4/20/22 Message from Jonny/Service Center

[Marc_B]

13 minutes ago, cliffy said:

What I'm suggesting is a "Get to know your Mooney" type of video.

I'd personally love a Mooney Master Class...I know they offer a few courses like MooneyMax and MAPA PPP or work with a great transition instructor.  I've learned a TON on Mooneyspace but something curated by the factory with an audience for the owner/operator would be great.  For Mooney to make sure they get the reimbursement for their time they could easily sell a log in subscription for videos similar to what King Schools does.  Modules on airframe, lubrication, engine ops, PPI, annuals, factory tours/how a Mooney is born...  Sounds like a lot of up front work...I'd imagine the videos would all be pretty timeless though and many modules applicable across the line.

[EricJ]

55 minutes ago, cliffy said:

We're getting to deep in the weeds here folks  This is NOT "how to do an annual inspection" time

I'm not suggesting a an end all where all video on how to do things, just a video (like the one shown) to give prospective owners an idea of what to look at to see if they want to consider a certain airframe for purchase or how do the different items work and how are they worked on.  As an example show how the gear over center links are torque checked. MOST pilots have no idea how that is done and many (from personal experience) would like to see how it is done.  Show how to check the stabilizer wear limits at the tip of the stailizer ( how many of you know about that check?).  Its easy and quick but no one knows about it and it should be a preflight item, its that easy.  How about plane on jacks to show how and where the nose gear steering works and how to check for excessive wear (8 second ride)? How about explaining what to look for in cabin tubing rust and rot and why maybe the interior needs to come out even on a PPI. Show where the most likely places are for wing spar corrosion and where fuel tank leaks show up. Show and explain how the gear retracts and what moves where. These are all things I have found that many pilots want to know (even the ones without any mechanical apptitude).

All stuff that is easy to see but very important in considering a airplane for purchase. Items unique to Mooney. 

Smarter pilots equal safer pilots. 

What I'm suggesting is a "Get to know your Mooney" type of video. NOT an A&P trainig course.

What you're describing is also a good chunk of the "what to look at when buying a Mooney" guide.

[Schllc]

23 hours ago, Schllc said:

@Jonny

If Mooney wanted to create some cash flow, take advantage of this market and stimulate greater interest in Mooney going forward, you would work with garmin for a path to nxi for the fleet of g1000 planes. That’s easy money and would rejuvenate the long body fleet. 
it would be a slam dunk for every non Waas g1000 plane out there. 

I was reminded by another mooneyspace member, that there are approximately 420ish legacy g1000 Mooney’s. 
If Mooney’s portion of that was only 5k each, that would amount to over 2,000,000 in revenue and a rejuvenated interest in the airframe because it’s modernized. 
Not to mention if the service center did the installs, there would be all the ancillary work, and parts, around these upgrades.
About 100 of the 420 have stecs, some may choose to upgrade to the gfc700, etc. 

If Mooney then certified the nxi for the pre ultra airframe,  how much more would it take for non glass panel planes to get the retrofit?  There a lot more than 420 of those!

Aerostar Aircraft has stayed in business for over 40 years without making aircraft, and with a much smaller fleet.  
Engage, innovate, and offer a value to the existing owners.  
Push forward with the gross weight increase, and landing gear!

Mooney owners are very fervent in their (our) love for the planes, it’s like the landcruiser and bmw groups. They go to great lengths to preserve these fine pieces of machinery.  
Tap into that and it would be work for years to come…

[carusoam]

Defensive maneuver…

Make a decent pro Mooney video before the YouTubers do… 

-a-

 

 

[Guest]

How would we ever get a video showing the important things to a prospective Mooney owner?  We can’t even agree what level of inspection is required for said PPI.  The views here are all over the map.

Clarence

 

[LANCECASPER]

21 hours ago, GeeBee said:

That program needs to get on track quickly. I would even allow Garmin to use my airplane for test.

I’m guessing that Jonny’s Acclaim Type S would probably be the test airplane.

[GeeBee]

Yes, but he has the GFC 700, I have the STec 55x, I would make the full package qualify.

 

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, GeeBee said:

Yes, but he has the GFC 700, I have the STec 55x, I would make the full package qualify.

