The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025

If you can jack the airplane, do a gear over center torque check. Make sure your A&P has the correct tools to do it. While on jacks, move the main gears in and out toward the wing tips, checking for excessive movement. Lift the main wheels to check for play in the donuts. After 5 minutes unloaded, the donuts should expand enough to not have much movement. Check the condition of the mouse boots in the main wheel wells. While down by the main gear, check the spar bottom between the fuselage and wheel wells for smoking rivets. The rivets that hold the spar sandwich together. That can be a big $$$$$$. I found one in AU with almost every rivet loose on the bottom of the spar. The owner grounded it when Kerrville said it had to be repaired. mail The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 7 Nose gear area - If on jacks, this is easy. Twist the nose wheel left and right to check for excessive play in the steering linkage. More than about 10-15 degrees either side of center before tightening up on the linkage is too much. You will see the slop way at the top of the nose gear on the rod end linkage up there. Most important on the nose gear! Look and feel for dents where the steering system touches on the tubing. look for dents where it touches. Turn the wheel by hand and you will see where it touches and stops. MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO DENTS THERE! The limit is 1/32" depression. Any dents and the nose gear comes out for repair $$$$. On the tail surfaces, grab the tip of the stabilizer and try to move it up and down and fore and aft. If it moves or clicks, you might have work to do. Limits are about 1/10th of an inch either way. This is usually fixed by changing out the "close tolerance bolts' in the hinge. As noted, lift up on the rudder to check for play in the jackscrew. Same limit, about 1/10 of an inch. Lots of times it is because of wear on the 2-bolt hinge bracket at the aft end of the jackscrew, and not the jackscrew itself. I found one stabilizer that moved 1/2 inch either side of center! Look over the outside surface of the entire airplane for dents, filliform corrosion, hangar rash (the elevator tips seem to be especially susceptible to this damage) and NO repairs are allowed on the control surfaces, (no patches, partial skin replacement, etc.). The FAA in one case here on MS, made a big thing out of this stuff on a routine ramp check on one of our posters. Basically, they said it didn't come that way from the factory, so fix it. I check all the exterior control surface rod ends to see if they are loose enough to move or if they are dry and frozen. If dry and frozen, I start looking at the logs real close to see if the lube and gear swing AD had been done. One item missed almost always due to the effort, but it can cause big headaches, is pulling the sidewalls inside and actually looking at the steel tubing frame for rust. If the windows are not sealed well, water gets in there and runs down inside on the tubes and rusts them. The insulation SB aside. There is actually a SB describing how to check for leaks by pulling the sidewalls and directing a water hose at the windows looking for leaks. Make sure everything, and I mean every switch, knob and button works as designed! Put power to it and try all radios in all modes, all lights, all warnings, (landing gear warning horn, stall warning horn, etc.), all exterior lights, everything that can be turned on or off or moved in and out. There was one write up on here a while back where someone bought a Mooney and the stall warning didn't work, nor did the gear warning (IIRC). That makes the airplane unairworthy. If on jacks, (and it should be), do a gear swing and make sure the gear works properly. I've seen them signed off 3 months ago and they hang 3" from the wells when sucked up. If it’s electric gear, do a manual drop also to make sure it works. Had a couple on this board recently that went in for annual and the manual gear drop didn't work. So, check it out. Look to see if the gear actuator has ever been removed, cleaned, checked for proper gear lash, and relubricated. If it hasn't, you may be doing that on the next annual yourself. It's that important. Disregard if it’s manual gear. It goes without saying that a full logbook check is required for all applicable ADs and required inspections, even though the annual has just been done. The logs tell a story and knowing how to read them is a skill. Make sure you know what to look for or have someone that does. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 8 The engine stuff is the normal stuff: Compression check, oil filter inspection, looking for leaks, cracks, anything not normal. Pull the plugs and read them; they too have a story to tell. What is my caution to anyone whom I help buy an airplane? Trust no one selling an airplane period. Take nothing for granted. Don't trust anything even though it just had an annual. If you do, it will bite you in the arse. Check and verify everything before money changes hands. Once you pay for it, it’s yours! Good luck and show us pictures; even of the prebuy! The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 9 The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 10 In 1938, Culver Aircraft Company of Columbus, Ohio, bought the design of the Dart and Al Mooney joined Culver to design the very popular Cadet, a fully aerobatic, single-place low-wing plane. As World War II grew in scope and intensity, the Cadet was redesigned into one of the first radio-controlled target drones and given the name PQ-8. A later version, the PQ-14, flew fast and high -- 180 mph and 17,000 feet. The PQ-14 made a perfect training device for fighter pilots and gunners, so when Kamikaze Pilots threatened the U.S. Pacific fleet, many PQ-14s were rushed to Okinawa. There, United States Naval gunners sharpened their skills shooting at the swift drones. In all, 3,000 units of the PQ-8 and its successor, the PQ-14, were built by Mooney and Culver. In 1946, when Al Mooney was 40, he and Charles G. Yankey formed Mooney Aircraft, Inc. in Wichita, to get in on the expected post-war aviation boom. It was then that Al designed the M-18 Mite, introducing the now famous "on backward" Mooney tail. It was a single-place, low-wing craft with retractable landing gear and priced at an attractive $1,995. The Mite was the cheapest, smallest aircraft ever built in quantity. Operators could make money renting the plane for as little as $5 an hour. The first production Mite