New Member, Very Close to Buying C Model

[MBDiagMan]

BTW Paul.  Any tricks to getting into Austin Executive?  It is non towered.  Is there much there now that the new airport has been in service for fifteen years or so now?

[cliffy]

I had withdrawals for a year after my 140 went Bye Bye.

[gsxrpilot]

11 minutes ago, MBDiagMan said:

BTW Paul.  Any tricks to getting into Austin Executive?  It is non towered.  Is there much there now that the new airport has been in service for fifteen years or so now?

@"Chocks" might give you better information. He keeps an E there. But it's really pretty simple going into Exec. You can either call up Austin Approach 119.0 and talk to them until they hand you over to CTAF, or skip Approach and just treat it like any other un-towered field.  There really isn't anything in the area, if you're looking for food, etc. 

[MBDiagMan]

Thanks Paul!  My girlfriends daughter is picking us up, so no food is okay.

I will probably get flight following when I get off the ground from Mount Pleasant, so they can hand me off.  I guess what prompted my question was seeing a non towered airport that used to be the main airport and just orphaned.  It would seem that it is well placed for business GA traffic, sort of like Addison.

Maybe Chocks will chime in.

[Chocks]

No tricks for EDC. Just know that there will probably be a direct xwind every time.

One runway, full length taxiway. All is new and old AUS airport was further southwest. Almost all biz GA just goes to AUS still. EDC will be viable in another 10 years or so. Still no development at all that far out.

Just like Paul said, hand off from austin approach or straight to CTAF. Only one FBO and plenty of tie downs. Literally nothing else in the area but quick access to the toll road.

Self serve pump just north of FBO eave.

 

 

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[MBDiagMan]

Thanks Shane!  I would just go to AUS except my encoding altimeter is overdue calibration.  It does indeed look as If I will be dealing with a significant crosswind.  Always fun in a taildragger.

[cnoe]

One more note regarding Austin Exec... Their newest policy is to charge their $10 overnight tie-down fee whether you purchase fuel or not. I think the fee is fair but their fuel is currently displaying on Foreflight as $2.20 higher than the SS municipal pump at Georgetown just a few miles north. It is a nice facility though.


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[cnoe]

Self serve pump just north of FBO eave.

Shane, is this right? Self-serve? That's not shown on Foreflight or Airnav. I thought those tanks were for the FBO's full-service fuel only. I hope I'm wrong 'cause I stop there fairly often.

I like to purchase fuel from facilities I visit but at $5.60/gal. I'm fearful of my CB club card being revoked.

BTW, we really appreciate your efforts with the Klixon covers. I'll likely need a set someday in the near future.



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[Chocks]

Shane, is this right? Self-serve? That's not shown on Foreflight or Airnav. I thought those tanks were for the FBO's full-service fuel only. I hope I'm wrong 'cause I stop there fairly often.

I like to purchase fuel from facilities I visit but at $5.60/gal. I'm fearful of my CB club card being revoked.

BTW, we really appreciate your efforts with the Klixon covers. I'll likely need a set someday in the near future.



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Yes, there is a self serve pump not listed on FF. I learned the hard way never to pay over $4.00 a gallon unless I have to.

No problem on the covers, they should turn out nice.


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[MBDiagMan]

Well my experience at Austin Executive was good, but I didn't tie down overnight.  Chocks was right about the virtually perpetual crosswind.  Remember I was not in a Mooney.  I was in a Cessna 140 with two people, baggage and full fuel.  Density altitude was a few thousand feet and the runway is wavy.  The combination of all this, coupled with the fact that 95% or more of my time in this airplane is with only myself and no baggage.  The crosswind was pushing me sideways and I tried to force her off the runway before she wanted to.  There was a little porpoising and she was trying to drift off the runway, but I got her up and all was well.  Tailwheel flying has its challenges which are rewarding sometimes and a pain in the you know what sometimes.

My instructor tells me I will enjoy flying more because I will have an easier to fly airplane.  The transition instructor I talked to indicated pretty much the same thing saying that my tailwheel time will help because I know what to do with my feet.

