Looking for Ovations!

[dvk]

12 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

This is the perfect situation for a non WAAS G1000 Mooney. Buy it at a significant discount because the owner wouldn't step up and buy the WAAS upgrade back when it was available. SWTA did the first WAAS upgrade in a G1000 Mooney back in 2016, so it's been around awhile and the owner had plenty of time to get it done. But he didn't, and now the Ovation will take a huge hit on the value.

Then the buyer will take it home and register it in Argentina where WAAS isn't available anyway and the Ovation will live out it's days in an area where WAAS isn't an issue.

Win, Win, if you ask me.

Sure! That's the plan. We hope that the owner understands that huge hit in the value. The listed price seems to be very high taking into account this detail.

[Mooney217RN]

3 years ago I purchased a near new O2 GX.  First thing I did was the conversion to 310HP; it already had the prop.  The plane had 235 hrs when I picked it up.  The G1000 is non-WAAS.  The auto-pilot is the STEC 55X.  No TKS, no A/C.

I am thrilled with it, and have found that not having WAAS is a non-issue.  I didn't want TKS or A/C.  It would be nice to have the GFC 700 auto-pilot, but life has trade-offs.  To write off a beautiful Ovation because it is non-WAAS is nonsense.  I'd say go for it, buy it.  Looks like a beautiful plane.  I have never had any issue because of the way my Ovation is equipped, and I have no regrets whatsoever.

Edited April 21, 2021 by Mooney217RN

[dvk]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

For sure, it is still a very solid candidate for us. Just waiting for the documentation for the owner, and then going on to price negotiation phase!

We also prefer not to have TKS since in Argentina there is very few support for that kind of flights.

Our ideal one will be 310 HP, with or without AC, but no TKS, no WAAS.

[Mooney217RN]

DVK, the 310HP conversion is an STC with a governor adjustment and fuel flow adjustment.  It's very little work IF the aircraft is equipped with the right prop.

For where I live, TKS is almost a waste of $$$.  It also slows down the aircraft.  You lost 7-8 kts as I understand it.  I live in a high terrain mountainous region, so any flight into IMC is going into known icing with very challenging weather.  You just don't do it around here.  If I lived in the midwest or east coast, it'd be a strong consideration.

I have no regrets on my purchase whatsoever.  Love my Ovation.

[Mooncharlie]

19 minutes ago, Mooney217RN said:

3 years ago I purchased a near new O2 GX.  First thing I did was the conversion to 310HP; it already had the prop.  The plane had 235 hrs when I picked it up.  The G1000 is non-WAAS.  The auto-pilot is the STEC 55X.  No TKS, no A/C.

I am thrilled with it, and have found that not having WAAS is a non-issue.  I didn't want TKS or A/C.  It would be nice to have the GFC 700 auto-pilot, but life has trade-offs.  To write off a beautiful Ovation because it is non-WAAS is nonsense.  I'd say go for it, buy it.  Looks like a beautiful plane.  I have never had any issue because of the way my Ovation is equipped, and I have no regrets whatsoever.

How did you resolve the 2700RPM indicator limit increase in the G1000 panel? It can be adjusted or it will keep the limit in 2600?

[Mooney217RN]

That was a Garmin Software Update MoonCharlie.  The limit on the 280HP setup is 2500 RPM.  The only real cost is the prop.

[thinwing]

On 4/16/2021 at 10:39 AM, dvk said:

Well, the plane will be registered in Argentina, and we don't expect support for WAAS soon (and if we sell it, it will be sold in Argentina). So it depends on for how long we have it and how that standard evolves in South America.

In any case, it's an opportunity for us because it's something that we don't need, but at the same time it decreases the value significantly.

this is the one case that this plane makes sense..why have waas capabilty in a Place (continent)where waas is unlikely to ever be avalible.Negotiate on lack of waas....but you dont need it ,and cant use it ..the G1000 as it is installed is perfect for South America,central America even mexico

[dvk]

17 hours ago, Mooney217RN said:

DVK, the 310HP conversion is an STC with a governor adjustment and fuel flow adjustment.  It's very little work IF the aircraft is equipped with the right prop.

For where I live, TKS is almost a waste of $$$.  It also slows down the aircraft.  You lost 7-8 kts as I understand it.  I live in a high terrain mountainous region, so any flight into IMC is going into known icing with very challenging weather.  You just don't do it around here.  If I lived in the midwest or east coast, it'd be a strong consideration.

I have no regrets on my purchase whatsoever.  Love my Ovation.

Thanks for your answer. Very useful information.

[Bentonck]

I'm in the same boat....I talked to Don Maxwell, he still had a couple of months ago a couple of the WAAS enabling GRU's but it only comes into play if you are going to resell the plane in the USA....here in Brazil, no WAAS, no fuss.  The biggest issue, as was mentioned before, is that if the new owners of Mooney do come through and provide an upgrade path to G1000Nxi it will probably be precipated on an upgrade to WAAS enabled LRU's but I guess we'll see.

In any case, it would be a tough sell in the US to sell a G1000 without WAAS and no reasonable upgrade path so I would definately use that.  Then again, if grandpa wants to fly VFR only he might not give a crap about having the WAAS, but here it's a non-issue.