was delivered to a Santa Monica, Calif., distributor, W.S. Grant, who estimated his operating cost for the 1,200-mile flight home from Wichita to be "between $6 and $7!" On eight gallons of usable fuel (its capacity) the Mite claimed a range of 400 miles, or better than 50 miles per gallon. Mooney Aircraft announced that it had achieved "the lowest cost transportation of all means now known," and predicted that the Mite offered the business world the first practical airplane. The stout little 25-hp Crosley "Cobra" engine cruised the Mite at 85 mph. With a climb rate of 450 feet per minute, a flaps down stall speed of 40 mph, and a ceiling of 12,000 feet, Mooney's Mite was the "instant" pilot's dream. Mooney's patented "simpli-fly" control system, which automatically coordinated the tail-trim with the wing flap setting, was an added attraction. Over the next six years Mooney Aircraft produced 200 Mites. However, rising labor and production costs pushed the price up to $3,900, and the little Mite's major selling point was gone. Stepping up the horsepower to 65-hp in the M-18C did not help. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 11 In 1953, to prevent other Wichita aircraft builders from raiding his work force, Mooney moved the plant to Kerrville, Texas. Fifty more Mites were built, but soon Mooney began to lose money as they were priced out of the market. The Mite had become the darling of the ex-Service flyers. It had a cramped, single-place cockpit and therefore, it did not have the capacity for dual training. The rising demand for a more comfortable airplane with greater capacity outweighed the advantages of economy and excitement. With financial backing from Charles G. “Pappy” Yankey, production officially started and the first M20 flight took place on September 3, 1953. It was certified on August 24, 1955. During 1955, the company sold 10 of the M20 airplanes. Mooney was back in competition with the Mark-20, a four-place, 150-hp. 165-mph grown-up version of the Mite. Retaining some of the most advanced features of its little brother, the Mark-20 won Mooney a foremost place in the ranks of aircraft designers. Al's next challenge came in September, 1953. After the first flight of the M-20 prototype, financial backer Charles Yankey died of a stroke before funds could be put in place for production of the new design. Pappy Yankey had eight heirs, and none of them wanted any part of an airplane company. In his will he left all his stock to Al, providing he could arrange financing. The search for funding brought in Hal Rachal and Norm Hoffman, who took over the company and put key personnel on contracts to stay until after the type certificate was granted. That happened in September, 1955 - two years after the prototype was flown. In September 1955, Al and Arthur Mooney disposed of their holdings in Mooney Aircraft, Inc. and accepted design posts with Lockheed Aircraft Corporation at Marietta, Georgia. Although Al was apprehensive about working with a major defense contractor like Lockheed, he found a home because he was working with aircraft people from his past. Al’s three designs included the Lockheed Jetstar, which competed with Cessna, Hawker and bigger Learjets. It had four small jet engines paired up two per side on the aft fuselage. Lockheed Jetstar The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 12 Afterwards came the LASA 60, short for Lockheed-Azcarate. It was a utility plane built for the Mexican market. Eventually, Al was sent to Buenos Aires to set up a plant for the LASA 60. A third production facility was later added in Italy. Al and Arthur continued to work for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation until their retirement. Mooney Aircraft Corporation In 1955, Mooney Aircraft approached bankruptcy once again, but fortunately, two investors, oil industry lawyer Hal Rachal and his brother-in-law Norman Hoffman, purchased control of the company for $225,000. After taking over as president and chief executive, in 13 years, Rachal took Mooney Aircraft from the brink of bankruptcy to the fourth largest private-aircraft maker after Cessna, Piper and Beech. The new leadership continued to develop Mooney’s M20 plane designs. These designs were successful, thanks to their high speed and power. In 1959, the company made a profit for the first time in its history. Ralph Harmon, a lead engineer at McDonnell Aircraft, was convinced he should move to Mooney. Although he was inexperienced, Rachal saw an opportunity to expand the product line. Over the next several years, Rachal instructed Harmon to produce different variations of the M20 and the pressurized M22 Mustang. It first flew in September 1965 and was certified two years later. Although the M22 was promising, it cost much more than estimated and ultimately, was a failure. This marked another return of Mooney’s money problems going into the 1970s. After declaring bankruptcy, in 1969, Mooney Aircraft was sold to American Electronics Laboratories. By 1970, Mooney was sold again, this time to Butler Aviation International, and merged with another struggling small airplane manufacturer, Aerostar. A few years later, Mooney was purchased by Republic Steel Corporation. Robert Cumming, Republic’s general manager, owned a Mooney M20F and believed the company would return to form. Pilot Bill Mullen and Mooney CEO Hal Rachal M20F Executive M22 Mustang The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 13 In 1974, he oversaw the release of the six-place pressurized 301, which competed with the Cessna 210. Only one 301 prototype was constructed. Further development was carried out by a consortium led by French investors, eventually resulting in the SOCATA TBM. Later, the Mooney 201 and the M20K 231 were released. These models got their names from their top speeds of 201 and 231 mph. Both were money makers for the company through the 1980s and beyond. Eventually, the Mooney brand struggled to compete with other top general aviation companies. They were bought and sold several times – twice in 1984, and for a couple of decades, airplane sales were less than impressive. With a huge loss to competitor Slingsby for the U S Air Force’s Enhanced Flight Screener Trainer, by 1993, sales dropped to just 64 units. In July 2001, Mooney entered yet another bankruptcy and under the leadership of J. Nelson Happy as CEO, the company was acquired by Advanced Aerodynamics and Structures Inc. (AASI) in 2002. AASI resurrected Mooney under the name Mooney Aircraft Company, Inc., a division of Mooney Aerospace