Does anyone else get anxiety starting the engine?

[Dream to fly]

I have had a wild ride repairing and getting my plane into an airworthy condition.  I have flown it now close to 50 plus hours and have been loving the auto pilot and the smoothness of controlled flight.   Flying a Mooney is an awesome experience, but I get this severe guilt or anxiety starting it.  I can jump into the 150 or the 172 and crank them up and fly just fine.  I get into the Mooney, and I get a feeling of what is going to happen next.  I fly it with a pit in my stomach and a constant dread and I am not worried of failures in the air.  The plane flies well and no matter where I go people always comment how they wish they had a Mooney and love the plane.  I usually give a smile and nod and think to myself if you only knew what an albatross this plane was.  I wonder do other owners have that feeling with their planes not just Mooney.    

[jaylw314]

I can't say I have, I tend to feel guilt or anxiety when I'm NOT flying it.  It makes me feel like I'm wasting the time and effort that's gone into it.,,

[DCarlton]

Check out this thread.  But to answer your question directly; not usually during the start up.  I like starting the engine and hearing it come to life.  Always have my headset off and the door open ! 

[Skates97]

57 minutes ago, Dream to fly said:

I have had a wild ride repairing and getting my plane into an airworthy condition.  I have flown it now close to 50 plus hours and have been loving the auto pilot and the smoothness of controlled flight.   Flying a Mooney is an awesome experience, but I get this severe guilt or anxiety starting it.  I can jump into the 150 or the 172 and crank them up and fly just fine.  I get into the Mooney, and I get a feeling of what is going to happen next.  I fly it with a pit in my stomach and a constant dread and I am not worried of failures in the air.  The plane flies well and no matter where I go people always comment how they wish they had a Mooney and love the plane.  I usually give a smile and nod and think to myself if you only knew what an albatross this plane was.  I wonder do other owners have that feeling with their planes not just Mooney.    

I have read a lot of your posts and know you have had a lot of issues since acquiring the plane, probably more than you have documented here over the years. That is generating the anxiety. However, focus on what is in bold above, "what an albatross this plane was" with "was" being the most important word in that sentence. You have done so much work to take it from a problem plane (understatement of the year) to the beautiful airworthy plane it is now. It is just baggage hanging around in your mind thinking of all the problems.

The silver lining of all those clouds is that you know your plane inside and out, I don't think there is any unknown factor for you anymore. Stay on top of the maintenance, and enjoy flying your plane. The irony is that if you sold it for another plane that is supposedly all sorted out, that even if it had issues you weren't aware of you might feel more comfortable in it "not knowing what you don't know."

One of the things I take comfort in whenever I fly my plane is that I have been all though it and know it well. I can say that over the years when something has failed I have a twinge of nervousness on the next few flights after the repair wondering "what is going to be next" which may be similar to what you are feeling. However, I continue to rely on thorough pre-flights and ongoing maintenance and that I will find anything that could be catastrophic before it gets to that point. 

[ilovecornfields]

I think your anxiety is very understandable and it may or may not be a symptom of other issues. Questions to ask yourself (not to answer here) could include whether other activities make you anxious and maybe what other things you have going on in your life? 

Anxiety isn’t always pathological - it can stop us from doing dumb things. Some people are more anxious than others and some even meet criteria for generalized anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, the FAA’s approach to mental health is more punitive than preventative so many pilots who should talk to someone before little problems turn into big ones probably don’t.

One of the issues people in my profession tend to have is that we are more anxious than others because we’ve seen how basically anything fun can turn catastrophic. If you name something fun, I’ll tell you how I saw someone horribly injured or dead from trying that. Someone trying to reassure me that “X is really safe, you shouldn’t feel anxious about it” gets counteracted by time time (or times) I’ve seen someone horribly injured doing that activity.That doesn’t mean I stay home and never do anything fun, but I do have a different risk tolerance than some and tend to be very deliberate about the risks I’m willing to take.

If you have someone to talk to, it would be good to share your thoughts. Bonus points if they’re a mental health professional and can talk off the record. I’m pretty lucky in this regard because I married a psychiatrist so we get to “process my big feelings” whenever we want. Sometimes even when I don’t want.

Best wishes for the next step in your journey.

[Mooneymite]

When I saw the thread title, I presumed it was going to be about IO-360 hot starts.

