stensonb

Looks beautiful...a little rich for my blood, but that doesn't mean I don't want it.

Ok, cool...I'm a mid-time member of Valley Fliers out of S50...great club, but the top end 182 still only pushes ~120 on a good day! O2 is certainly a consideration. I think I expected to wear masks, but I can imagine a few hours of that gets old real quick. I'll be keeping this at either S50 or KTIW...and flying both South and East...mostly, I'd like to confident about being able to get over cold/wet clouds in the winter...and I realize most MEAs are <10,000, but higher is better...and when that prop stops, I'd like to have lots of time to figure out where I wanna hike out from. I imagine I'll get above 10,000 a few times a year...a few longer trips to Denver, northern Cali, and maybe an annual trip to someplace in Wisconsin where other airplanes go. Bob -- do you have a trusted IA who knows your Mooney well? I'd like to get some rough estimates on what annuals/overhauls/shop rate would cost...

Yup, only pilot in the fam. My wife sees aviation as a method of travel...nothing more. I have a nearly 7-year-old daughter who is geeked about flying, and I have a pipe dream that she'll want to pick it up as a hobby (among the other competing interests in her life). From the airplane perspective, I'll be the sole "decider"!

Ha, you know, I meant a "K" model, not an"M".

Hi all -- As a first post, I wanted to start on the path of my inevitable decision to purchase a Mooney...I'm not sure I have a concrete timeline, and obviously, the budget is a pretty wide range... But, I'd like to hear some anecdotal reviews/comparisons/opinions on which one you'd buy, and why...and/or, why not the other model? Some of my current "needs" include: - +150 knots (more is better!) - +12000 ft (I live in the PNW, and need some power to get over the hills below) - something with time left before TBO (I don't want to buy a "rebuild-kit" project) - something with an interior that won't scare away my wife - A descent panel...if it doesn't have a G430W in it, I'll probably put one it -- an HSI would be nice...turn coordinator...post-1969 standard 6-pack panel...some cylinder/exhaust temp gauges...possibly fuel flow...meh... What do you think?