Group, Ltd. Two years later in 2004, MASG (AASI) sold off the Mooney assets to Allen Holding Finance in May, and filed for bankruptcy on June 10. In December, MASG restructured and reacquired Mooney Aircraft Company from Allen Holding Finance. Gretchen L. Jahn joined Mooney in November 2004, becoming the first female CEO of a U.S. aircraft manufacturer. She oversaw the development and introduction of the M20TN Acclaim and the Garmin G1000-equipped Ovation2 GX and Bravo GX. In June 2005, Mooney added a second shift and 50 new workers to boost production. Mooney announced the release of the M20TN Acclaim on April 4, 2006, at the Sun 'n Fun fly-in at Lakeland, Florida. The M20TN also featured the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, four heated, leather captain's chairs with lumbar support, a range in excess of 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi), and a top speed of 237 knots (439 km/h). At the time of its introduction, the Acclaim was the fastest single-engine piston-powered production aircraft in the world. Mooney was a publicly traded company after emerging from bankruptcy under the [symbol MNYG (OTC BB) until October 2006, when Mooney Aerospace Group arranged financing to buy out public shareholders. In late 2007, Mooney announced the arrival of its newest model, the M20TN Acclaim Type S. The Acclaim Type S added 5 knots (9.3 km/h) to the Acclaim's top speed to reach a speed of 242 knots (448 km/h). Mooney achieved this performance gain through aerodynamic tweaks to the Acclaim's airframe. Slingsby T67M260 Firefly The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 14 On 16 June 2008, Mooney announced it would lay off 60 employees and cut production from eight aircraft per month to five. Mooney CEO Dennis Ferguson said: In a third round of layoffs in December 2008, the company let go an additional 40 workers, leaving only about 50 employees at work. In December 2008, the company had 25 unsold aircraft at its factory. On 8 October 2013, it was announced that the company had been purchased by Soaring America Corporation, a new California-based company headed by President Cheng Yuan (Jerry Chen) of Taiwan. In August 2016, Mooney named Vivek Saxena as its new President and CEO. Under his tenure, Mooney's newest models, the M20V Acclaim Ultra and the M20U Ovation Ultra, received full FAA certification. On 1 September 2020 the company received a new ownership group under US Financial, LLC. The existing company management was replaced by a new CEO, Jonny Pollack, and a team consisting of "pilots and Mooney owners". Al Mooney In 1964, while working on his final design, Al's wife Opie was found to have a benign tumor. It was the beginning of a decline in her health, leading to her death in 1966. Though Al Mooney intended to lose himself in work, he realized by the time of his brother Arthur’s retirement in mid-1967, that work wasn't fun anymore. Arthur died in 1980 at the age of 76. Al Mooney died in Dallas, Texas on May 7, 1986, at the age of 80. Al Mooney The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 15 VFR into VMC Yup, you read that title correctly. You are probably asking yourself why is that the topic of an article? And the answer is, “simply because the FAA says it’s VMC does not mean that it’s a wise thing to fly in or into certain VMC conditions.” This article is mostly for those pilots who are not instrument rated, but it is very relevant to instrument rated pilots. Both rated and non- rated pilots flying into IMC from VMC have about the same rate of fatalities. The two most common low VMC conditions include 1) Low visibility in smog or haze, and 2) dark nights. Many pilots think flying into nasty VMC is worse than flying into IMC. The reason, they argue, is that you don’t feel/recognize the gravity of the situation. Food for thought. Early on in my flying life, I had a very trying personal encounter. I was flying home at night from Syracuse, NY to Manchester, NH. My Dad and I were enjoying the flight. We encountered the Berkshire Mountains and had almost no lighting. No problem, right? Then the panel lights went dark. Yikes. My Dad turned on his flashlight, but it temporarily blinded me until he dimmed it with a handkerchief. Here is a student pilot that found himself in difficult VMC conditions. Except for getting himself into this situation, he did everything right and made a safe landing. CLICK on the picture to witness the episode. First, he kept “aviating, aviating, aviating.” Then without hesitation, he called ATC for help. He maintained his cool, worked well with ATC and landed without incident. The conditions were marginal, with visibility at 3 miles. At 6,000; you can see the ground maybe 2 miles ahead. There is little horizon to see, making it a little IMC-ish. The first thing to do when you find yourself in a condition that is somewhat unsettling is to maintain your cool. If you start panicking, you sacrifice some cerebral capabilities, and that is not a good thing. Night flying can be another case of the situation being VMC from a technical standpoint, but not really. If you have never departed at night with little or no lights, essentially flying into a black hole with no visual references, that can be a challenge. You could be in a situation like this Mooney pilot: One night over the everglades, I became so disoriented in VMC (optical illusion with lights in the distance at an angle) that I was wondering if The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 16 the gauges were working correctly. I momentarily disengaged the autopilot to make sure the gauges were moving as they should and ended up with a map to cover up part of the windshield until I passed that road. If I didn't have IFR training, I would have screwed that one up ... It's so hard to trust the gauges over the "natural" horizon. Even in CAVU weather, when it's dark, there are several spots over the US that feel like it’s IMC. Another Mooniac wrote: From a practical point of view, Night VMC can be as bad as IMC. I think the US is one of the few countries in the world that doesn't require special training to fly at night. I wouldn't be mad if the FAA were to change the regs to require a special endorsement for Night VFR. Although you might not require the procedural part of IFR training, at least, for sure, you need to be able to aviate and navigate using the flight instruments. The Mooniac wrote: My instructor told me about him ferrying a Citabria out west. He landed in daytime, got some fuel and food, and wanted to do one more leg. He took off