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Is TKS useful for European flying?

We are starting to plan our move back to Europe and are considering options for the Mooney. It doesn’t have TKS (only de-iced prop) and I wonder if I should bring it back to with us as is or upgrade to a FIKI bird while still in the US and bring that one back. The question is how necessary/useful would a FIKI plane be for European planning vs. my current non-deiced one.

Thank you

KHPN, LFBE, EGKB, United States

What kind of Mooney is it ? Turbo or Ovation ?

EBST, Belgium

@xavierde, I think guys like @Peter can answer, but if you want to fly IFR in Europe, TKS is highly desired.
It is somewhat hard to install it in Europe – just one installer I believe.

EGTR

TKS on Mooney’s does kill lot of their tiny UL but if you have an M20K turbo then it may make sense to have TKS & Oxygen and fly it as max 2 seats

I don’t think TKS make lot of sense in the UK as one can just fly low on flat land or southern of Spain where it is hot all time, but I would guess it’s a must in few places with higher terrain and cold season, you can always fly as-is and see if you will need it before upgrading?

@terbang flies an M20K around Europe, he can opine if he ever needed TKS

Last Edited by Ibra at 15 Sep 18:08
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

airways wrote:

What kind of Mooney is it ? Turbo or Ovation ?

Turbo (252)

Last Edited by xavierde at 15 Sep 18:11
KHPN, LFBE, EGKB, United States

Ibra wrote:

I don’t think TKS make lot of sense in the UK as one can just fly low on flat land

@Ibra, sorry, how can you fly airways here on in France at low level?

EGTR

Without FIKI, my dispatch rate would go from 99% down to 75%, I reckon; the plane would be unsuitable for business trips or planned holidays from November till March.

EGTF, LFTF

arj1 wrote:

sorry, how can you fly airways here on in France at low level?

I was referring to the possibility to fly IFR bellow airways in UK, you usually don’t need TKS for that kind of flying

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Ibra wrote:

I was referring to the possibility to fly IFR bellow airways in UK, you usually don’t need TKS for that kind of flying

You mean only when it’s worm?
It’s just in the winter if it is +4-+5C outside, at 2000ft you will be in the freezing levels…

EGTR

Turbo (252)

Just like you I only have prop deice. My strategy is to push through ‘till on top of weather. That’s why I have the turbo. If this seems impossible (forecasts) I don’t depart.

EBST, Belgium
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