TruTrak Autopilot Pre Order's / Status Update

[EricJ]

38 minutes ago, cliffy said:

More than likely BK now controls all outside communications 

Absolutely.  That was kinda my point above about the quiet period.   It's unlikely that much will come out, and even if it does, the message could be changed later as BK continues to evaluate how TT may best integrate into their business.    One outcome may be that BK kills it, another that it get redirected to do something else, another may be that the TT products get rebranded, adjusted, etc., or just that some particular TT talent/technology gets applied to existing or planned BK products.   If BK owns it, they can do whatever they want with it that suits their business goals.    There will have been goals and expectations that led to the purchase, but those may change once BK gets a closer look at TT after the acquisition.

Another outcome that I didn't mention in my previous post is that the previous ownership/stockholders/investors take the money and run.   I was involved in attempting to clean up the results an acquisition that pretty much went that way, where there was no clause for the principals to hang around for a transition period, the technical and business due diligence by the purchaser (my employer, and I wasn't involved in the DD) wasn't very good, and the result was gross overpayment for what was nearly just a bill of goods.   The outcome of that was a fire sale a year or two later of that acquired company to another company with which they were a much better fit, but for a LOT less than my employer had paid for them.   I had thought that the size of the party that the previous principals threw for their company when we acquired them at nearly the last minute was a bit of a warning flag.   It turned out that they were running out of money and close to closing their doors, and our business due diligence didn't catch that the big revenue streams that they'd been running on were about to evaporate for a variety of reasons.   Once our checks cleared for the purchase the principals and previous stockholders were not to be seen by us again, even when we asked for support.   It became clear why pretty quickly.   This is not an isolated or unique story.

I doubt that that's what's happening in this case, but post-acquisition actions and outcomes can be all over the map, and we just won't know (and nobody might, even inside) until the dust settles.   The purpose of the quiet period is for the internal evaluations to settle out to minimize what might otherwise wind up being some thrashing in messaging until the internal direction becomes clear.   Not hearing anything can be frustrating, but hearing different or contradictory things while the two companies sort out what to do with themselves is worse.  So I'd expect to not hear anything for a while, and if something does come out, it still might change.   Patience is in order, unfortunately, especially since many people have already been very patient with TT.

 

Edited July 27, 2019 by EricJ

[Jesse Saint]

The Mooney paperwork has not been submitted yet. It is yet to be seen how things will all look once the dust settles, but hopefully there will be some added engineering manpower from BK to help get TT through the development process for new models. As has been said, the TT is an excellent product. I just flew from Florida to Oshkosh and most of the way back without hardly even touching the controls, with the TT handling everything. Flying cross country has become the good kind of boring in my 182. It will be the same way for your Mooney’s soon. We don’t know how soon, but I believe it will be worth the wait. 

As for Bk buying them, I think that is to get a value line of auto pilots to complement their higher-end and higher priced unit. Kind of like Stec line with basic and advanced options. I don’t pretend to know BK’s overall plans, but it wouldn’t make sense to buy TT to kill the competition. It’s too good a product with too big a market.

[DustinNwind]

On 7/26/2019 at 5:51 PM, Jesse Saint said:

The Mooney paperwork has not been submitted yet. It is yet to be seen how things will all look once the dust settles, but hopefully there will be some added engineering manpower from BK to help get TT through the development process for new models. As has been said, the TT is an excellent product. I just flew from Florida to Oshkosh and most of the way back without hardly even touching the controls, with the TT handling everything. Flying cross country has become the good kind of boring in my 182. It will be the same way for your Mooney’s soon. We don’t know how soon, but I believe it will be worth the wait. 

As for Bk buying them, I think that is to get a value line of auto pilots to complement their higher-end and higher priced unit. Kind of like Stec line with basic and advanced options. I don’t pretend to know BK’s overall plans, but it wouldn’t make sense to buy TT to kill the competition. It’s too good a product with too big a market.

Hi Jesse, thanks for the feedback. I talked to TT earlier in the week and they said the paperwork was submitted. Is that false?