after dark and had to fight himself the whole flight so he wouldn’t roll inverted. He had done a lot of flying over the past few years in the East. Lots of lights on the ground, not so many stars due to air pollution (years ago) and light pollution. Out West, lots of stars, not many lights on the ground, so his mind kept telling him he was upside down. The tough thing about flying at night with little or no light is the fact that you cannot see clouds or IMC in the dark, so you may inadvertently go from nasty VMC to actual IMC. In this situation, executing a standard rate 180o is advised. How to Respond to poor VMC Encounters The response should be as simple as this: • Aviate, Aviate, Aviate • Transfer to “instruments” and stick with them 100%... Peeking out the windows can be disorienting. • Take a deep breath and “will yourself” to be calm and with a clear head. • Contact ATC and let them know your situation and tell them that you’d like help. Another thing you can do to “prepare” for difficult VMC conditions is to fly with a CFI in low visibility conditions and dark night conditions. The CFI can simulate inadvertent encounters by having you wear foggles (without advanced notice). Regardless, the intent of this article is to make you more aware of the potential hazards of flying in legal VMC, but lousy VMC. Remember: • Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. • You must learn from other people's mistakes because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 17 Plan Now to Become a Safer Pilot in 2025 Attend a Mooney Pilot Proficiency Program. Visit MooneySafety.com to learn more. You can register at https://www.mooneysafety.com /ppp-registration/ You can also email Lela Hughes, lelahughes49@gmail.com or call 210-289-6939. Her at 830-315-8008 2025 Lakeland, FL Jan 24 – 26 Henderson, NV Apr 4 – 6 Cheyenne, WY Jun 6 – 8 Groton, CT Sep 12 – 14 Branson, MO Oct 17 – 19 The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 18 You Can Resume Normal Speed By Richard Brown Have you ever been looking for a reason to fly? I love to fly but will admit that there have been occasions when I had the availability to fly, but just didn’t make the effort to drive to the airport. I knew that I would love it once in the air, but that thought wasn’t enough to get me there. Those are the times when having a purpose makes all the difference. Back in September I celebrated my 52nd birthday. In honor of that milestone, my wife suggested that I should try to fly once a week for the next year (52 weeks). Maybe that sounds a little ambitious, but since getting our Mooney, to maintian my proficiency, I have tried to fly once a week. However, there are still times that I would go a couple weeks without flying. There was also the time the airplane was getting painted when I really started to get the itch to fly, but once a week for a year was going to take some planning. I am 18 weeks in, and so far, I have a perfect streak. I had to have a way of measuring the weekly period and settled on Sun-Sat. I could fly on a Sunday and not fly again for 13 days on the next Saturday and keep the streak alive. That is the technical difference between once a week and once every 7 days. The planning aspect comes into monitoring my calendar and the weather to make sure I am not backed into a corner. We’re going out of town Wed-Sun of the coming week, so I need to get in a flight either Monday or Tuesday after work to stay perfect. The forecast looks good, so Week 19 does not appear to be at risk. Going back to Week 18, the calendar looked free for a Saturday flight so I could keep the streak going. On Wednesday, the weather was great, so I decided to fly an evening flight after work. The winds that had been blowing for days were forecast to be done that evening, which typically makes for a beautiful flight, plus it clears the haze. Where should I fly on a Wednesday night? There was the option to climb up to 10,500’ and fly over Pacific Palisades, but I was looking for a shorter flight, and with the fire not as active, I didn’t think there would be much to see after dark. I also did not want to add to any traffic in that area. I considered a costal flight, but while those are beautiful at sunset, an hour after sunset, they just are not as great. I settled on a tour of downtown Los Angeles, taking the Special Flight Rules Area over LAX on my way back to Fullerton. I filed a flight plan and just before leaving work at 5:00 pm, I logged in to get a weather and flight briefing. The TFR’s for the fires were still active, but there were no other issues along my intended route. I took off and headed to the northwest, leveling off at 1,600’ to stay well under the 2,500’ shelf of the Bravo, then pointed the nose toward the Los Angeles skyline. There were a few bumps as I passed Rose Hills, but then it smoothed out. The massive rail yards west of Commerce were lit up and all the freeways were just a string of lights as the evening traffic crawled along. I was glad to be cruising at 156 mph and enjoying the views. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 19 The air was clear, and the lights of the city sparkled. At a glance, it was a sea of lights with each skyscraper blending into the ones behind it. However, as I watched, the buildings took shape and the roads between them looked like ribbons of red because of the “stuck in traffic” taillights. Making a clockwise loop around downtown, I continued to admire the scene below before heading to the northeast and looping past Dodger’s Stadium. The field was full of equipment and cranes as the $100 million updates to the aging facility moved forward. I flew west along the Hollywood Hills, which only showed up as an outline against the lights of Burbank. There were no streetlights or house lights, and the Hollywood sign was dark. I began a climb to 3,500’ looking west at the darkness that should have been Pacific Palisades However, just like Hollywood Hills, it was a dark mass with an occasional light here and there. Before reaching the edge of the TFR, I turned southwest direct to the Santa Monica VOR, where I would line up to transit the Special Flight Rules. It was quiet, with the exception of the steady stream of planes arriving and departing LAX, and with a lone news helicopter flying along the south edge of the TRF to get some film footage. I’m still amazed that you can fly right over the top of LAX at 3,500’ or 4,500’ and all you have to do is squawk 1201 and self-announce on 128.55. It never gets old as I fly overhead and look down at that complex. