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How many Mooneys do you have on your field?


StinkBug

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Let me see.

One K

A nice red E I believe.

Another E that is inside a hangar and flys regularly.

An F that has never flown as far as I know.

Our J.

Another J that splits its time between here and Arizona.

One more that sits outside and never moves. The owner at least cleaned the mold and mildew off it a couple months ago.

That makes 7 that I know of.

Bob

I was at S50 a few months ago looking at N10HV when it was for sale and it seemed like there was a Mooney in every covered row.

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...

the FAA really, really needs to create an experimental category for certified planes like this. I think if you could just work on it yourself and could equip it with lower cost parts that the kit guys enjoy, more people would take on projects like these.

In Canada, we have a "Special Certificate of Airworthiness - Owner-maintenance" category that does just that.

Lots of restrictions: plane can NEVER EVER be re-registered as certified and it would not be allowed into the US, nor can it fly over US airspace even though not landing.

At the entry door there has to be text saying " THIS AIRCRAFT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS" and all life/time limited parts (engine, prop and so on) must be permanently etched with an X after the serial number.

Needless to say, that would dissuade passengers and kill the resale.

On the other hand, better than turning Mooneys into beer cans.

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In Canada, we have a "Special Certificate of Airworthiness - Owner-maintenance" category that does just that.

Lots of restrictions: plane can NEVER EVER be re-registered as certified and it would not be allowed into the US, nor can it fly over US airspace even though not landing.

At the entry door there has to be text saying " THIS AIRCRAFT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS" and all life/time limited parts (engine, prop and so on) must be permanently etched with an X after the serial number.

Needless to say, that would dissuade passengers and kill the resale.

On the other hand, better than turning Mooneys into beer cans.

That placard would definitely not be considered confidence building to passengers. Lol

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In Canada, we have a "Special Certificate of Airworthiness - Owner-maintenance" category that does just that.

Lots of restrictions: plane can NEVER EVER be re-registered as certified and it would not be allowed into the US, nor can it fly over US airspace even though not landing.

At the entry door there has to be text saying " THIS AIRCRAFT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS" and all life/time limited parts (engine, prop and so on) must be permanently etched with an X after the serial number.

Needless to say, that would dissuade passengers and kill the resale.

On the other hand, better than turning Mooneys into beer cans.

 

Yes I have read about the Canadian owner maintenance category and it's not what we need here. It goes too far. All I'm asking is to have the same privileges that a guy that buys a used Lancair IV-P has. An airplane with twice the performance and all the exact same capacity to kill passengers as mine. That guy can modify his plane all he wants, he can do all the work on it himself with no need for an A&P, or IA, fly it everywhere, just the same as me and the only caveat is he has to have his annual done by the builder, or a A&P. I want to file the paperwork, slap "EXPERIMENTAL" on the door and panel and enjoy the same freedom and the savings.

 

What is the difference if the aircraft was originally built by John P. Winkleheimer or the Mooney Aircraft Company?

 

It's true that this new category of plane might not be able to cross the borders for some time, but I believe that if it becomes popular like I believe it will, that will change in time. I'm OK with it. the lower 48 offers a lot flying! I also believe that there should be a road back to certification for the airplane if desired. However it would be expensive and extensive. Complete overhaul of the engine and prop and a throughout "strip search" of the airframe and everything returned to either the original Type Certificate, or STC by a certified FAA repair station with IA sign off on all of it.

 

Many owners have no interest in working on their own plane and so might discount this category, but I envision a whole new cottage industry springing up to create modifications and upgrades for our planes at a more reasonable cost. Imagine the Lo Presti cowl for $5,000. That's what a whole new modified cowl for a Vans RV costs. Imagine a diesel Mooney that has the Delta Hawk engine in it. Imagine new interiors with improved lighting and ventilation all at much lower costs. Imagine a brand new IO-360 for $25,000 instead of $35,000. New glass panels with FLIR and SV for $5000. You get the picture.

 

I believe many owners would still have their same A&Ps do all the work, but would flock to the category for the great technological advances and cost savings. This is why I believe that this category along with the elimination of the 3rd class medical is paramount to the stabilization and perhaps even revitalization of GA. It would mean more pilots, more planes flying, more jobs and more GA industry at the risk of the GA accident rate slipping a little bit. It's well worth the trade off IMO.

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I would be happy if we could just install the same avionics and engine monitoring stuff that our experimental brothers can.  I could get an engine monitor with fuel flow and all for a quarter the price. Oh well its never going to change I'm just glad they still let me have some air space.

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  • 3 years later...
On 4/30/2015 at 8:06 AM, mpg said:

I dont have a Mooney, a plane, or a home base,  but Bremerton Nat. is closest to me @ 7.5 mi...

Anywhoooo  there is a 75 M20 F tied down there for at least the last month.

It is N7452V,,,  I looked it up, it belongs in Colorado,   and some words to the effect

that they have notified the owner 3,,, times to renew his registration!

I was just at KPWT this morning for breakfast, great little restaurant on the field, pulled in and parked next to this nice looking Mooney, upon further inspection, the tires are flat, Moss, gunk growing under the wings and moldy foam stuffed into the cowl, it has a nice paint job, somebody loved this bird not too long ago and now it rots, horrid shame, unfortunately, I am not in need of another project, but....

