C182 PLT WITH A FLT INSTRUCTOR RETURNING FROM AN FAA SAFETY MEETING HAVE A NMAC WITH A MOONEY ACFT.

Narrative

AN INSTRUCTOR AND I DEPARTED AURORA; OREGON; AND WERE ENRTE TO SALEM. WE HAD JUST ATTENDED AN FAA SPONSORED SAFETY MEETING. THIS WAS MY FIRST VISIT WITH THIS INSTRUCTOR; AND IT WAS HIS FIRST FLT IN MY ACFT. I HAVE AN APCH CERTIFIED GPS WITH WHICH HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR; AND FROM THE TIME TO TAKE OFF UNTIL THE FLT ENDED; WE DISCUSSED THE ACFT; ITS EQUIP; MY EXPERIENCE; AND OTHER FLYING ISSUES. WE WERE WATCHING FOR OTHER ACFT; BUT WE WERE ALSO QUITE ATTENTIVE TO EACH OTHER AND TO ACFT FAMILIARIZATION. AT THE TIME OF CLOSE PASSAGE TO THE OTHER ACFT; I BELIEVE WE WERE IN A GENTLE CLB. OUR HDG WAS CONSTANT. I COULD SEE THE GND OVER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. I DO NOT REMEMBER WHETHER WE HAD JUST DECIDED TO FLY A PRACTICE INST APCH INTO SALEM OR WHETHER WE WERE DISCUSSING ACFT EQUIP; BUT OUR ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM THE PATH AHEAD AND TFC WATCH TO THE INSIDE OF THE CABIN. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY SECONDS PASSED BTWN MY LOOKING AWAY FROM THE PATH AHEAD TO THE INSIDE OF THE CABIN; BUT VERY QUICKLY AFTER I TURNED AWAY FROM THE WINDSHIELD; THE INSTRUCTOR SAID 'ACFT OUR ALT; DSND.