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 20 After exiting to the southeast, I turned to the east and began my descent. I needed to be below 2,500’ just past the Compton airport so I could scoot under the 2,500’ Bravo shelf, letting the speed build to 175 mph as I headed downhill. From that point, I flew along the north side of Long Beach’s Delta before calling KFUL tower near the charted intersection of the 91 and 605 freeways. I had the ATIS and was moments from making my initial call when I heard: 80238: “Fullerton Tower, November 80238 is about two-thousand seven hundred feet over the 91 605 interchange with information Charlie inbound to land.” Tower: “November 80238, enter a right downwind runway two-four.” 80238: “Right downwind for runway two-four, 238.” I looked at my tablet and noticed he was still about a mile west of the interchange, slugging along at a speed you would expect from a flight school Cessna. I knew that plane because I took my IFR check ride in it years ago. I said to myself, “Dude, you’re going 81 knots!” I was bummed that he got his call in before me. This guy was about a mile south of me and 1,600’ above me and he was two miles closer to the airport. I pulled the power way back thinking I was going to be stuck, coasting along behind him. I was 11 miles out and he was 9 miles out. I considered my options as my speed continued to bleed off and just under a minute later, I decided to toss up a Hail Mary. Me: “Fullerton Tower, Mooney 1015Echo, one-thousand one-hundred just north of the 91/605. We do have 80238 in sight, inbound with Charlie.” The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 21 I could see 80238 above and to my right and hoped that by letting Tower know I had him in sight, he might let me slide into the number one slot. Tower: “Mooney 1015Echo, Fullerton Tower, keep the speed up and I’ll call your right turn for a 45-degree entry runway 24. You’re 40 knots faster than him. Do not slow.” Me: “Alright, we’ll keep the speed up; you’ll call my right turn for the 45, 15Echo.” Tower: “Cessna 238, traffic 9 o’clock a mile and inbound pattern altitude, a Mooney has you in sight. He’s going to be number one. Let me know when you have him in sight for number two.” 80238: “Traffic in sight, 238.” Tower: “Continue, you’re number two.” 80238: “Continuing number two, 238.” My Hail Mary was caught in the end zone. Here’s a question for you: Why do pilots often say “we” on the radio, when we’re alone in the plane? Without the need to stay slow I pushed the throttle back in and although in level flight, I watched my speed go from 146 mph to 176 mph. I love that Mooney speed! I covered lots of ground at 170+ mph, and just over a minute later, Tower gave me my turn to enter the pattern. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 22 Tower: “Mooney 15Echo, you can enter on the 45. You’re number one and winds are back and forth now a little bit out of the east, zero-seven-zero at four, runway two-four cleared to land.” Me: “Two-four cleared to land, 15Echo.” Tower: “238, he’s turning inbound on the 45, you’re number two, winds zero-seven-zero at four, runway two-four cleared to land.” 80238: “Cleared to land runway two-four, number two, 238.” Just a few moments later I heard something for the first time since I started flying. Tower: “Mooney 15Echo, you can resume normal speed.” Me: “We’re slowing it down, thanks 15Echo.” With power pulled back to 15”, I was able to slow below the 129 mph gear extension speed right as I passed the numbers on the downwind leg. I dropped the gear, powered back to 13”, which along with the gear extended, helped me start my descent from pattern altitude. Speed down to 100 mph, I turned onto base. Speed down to 90 mph, I turned to final. With the flaps down, the speed decreased to 80 mph and dropping as I crossed the fence, then settled onto the runway. Tower: “Mooney 15Echo, two left turns at Echo taxi Alpha to southeast parking, Good day.” Me: “Echo Alpha to southeast, have a good night, 15Echo.” I was almost to the turn off to my hangar when 80238 was rounding out to land. Smooth clear air, a glistening city light tour of Los Angeles, and sliding past a Cessna for the number one landing slot. It was just another great flight in a Mooney. As always, thank you for taking the time to read. If there are things you would like me to write about (or not write about), or if you just want to say hello, drop me an email at richard@intothesky.com. If you’re ever in Southern California and want to meet up let me know. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 23 Thunderbird Aircraft Sales Specializing in pre-owned Mooney Sales and Brokerage Hello Mooney Flyer Gang, My name is Richard Simile, and I am the President of Thunderbird Aircraft Sales. We Specialize in the Sale and Brokerage of late Model Mooney Aircraft. If you are considering the purchase of a newer Mooney, or thinking about selling your current Mooney, we hope you will consider using us. Our objective is to always provide a very pleasant transactional experience for both the Seller, and the Buyer. We have two offices. One in Auburn, AL and one in Chandler AZ. Please give us a call or email. We look forward to the possibility of serving you. Thank you. richard@thunderbirdaircraft.com or 602-884-2111 www.thunderbirdaircraft.com Instrument Denial (40%) Richard Simile, Thunderbird Aircraft Sales What started off as a very casual experiment to see what people thought about aircraft instruments that weren’t working properly, turned into a shocking discovery. Around 40% of the pilots when asked about instruments, (any Instruments), had the feeling the instrument, or what was feeding it, such as the sensor, transducer, wire, or probe, etc., had failed. 40%!!!! Wow, that is a huge percentage of people that think that the instrument initially failed instead of trusting the instrument FIRST!!!! If that percentage was only 5%, I would think we have a BIG PROBLEM. This "INSTRUMENT DENIAL" phenomenon places that pilot in a very precarious situation. What if the instrument is trying to tell him or her that something is wrong? It is my belief that we should first assume that the engine or flight instruments are not broken until we can prove otherwise. If we use this as the basis of which to evaluate the situation, precious time is saved. That’s because you don’t have to assume that the instrument has failed. You just dive right into an action plan that enhances safety by acting on what the instrument is actually telling you. I’m still amazed: 40%. Just WOW!!! Fly safe out there my Mooney Pals and please, believe your instruments FIRST. