We've received a request from Scott McKie for help in locating a particular Mite. Unfortunately, it cannot be identified through a search of the Mite Site files (which are very sparse for the 1950's and 1960's), so we'll let you have a look at Scott's request in case someone out there can help:

I am contacting you to see if there would be a way to see if pics of the Mooney Mite that my father owned and flew while he was stationed at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, might be available. His name was Major Forrest W. McKie (his rank at the time) where he was attached to the Wyoming National Guard as Liaison Officer to the US ARMY. This was during the early 1950s. He was later transferred to Fort Leavenworth Kansas and the plane went with him when it was sold after he completed schooling there.

The plane's name was WEE MAC (after me, his son) and had a bright red and yellow paint job on it. I can't remember whether the big scallops along the LE of the main wings up to half way back towards the TE were red on yellow, or visa versa. I believe the scalloped patterns also were present along the leading edges of the tail feathers. It had the 65 hp. Continental engine in it.

If there is a way that you might be able to contact the Mooney Mite group and see if anyone remembers a Mite with that paint job on it in the Midwest, most likely it was my father's plane.

Thank you in advance for anything that you might find.
Scott Mckie -- scotsman7@comcast.net

Any help would be appreciated. Please contact the Mite Site or Scott at the above e-mail address. 2009-07-03

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Re: Trophies - I am planning to put together an article on the various trophies that Mite owners have won over the years. I have been in touch with the winning owners that I know about, but there may be others to whom I have not sent a request for photos. If you have not heard from me, please e-mail me with details. Thanks. 2009-06-20

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Contents of an e-mail from Scott Lewis, N4096:

At the recent Porterville fly-in, I was talking with Ed Mandibles and a couple other guys about the Stromberg carburetor and he mixture control. Apparently, many Strombergs have had the mixture control wired shut because of rumors/beliefs that the control is ineffective. Anyway, I found an article from a Cessna 120-140 owners organization that has a lot of information about the Stromberg, and I thought it might be of interest to other Mite owners whose plane has that carb. (click here)

2009-06-05

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Please note: a change has been made to the date of the next WAMM Fly-In which was announced in the report below. It is now scheduled for the weekend of October 2 - 4, 2009. 2009-05-30

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The WAMM May 15 - 17 Fly-In report is now ready for viewing. Of special note are visits by new Mite owners, Ed Mandibles (N325M) of Lompoc, CA and Dave Rush (N4105) of Commack, NY. Welcome to the Mite Community, guys! 2009-05-20

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We've been told that the Mooney Mite Site played a part in the development of a very good M-18C simulation for FSX, the Microsoft Flight Simulator program. Our thanks to developer Tim Conrad for making it available here for download, and to Joel Johnson, N4124, for bringing it to our attention. Note that FSX runs only in the MS Windows operating system. View sample images from the simulator here, on another site. Download the simulator zip file (9.5MB) direct from the Mite Site by clicking here. The installation instructions are found in readme.txt within the zip package. 2009-04-25

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WAMM Fly-In, Porterville, CA, in three weeks! (May 15 - 17).

2009-04-25

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Notice of Event:

The Golden West Regional Fly-In (Yuba County airport (MYV), Olivehurst, CA) will be held on June 12, 13 and 14 this year and, as the Vintage Aircraft Coordinator, I am inviting Mooney Mite owners to attend one of the friendliest gatherings of aviation people and aircraft in the West. In addition to Antique, Classic and Contemporary Vintage Aircraft, we anticipate that a large array of War Birds and Homebuilt aircraft will be on hand. As usual, an air show, including a military flight demonstrations, will be presented each day of the Fly-In.

I would appreciate it if you would notify Mooney Mites owners in the vicinity of North-central California of this Fly-In. The participation of classic Mooney Mite aircraft will help make the Vintage Aircraft sector one of the highlights of the event. Arrival and departure procedures during tower operational periods are linked to this site.

Marty Maisel, Vintage Aircraft Coordinator, 916-408-4803, Lincoln, CA.