 

I don’t think there are any G1000 NXi upgrades on any airframes without the GFC700. (Examples early Cessna G1000’s with KAP140)

[GeeBee]

I would point you to Jonny's first post announcing his intentions for the future of Mooney in which in addition to the gross weight increase, he announced a plan to upgrade to Nxi and said that STec 55x versions would include an upgrade to the GFC 700. Since he will be at MooneyMaxx I will attempt to ascertain if this is still his intentions at that time if he is kind enough to take questions. 

 

 

[LANCECASPER]

11 hours ago, GeeBee said:

I would point you to Jonny's first post announcing his intentions for the future of Mooney in which in addition to the gross weight increase, he announced a plan to upgrade to Nxi and said that STec 55x versions would include an upgrade to the GFC 700. Since he will be at MooneyMaxx I will attempt to ascertain if this is still his intentions at that time if he is kind enough to take questions. 

 

 

Those GFC700 upgrades for the S-Tec 55x were for sure available back in 2007-2009 and maybe later. There were a handful of Ovations and Bravos that were upgraded to the GFC700 from the S-Tec 55x. The first 31 or so Acclaims came with the S-Tec 55x and most were later upgraded to the GFC700. Mooney SB 940167 provided a way to add a PS Engineering CD Player in the space where the S-Tec 55x was on the Ovations, Bravos and Acclaims that were upgraded to the GFC700.

[GeeBee]

Then we have a basis!

 

[Jonny]

On 4/30/2022 at 4:22 PM, Schllc said:

@Jonny

If Mooney wanted to create some cash flow, take advantage of this market and stimulate greater interest in Mooney going forward, you would work with garmin for a path to nxi for the fleet of g1000 planes. That’s easy money and would rejuvenate the long body fleet. 
it would be a slam dunk for every non Waas g1000 plane out there. 

Working on it. The issues is getting the FAA and Garmin approvals. But we know it's a problem for many and a solution would generate income and good will. Hoping to get there soon.

[mike_elliott]

14 hours ago, Jonny said:

Working on it. The issues is getting the FAA and Garmin approvals. But we know it's a problem for many and a solution would generate income and good will. Hoping to get there soon.

I have heard Garmins approval process is expedited with $$$, while the FAA's is with coverbutt. Have you thought about an escrowed presale of the units that could be used to "motivate" some of the obstacles, Jonny?

 

[tony]

8 minutes ago, mike_elliott said:

I have heard Garmins approval process is expedited with $$$, while the FAA's is with coverbutt. 

 

The difference between and ODA and an ACO........

[A64Pilot]

2 hours ago, tony said:

The difference between and ODA and an ACO........

Yep

[hphillips]

On 4/21/2022 at 3:56 PM, Marauder said:
There are plenty of opportunities for Mooney to generate revenues from retrofits. How many owners would like to upgrade their yokes to the modern style? How many have asked for rudder pedal extenders?

I was in this game (not aviation related). They need to generate sustainable revenues to secure additional venture monies to get the manufacturing of new planes back fully.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

This makes sense. I recently tried for several months to order the 201 Windshield Retrofit kit. Unfortunately the forklift was broken and Mooney couldn’t access the die to stamp the Cowl Deck. There was a list of people waiting for this mod however maybe not enough to cover the repair of the forklift. I ended up ordering the original style windshield and moved on.

To be fair Mooney did have the formers to modify the two piece side glass to one. I’m thankful for that.

[LANCECASPER]

A few months ago Garmin did a webinar on upgrading a legacy G1000 to the G1000 NXi. Here are a couple screen shots:

 

[T. Peterson]

1 hour ago, 1980Mooney said:

In the response at the top of Page 2, Jonny dropped the rose colored glasses and said " working to stand up the company building parts and the service center so we can withstand the tough times and not need capital infusions every month.".  Additionally on page 3 he said "There are heftier headwinds than meet the eye and the factory is dealing with an inheritance that weighs things down as well. So, on top of building a self-sustaining business we're dealing with our past luggage.

Mooney is a business that is negative cash flowing.  They live from hand to mouth. It is a parts manufacturing company that is lumbering under the overhead of an aircraft manufacturing company.  It carries the liabilities of past aircraft manufacturing and those created by the past ownership both on and off the balance sheet.  It may also have some obligation to the past owner.  Mooney does not have the capital to keep adequate inventories let alone fix a fork lift or temporarily rent a replacement.  They are unable to advance order third party parts in economic order quantities (i.e. "substantial orders of no-back springs, etc").

