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VFR and learning IFR what should I do?


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The plane is airborne and I'm loving it.  The panel not so much.  The bank account is now with the wife.  I am a VFR pilot and I am trying to get my IFR.  The problem is my panel is old and it is the shot gun approach.  I need new gauges because they are way bad in accuracy and looks.  My radios are newer but I have a bad screen on one and I have a receiver issue on the other.  I need to upgrade to ADSB and I use foreflight.

What would you guys do first and are there reasonable used pieces that can be purchased or traded to get this plane safer to fly.  I like the idea of seeing others and weather info.  Also how does one get an auto pilot in a plane.  I have that wing leveler set up but not impressed. 

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Nothing worse than trying to do your IFR rating with marginal radios. I would repair what you have and get the rating with just the VOR/ILS capability. I was in your shoes back in 1992 when I started my instrument rating with iffy radios.

Once you fly the plane for a bit, you will figure out if she is a keeper and meets the kind of flying you are doing. If she is not, then you are out nothing than the normal avionics maintenance. Trust me, IFR can be flown with what you have. I started my IFR rating with steam and ADF/VOR/ILS flew until 2012 without anything more. (Yes, I know. Hard to believe seeing what I fly behind now).

If you decide to keep the plane for a while after the rating, then you can decide what GPS to put in. By then, maybe some cheaper alternatives will become available.






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You dont need the ADS-B for instrument flight.  As Marauder stated above, you can acquire your rating with the radios you have. Get them repaired and get your IFR certification while the plane is in the shop. I would ask the shop if they have any IFR capable gps units that they took in trade, something along the lines of a KLN 89b, KLN 94 or KLN 90b. It would be nice to incorporate RNAV approaches in your training and these units are very afforable as avionics go.

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25 minutes ago, Chupacabra said:

You dont need the ADS-B for instrument flight.  As Marauder stated above, you can acquire your rating with the radios you have. Get them repaired and get your IFR certification while the plane is in the shop. I would ask the shop if they have any IFR capable gps units that they took in trade, something along the lines of a KLN 89b, KLN 94 or KLN 90b. It would be nice to incorporate RNAV approaches in your training and these units are very afforable as avionics go.

In ND there are two or three places to get avionics and one of them is the sister company to the repair facility that took me for over 4K with an oil cooler replacement.  I'm gonna have to do some searching.

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In ND there are two or three places to get avionics and one of them is the sister company to the repair facility that took me for over 4K with an oil cooler replacement.  I'm gonna have to do some searching.


That's what Mooneys are made for -- fly to a shop that will work with you.


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Get a current pitot static ck (if expired), fix/replace the radios and start training. Standard 6 pk panels makes it nice when jumping between different aircraft. I flew 2 different aircraft getting my IR and the only thing that was the same was they were both Cessnas. Hand flying an approach to minimums has a great since of accomplishment, Auto Pilots and GPS's are nice but not required

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For autopilots waiting till one of the two experimental market ones make it STC for Mooney.  Say 1 year.

Most people who spend 30K on their panel still use a tablet.

A Tablet and a Stratux.com will get you adsb-IN and ADSB weather

I am a fan of Samsung Products with droid EFB software.  Which is about $200 solution

I run a tablet and my phone.   Phone for looking up facility information.  tablet for cruise and general navigation checks. The table and the phone will both fly approach plates and position you on the airport diagram  in an accurate but uncertified way.  The Tablet will do it split screen.

 

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Will a KLX135A do what I need?  I have one with a damaged screen
 


I looked up the KLX-135A. It looks like it is a VFR GPS/Com unit. If that is true, I don't think it can be used even for enroute IFR. May need to consider something else (like carusoam mentioned).


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You will be get more out of your IR training without an autopilot.  A good scan to proficiently hand fly in imc is a life saving skill in my opinion.  Learning ground station based nav and approaches rather than just relying on gps to always work seems like better backup plan for when your gps goes tits up or raim outage or whatever.  GPS is nice if you need to get into small airports with not great weather.  

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I think you could redo the arrangement on the left panel yourself. Talk to @"Chocks" about a panel and do the install yourself with your A&P to sign it off. You could even cut the panel yourself. If you're an EAA member, download Solidworks, lay it out, take the file to your local machine shop. $300 ought to get it done. Sand, prep, prime, paint, install. It should be easy for anyone with your wrenching skills.

Mooney panels aren't structural so easy to do. @"Chocks" makes nice panels if you want it finished, laser engraved, etc.

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