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 24 To Do One Click or Two That is the Question By Jerry Proctor, Mooney Safety Foundation, Director Emeritus An overall simple, but very important task, is to perform the magneto check before you fly. I won’t go into the mechanics, of which I assume you have a working knowledge. Simply, your Ignition Switch grounds one set of spark plugs to determine if the other set of plugs are working properly. My good friends, Paul Kortopates and Rob McGuire, both Mooney Safety Foundation Directors, can give you hour-long lectures about the details. If there are any tough questions about this article, I yield to Paul and Rob. Yes, duck and run has been my philosophy much of my life. Ahh, but I enjoy delving into the little items. Some may recall my captivating and award-winning article about the Mooney step. I am still collecting royalties on that article . . . NOT. So, as I have said before, I have the privilege of flying with many different pilots, through the Mooney Safety Foundation, Civil Air Patrol as a check pilot and doing individual instruction. I always intently observe those pilots as they conduct the mag check. Yes, I glance at the RPM drop, and as often as not, I look for temp increase and such. My ears also are attuned to sounds of roughness and on a very rare occasion, silence. That would be followed by, “Well Bill or Sally, we are done for the day.” I also look to see this important item: Do they first turn the key two clicks left or just one? They all have successfully gone back to “Both” and then perform the next step. Depending on the pilot, if they only do one click first and then later the two clicks, I let them know my preference. Yes, I am a dyed in the wool “Two Clicker First” advocate! I proudly have “Two Clicks” tattooed on my left hand as a reminder. So, if there are any readers still with me, maybe you are asking, what the heck difference does it make? Either way, one can get the job done. Yes, but . . . to follow is the punch paragraph. It has been noted and sometimes documented that after doing their second mag grounding, an unknown number of pilots have failed to rotate two clicks back. Thus, they proceed through the check list, taxi and take off on one mag. They are then perplexed when their hardy steed doesn’t operate up to par. What can follow is a shade of panic. They can look all over the panel to the front and left. Nothing there is going to identify the source of this problem. Possibly they do look to the lower left and see that they failed to turn the key to both. When they correct that, their hot rod bolts ahead and life is good. While I am seldom scientific, I believe the odds of taking off with only one set of mags are greatly reduced if you are in the Two Clicks First club! We have plenty of room and we are happy that you will forever more, have a much greater takeoff experience than those of the ol’ One Click First club. I am just saying. But always I say, fly Safe and Fast Jerry Proctor The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 25 Sanctity of Maintenance By Don Peterson I earned my PPL in March of 1979. I was 28 years old, divorced and living in a one-room cabin on the edge of a State Forest just outside Martinsville, Indiana. I previously had a hobby of restoring and racing Alfa Romeos, but during a surprise visit to Oshkosh the previous August, I reprogrammed my enthusiasm chip. The source of the smoke rising above the Bloomington airport was my flaming AMEX card. Later, in 1979, I sold my house in Houston and used some of the proceeds as a down payment on my future plane. It was a 1964 M20E with 1,900 total hours, a tube radio, and 1,200 hours on the motor, all for $15,000. Some vagueness in the logs left me guessing about the history of the first engine. I was already a competent mechanic, with both metric and Imperial tools, but had no experience with aviation. Being a good Boy Scout, I followed the rules and after moving to Richmond, Virginia, I found a Mooney-savvy shop to keep the plane serviced. I was earning about $18,000 per year at that point, and not very aware of politics and economic forces. My loan was a variable interest type, and during the Carter years, Nixon’s price freezes unloaded their pent-up constraints. Good judgment is painfully earned. The shop treated me very well. They were honest and honorable to a fault. The owner saw the 1,200 hours on my engine and said, “These early 200 HP Lycoming engines came with a 1,200- hour TBO. Do you want me to order a freshly overhauled unit?” I later learned more about aircraft engines and am pretty sure the shop owner never looked at the logs or the valve stems to confirm whether it had the early skinny valves that mandated a 1,200 limit. The engine was about 800 hours younger than the airframe at that point. “OK. How much?” “$6,500 exchange.” I was in the auto parts business, so I knew that “exchange” meant it was “Restored to like-new condition.” Uh…. No! With 75 hours on the fresh engine, VFR only, I flew to the Leeward Islands down past Puerto Rico to visit my dad. I had to open the pilot’s vent window, reach out with a towel, and wipe the oil from the windscreen so I could find the islands and see the runways. The saga of that repair cost me about $4,000 because neither the engine shop nor the factory stood behind their off-spec work, which was manifested in the first 5 hours of operation. The maintenance shop did all they could, gratis. It was the engine, not the installer, at fault. Later, in another state, not long after the previous problem, I was doing a pre-flight and I found my prop had very neat hack-saw cuts in both leading edges. It was not an impact, but two cuts. