter of when and what unit. Here is the breakdown he placed on the value of the used: KX155 GS $2000 KI209 $600 KN-64 $1000 I have a shop credit of $750 that he will be applying. So total was actually $12665 After my trades and credit the total was $9065 for the Garmin 650....I'll double check on the Garmin 750. Sounds like if the 750 can be done for the 2K difference it would be a sweet deal. I'll let you guys know the outcome. and yes..I took a look at the yearly fees and comments on the other posts. We wonder why GA is on a decline. No doubt Garmin is way out of line in update pricing. I think gouging comes to mind. Thanks again, Tom

Hey guys (and gals), Looking for thoughts on this. My avionics shop is a little slow so they hit me up on what I think is a pretty good deal, your thoughts?. I have a 74 M20E currently using Garmin 696 as primary GPS w/ Zaon TIS and XM weather. I am VFR, anticipate working torward Instrument in a few years. Business is busy and I just do not have the extra time right now. VFR is working well for me and the type of flying I do presently. Here is what they approached me with: Remove KX-155 w/ GS KI209 KN-64 Install GTN 650 Splitter MD 200-306 They keep the old and install the new for $9065 total. or, I can go GTN750 for about 2K more. The equipment I have now works fine, however, I'm all about updating and the nicer NAV/COM would be great. Is the price so good I need to jump on it or does it seem like a deal I could strike later down the road? Should I spring for the 750 over the 650, are we speaking just a screen size issue?. I plan to still use my 696 in conjunction with whatever. Any thoughts as to the deal and pricing offer? Thanks, Tom

I bought my plane from a guy in NY. It was due for annual fairly soon. He agreed to sell the plane and have the annual done at an agreed purchase price or the option of 2K discount if I took it "as is" without annual, annual was due in about another two months. We agreed that the purchase was to include plane and annual. He would cover any costs over 2K if there where any issues that needed addressed during annual (ended up being a few hundred bucks he had to cover above the 2K). We used G-Force, they had been doing the previous several annuals. I was in constant phone contact w/ the G-Force all week during the annual getting constant updates. He delivered the plane from G-Force to me after the annual, for fuel costs. The annual was billed by G-Force to my CC and he paid the balance on his end when it was done. So really I had 2K as a deposit on the deal. Any major issues during annual and I was off the hook and he would cover all of it as it was still his aircraft and I walk away. Bottom line. I paid for the annual/pre-buy based on feedback from G-Force feedback. I essentially paid for the annual/pre-buy, also paid for a plane ticket to get him back to NY. At that time I did not have complex time so I really had no choice other than to get him to deliver it. The plane was bought sight unseen other than pics and very comprehensive logs downlaoded and emailed to me. G-Force gave me very good history on the plane as I was able to talk w/ the same mechanic that had done the several annuals. As far as your question. Buyer would usually be responsible for annual (if you want a clean bill of health), getting the plane to you and owner home. Otherwise, you and your AP go to sellers base, look it over, take it as is and get it home however you decide. Pretty much all is on the buyer. In the long run it may have cost me a few bucks more, but knock on wood the plane has flown flawless since getting it over a year ago. Good Luck

If you forwarded my info to your broker I never heard back from him. Looks like a nice plane..GLWS

I have a 73 E (there were no 74Es made).I bought mine w/ close to same hours you mention. No Garmin 430 in mine when I bought it. Exterior was good/fair (7 on a 10 scale), interior very good cloth redone within the last 10 yrs. The deal included him delivering with fresh annual. I have very complete comprehensive logs. Just guessing, but I would think mid to low 50K with fresh annual. Hard to tell without pics and more details, but as all have said..it is a buyers market. Over a year period I found old posts where mine was listed high 70s. To say the least I saved over 20K from his prior listings when I bought it a year later. Just like all the rest of us Mooniacs I have redone the whole plane to suit me. I would not even want to add up what we've put into it..don't really care since I don't plan to sell her. I think with good history and complete logs, maybe low to mid 50s. Just my .02

Oscar, You are a better man than me. I would hate to deal with that on a regular basis..I guess you learn to adapt, but as a old pilot, but yet really a newer Mooney pilot I think that those winds would take getting use to. I'm still just a "fair weather/wind" weekend pilot..LOL..gusts at 25+ regularly, no thanks. I am getting better though. The new motto, if it does not break me (or hurt my plane), it will make me a better pilot.

Plane can be replaced or repaired...Glad there were no injuries. Wishing them the best of luck for a speedy outcome.

Thanks for the props guys, we are very pleased w/ the outcome. Next is leather covered yokes and updated panel w/ Garmin package. I guess we really never run out of things to upgrade. I think for now until the checkbook recovers I'll just fly and enjoy. Maybe Sun & Fun in a few months.

You have without a doubt one of the best paint schemes I've seen. The tail sets it off.. I have admired it as one of the best paint. Thanks for the props on my interior. I am very please with the outcome.

