4/20/22 Message from Jonny/Service Center

[MikeOH]

10 minutes ago, Jonny said:

Hey Chris - Just picking up on your thread now. The shop rate is $120/Hr. But as for your specific situation, if you have a mechanic you love that knows your airplane, you should definitely stick with him. Especially for an older plane like a 1967 C.  On a separate note, if you did reach out to the factory and didn't hear back, please let me know.  That would be a problem.

Jonny

Class act response, right there

[MikeOH]

3 hours ago, chriscalandro said:

it’s going. To be a solid pass from me dawg. 

Very good to hear that!

Everyone is going to be a LOT happier.

[chriscalandro]

Jonny - will do. 

Edited April 25, 2022 by chriscalandro

[A64Pilot]

On 4/24/2022 at 8:14 PM, MikeOH said:

Class act response, right there

And $120 is significantly less than I was expecting too

[hammdo]

I have a couple schools of thought:

Legacy Mooneys (pre-J).

I would look for shops that have experience working on those (not just MSCs). Maxwell's obviously has that - long steady history - has seen probably everything. I can see real value with a Maxwell annual or PPI.

Some of the other MSC shops have been sold so I'd have to research who is still there after the new ownership took over. A sharp AP/IA can work on these and can always give an MSC or the Factory a call. I've personally call Maxwells, spoke with Don, and was impressed with his knowledge and helpfulness. I'd expect that with any MSC or the factory. Legacy experience is really good to have.

David ( @Sabremech ) did an outstanding job on my Mooney when he owned it. Like I said - sharp AP/IAs can be invaluable. Many SBs and all ADs were already done when I got the plane - and some items done due to the hours on the plane.  I still bother David with questions about the plane ;o) 

I'm fortunate that shops in my area have experience with the Legacy models - one of the shops I use, the owner has a 66 E model and has owned it for over 15 years - located on the field I'm at now. Knows the legacy models well (works on all Mooney models).

Modern Mooneys:

I can see real value to having the factory on this one but, but like legacy models, many good MSCs and other shops do too. Again, researching these shops will necessitate who/how long the shop has worked on Mooneys.  like I noted above, sharp AP/IAs can too.
 

With many of the old guard retired or flown west, I think it's vital to know knowledge is transferred.

Mooneys are great planes. - As long as we take care of them... ;o)

AL and Art were geniuses...

-Don

 

 

 

[Marc_B]

@Jonny any chance you can check on the status of MLG retract tubes (for 97 M20K Encore) on order since Jan/Feb? I've emailed with Frank Crawford and spoken with my local MSC (Arapahoe Aero) for the order and initially was told 12-14 wks but "likely much sooner than this."  Feel free to DM me if you have any information.

Thanks!

Marc.

[Jonny]

On 4/27/2022 at 3:44 PM, Marc_B said:

@Jonny any chance you can check on the status of MLG retract tubes (for 97 M20K Encore) on order since Jan/Feb? I've emailed with Frank Crawford and spoken with my local MSC (Arapahoe Aero) for the order and initially was told 12-14 wks but "likely much sooner than this."  Feel free to DM me if you have any information.

Thanks!

Marc.

Hey Marc - Can you get me a part number?

[Marc_B]

31 minutes ago, Jonny said:

Hey Marc - Can you get me a part number?

@Jonny  PN: 560244-501.  Main landing gear retract tube for M20K (sn 25-2008).  Not sure if this part has been superseded by another PN, but I think it's correct.  I need 2.

Thanks for checking!!!

Marc.

[A64Pilot]

If we are allowed to ask parts questions, any idea when the next batch of no back springs will go out?

I apparently missed the last batch

[Will.iam]

1 hour ago, A64Pilot said:

If we are allowed to ask parts questions, any idea when the next batch of no back springs will go out?

I apparently missed the last batch

I need one by next annual time too. Thank goodness it’s not an AD on the time or I’d be grounded. 

[A64Pilot]

I have ordered the part and paid for it from a MSC, their guess is eight months.

Just wondering if Jonny has a better idea. I’m not trying to order direct

I understand and acknowledge that parts come in batches, and Mooney purchases them and cannot therefore control manufacturing, I believe they are an Eaton part.

They come in batches as it makes no sense manufacturing one or two, the set up time required to manufacture a part is great, usually it makes sense to make a batch, that is a very large part of why airplane parts cost so much, there just isn’t any economy of scale, especially if it’s a one off part that there isn’t enough demand to make sense to stock.

By the time you pull the drawings, find and set up any tooling or jigs required, accumulate the raw stock, build one part, have QC inspect it etc you may as well build five more, but if you only sold two in the last three years, do you tie up money in stocking that part?

Hey, I’m just tickled pink to get parts

The back story for me is I called an MSC over six months ago and was put on a list for a spring, since then that MSC won’t return my calls or emails so I sent a PM to a member that had recently gotten one, called the MSC he used and ordered and paid for the part. Sure I’m a little off put by having to pay up front, but in their defense they have never heard of me either.