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 26 There was a prop shop on the field, but I had a local A&P file them back to “not horrible.” A couple of years later, I took the plane to have the prop overhauled, as required back then. However, the shop owner took one look from about ten feet and said, “Not with those blades.” Not enough chord remained. During that time, I married a lady with her own plane, plus restored an antique plane, and qualified for an A&P ticket. Three years later, I added the IA and took over my own maintenance and inspections. Every four or five years I would take my plane to a well-reputed shop for its annual. I figured another set of eyes and experience was a smart price to pay. I have since abandoned that belief because I found: • An air inlet boot held in place on one corner by a set of vice grips. • The pitch trim shaft mated to the worm gear several turns out of phase. In level flight, with two seated up front, I had to hold forward pressure to avoid climbing. • A blown tire on landing revealed the tube pinched between wheel halves. • Black brass instrument screws used to attach structural components to the air frame. • Intake and exhaust rocker arms installed on wrong sides, cutting both push rods in half. • Toolbox dropped on flap. • And much, much more . . . The above are just a few examples from 45 years with my M20. Prior to about ten years ago, the repair shops mostly sucked it up, apologized, and took care of things. Now, the replies tend toward “not our problem.” I’m hearing similar experiences from other owners. The Aviation Maintenance industry relies on character. A signature must indicate and guarantee that the work was done in full compliance with the standards. Without this, GA will be killed off, both figuratively and literally. Recently, the FAA issued a letter clarifying their position on the use of non-certificated maintenance technicians. This practice has long been allowed, with the regs requiring appropriately rated aviation technicians present to supervise. At some point, mission drift embraced the idea that “present” meant “available,” so they could be contacted via telephone for advice. The FAA letter said “NO.” They must be on site. Furthermore, they must actively supervise a non- certificated tech to ensure no errors are made. An outcry resulted. The maintenance industry claimed they would all go broke if they had to have certificated mechanics present in the shop doing or supervising the work on your plane. Oh, the horror . . . the horror. The FAA has, for now, suspended the letter. Decades ago, I wrote an article titled “Aviation in America is Too Cheap.” The angry letters rolled in, demanding that it must be cheaper, to ensure every Joe on the street could have his own plane. Be careful what you ask for. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 27 Check Your ADS-B Performance Report Is your ADS-B performing correctly or is it on the “naughty” list? You can find out by going to the FAA’s website at https://adsbperformance.faa.gov/paprrequest.aspx or you can Google “ADS-B Performance Report” to find a link to the URL. Fill out the form and you will quickly receive a report. To ensure that you are not on the ADS-B No Services Aircraft “Naughty” List, we recommend that you check with the FAA every quarter. If you’re on the No Services Aircraft List, the Operation Analysis Overview will tell you what is wrong. Then, your avionics shop can fix it, usually by making a simple adjustment. Some pilots think their ADS-B is working great, only to learn that they have been on the “Naught List” for several months. Fly Safe, Jim ADS-B No Services LIST CLICK HERE to watch a video The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 28 Mooney Maintenance CLICK HERE for the FAA’s Airworthiness Directives (ADs) for all Mooneys. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 29 The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 30 Send your questions for Tom to TheMooneyFlyer@gmail.com My M20S right fuel gauge stopped working. Both the wing gauge and the ship’s gauge are inoperative. They show about 12-13 gallons even when the tanks are full. What do you think is the issue? Can I check things easily? If not, where would I source a replacement? I don’t have access to the maintenance and parts manuals anymore, but since you have two gages not getting q signal, then I would guess there is a sensor in the wing to provide a signal to the system. In the old days there was a float in the tank that was on an arm that moved with the fuel level and provided an electrical signal to the fuel gauge(s). Whatever that is, in your plane, it is stuck at 12- 13 gallons. It is probably accessed at the inboard end of the wing tank. I don’t know if now they use a float or probably some electronic type sensor. You can access this area with the belly panel off and check to see if the wiring is in place and not broken off. There should be a small wire at a small panel. Do you have a parts manual for your plane? That would give tell you what equipment your model has. TG The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 31 The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 32 Fuel/Paint Tests at Odds With One Another AVweb article, Jan 15, 2025 California A&P Mike Luvara has posted a second fuel test video he says confirms that G100UL damages paint. GAMI has rebutted with its own test video. A California A&P who has been testing the effects of GAMI's G100UL on aircraft paint says a second round of testing has confirmed early results. But GAMI founder George Braly says his company has been unable to replicate Michael Luvara's results. Braly said immersion tests and allowing fuel to evaporate on painted surfaces haven't caused any of the kind of damage that Luvara has shown in the second of two videos posted on YouTube. Luvara says the second round of tests confirmed suspicions raised in the first video. For more information: https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/fuel-paint-tests-at-odds-with-one- another/?MailingID=FLY250114022&utm_campaign=avwebflash&utm_medium=newsletter&oly_ enc_id=2460I0034934C1W GAMI tests show G100UL does not damage paint General Aviation News article, Jan 19, 2025. General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI), which is now selling its G100UL unleaded avgas at some airports, has posted a video to YouTube in response to comments from a California A&P who claims the new fuel damages aircraft paint. In the video, George Braly, a company co-founder and the person in charge of engineering, says the company conducted a 10-day simulation of a slow leak of the fuel “and no paint damage resulted.” There was some staining, but that was cleaned up “with normal shop techniques,” Braly says. He added the company takes these concerns “very seriously” and encourages pilots and aircraft owners to report any issues with the fuel so the company can investigate. For more information: https://generalaviationnews.com/2025/01/19/gami-tests-claims-that- g100ul-damages-paint/?utm_source=TPOA&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20250121 HYH The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 33 ForeFlight’s Beta Insurance Fair Price Tool AVweb article, Jan 24, 2025. ForeFlight unveiled its Insurance Fair Price Tool this