[Dream to fly]

I think your anxiety is very understandable and it may or may not be a symptom of other issues. Questions to ask yourself (not to answer here) could include whether other activities make you anxious and maybe what other things you have going on in your life? 
Anxiety isn’t always pathological - it can stop us from doing dumb things. Some people are more anxious than others and some even meet criteria for generalized anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, the FAA’s approach to mental health is more punitive than preventative so many pilots who should talk to someone before little problems turn into big ones probably don’t.
One of the issues people in my profession tend to have is that we are more anxious than others because we’ve seen how basically anything fun can turn catastrophic. If you name something fun, I’ll tell you how I saw someone horribly injured or dead from trying that. Someone trying to reassure me that “X is really safe, you shouldn’t feel anxious about it” gets counteracted by time time (or times) I’ve seen someone horribly injured doing that activity.That doesn’t mean I stay home and never do anything fun, but I do have a different risk tolerance than some and tend to be very deliberate about the risks I’m willing to take.
If you have someone to talk to, it would be good to share your thoughts. Bonus points if they’re a mental health professional and can talk off the record. I’m pretty lucky in this regard because I married a psychiatrist so we get to “process my big feelings” whenever we want. Sometimes even when I don’t want.
Best wishes for the next step in your journey.

I appreciate the candid aspect of the response. I am pretty sure any pilot that actually flies is nuts he or she is leaving the ground. . It's just a Mooney thing for me I think. I have talked to several owner pilots and one had a very similar experience with a brand new Cirrus. He said it was so bad he'd get an upset stomach that would cut trips short because it was always something. I was just wondering if pilots that haven't spent 3/4 to 1 million plus get that feeling. It was more of a curiosity. I think the more I fly it the less it will be an issue but getting there is still a feeling. I do know this, I still would pick a Mooney over any other but I would shop for one differently then I did this one. Joe

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[Dream to fly]

I have read a lot of your posts and know you have had a lot of issues since acquiring the plane, probably more than you have documented here over the years. That is generating the anxiety. However, focus on what is in bold above, "what an albatross this plane was" with "was" being the most important word in that sentence. You have done so much work to take it from a problem plane (understatement of the year) to the beautiful airworthy plane it is now. It is just baggage hanging around in your mind thinking of all the problems.
The silver lining of all those clouds is that you know your plane inside and out, I don't think there is any unknown factor for you anymore. Stay on top of the maintenance, and enjoy flying your plane. The irony is that if you sold it for another plane that is supposedly all sorted out, that even if it had issues you weren't aware of you might feel more comfortable in it "not knowing what you don't know."
One of the things I take comfort in whenever I fly my plane is that I have been all though it and know it well. I can say that over the years when something has failed I have a twinge of nervousness on the next few flights after the repair wondering "what is going to be next" which may be similar to what you are feeling. However, I continue to rely on thorough pre-flights and ongoing maintenance and that I will find anything that could be catastrophic before it gets to that point. 

The irony is that if you sold it for another plane that is supposedly all sorted out, that even if it had issues you weren't aware of you might feel more comfortable in it "not knowing what you don't know."

My wife has basically said the same that I wouldn't be happy buying another used plane cause I haven't worked on it and proved it right. I know that she is right. Especially seeing what is on the market.

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[Dream to fly]

Check out this thread.  But to answer your question directly; not usually during the start up.  I like starting the engine and hearing it come to life.  Always have my headset off and the door open ! 

I never saw that post!!! That is VERY close to how I am beginning to see it.

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[Utah20Gflyer]

Given a sufficient period of trouble free flying I suspect the current feeling will fade and you will be able to enjoy your plane more.   Maybe give it some time, fly as much as possible and see how it goes.  You can always sell it later if you end up never enjoying it the way you want to. 

[Hank]

I was anxious turning the key for about a year. Sometimes she would fire right up, sometimes the battery would almost run down before it finally fired. Rebuilt the carb, helped a short while. Madly pumping the throttle helped sometimes. Went through the shower of sparks. Replaced plugs. Eventually it cleared up, I used to remember the last thing we did, but too many years ago . . . Once that subsided, my "engine start anxiety" went away.

[Dream to fly]

To be clear it's not when I fly, because I fly several planes. It is just like I am going to do something bad to the plane that is going to cost or damage the plane. I guess I'll keep flying and bettering my skills. I have alot to learn and I hope to continue flying for several more years. The plane is mechanically sound as all testing and inspections have proven. I know that sudden damage can occur and I am fine with that. Riding my motorcycle is a dangerous thing to do too and that has a higher failure rate. It's not if it will crash or I will die but what will break next and cause another headache for repair. That is the feeling I get starting the dam thing. If I want to fly and go fast or get parts or travel I use it otherwise I'm skipping it for the Cessna cause I don't want the headache. I think that is the best way to explain it.

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[carusoam]

Fly on… Joe!

There isn’t anything stronger than a Mooney…

If you are comfortable with the other planes…

Fly early and often…

If that doesn’t work…

Get some transition training… explore the limits of the plane with somebody that is familiar with it already…

 

As an owner… what could possibly go wrong just by using the plane?