Edited April 29, 2022 by A64Pilot

[Guest]

On 4/27/2022 at 3:44 PM, Marc_B said:

@Jonny any chance you can check on the status of MLG retract tubes (for 97 M20K Encore) on order since Jan/Feb? I've emailed with Frank Crawford and spoken with my local MSC (Arapahoe Aero) for the order and initially was told 12-14 wks but "likely much sooner than this."  Feel free to DM me if you have any information.

Thanks!

Marc.

Don’t feel too bad about delivery times.  We’ve had a nose wheel pant on order from Cirrus since October 2021.  Everyone is feeling the pinch.

Clarence

[cliffy]

 

Just a quick note for Jonny-

No back spring really is affecting some Mooney owners in Australia

If anything could be done to get them a few springs I'm sure they would appreciate it,  I can get to the correct people over there.

As for them ITS A MANDATORY REPLACEMENT as a time item. They are grounded without a replacement.

Their rules are different than ours.

 

 

On another note on how to transfer Mooney knowledge- 

How about someone (or factory) exploring a descriptive video on the proper way to do a Mooney PPI inspection?  Shouldn't be too hard to make. Could even sell it for reasonable price. With our older airframes it might be a way to pass on knowledge and keep them maintained to a better level than I have seen many at. Knowing what to look at and for has value for the entire fleet!

The Beech boys do a show and tell on Bonanzas that is perfect in scope and easy to follow. Theirs is a live-  show up and we'll show you what to look at as we go through a complete airplane. Its a group thing that you can find a video on utube about it. 

[carusoam]

For really good videos at the Mooney factory… @MooneyMitch

 

-a-

[cliffy]

I think 30-45 mins would cover everything one needs to look at for reasonable PPI

NOT the log book inspections or AD research but just the airframe and engine stuff like the Beech boys do. 

Might be something to market to other maintenance shops with little Mooney experience

hat to look at and what to be aware of. 

I just found a Mooney C with the carb hot air valve not working correctly. Owner was unaware of what to look for, 

Stuff lie this  unique to Mooneys in the video. 

[Schllc]

@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. 

[Guest]

15 hours ago, cliffy said:

I think 30-45 mins would cover everything one needs to look at for reasonable PPI

NOT the log book inspections or AD research but just the airframe and engine stuff like the Beech boys do. 

Might be something to market to other maintenance shops with little Mooney experience

hat to look at and what to be aware of. 

I just found a Mooney C with the carb hot air valve not working correctly. Owner was unaware of what to look for, 

Stuff lie this  unique to Mooneys in the video. 

Not to be argumentative, but I could hardly get the shop door open, the plane inside and my tool box pushed over the the plane in 30-40 minutes.

Years ago, and maybe even today, if you wanted a Cessna Citation PPI done at a factory service centre they would do a complete inspection of the entire airframe, phase 1-5 if memory is correct.  The factory wasn’t going to stake its reputation on a a cursory look see.

I follow the same logic for my PPI’s.  I’ve seen enough botched jobs on PPI’s to question what people are really looking at.

Clarence

[N231BN]

Not to be argumentative, but I could hardly get the shop door open, the plane inside and my tool box pushed over the the plane in 30-40 minutes.
Years ago, and maybe even today, if you wanted a Cessna Citation PPI done at a factory service centre they would do a complete inspection of the entire airframe, phase 1-5 if memory is correct.  The factory wasn’t going to stake its reputation on a a cursory look see.
I follow the same logic for my PPI’s.  I’ve seen enough botched jobs on PPI’s to question what people are really looking at.
Clarence

Clarence,

I think he was referring to the length of a video showing Mooney-specific items to look at on a PPI.

[cliffy]

YUP To quote a famous line from Cool Hand Luke-

"What we have here is a failure to communicate"  :-)

I offer here one of several Beech Service Clinics videos on Bonanzas as evidence of what could be done to help the entire fleet 

 

[GeeBee]

5 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. 

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

[cliffy]

9 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

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

How generous of an offer  :-) :-) :-)

[GeeBee]

Just now, cliffy said:

How generous of an offer  :-) :-) :-)

It would not be without sacrifice, I've seen those programs before.

 

[cliffy]

I know Just a fun jab on my part   :-) :-)

[A64Pilot]

15 hours ago, cliffy said:

YUP To quote a famous line from Cool Hand Luke-

"What we have here is a failure to communicate"  :-)

I offer here one of several Beech Service Clinics videos on Bonanzas as evidence of what could be done to help the entire fleet 

 

That’s not a factory video is it?

Factory would carry a lot of liability from any video they produced, within a month probably they would be sued because they didn’t caution against slippery floors or something and someone slipped on oil and hurt their back. 

My answer as a Factory spokesperson would be we already have published a checklist, the Annual / 100 hour one

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by A64Pilot

[cliffy]

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.