Working Manual Gear - What I Learned...

[Wildhorsesracing]

Point/touch that green light as a ritual as well as "Yanking on your johnson".

 

I always refer to it as "my johnson is UP!" 

[FloridaMan]

I always give the handle a twist after changing from up or down. Having that handle pop up and hitting your elbow while you're in the yellow arc will get your attention. 

[furledd]

I have had bottled water roll and block my lockdown before. Luckily didnt break the bottle. Also, right side seat belt because the last passenger didnt fasten the belt when he left the seat. Now its on my checklist!

 

For a while i had a lot of resistance to raising and lowering the manual gear. Turned out when the A&P reshimmed my steering horn to try and correct a shimmy he made it so tight it was dragging hard - you had to be Hercules to get the gear up and down.

 

Turns out, the shimmy was fixed by the service bulletin that I found online - on proper overcenter orientation of the front wheel - my mechanic who did Mooneys plenty before had ever seen that bulletin. Anyway, dont let anyone say your front wheel shimmy is ONLY due to a loose or worn steering horn. Its mainly the overcenter adjustment that affects shimmy, not horn wear. My shimmy went away after that even with a relatively worn horn bushing. Anyway, once we removed the shim and boy what a difference. When lowering the gear it should basically jump right into the down lock with no effort, and raising it right after takeoff should be like closing the door, if all is adjusted right. Even your mother can do it

[ryoder]

I learned to love the manual gear. The thought of flying anything else is repulsive. Weird isnt it?

[carusoam]

Back in the day...

You would have been a mechanical engineer.

A slide rule would be your favorite desk ornament.

You really dig mechanical HSIs. BK is your favorite brand.

Your favorite watch is a self winding precision mechanical device.

Must be tough being a young guy enamored with an old guy sport....

Manual gear is cool,

-a-

[Bob_Belville]

When I can no longer swing a Johnson Bar I'll hang up my googles.

[dcrogers11]

For something really different, fly in the right seat and try to bring the gear up.  I let a friend/pilot fly left seat and I was going to take care of the gear for the non-Mooney pilot.  It was like the first time I had sat in a Mooney.  Funny thing how much muscle memory there is that doesn't transfer to the other side. 

Don