tie downs

[alun]

hi,

i can't seem to find any tie downs on my m20j.  i heard that the previous owner might have taken them off.  are they hidden somewhere thats not so obvious and if i am just looking baddly and they have been removed where can i get replacements? 

thanks!

alun.

[KSMooniac]

They screw into a threaded attachment outboard of the gear doors about halfway back from the LE of the wing.  If yours are missing (check the hat rack area...perhaps they are loose there) then I'd recommend a set from LASAR that includes the jack-point & tie-down ring together.

[The-sky-captain]

They are in plain sight under the wind, just a small eyelet to run a rope through like any other plane. (My photo gallery shows me tying down... maybe the pic will help). The POH does say that they can be removed and interchanged with mounts to jack your plane with. As far as finding a new set maybe start by talking to a MSC...

[The-sky-captain]

Good to know...

[TurboExec]

interesting, I've never removed mine before flight....I wonder what it is worth haha 1 knot!!! 

[Auburn02]

Quote: TurboExec

interesting, I've never removed mine before flight....I wonder what it is worth haha 1 knot!!! 

[alun]

ah well i have jack points!!  probably just left them on....

[GeorgePerry]

Quote: KSMooniac

They screw into a threaded attachment outboard of the gear doors about halfway back from the LE of the wing.  If yours are missing (check the hat rack area...perhaps they are loose there) then I'd recommend a set from LASAR that includes the jack-point & tie-down ring together.

[DonMuncy]

I recently flew with a friend who does some aerobatics.  He tells me that they always remove thier tie downs before flight lest they come off during flight and hit another plane.  This appears to be a solution looking for a problem.  I have never had one come off, have never heard of anyone saying one came off, or read any accident report mentioning that one came off.  I have read the previous threads about removing them for flight but (until the one mentioned above) never knew of anyone who removed theirs for any reason other than to install jack points.  Does anyone else remove theirs.

Don

[Cruiser]

when I picked up my plane. the tie downs were in a bag on the hat rack. They are still there. I only put them in when needed.

 

[fantom]

I use my tie down ring to ground the plane while refueling. Beats wearing a hole in the expensive exhaust pipe.

[triple8s]

I stopped to get some fuel one time and a stranger walked by my plane and said " Do you know that plane isnt airworthy?" I said what do you mean? he said that the plane wasnt airworthy with the tiedown rings left in place and  they were to be removed before flight.  I just ignored him and went on about my business. Why should they be taken out everytime? If they had been screwed in and out everytime since 1965 I guarantee there'd be no threads left by now.

[KSMooniac]

I believe there is some verbiage in the POH that specifies that the rings should be removed for flight.  Silly, but it is in there.

[alun]

i found this which seems to indicate that tie downs should be removed in flight:

http://india.www.poweredbyu.com/mooney/images/pdfs/si-pdf/m20-114.pdf

[Mooney_Allegro]

Interesting service bulletin above.  I've never removed mine, except I've seen them removed at annual time.  I frequently overnight at different airports, and really doubt a lot of people will follow those instructions.  Jim, I do remember that on the MAPA list some time ago, it really got into a heated discussion on this topic.  I'll check my POH and see if it states to remove the tie down rings.