I still haven't heard from the mechanic with his statement that the annual is complete, but I might try to transfer funds to the escrow account tomorrow.  It is possible that he will finish tomorrow and I can close the deal, get the insurance binder and work out the transition training and delivery, maybe next week.

I have been told of other transition instructors on the field, so I may try to schedule a few days with one of them and get my girlfriend to drive me there, train and fly it back.  Her daughter lives not too far away so we have a place to stay for a few days.

Thanks for all the help with Austin Executive.

Edited February 24, 2017 by MBDiagMan

[MBDiagMan]

I transferred funds.  She is as good as mine.  Now I am like the dog that caught the car, can I figure out how to drive it?  Next is trying to transition and get comfortable before Spring Break.

[Hank]

Woo hooo!! Let the good times roll! Err, fly!

[gsxrpilot]

7 hours ago, MBDiagMan said:

I transferred funds.  She is as good as mine.  Now I am like the dog that caught the car, can I figure out how to drive it?  Next is trying to transition and get comfortable before Spring Break.

Awesome and Contrats!!  Don't let the transition worry you. As a tailwheel pilot, I'm sure you're a better stick then many of us already. Mooney's are easy to fly and easy to land. If I were at home, (in Singapore at the moment) and had a plane, (in the shop), I'd take you up for some Mooney time in my bird. But there are lots of Mooney pilots in the Austin area. And if you're not in your bird, see if you can get a ride with someone, just to get more seat time and see how the landings work, etc.

@"Chocks" has an E at Austin Exec and while not a CFI, could certainly show you how to handle a Mooney properly. @bucko flies an E out of San Marcos and is likely one of the best Mooney pilots in Texas. He's the designated Lead Pilot for the Texas Wing of the Mooney Caravan. There are many more as well. Go get a ride while you're waiting on yours.

6 months from now you'll be wondering why it took you so long to get into a Mooney. Enjoy.

[Wildhorsesracing]

On 2/23/2017 at 9:26 PM, MBDiagMan said:

My instructor tells me I will enjoy flying more because I will have an easier to fly airplane.  The transition instructor I talked to indicated pretty much the same thing saying that my tailwheel time will help because I know what to do with my feet.

It is an easier to fly plane than a taildragger - my Hatz needs deliberate rudder inputs on landing and when I do that in the Mooney she starts skidding towards the edge of the runway - be gentle with rudder inputs.

[Chocks]

On 2/24/2017 at 8:45 PM, gsxrpilot said:

On 2/24/2017 at 8:45 PM, gsxrpilot said:

@"Chocks" has an E at Austin Exec and while not a CFI, could certainly show you how to handle a Mooney properly. @bucko flies an E out of San Marcos and is likely one of the best Mooney pilots in Texas. He's the designated Lead Pilot for the Texas Wing of the Mooney Caravan. There are many more as well. Go get a ride while you're waiting on yours.

Happy to oblige.  

 

[MBDiagMan]

Well, since I put funds in escrow, I consider her mine, so I changed my Avatar.

This plane has had wonderful maintenance and has been hangared if not its whole life, certainly the last 30 years by the same owner who has paid Dugosh well for premium maintenance and modification work.  He has done lots of speed mods, factory reman engine and new prop 262 hours ago, 430W, quality instruments, 6 year old always hangared paint, and on and on.  If anything about the plane is less than top notch, it is the interior.  It is not really ragged, but it is long in the tooth.  The plane has been flown regularly although a little less frequently of late.  The highly reccommended and picky Mooney IA gave many praises to the aircraft.

The seller had started trying to sell it over a year ago asking way too much.  Finally started down on price.  I bought it for considerably less than even his most recent asking price.  Even at that price I paid a premium price, but I firmly believe that I bought a premium plane.  I have been through the plane selection and purchase process before with great success so I do have experience at it.  Time will tell if I hit another home run.

