Tie down rings

[flyby201]

I was just reading Mooney Service Instruction SI-M20-114, "Revised Jacking Procedures".  In the section where it talks about installing the jack points at the tie down ring mounting holes, it emphatically states that the tie down rings should NOT be left on the aircraft during flight.  I'm just wondering how many of us out there fly with the tie down rings in place?  I've had my J over 5 years and this is the first time I've heard of this.  What is supposed to happen if one flys with the tie down rings in place?

[KLRDMD]

Quote: flyby201

I was just reading Mooney Service Instruction SI-M20-114, "Revised Jacking Procedures".  In the section where it talks about installing the jack points at the tie down ring mounting holes, it emphatically states that the tie down rings should NOT be left on the aircraft during flight.  I'm just wondering how many of us out there fly with the tie down rings in place?  I've had my J over 5 years and this is the first time I've heard of this.  What is supposed to happen if one flys with the tie down rings in place?

[jelswick]

One of my rings was pretty well stripped as my mechanic found during an annual (maybe they had been taking mine out and reinstalling it a lot before I had the aircraft).  Either way, he found the Laser one Ken's mentioning and installed those on my aircraft  and they're great.  Pretty low profile they don't have to be removed before he can jack the plane. 

[GeorgePerry]

Quote: KLRDMD

[Jeff_S]

I had asked a very similar question in these forums earlier this year, and decided to go with the LASAR combo tie-down/jack points.  They are awesome. And I picked up at least three knots. (I mean, .003 knots.)

But they are well worth it, and at $35 or so one of the cheapest mods you can add to a plane.

[mooney231]

Quote: JimR

I so rarely have to tie my airplane down that I just keep the tie down rings in the baggage compartment and install them as necessary and remove after use.  I don't understand why everyone that keeps their plane in a hangar doesn't do this.  It only takes a second to screw them in and out, and you're down there anyway tying the plane down.  Every little bit of drag reduction counts. 

[ToddDPT]

In October our plane was parked on the ramp in Flagstaff when the storms with high winds rolled through Arizona shearing one of our tie downs clean off!  We've since replaced them with the LASAR tie downs.  We always removed ours and honestly, it was a pain to put them on and off.  Watching the FBO staff roll their eyes at us speed sensitive Mooniacs was always a fun time, but these LASAR tie downs are much more convenient.