Kill a battery, dirty a spark plug, deploy the flaps above Vfe, stall the plane….?

 

If your memory is any good… you can remember all the things that went right during the flight before….and recognize them again as the next flight proceeds…

Take notes on each flight… of all the anomalies… wright down all the uncomfortable things that need to be remembered…

Maybe you have a serious list of things that need to be checked into…

Or maybe the list is really short, like the other planes you fly…

 

If you fear the engine… get/use the engine monitor at a higher level than you have today…

 

Fear is good… up to a point…

Fear can have you remember to keep an eye on things….

Fear can also disrupt your sleeping… making it tough to fly the next day…

 

One way to determine if your plane is behaving the way it should… is fly with other MSers… in their plane…

You may have an aha! Moment… when something comes to mind…

You might have a half a dozen questions answered just by watching somebody else do it the same way you do…

You might develop a few questions because they do it differently for some reason… aha! Let’s ask why they did it that way….

 

Maybe it isn’t the owner… or his flying skills… maybe it is the plane itself…

Schedule it’s annual with a known Mooney mechanic… get all the proper nuts and bolts and other things all organized by somebody that has done this before… or find out, your plane is in perfect condition already…

 

Does your mechanical knowledge keep you up at night thinking about your plane?

 

The more you know… the less fear there is… unless you are diesel truck mechanic that knows how everything works, wears, and breaks….  Then you might know too much…   

Go Mooney! 
 

Best regards,

-a-

[Z W]

I had the same experience dealing with a lot of old, bad, and maybe questionably legal panel work.  Just about every flight, some gauge or another in the panel would fail, light up a warning light, or otherwise de-rail the flight.  AI, HSI, turn coordinator, autopilot, JPI engine monitor, transponder, all took turns failing in flight.  It never impacted safety of the flight, exactly, but I started to not want to fly because of it, was not comfortable in IMC, and did not want to plan trips with others for fear that it would ruin GA for them.

Finally had a good shop rip it all out and put in a new panel.  After about two years, that feeling has pretty much gone away and it's great.  Took some time.  I hope that happens for you.

[N201MKTurbo]

My old M20F was super reliable. I would feel comfortable firing it up on any random day and flying it across the Atlantic. 

My Turbo J has never given me that feeling. No matter how much maintenance I give it, I'm always a bit suspicious. Since I rebuilt the engine, it has been running great. smooth as silk, all the temps are dead even. The CHTs have settled down and now they sit about 350 during cruise. But I sometimes imagine it failing catastrophically. I have no reason to feel that way. I think the only cure for this is time in the plane. You have to build a trust relationship with your plane. 

[GeeBee]

The only anxiety I have when I turn the key is....the tow bar detached and the oil cap on

[ZuluZulu]

My plane has really earned my trust in the almost two years I've owned it, but I still try to start every flight asking "how is this machine going to try to kill me today" so I'm ready to respond.

[A64Pilot]

I take a breath ever time I go to drop the gear, as very soon after I bought it, it had about a 50% chance of nothing happening, but motor wise it’s solid as a rock. I do worry about the cam, just like I did in my Maule’s 540, but I don’t have any concern about anything catastrophic happening.

Gear intermittent problem turned out to be the switch, which I went through some issues finding one, initially bought a used one, tried to get one from Mooney, wad given a high price and I think a 16week lead time but finally figured out it’s a MS24659-23D switch.

God knows where this bolding is coming from, sorry. The switch is widely available for $40. save the plastic wheel that screws on though, that I think is a Mooney part.

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by A64Pilot

[BravoWhiskey]

I have the same anxiety.  But that’s because each flight since I purchased has been a learning experience.  I think once I work out all the bugs (dropped off at MSC today) my anxiety will ease up a bit.  If not then there will be a Bravo for sale by the end of this year… 

[Hector]

I consider myself extremely lucky. I’ve owned my Mooney for a little over 10 years and 1000 hours and it has been extremely reliable. When I turn the key I know the engine will start in two blades. It has never left me stranded anywhere. Only once has it failed a run up check but with the engine monitor I was able to identify the offending fouled plug and a 30 minute fix. My COM2 radio failed once and had it repaired and I fixed a leak in the Brittain servo myself and had the servo control valves O/H. I look forward to flying my bird every weekend and feel guilty if I don’t take her out.


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[Fly Boomer]

19 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

MS24659-23D switch

Does the knob on the end of the stock switch just screw off?

 

 

[carusoam]

3 hours ago, Fly Boomer said:

Does the knob on the end of the stock switch just screw off?

 

 

Yes…

Save your wheel to apply to the next switch…

The details should be on the switch’s spec page… read before you click the buy button…

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic…

-a-