Need advice on this plane

[mooniac15u]

13 minutes ago, 3914N said:

Lawrence, it will help us to know if you plan on flying IFR much (or at all).

I think the 2020 mandate is going to make non-WAAS aircraft obsolete for IFR pretty quickly.  If I were looking at this aircraft, I would add the costs of a WAAS upgrade to the 430 to the purchase price.  You need the GPS be panel-mounted and certified in order to legally use if for IFR.

If you're only VFR, then I believe that a panel-mounted GPS really adds no value to your flying, WAAS or otherwise.  Instead, spend 900 on a Stratus receiver and enjoy the moving map on your iPad.

 

Upgrading the 430 to a 430W is one path, but there are plenty of ADS-B transponders available with internal position sources. 

[3914N]

1 minute ago, mooniac15u said:

Upgrading the 430 to a 430W is one path, but there are plenty of ADS-B transponders available with internal position sources. 

Very true.  I have a 430W, but will probably get a FreeFlight Lite with internal position source as 2020 gets closer.  Why spend an extra $1000 to get a GDL-88 when I already have ADS-B In on my iPad?

What I meant was that LNAV+V and LPV approaches are becoming more common every day, and I theorize that 2020 will bring a spike in WAAS equipage of GA aircraft, accelerating this trend.  I think that in 10 years, a panel mounted GPS without WAAS will be very nearly worthless for the IFR system.

[Andy95W]

11 hours ago, 3914N said:

Very true.  I have a 430W, but will probably get a FreeFlight Lite with internal position source as 2020 gets closer.  Why spend an extra $1000 to get a GDL-88 when I already have ADS-B In on my iPad?

What I meant was that LNAV+V and LPV approaches are becoming more common every day, and I theorize that 2020 will bring a spike in WAAS equipage of GA aircraft, accelerating this trend.  I think that in 10 years, a panel mounted GPS without WAAS will be very nearly worthless for the IFR system.

I agree with your first paragraph, but definitely not the second.

All of those LNAV+V and LPV approaches are simply LNAV approaches with a vertical component to allow lower minimums.  A legacy GPS will still enable a descent to about 600 AGL or so, which is all I really want to be doing anyway.  Oh, and it'll still work perfectly for IFR enroute.

I do agree that WAAS navigators will be the norm ten years from now for most IFR pilots and airplanes.

[Bob - S50]

9 hours ago, N1395W said:

I agree with your first paragraph, but definitely not the second.

All of those LNAV+V and LPV approaches are simply LNAV approaches with a vertical component to allow lower minimums.  A legacy GPS will still enable a descent to about 600 AGL or so, which is all I really want to be doing anyway.  Oh, and it'll still work perfectly for IFR enroute.

I do agree that WAAS navigators will be the norm ten years from now for most IFR pilots and airplanes.

There are a couple other advantages to a WAAS system if you plan to fly IFR (see AIM 1-1-17).

1.  Without WAAS, you MUST have a non-GPS means of navigating your planned route.  That means you must fly airways or meet the 80 miles between VOR's restriction for direct VOR to VOR navigation.  Not required for WAAS systems.

2.  With non-WAAS, you cannot plan on using a GPS based approach at both your destination and your alternate.  One or the other must be a non-GPS approach (ILS, VOR, ADF, radar).  With WAAS, both may be GPS approaches.  At your alternate you just have to plan based on LNAV minumums but may fly to LPV minimums if available.

[Andy95W]

Yup, WAAS is better for lots of reasons. For me, with the type of flying I do in my Mooney, VOR navigation and non-WAAS GPS has never been a limiting factor.

I do the hard-core stuff at work. I really have no desire to do it on my days off. 

[geoffb]

Nice paint and interior, but lack of a functioning autopilot is a real negative.  I'd rather have a working Brittain and no GPS than on inop AP and a fancy navigator.  And does a '71 have the hard to fix gear actuator?

[Browncbr1]

I nearly forgot how ugly the tail is on the 71...  Then I saw this thread and started shaking my head.  What a bunch of clowns the marketing guys must have been that year. 

[DonMuncy]

That was during the time Aerostar owned Mooney and they wanted to have the world think they were part of the same family. Frankly, I'm like you and really don't like the look, but from what I read, some of the guys who own them like it.