A few pics of the new leather interior work, JPI-830 and strobes. Feels (and smells) like a new plane The JPI is a very nice unit. I've been able to really dial the fuel in and I am getting far more fun hours of flying. It's great being able to really monitor the fuel flow while leaning and feel confident about it. 74 M20E

Found mine on EBay

Nice!!

Suction-cup mount from center of the glass was the only place that worked for me. I have a JPI830 mounted on my panel in front of my pilots yoke so no joy there trying to use the yoke mount for the GPS. The glass mount slightly blocks a direct line of sight for fuel level, but since the 830 is installed I have a slight back-up and use it for basic reference. I still leanover very, very often to double and triple check the OEM fuel levels. I've spent hours in the plane while parked in the hanger looking for "just the right spot". I don't know if there is one in such a tight ship. I'll post pics of my panel update soon.

I emailed the gent selling it. Looked like a cool bird to have in the stable next my 20E, but I did more digging and found that while his starting bid is $24K +/- he actually has it listed on some of the aircraft sites for mid to lows $30s. Been on the market dating back to last spring and summer minimum. One ad said he was selling because a friend just had a very bad crash over the mountains of PA and he wanted to get out of flying. Another older ad says he wants a bigger plane? May all tie into the same reasoning, but at $34K I would be a looker only. Engine only has a few 100 hrs left. It had a topend only overhaul few 100 hrs ago. Paint? looks like a good ten footer, interior about the same. At $21-23K maybe a second look as a buyer since it's a cool, slow, open cockpit and rare, I would not put many hours on it, but then there is the parts issue and an overhaul in the fairly near future. In a few years you would have real plane money in a "Fringe" plane..LOL. It would have to be a keeper to make it worth while even at $24K. Just my .02 He seems like a good seller, just not sure the price refelects the possible consequences of what if? and parts availibilty? Plus engine runout time and needed cosmetics.

Actually she did much better than I expected. I think it took about a two weeks or so of me heading out to fly and her staying home (they were very nice days for flying), she knew she needed to get over the fear and was good about giving it another try. The first time flying after the incident we only flew about 10-15 minutes around the airport. I was just glad she went back up. I really thought she may never try again. Finally, after a few more times back up she started to get less apprehensive, but we still run into the issue with her 45 minute anxiety limit of flying even still today. I've spent lots of time explaining to her how emergency situations are handled, I show different landmarks when we fly that we could glide to if we had to. Her biggest fear is engine failure. It will take time, but the Cherokee landing was a set-back for sure. I actually think she enjoys the Mooney much better though, maybe I'll get her up to an hour or more I'm thinking if I take a beach weekend trip this winter and call her telling her I'm sitting on the balcony of a beach-front condo in Florida with a cocktail in my hand she just might try a three or four hour leg. Just maybe....

After many (twenty years) of not flying and also being a low time pilot, less than 100 hrs. I had just gotten back in the saddle and newly checked off again to get back in the air. I had purchased a Cherokee and was really enjoying my newly regained joy of flying. After about a month of flying I starting to get the "warm fuzzy" feeling back and was glad to be flying again. I finally had gotten my other half to join me on some local flights around the city. She is NOT a fan of flying, much less a small plane. We are on about her 8th or 9th time up so she is slowly starting to feel just a tad better each time we went flying. She still has an anxiety time limit of about 45 minutes each time we fly. Then I hear the " That was fun, are we heading back yet?". Well, it's a great day just trolling the city sky and she asks the magic question, heading back yet? I said, Sure lets call it a day. Cutting to the chase...Now as we all know when you have a apprehensive and nervous spouse onboard you are constantly being asked, "what was that noise, is that normal?, or any radio traffic and she says, " Who is that, where is he?..etc. We all know the distracting questions. I'm on final at my local FBO and a pretty day to fly. There is a slightly stiff crosswind. She is still talking and asking about this or that(she means well and is learning..flying is my idea)..back to the crosswind. I'm just about 20 feet from touchdown with full flaps. Speed is good, I'm dealing well with the crosswind and all of a sudden we hear a very loud "POP" and the plane suddenly balloons up. It scared the crap out of both of us..I looked around to see what happened and finally look down and the flap bar at slammed back down and the flaps had gone back to no flaps. I pulled on the bar and it would not re-catch to lock the flap handle in place. We continued to float down the runway using a no flap landing, very sloppy, but got down safely. I guess if I was thinking clearer I could have held the bar with my hand and landed, but it all happened so fast and at the time she had gone absolutely into tears and fear. I got it parked, hangered and took my better-half home to calm her down. Of course I wanted to go back and see what happened. It ended up the small 1" pin in the locking cog at the base of the flap ratchet bar had worked it's way out and just happen to fully fall out just before touchdown. This caused the flaps to retract and the bar to slam down from full flaps. Man it was sudden and loud!!. The pin was laying under the plastic cover at the base of the flap bar near the ratchet. That was lot's going on in a period of about a minute or so. Got it fixed the next day. The next few landings had a slight pucker factor though and I was ready to grab the handle..LOL

Good meeting ya yesterday. Glad you got the vibration worked out.