Oh yes, I don't want this to make my girlfriend sound shallow, so I will explain thoroughly.  She went with me to look at the airplane.  She has been involved all along in that she listens and learns about all this as we have gone along.  She is very intelligent and understands the priorities while making such a decision.  We talked about everything involved with the airplane and purchase EXCEPT FOR the color.  I have learned over the years when buying used vehicles, condition trumps color.  She obviously is wise enough to understand the same thing.  She and her daughters are all SMU grads.  There was no mention of the color by her.  She was showing a picture to one of her daughters (whose husband happens to be a pilot and aircraft owner) and her daughter said "It is SMU colors!"  She loves to fly with me and learn about aviation.  Priceless!!!!!

[kortopates]

Lol's on color, and we've seen plenty of new acquisition's go straight to the paint shop after purchase. New colors is one of the easiest mods you can make. It's only $


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[MBDiagMan]

Well, I think I have found a good ferry pilot/transition instructor.  I think he will be bringing her here Thursday and fly with me for two days.  He sounds like a very thorough instructor.  He positioned the plane as being squirrelly because the nose gear is so close to the mains.  He wants to do lots of training including emergency procedures, crosswinds, short field, etc.,  He sounds like my instructor here at home being very thorough.  He is going to spend a few days with me and then I will probably do more training with my local instructor.

[MBDiagMan]

A little delay, but he and the plane should be here this afternoon.  He is saying that it will probably take a few weeks of flying before he will sign me off.  Kind of surprising, but I will approach this with a positive attitude and see where it goes.

[gsxrpilot]

17 minutes ago, MBDiagMan said:

A little delay, but he and the plane should be here this afternoon.  He is saying that it will probably take a few weeks of flying before he will sign me off.  Kind of surprising, but I will approach this with a positive attitude and see where it goes.

I'd be looking for a different CFI. A few weeks is ridiculous. A TW pilot with how many hours?? What is your insurance requiring?

Of course, any CFI who tries to say how difficult something is, is immediately disqualified for me.

[Skates97]

Just now, gsxrpilot said:

I'd be looking for a different CFI. A few weeks is ridiculous. A TW pilot with how many hours?? What is your insurance requiring?

Of course, any CFI who tries to say how difficult something is, is immediately disqualified for me.

I agree. I had a little over 60 hours of flying when I got my Mooney a month and a half after getting my PPL. I felt comfortable with about 8 hours in the Mooney and my CFI signed off on me when I got to the 10 hours required by the insurance company. It is not a difficult plane to fly, I can't imagine it taking a few weeks unless you were only flying a couple hours at a time a couple of days a week. (It did take me a few weeks because of scheduling conflicts but in total it was 10 hours of flying.) 

[gsxrpilot]

After re-reading through the thread, you have the usual 5 hours dual/5 hours solo requirement from your insurance.  That doesn't require that a CFI sign off anything except that you logged 5 hours of dual instruction. This is not a Flight Review. I'd make sure the CFI will sign your log book after every session, noting the hours of dual logged. At 5 hours, or when YOU'RE comfortable after the 5 hours, be done with the CFI.

I bought my Mooney with 300 hours in a Cherokee. But I'd only logged two hours in the previous 4 years. I first got my Flight Review done in the Cherokee, then bought the Mooney. I flew 5 hours of dual per the insurance and was done.  These are not difficult airplanes to fly. And I'm sure it will be even easier for an experienced tailwheel pilot.

[mooniac15u]

26 minutes ago, MBDiagMan said:

A little delay, but he and the plane should be here this afternoon.  He is saying that it will probably take a few weeks of flying before he will sign me off.  Kind of surprising, but I will approach this with a positive attitude and see where it goes.

As far as the FAA is concerned the only signoff required would be for the complex aircraft if you don't already have that.  Insurance requirements don't normally specify a signoff, just a number of hours of dual instruction.  I would clarify with this guy exactly what he means.

[MBDiagMan]

I was having trouble finding someone to bring the plane here, and he was available.  He charges by the day, so I plan on flying as much as possible with him today and tomorrow and see where I am at.  I do not have a complex endorsement yet.

[gsxrpilot]

That sounds fine. Fly with him for two days, pay him and send him on his way. You should at least get the 5 hours required by insurance. That should also be plenty to get you the complex endorsement. If not, I'd send him away and finish the complex with someone else.