[Jesse Saint]

I don’t know who you talked to, but I talked to the engineer who is going to be submitting the paperwork. 

[MIm20c]

14 minutes ago, Jesse Saint said:

I don’t know who you talked to, but I talked to the engineer who is going to be submitting the paperwork. 

I have no problem with the company continuing to delay stc approval.  I’m curious if they sent the Mooney paperwork in previously and had it rejected so they needed to make changes and resubmit. I DO have a problem if a company as small as TT had employees intentionally lie to customers about the paperwork already in the hands of the FAA...

[Jesse Saint]

I don’t think they have had people lie intentionally. The people who answer the phone just may not realize the status of engineering. I don’t think they ever submitted the paperwork. They are still in development, but are getting very close to completion. 

[Sandman993]

On 7/25/2019 at 3:30 PM, cliffy said:

I'm moving on. Looking at other options BK has no incentive to certify an airplane be with a diminishing population when they can go to light sprt expanding it's numbers

It'll never happen for short bodies. I'm checking Trio and others Maybe a new panel with (gag) Garmin

Good luck getting pro pilot on board again...the gang here treated their guy like a leper back several months ago when he got on here to gauge interest. 

[Sandman993]

The guy at the oshkosh TT booth told me they haven't completed the install and that would take up to two more months...only then will they submit to FAA and that would take at least two more months.

[Navi]

5 minutes ago, Sandman993 said:

The guy at the oshkosh TT booth told me they haven't completed the install and that would take up to two more months...only then will they submit to FAA and that would take at least two more months.

What install?

Nav

[Sandman993]

Just now, Navi said:

What install?

Nav

To the Mooney line...They haven't finished it as of Oshkosh. After they do, then they can send paperwork to the Goobermint.

[Navi]

I'm moving on. Looking at other options BK has no incentive to certify an airplane be with a diminishing population when they can go to light sprt expanding it's numbers

It'll never happen for short bodies. I'm checking Trio and others Maybe a new panel with (gag) Garmin

 

Um... Cliffy..

Pretty sure that the TT STC includes ALL the Mooneys.. Including the short... The certed Trio may disappear... it is now categorically a "non starter"...         Some who have purchased / installed are  concerned now about being orphaned... No company can support such a low volume of units in the field.. unless Trio themselves step in...

Nav

Edited July 29, 2019 by Navi

[Jesse Saint]

That is correct, although they may need to leave out the wood wing Mooneys, according to the engineer.

[Navi]

3 minutes ago, Sandman993 said:

To the Mooney line...They haven't finished it as of Oshkosh. After they do, then they can send paperwork to the Goobermint.

Strange...  they have been FLYING their Mooney in extensive flight testing for a long time...  The install was completed a long time ago…..   ???

I can't keep track now....  toooooo much noise... 

Nav

Edited July 29, 2019 by Navi
typo

[NJMac]

17 minutes ago, Sandman993 said:

Good luck getting pro pilot on board again...the gang here treated their guy like a leper back several months ago when he got on here to gauge interest. 

Look, we were hard on him but I messaged him and offered my E to him which he declined.  The guy had the thinnest skin I've ever seen. 

Edited July 29, 2019 by NJMac

[Sandman993]

Just now, Navi said:

Strange...  they have been FLYING their Mooney in extensive flight testing for a long time...  The install was completed a l;ong time ago//   ???

I can't keep track now....  toooooo much noise... 

Nav

That's what I thought Navi...But I stood there in person, speaking to the rep at the TT Booth in Oshkosh, Wisconsin...He opined, they aren't done and still two months out with working on the bird.

[Sandman993]

9 minutes ago, NJMac said:

Look, we were hard on him but I messaged him and offered my E to him which he declined.  The guy had the thinnest skin I've ever seen. 

HaHa...I promised him my plane and 10,000 bucks...and a handjob from a cirrus pilot and he wouldn't come back after the Mooneyspace lashing. And we all know how soft cirrus hands are.

 

There is a picture somewhere of a Cirrus fly in...it has like 5 aircraft in the pattern and they are all under canopy...would someone please send that to me? I wanna make some tee shirts!