They are walking a tight rope and like the "Flying Wallenda's" there is a chance they make safely to the other side.  When interest rates were essentially zero it was easier - with rising rates the task is more difficult.  Of course it wont take much to knock things off course.  Any discussion here on MS other than just building parts at Mooney are just "ideas being tossed around (on MS) are being made in a vacuum." as stated by Jonny.

We should be happy that the supply of parts continues albeit with long or unpredictable delays and rising costs and plane downtime.  The worst case is that Mooney Int'l collapses under its liabilities (yet again) and that they reorganize as solely a parts making business.  With the liabilities swept away they can survive building parts for the declining fleet with no pretense of trying to build planes, improve the design or current fleet.

I certainly can’t quarrel with a thing you have written. You stated the case very well. I knew Mooney was up against it, but I did not realize things were this bad. While I am even less assured than I was before I regret the line of my post that reflected poorly on management. 
I am going to delete that post…..providing I can figure out how to do it!

Thanks for the education and sincere apologies to those I may have offended.

[Hank]

1 minute ago, T. Peterson said:

I regret the line of my post that reflected poorly on management. 
I am going to delete that post…..providing I can figure out how to do it!.

Up by your name, way over to the right, are three dots ". . ." Click in them and you can then Delete your post.

You aren't the first person here to make a mistake.

[T. Peterson]

20 minutes ago, Hank said:

Up by your name, way over to the right, are three dots ". . ." Click in them and you can then Delete your post.

You aren't the first person here to make a mistake.

I did delete it. It should be gone. Thank you!

[LANCECASPER]

On 4/20/2022 at 2:16 PM, LANCECASPER said:

These guys at the Factory Service Center took great care of me in December in getting a software update handled and getting my brakes properly bled. I am going to see them in the next couple weeks to have a WX-500 installed and in getting my Bose jacks fixed. Thrilled to have them open!!

A shout out for the Mooney Factory Service Center in Kerrville - they did an excellent job of installing my WX-500 and the Landing Height System. They found a couple other things that needed to be addressed.

I couldn’t be more satisfied with the level of care and workmanship. Thanks Mike Kneese  & Jeff (avionics)!!

[carusoam]

Nice pirep for the center of all Mooney Service Centers Lance!

-a-

[JayMatt]

On 4/23/2022 at 10:13 AM, Jonny said:

 

In the meantime, bringing your airplane to the Factory Service Center really does help the bottom line. We've been getting a lot of calls from folks looking for customer support rather than to set up appointments. 

 

What are the wait times? My annual is due in December. This will be the first annual I go through as I'm a new owner. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little nervous about taking it to Mooney. Mainly because I'm afraid of what may have been missed over the years that will now mean a 10+k annual. I know that should be a comforting thing but this year has been expensive already. Bringing a Mooney back to life with the level of care I'm accustomed too is no cheap feat.  

@Jonny could you also explain more about what's going on with landing gear? I'm not familiar with what everyone is talking about and would like to find more information on the matter. 

What's the address to the shop? 

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, JayMatt said:

What are the wait times? My annual is due in December. This will be the first annual I go through as I'm a new owner. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little nervous about taking it to Mooney. Mainly because I'm afraid of what may have been missed over the years that will now mean a 10+k annual. I know that should be a comforting thing but this year has been expensive already. Bringing a Mooney back to life with the level of care I'm accustomed too is no cheap feat.  

@Jonny could you also explain more about what's going on with landing gear? I'm not familiar with what everyone is talking about and would like to find more information on the matter. 

What's the address to the shop? 

Go to Mooney.com - the first thing you’ll see is the phone number to the Factory Service Center and the e-mail address.

Address is on the web page - it’s at the airport on Al Mooney Road, Kerrville TX 78028

PM me if you need helping getting back to KGLS.

[mike_elliott]

@Jonny Consider the Mooney Summit to donate a base annual inspection to help us assist downed Mooney Pilot's families. Good will goes miles for the price of Mikes time for a day or 2 and brings Mooney back into the support fold. Some lucky owner would gladly bid on this fantastic silent auction donation and undoubtedly would be a service center customer for life after they experience what Mike and Kevin can do. I hope the crew behind the curtain gives this request serious thought as I am sure it will pay soft sell dividends for Mooney both fiscally and culturally