Raptor05121

My background: I bought my 1963 180hp Mooney M20D approximately 5 years ago with 80 hours total time. I'm now a 1,500 hour Captain flying Part 135 Cessna 208 Caravans for cargo, and as of today, just received a CJO for PSA Airlines as a FO on the CRJ series. Owning a plane is such an invaluable experience to have. The costs will be higher, but the memories I have the last 6 years of traveling all over the country, meeting many new friends (some from here!) and just overall experience-building is going to only help you in the long-run. I did NOT go the CFI route, primarily because I was hired into survey as soon as I completed my commercial, but I still want my CFI so I can become a "Mooney CFI". The CFI ticket will help you in the long run with stuff like book knowledge that is needed when you make it to the commercial world. There are some things I consider myself deficient in while my peers excel at because they have years of FAR/AIM items memorized. But at the same time, us (owners) have the added benefit of more frequent experience, as well as more quality experience. For example, during my 135 Captain check ride, we were shooting approaches. ILS and GPS, autopilot and no autopilot. During the last part, my examiner said to me: "okay, lastly, I want to see what everyone has the most trouble with- the hand flown VOR-A approach". You should have seen the shit-eating grin I had on my face. He quickly realized it and asked: "why are you smiling like that?". My only reply: "hand-flown VORs are the only approaches I've been flying in my 1960s Mooney for the past 6 years". I'm trying to stay humble, but at the end of the ride he commented that "owning your plane has a definite advantage- your hand flying coordination is impeccable" If you are trying to time-build, nothing is faster than doing aerial survey. I logged about ~140hrs/month in a 172. Pay sucks, but you're actually flying the airplane, to within tenths of a degree of heading, +/- tens of feet, and +/-10 kts for 5-8 hours a day. Rather than letting some primary student get to fly the whole time while he sits back and tries to kill you. But again, the book knowledge and ability to put "CFI" on your resume will only help. Re: your Mooney questions, if you dont need the backseaters, just opt for a 180-200hp short body like the C or E. No need to go fast, you're talking 10-15 minutes over the course of hundreds of miles for a plane thats $50,000 more. Just get something turn-key, nicely-equipped and was meticulously maintained. For an O-360, you can expect between $25,000-$30,000 for a proper overhaul with 3-6 months downtime. But the majority of Cs and Es were made in the 60s and 70s. If you are looking at a 1980s timeline, you're looking at a J, which will consume most of your budget just in initial acquisition costs. Paint can be between $10k-$20k and about 2 months downtime. Avionics can go from $5k-100k depending on what you want, with timeline anywhere in the middle. It seems youre trying to buy a forever plane and use it to time build. Nothing wrong with that, but understand having a AOG (aircraft on ground) for mx, upgrades, paint, isnt going to help you build time. My $0.02- get a solid, older 1960s or 1970s C or E model with GPS and maybe an autopilot for $80k, and use the rest for unplanned MX and go buy a shit ton of fuel and fly all over the country. Feel free to PM if you want to chat further.

Very good observations, Freemasm

I thought the main selling feature to get people on board was it was supposed to be cheaper because it can be piped? What happened to 94UL, where it was consistently cheaper?

I'd vote the southern El Paso route as well. I ferried a C model from CA-FL two years ago during the heat of July and with two people we were struggling at 400fpm out of Phoenix and took forever to climb to 12,000 feet for the crossing in NM. As a Florida flat-lander, even the "easy" route, I don't consider the Rockies something to play with. I-10 is a 2,000-mile long runway, anyway.

I highly recommend the guys at Byerly Aviation in Peoria. They had my plane in-and-out for an IFR cert in a couple hours and were the cheapest. I rolled up at my scheduled time, and they had a tug waiting on me. My plane was pushed into their hangar and they have a lounge on the 2nd floor overlooking the hangar where 4 mechanics descended on my plane and got to work. Very well known Mooney shop. They have a parts dept in-house so I was able to buy some oil and air filters to keep on hand cheaper than Aircraft Spruce.

