Long distance neurosis

[salty]

Ok, so I did my first long-ish trip last weekend, and it went pretty well, and I feel a lot better about my abilities and the planes abilities, but as I started thinking about my next planned long trip, I still have had a pit in my stomach. So, I've been trying to figure out what it is that's causing me anxiety and it finally came to me what's been in the back of my mind...

My real anxiety is if I'm 1,000 miles from home at some unknown airport and my engine (I'm WAY past TBO) decides it's had enough, or there is some other mechanical issue that's not easy to fix, what the heck am I going to do? The engine is running great right now, and I'm not inclined to overhaul it quite yet, but I have the resources and time to deal with a problem that happens at my home base, but if it's remote, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle a major mechanical failure at a remote location.

Yeah, getting an engine overhaul done might help, but then my funds will be pretty depleted and a failure could still occur and leave the plane remote and me with even less resources than I have now, so I don't think that's a panacea.

I can't even conceive of having a major repair done 1,000 miles away. Help me feel better about my nightmare scenario.

[takair]

I think there is some risk even with a fresh overhaul, so I don't know if I would let engine time be a driver.  With the advent of MooneySpace, perhaps you can feel better in the knowledge that you could always reach out to a friend in almost any region where you might break down.  I've seen it happen a number of times.  You could pick your airports such that there are services available.  If worried, you may want to avoid remote areas, like the Bahamas.  Most of the east coast is well covered.  

[gsengle]

Get a good engine analyzer installed and do oil analysis and you'll have a good shot of seeing a problem in advance.


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[N201MKTurbo]

Do you have the same worries when you take your car on a long road trip?

Mooneys were made to go places. Use it for what it was made for.

[DXB]

Becoming unairworthy at a distant field is a universal fear - but I'm not sure there's any special concern related to a high time engine.  Routinely cutting filters, tracking oil consumption, borescoping, and engine monitor data analysis are all stuff you can learn to do yourself. Doing so gives  peace of mind, particularly  in an engine no longer In the infant mortality stage. I have found limited value in oil analysis so far, but that's a longstanding discussion here and expert opinions clearly vary.

 

 There will likely be plenty of warning if you are looking before you get stranded,  by the engine at least. Attention to battery health I think reduces risk of being stranded by a lot.  Maybe routine spark plug maintenance and carrying a spare plug and related tools may help.  I think getting stranded by a dead boost pump or starter is more likely and less preventable than an engine issue.

Good discussion point though - I.e. what has stranded people and how to prevent. I'm sure there's a wealth of experience here.

 

 

[gsxrpilot]

What @gsengle said. I can't remember if you said you have an engine monitor or not. If not, get an Insight G2 installed in that plane at the earliest opportunity. You'll feel a LOT more confident flying it across the country.  

[Marauder]

Take it from a 26 year owner of the same plane. It's gonna happen and you just need to resolve yourself that you will find help to address it. The worst case situation is an engine that needs to be overhauled unexpectedly. Even a small issue that a mechanic needs to do the work on can be a challenge. At one time I asked if we could create a "Mooney friendly" maintenance shop list to help for this very reason. I think it never went anywhere because of concerns us Mooney owners who resort to shop bashing instead.    

As Rob mentioned above, MooneySpace is easy to reach and there are a number of us who can offer advice. 

[HRM]

Call Maxwell and have a chat, he may be able to set your mind at ease. He has 'rescued' Mooneys as he knows how to disassemble and truck them home as well as do 'field rebuilds' on engines. Even if he doesn't do things like this anymore, I know he loves challenges.

Another source of anxiety relief is Mike Busch, the master of all GA engines. Of course, he won't even talk to you if he discovers you don't have an engine monitor 

[gsengle]

I've had an away from home engine overhaul. I lucked out, was a good shop on field and it was only 80 miles from home. It's a good idea to try and fly to fields with maintenance on field as much as practicable. But not the big fields as non of us can afford jet mechanics to work on our airplanes...


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[gsengle]

Call Maxwell and have a chat, he may be able to set your mind at ease. He has 'rescued' Mooneys as he knows how to disassemble and truck them home as well as do 'field rebuilds' on engines. Even if he doesn't do things like this anymore, I know he loves challenges.
Another source of anxiety relief is Mike Busch, the master of all GA engines. Of course, he won't even talk to you if he discovers you don't have an engine monitor 

I always assumed the one piece spar made disassembling our birds more difficult?


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[HRM]

11 minutes ago, gsengle said:

I always assumed the one piece spar made disassembling our birds more difficult?