2009-04-10

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Here's an item of interest from Stephen Lowther, N397A, N4080, N372A (parts):

This is for all the guys that don't like to Hand Prop anymore!

In the April EAA Sport Aviation is an article on The "SafeStart Starter" system. The STC has a typo in the article. Here is the correct number: SA02604CH. Price $1850 + $500 to install at his location. He is working on his PMA to do kits.

This is currently for Continentals 100HP or less. He is working on a Mooney Mite Lycoming setup as well.

I provided a frame and 0-145-B2 core to do the setup on.
Will send more info as I get it.

P.S. I should have N397A back in the air in June.

2009-04-08

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Like many other vBulletin boards, the MiteTalk forum has been deluged with phony applications for membership -- more than ten a day. The usernames are nonsensical and email addresses non-specific (such as "@gmail"), so I have to assume they are automated spamming computers trying to post inappropriate material (ads or pornography). The recent registration procedure had enabled me to intercept and block them, but it required daily attention. I have now changed the program settings so that new applications for membership must go direct to me by email. Previous members will continue to have full privileges. I notice that Mite Talk is receiving very few new postings from legitimate members. This leads me to question its value, in view of the fact that a license must be purchased every year. Your comments would be appreciated. 2009-03-24

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We are pleased to add another first-hand story to our collection, that of John Jorgensen, who ferried N4105 to New York last December. [See Flight Experiences: "Coast to Coast in N4105" via the Articles Page]. Thanks for writing it, John, and thanks to new owner, Dave Rush, who gave him the opportunity. 2009-03-11

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Over the past month, the Mite Site has been undergoing major renovations, mostly behind the scenes (where HTML code is involved). It was brought to our attention today that one of more of our web pages was not displaying properly in Internet Explorer. This was to be expected, considering the number of changes involved. These things can usually be fixed easily, as long as we find out about them. If you see something that doesn't look right, please let us know right away so we can avoid embarrassment. 2009-03-01

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Rest assured, there WILL be a WAMM May 2009 Fly-In at Porterville. We have eight confirmations so far. 2009-03-01

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Some of the WAMM members are starting preparations for attending the Fly-In in May. However, there is talk that current economic conditions are keeping many flyers grounded. It was suggested that it might be smart to cancel the May Fly-In and go for October only. I would like to hear a.s.a.p. from those of you who are still committed to coming to Porterville on May 15 - 17. 2009-02-24

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Message forwarded by Fred Ramin, NC366A:

"On behalf of the 1940 Air Terminal Museum, I would like to invite you and your organization to our monthly Wings & Wheels Saturday open house. The event features vintage aircraft, vintage cars, lunch and fun. We host Wings & Wheels on the third Saturday of the month, with the next one on Saturday, February 21, 2009.

This month features Chopper Day, including many helicopters and motorcycles on display. Our 1957 Cessna 172 raffle plane will also be on display. Families and fly-ins are welcome. Admission is $10 for adults and $5.00 for kids under 12. We hope to see you there!

Thanks, Drew Coats, The 1940 Air Terminal Museum, at William P. Hobby Airport, 8325 Travelair, Houston, Texas 77061, 713-454-1940, 713-454-1930 (fax).

2009-02-18

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www.mooneymite.com

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We depend on contributions! The Mite Site is always looking for photos, negatives or digital images of Mites, as well as magazine articles and personal stories featuring the Mooney M-18. Contact: drutherford@mooneymite.com

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Please look closely at the Buy & Sell page. The Mite Site often receives requests for technical information or help with maintenance and/or repairs. We are glad to post these requests on the Buy & Sell page, hoping that someone will helpfully respond. Alternatively, if knowledgeable and experienced people were to provide their names and area of expertise to the Mite Site, these requests could be sent directly to an appropriate person. If you feel able and willing to provide help in any area, please contact me (Dave Rutherford). Thank you! As Red Green says, "I'm pullin' for ya; we're all in this together."