Well my annual inspection is complete. New shop meant I was placed on the bottom of the list so shes been grounded the past two months but today she took to the air with plenty of new goodies onboard. The shop didn't have any quams about our owner-produced down-lock blocks. They were very pleased with the documents and they fit perfectly. During the test flight I cycled the gear and it just has a solid "CLASP"....kinda like a door on a new car. I love it. Thanks to David for spearheading that endeavor. Now that I'm loose with an airplane, I plan on properly exploring New England. I've got a camping trip scheduled the weekend of August 13th up at the old Loring Air Force Base (if anyone wants to join, more is merrier!). I'd also like to head south and explore Cape Cod, Nantucket, Block Island, etc etc.

Also interested in a set!

I thought Mooney was going to pull themselves out of a rut with the M10J and the CD155. What a shame.

Did he say why he recommends a top overhaul? That seems like an expensive knee-jerk reaction to sitting considering Lycoming's weakness is the bottom-end, not the top-end.

50

Love it!

love it!!

Your wish just came true. The Pipistrel Panthera is basically a better Ovation with a BRS. It has a 260hp IO-540 that does 200KTAS @ 15gph at 75% power or dial back to 65% and it'll do 185KTAS @ 10.8gph. All with a 1,100lb useful load. Max gross 2900lbs and they are toting it will be certified to 3,000lbs which possibly means 1,200lbs useful? Plus, it can burn MoGas And it has a parachute. I just read the AOPA flight test about it in the FBO last night. The name "Mooney" was used several times. Very close competitor except it has 21st century clean sheet design basically capitalizing on Mooney's 60-year design. Faster, less fuel burn, better (personal opinion) engine than the Continental, more efficient, more useful load. And a freaking BRS system. All for the same price as an Acclaim. The actual numbers in the article were impressive. Quite literally what I've been daydreaming about if Mooney made a new carbon-fiber design. Little different styling, but if I had three-quarter mil in my pocket for HPSE piston, I'd quickly place an order for one of these over a new Ovation.

No F-16? Booo

Amateur pilot here. I stole the turbine and bought the getup from a Sportys catalog to pickup chicks

Turbine conversions rarely do well. The FAA's flat-footed approach is to slap the yellow arc as the new Vne as a precaution. Now a clean-sheet Mooney design, with 6 seats, pressurization and faster than a TBM, you can count me interested In about 50 years

Judging by the "55000" in the title, I'd assume thats the price

I'm sure you meant KTHA, as TLH is the Capital of Florida I know what you mean about the distillery. When I flew up, the entire area was IFR and the VOR approach into KTHA was out of service. All the Beech guys with their fancy panels shooting GPS approaches really sunk the point home lol. I asked for MVA and ATC popped me out of the cloud deck with the distillery in my windscreen. Very fun memories. Very good recount, BeeGee. I've been there as well and the grass was quite stable for my light short body. The Starship is my favorite aircraft ever and it was my first time seeing one. We went during Beech Party and unfortunately, the guy with the two last Starships didn't make it out last year. I'm super jealous you got to fly one!

You're preaching to the choir. A vast majority of people on here are the farthest sense from the term "newbie". Coming from management of another Mooney-centric message board, I don't fare well with people quarreling over sales price of a plane they aren't shopping for. Considering I paid $16,500 for mine, if it sold for $33k I'd be beyond chuffed.

Why do you care so much about a plane you have zero interest in buying. This sale brings hope I won't eat my lunch if I sell my plane. Similarly equipped but currently flying and in better shape.

I have a set as well if anyone needs to borrow them

Glad to hear these are slowly starting to make their way into hands! My plane is still waiting on a part from Mooney so I might be able to slide mine in this week as well!

My previous manager did this too. Mailed out a month's notice beforehand. Came by to check fire extinguishers and entry/exit and make sure not storing flammables inappropriately. Him and the Fire Chief came by. We talked airplanes and got to point out the basics of airplanes to the firefighters (fuel tank location, octane rating, aluminum thickness). It was good camaraderie.

You would NOT believe how many people have got that. Since I've had it over three years, maybe 4 people.

I would if I were still home!