week, offering aircraft owners increased transparency into what the company calls “one of the most opaque financial aspects of aircraft ownership.” The tool aims to help aircraft owners navigate the complexities of insurance pricing. According to ForeFlight, the Insurance Fair Price Tool uses anonymized insurance policy data shared by pilots, combined with a user’s aircraft and flight experience details, to display an expected premium range based on similar profiles. Pilots can see where their current policy fits within the "fair price" range and gain insight into factors influencing their premiums. “Insurance costs have increased in recent years, and many pilots don’t know if they’re getting a fair deal. This is a big step toward bringing more transparency to an outdated, inconsistent system,” said Tim Schuetze, CEO of ForeFlight. The Insurance Fair Price Tool is available on ForeFlight Web and is in open beta, meaning the tool is still being refined. ForeFlight is encouraging pilots to upload their insurance policies to help enhance the data before its full launch. For more information: https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/foreflight-unveils-insurance-pricing- tool/?MailingID=FLY250123032&utm_campaign=avwebflash&utm_medium=newsletter&oly_enc_ id=2460I0034934C1W The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 34 FAA Recommends AOA for All Aircraft General Aviation News article, by Ben Sclair, January 23, 2025 The FAA recommends owners of all airplanes install and calibrate an Angle of Attack (AOA) alerting system and receive training on its use. “Increasing awareness of the benefits of these alerting systems may reduce the risk for loss-of- control (LOC) incidents and accidents,” is noted in the introduction of Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) 2024-07 — STALL WARNING SYSTEM, Angle of Attack Alerting Systems — issued on Dec. 26, 2024. The bulletin references the 2009 Colgan Air crash (Flight 3407) and its NTSB investigation, which highlighted the risks of improper stall recovery and insufficient low-air speed alerting. The NTSB recommended the FAA require installation of such a system for all airplanes operating under Part 121, 135, and 91, subpart K. For more information: https://generalaviationnews.com/2025/01/23/faa-recommends-aoa-for-all- aircraft/?utm_source=TPOA&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20250124 The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 35 FAA Fast Tracks Electronic Registrations AVweb article, Jan 27, 2025 The FAA published a final rule last week that allows online submission of aircraft registration documents. Previous regulations required registrants to submit original documents and ink-signed documents to register aircraft, but the new rule does away with almost all of that. In some cases, certified or true copies will be needed. It's hoped the modernization move will speed up the process and chip away at the monthslong delays in processing aircraft registrations. A companion rule also allows the FAA to email the completed registration certificates. For more information: https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-fast-tracks-electronic- registrations/?MailingID=FLY250127005&utm_campaign=avwebflash&utm_medium=newsletter& oly_enc_id=2460I0034934C1W The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 36 Contact Dave at daveanruth@aol.com or (352) 343-3196, before coming to the restaurant, to have an accurate count. Events begin at 11:30 February 8: Sebring (SEF) March 8: Bartow (KBOW) Sign Up at https://www.mooneysafety.com/ppp-registration/ Apr 4-6: Henderson, NV Jun 6-8: Cheyenne, WY Sep 12-14: Groton, CT Oct 17-19: Branson, MO Learn more at https://www.empoa.eu/index.php/en/ September 5-7: Wings to Walla Walla Fly In (KALW) Join us for a weekend of wine and food. As always, hosted by Henry Hochberg. Events The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 37 MyGoFlight iPad Cooling Case Aviation gear provider MyGoFlight has released a new iPad case that ensures late-edition devices remain cool despite their thinner make-up and stronger batteries and processors, which make them prone to easily overheating. The cooling case relies on the same kind of GPU/CPU thermal blower technology used in advanced gaming laptops to disperse heat with minimal noise output, and according to the company it's the first iPad case to do so,. In the MyGoFlight case, that tech is powered by the iPad itself and requires no additional batteries, making it a low-maintenance option. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 38 Parts for Sale This Cowling was removed from a M20E and replaced with a M20J (201) cowling. The cowling is located at Fullerton Airport (KFUL) and is in excellent condition. Offers accepted. Contact: Bernard Lee – leebern@msn.com (562-865-2547) P/N 310309-501 P/N 310309-502 These fairings are new and priced @ $280.00 each or $525.00 for both. Priced elsewhere @ $362.69 each. Contact: Bernard Lee – leebern@msn.com (562-865-2547) Bushing P/N 914007-003 - 2- Bushings in the original package @ $35.00 each. Priced elsewhere @ $45.00 each. Bushing P/N 914007-005 1-Bushing in the original package @ $59.00 1-Bushing loose @ $50.00 Priced elsewhere @ $69.00 each Contact: Bernard Lee – leebern@msn.com (562-865-2547) Access Covers P/N 3000-901 (2-available) - 1-without nuts attached. Make offer. Contact: Bernard Lee – leebern@msn.com (562-865-2547) 1959 Mooney 20A - Seeking Mooney Purist * $17,000 Hangar stored for years, now ready for overhaul(s) and refurbish. * Airframe and engine 1439.1 TT. McAuley prop. O360 engine. Wood-wing. * Would consider selling only the engine and prop. However, sentimentally prefer to find a Mooney Lover seeking a great project. * Telephone: 419 591 6477 for further information. The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 39 Mooney gear actuator and parts FOR SALE - Manual extension Spool and Cable for Plessey. Installed 2021, 206 hours. Best offer. Contact: CarolAnn Garratt, cagarratt@gmail.com or leave msg at 352-342-7182. For Sale: Complete exhaust system from 1975 M20C. Excellent condition. Drilled for EGT sensors. Approximate 2,750 hours TT. Removed for Power Flow upgrade. $350. For information: 541-382- 6752; 541-410-1121; jhl1csrs@yahoo.com For Sale: Polished Hartzell 3 blade spinner P/N: A-2295-4P. Fits Mooney M20J and M20C with STC and other applications. Complete with bulkhead. $500. For information: 541-382-6752; 541-410- 1121; jhl1csrs@yahoo.com The Mooney Flyer Volume 14 Number 2 February 2025 Page 40