 

Not really. The cognoscenti pull the entire wing assembly off, strap it to the fuse and haul it away. Of course, 'difficult' and 'expensive' are relative terms.

Visit this thread.

[HRM]

Not to hijack or get off topic, but...

Mooney airplanes have long had a reputation as economical speed demons, and the Acclaim sets the flag farther down the field. The Acclaim’s evolutionary design improves on the wing that was first designed by Al Mooney more than four decades ago. Incorporating a single massive spar, the wing is built as a unit and mated to the airplane, much the way the P-51 Mustang was built in World War II. In fact, there are further similarities between the Mustang and Mooney wings. Like the Mustang wing, the Acclaim retains laminar flow throughout two-thirds of its chord and is one of the most efficient in production today. The factory tested the wing to a 14 G breaking point, and the wing is rumored to have experienced a 12 G recovery during an owner-flown upset situation without failure. You wouldn’t expect an executive travel machine to be more capable than the hottest jet fighter or aerobatic airplane in existence. (Plane & Pilot/August 1, 2006/The New Mooney Acclaim/EXCLUSIVE! First look at the world’s fastest production airplane)

[M20F]

It isn't anything money can't fix, if you don't have the money probably not worth the risk.  I had an issue with mine about 700 miles from home.  Turned into a bad deal with the only mechanic on the field.  

3 tickets home, ride down with some hanger fairies, and some magic rule bending later it got home.  

I have an  EI-MVP50.  It tells a lot of useful things but I really don't buy much into it helps you predict when a valve is going to snap off or a lobe is going to pop off.  Engine monitors are good for helping you maximize engine life by running it correctly but it isn't clairvoyant. 

A lot of years worth of oil analysis might point to a trend but a cam lobe can go in 10-12hrs after really starting to make metal.  If that doesn't coincide with your oil change then oh well.  

I just assume every flight is going to cost me $30K and if it doesn't then I am happy.   If you can't live with that stress then really renting is the best option because it comes for all airplane owners eventually.  

[carusoam]

Be sure to read up on the tool kits and assorted things people bring with them..

Most of it is things that they feel better about by carrying them.  Different parts of the Mooney world bring different things.

Some bring cold weather gear.  Others bring a fire arm for bear protection.  

Around this part off the country.... a spare credit card and cell phone will work in most cases. 

You wouldn't be the first person to log into MS and start a thread that includes AOG in the title.

build your relationships.  Local maintenance, MSC, avionics.... have a goto person for these things...

Build your fear list then associate a solution with each one. Carry a phone list in your wallet.  Old style!

The day I leave my plane in a pasture... I am to call my favorite MSC to get the trailer moving...

Go fly more.

Go talk to people where you fly.

Borrow an airport car.

take somebody's advice.

use it.

Do this often.

You get good at it.

The chance of getting stuck while flying a 50 year old plane is remotely larger than getting stuck with a 20 year old plane.

Having an engine monitor can make a difference.

Possible thread title...  AOG at KBOS, need some help, have engine data...  

Learn to upload the data file from your engine monitor.

Learn to ask questions.

Know who Savvy is. What they do. We have a great Savvy guy here. (Paul)

Be willing to go to the airport to help a stranded Mooney pilot.  Share your contact list...

No need to go it alone.  Or depart on one mag. Or fly with a bent valve stem...

Thinking out loud from a new owner stand point.... (the one mag was on a plane I had rented...)

Best regards,

-a-

 

Edited April 2, 2017 by carusoam

[gsxrpilot]

15 minutes ago, M20F said:

Engine monitors are good for helping you maximize engine life by running it correctly but it isn't clairvoyant. 

Actually if you know how to properly read an engine monitor, they can be a bit clairvoyant. Obviously shit happens and not everything can be predicted. I just know I thought I knew how to use my engine monitor until I went to the APS class. I realized then how much the monitor was saying that I didn't see.

[Yooper Rocketman]

I've flown both my Mooney's well past TBO and never let it stop me from using it for serious cross country.  An engine monitor is a great investment and you will likely hold the most value of any money you put into your plane (based on cost).  Other really good points above as well.

Here's what my 400+ past TBO oil filter looked like on the Rocket on the last oil change (after a 2,200 mile out and back cross country flight).  About the cleanest oil filter I've ever carved apart.

Tom

[salty]

5 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Do you have the same worries when you take your car on a long road trip?

Mooneys were made to go places. Use it for what it was made for.