099C5D71-E842-405D-B5CF-07B9C501E514.jpeg

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1 hour ago, M20C_AV8R said:

I was just at KPWT this morning for breakfast, great little restaurant on the field, pulled in and parked next to this nice looking Mooney, upon further inspection, the tires are flat, Moss, gunk growing under the wings and moldy foam stuffed into the cowl, it has a nice paint job, somebody loved this bird not too long ago and now it rots, horrid shame, unfortunately, I am not in need of another project, but....

So would that count in the airport Mooney census?

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15 minutes ago, Hank said:

My airport Mooney census is simple:  one. My airport census is also simple:  one flying, two parked for a decade or more . . .

At my home airport, KCLM, there are four Mooney’s including mine, all are in hangars, but no clue on how much they are flown outside of my own, the one I brought up was from a previous post, probably should have started a new thread or found one of those existing rescue a ramp queen, just sucks to see such a nice plane sit and waste away, no matter the airport

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5 on our field, 2 in a large community hanger, 3 in closed T hangers. 
 
My M20E, one M20F, and 3 M20Js. At least 3 of us are on MS.
 
I suppose there 40+ planes based @ KMRN, all in some kind of hanger except 3 abandoned, un-airworthy planes: a 150 (152?) from a disbanded flying club, a Bonanza whose owner is serving time, and a Navion whose owner's whereabouts is a mystery. These are tied down in the grass behind a hanger leaving our ramp tie downs for transients. 


Since the thread has been resurrected I will update KMRN. My E and Buddy’s F are still here but the 3 Js have been replaced by AGL’s C, a J and another J with a big engine.
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I'd say at least 15 tied down on our field. There is the M20s I fly, a M20F, and 2 m20J's right next to my tie down. going around john wayne, there are 4 or 5 other long bodies, a couple of M20ks, but the short bodies don't seem to be around. I think there was also one or 2 acclaims on the field. thats Tied down. maybe another couple hangared.

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5 hours ago, M20C_AV8R said:

I was just at KPWT this morning for breakfast, great little restaurant on the field, pulled in and parked next to this nice looking Mooney, upon further inspection, the tires are flat, Moss, gunk growing under the wings and moldy foam stuffed into the cowl, it has a nice paint job, somebody loved this bird not too long ago and now it rots, horrid shame, unfortunately, I am not in need of another project, but....

099C5D71-E842-405D-B5CF-07B9C501E514.jpeg

i wrote my quoted post in 4-15,, 

in 3-17 i bought a 66 cherokee pa-28 140 as seen in my avitar.

i flew it home from boise in 6-17,,,

you can see it in your pic tied down on the other side of that mooney,, 

it is grey and blue...

it is named,,,  Camouflage.....

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16 hours ago, M20C_AV8R said:

I was just at KPWT this morning for breakfast, great little restaurant on the field, pulled in and parked next to this nice looking Mooney, upon further inspection, the tires are flat, Moss, gunk growing under the wings and moldy foam stuffed into the cowl, it has a nice paint job, somebody loved this bird not too long ago and now it rots, horrid shame, unfortunately, I am not in need of another project, but....

099C5D71-E842-405D-B5CF-07B9C501E514.jpeg

According to FAA de-registered canceled in January of this year. :(

Looks like it could be a nice 1975 F model with some TLC.

 

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17 hours ago, M20C_AV8R said:

I was just at KPWT this morning for breakfast, great little restaurant on the field, pulled in and parked next to this nice looking Mooney, upon further inspection, the tires are flat, Moss, gunk growing under the wings and moldy foam stuffed into the cowl, it has a nice paint job, somebody loved this bird not too long ago and now it rots, horrid shame, unfortunately, I am not in need of another project, but....

099C5D71-E842-405D-B5CF-07B9C501E514.jpeg

US Army sticker on the cowl.  Looked up the owners name on the US registry and found a corresponding result on google referencing a military promotion.  Possibly sitting while the owner is on deployment? 

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1 hour ago, DualRatedFlyer said:

US Army sticker on the cowl.  Looked up the owners name on the US registry and found a corresponding result on google referencing a military promotion.  Possibly sitting while the owner is on deployment? 

If possible, I would be more than happy to help him out by checking in on it once and a while, helping to keep the tires up and the grime off it, if I could get a hold of them, note, the FAA registration lapsed so I am not too optimistic that it was a promotion, normally military personnel are pretty good about their business and would have at least addressed that, however, life happens. I hope your right and that is the case, its such a nice plane to sit and waste away on that ramp.

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Up here in CSE4 (Lachute QC) we have 3 E's, 1 K, all of them still flying regularly and a C that has been sitting on the East ramp for awhile without a prop. Lately, a prop was added, so should be flying in the near future...

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1 hour ago, M20C_AV8R said:

If possible, I would be more than happy to help him out by checking in on it once and a while, helping to keep the tires up and the grime off it, if I could get a hold of them, note, the FAA registration lapsed so I am not too optimistic that it was a promotion, normally military personnel are pretty good about their business and would have at least addressed that, however, life happens. I hope your right and that is the case, its such a nice plane to sit and waste away on that ramp.

Unfortunately, I can only think of one reason a military serviceman couldn't get back to his airplane in the 3 years it takes for the registration to expire. :(

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2 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Unfortunately, I can only think of one reason a military serviceman couldn't get back to his airplane in the 3 years it takes for the registration to expire. :(

Yes, that was my thought as well.  I pray that is not the case. 

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