[NJMac]

8 minutes ago, Sandman993 said:

HaHa...I promised him my plane and 10,000 bucks...and a handjob from a cirrus pilot and he wouldn't come back after the Mooneyspace lashing. And we all know how soft cirrus hands are.

 

There is a picture somewhere of a Cirrus fly in...it has like 5 aircraft in the pattern and they are all under canopy...would someone please send that to me? I wanna make some tee shirts!

Youre not right.  And I like it. 

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjBkNnG8drjAhUrxVQKHfV9BasQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Faviation%2Fcomments%2F9o4nao%2Fthe_2018_cirrus_owners_flyin_atc_memes%2F&psig=AOvVaw2y9jf9qaG4Is374YDvXHUl&ust=1564515768084009

Edited July 29, 2019 by NJMac

[Sandman993]

Is there a list here for the guys that attended Oshkosh? I noticed quite a few Mooneys parked in the north 40 but never got a chance to pop in. I did sneak a free meal at the Bonanzer tent. They really loath the mooney...I could hear them talking about em a lot. They think we are retarded basically or perhaps the special olympics. 

[gsxrpilot]

15 minutes ago, Sandman993 said:

Is there a list here for the guys that attended Oshkosh? I noticed quite a few Mooneys parked in the north 40 but never got a chance to pop in. I did sneak a free meal at the Bonanzer tent. They really loath the mooney...I could hear them talking about em a lot. They think we are retarded basically or perhaps the special olympics. 

I'll have to disagree with your assessment. The Bonanza's invited the entire Mooney Caravan to dinner Monday night in the N40. I think about 30 or so went. It was a really nice time.

I have the list but won't be posting it for obvious reasons of privacy. Suffice it to say we had 62 Mooneys in this year's group.

[Sandman993]

1 minute ago, gsxrpilot said:

I'll have to disagree with your assessment. The Bonanza's invited the entire Mooney Caravan to dinner Monday night in the N40. I think about 30 or so went. It was a really nice time.

I have the list but won't be posting it for obvious reasons of privacy. Suffice it to say we had 62 Mooneys in this year's group.

We rented a 5 bedroom house... a Bonanza guy from LA (good dood) also had a 747 captain, a couple RV guys (we wouldn't allow them to speak) (just kidding)...There were 11 of us, the stories were epic, as were the drinks. Some of these guys have been around the world more times than you and I have fingers and toes. One old guy from late WWII and Korean conflict was a transport pilot and later retired from United. He, 88 yrs old, kept up with us every step of the way. It was an honor to be in his presence. My apple watch was clocking around 14,000 steps per day.

[Andy95W]

Bonanza people are some of the friendliest and nicest I've met.  At worst, they treat us like kindred spirits who are simply too cheap to buy a Bonanza.  And they do it really nicely!

[eman1200]

Brittain AP ALL DAY WOOHOO!!

[Sandman993]

2 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Bonanza people are some of the friendliest and nicest I've met.  At worst, they treat us like kindred spirits who are simply too cheap to buy a Bonanza.  And they do it really nicely!

Well, there’s that.

 

[gsxrpilot]

21 hours ago, Sandman993 said:

We rented a 5 bedroom house... a Bonanza guy from LA (good dood) also had a 747 captain, a couple RV guys (we wouldn't allow them to speak) (just kidding)...There were 11 of us, the stories were epic, as were the drinks. Some of these guys have been around the world more times than you and I have fingers and toes. One old guy from late WWII and Korean conflict was a transport pilot and later retired from United. He, 88 yrs old, kept up with us every step of the way. It was an honor to be in his presence. My apple watch was clocking around 14,000 steps per day.

That sounds like a great time!

[johncuyle]

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 4:48 PM, Sandman993 said:

Well, there’s that.

 

It's not entirely inaccurate.  Although there's also the part where you feel like you're sitting on a bar stool in a Bo vs the Mooney's more Corvette-like ergonomics.  I'm also too cheap to buy a bar but I do own a Corvette, so there's that too...