I can afford to have repairs done at almost any repair shop for my car, and I have warrantee protection for major issues.

[carusoam]

Parsing this one...

Salty, perfect analysis!  You are good to go.

1) most fields have maintenance.

2) the far away ones are just as costly as the nearby ones.

3) new airplanes come with warrantees too.

4) so do factory reman engines.

5) there are AAA like services available for planes too.

When doing the analysis most people find that a bit of self reliance and a little extra time, saves a ton of dough.

Most people in the CB club aren't going to pay extra for convenience.

Are you more of a CBer or are you more of a red carpet kind of guy?

Best regards,

-a-

 

[salty]

Great replies guys, and I'd gladly help any fellow MS'er in a pinch, is there something I should do to make myself available other than reading the forum?

[carusoam]

Start with an update of your avatar location...

If parked out doors, consider posting a general location for security reasons...

Best regards,

-a-

[salty]

Just now, carusoam said:

Parsing this one...

Salty, perfect analysis!  You are good to go.

1) most fields have maintenance.

2) the far away ones are just as costly as the nearby ones.

3) new airplanes come with warrantees too.

4) so do factory reman engines.

5) there are AAA like services available for planes too.

When doing the analysis most people find that a bit of self reliance and a little extra time, saves a ton of dough.

Most people in the CB club aren't going to pay extra for convenience.

Are you more of a CBer or are you more of a red carpet kind of guy?

Best regards,

-a-

 

I don't know what CB means, but I'm definitely not a red carpet guy. I do an owner assisted annual, and do as much as I and my IA feel comfortable we me doing myself. I know if my IA isn't otherwise already engaged, he will gladly fly remote to fix stuff up. I live in an airport community, so I have a lot of good resources available locally, which is probably part of my fear of leaving them.  

[salty]

Cheap Bastard. Yes, I am a charter member. It just came to me.

[salty]

4 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

What @gsengle said. I can't remember if you said you have an engine monitor or not. If not, get an Insight G2 installed in that plane at the earliest opportunity. You'll feel a LOT more confident flying it across the country.  

Being a CB, I like the price of a G2, but the G3 seems to have some good stuff. Why the G2 recommendation?

I'll ask my mechanic what he thinks, but is it something he's going to be able to do easily (this is something I'd love to assist with actually), or am I going to need to go to an avionics shop for this one?

I'm also considering replacing my AI with a G5, but I don't know if I can get all that done before my next trip is planned.

Looking forward to Sun-n-Fun....

Edited April 2, 2017 by salty

[MBDiagMan]

I grew up in my Dad's independent auto repair shop and have been a motor head ever since.  This does not make me an aviation engine expert, but lots of my experience and knowledge transfers.

Add to this the fact that I have  experienced the emotion of an apprently catastrophic engine problem that made the aircraft not airworthy about 700 miles from home.  So, here is my take on this FWIW,

My Cessna 140 is upgraded from an 85 HP Continental to a 100 HP O-200 engine.  It was near TBO when I bought this excellent aircraft and I have run it significantly past TBO.  A Few years ago I flew it 700 or 800 miles to the National Cessna 140 meeting.  Once there, I took off one morning for some sight seeing in the area and looked at the oil pressure as I began my take off roll and it was barely off the peg.  I aborted the takeoff and barely coasted past the hold line.  Before borrowing some tools and correcting the problem by removing and flushing the relief valve, LOTS of emotional things went through my mind.

Before effecting and testing the repair, my idea was to get a local A&P to remove and crate the engine and send it to a Very widely respected O-200 guru, who happens to be a Cessna 140 club buddy of mine, for a complete rebuild, then find my way back home until the engine was returned and installed.  I have run that sweet engine several hundred more hours since then and it has run flawlessly.

I truly believe that if you keep oil and filters changed regularly, monitor the engine both in flight as well as at maintenance intervals by cutting filters and an occasional oil analysis AND the engine continues to hold good oil pressure and makes good compression and is kept from being too low on oil, the chances of a catastrophic failure to the level required to leave you stranded is highly unlikely.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.  Additionally if you are running, monitoring and maintaining it properly, enjoy it and don't fixate on it.  You have control of this situation if you will follow the maintenance, monitoring and operation advice offered in this thread.

My $.0.02,

 

[salty]

Adding a G2 or G3 I wouldn't be able to get rid of any instruments in the panel since it doesn't have fuel quantity or ammeter. Is there something equivalent I could use to replace this with? 

Edited April 2, 2017 by salty