AF M20J

Thank you and congratulations on your 201! Great plane that should be fun to fly for a long time.

I'm selling my '81 J model I'm about to list it here and saw your post, so I'm replying before i list it here. I've listed it on barnstormers, with some images, but Barnstormers only lets me use a very limited number of characters. My plane is OE-DLV, an Austrian registered aircraft that I flew over the Atlantic at the end of 2022. I flew the plane until 2023, when I couldn't find an EASA shop to do the ARC (annual). This has put me in a pickle, where I can only import it to the US or fly it back to the EU. I made a bad investment and hit a financial wall, which stopped me from flying. The plane has 130 hours after major overhaul in 2022 which was performed by one of, if not the best overhaul shop in Europe, PWW in Belgium and Air-Craft ACG, a Mooney Service Center in Germany. The engine was flown back to the US for some machining by Lycoming to perfect the blocks. I have all documentation and the plane was originally registered in Texas in the early 80's, so import is straightforward (it's just a repatriation rather than an import, which only requires an inspection, rather than the full import process). I run it up regularly and it starts on first turn. The runups are usually around 20 minutes, until the oil reaches above boiling, to get all of the water out. The interior was the last thing on my list and I never worked on it. The carpet is unglued, so it drifts, but the seats are in decent condition. I sprayed the fuselage and interior of the skins inside the wings with anti-corrosion spray two times from 2016 - 2022 in Germany (Air-Craft are an awesome shop for interested owners, they let me wok on my plane with them when they did annuals, which is really exceptional for Europeans). I cleaned out all the nooks and crannies of the wings and fuselage where gunk tends to build up. We upgraded the GNSS antenna on the Garmin 430 and I removed the in-wing radar for the transatlantic flight. Mechanically, the plane is solid. I never spared any expense on maintenance, and Air-Craft (the MSC) can attest to that. If you're interested, I would be glad to work with you through the registration process, as I've done a lot of the legwork already. (Talked to a DAR in the Northeast when I lived there and I have all the materials needed). It's a special case, and for that I would be willing to work with you on all fronts. It hurts to see the plane sit and I want someone to have it and fly it, as every day it sits just hurts worse after flying this beauty across the Atlantic. She flew like a champ, btw and handled a ton of ice along the way (a harrowing story I only share in person). j Some pics are here: https://www.barnstormers.com/classified-1993604-1981-MOONEY-M20J-120-SMOH.html

Great shot, I love it. Thanks for sharing.

@Sue Bon Your avatar shows a great sectional livery on a tail, is that your plane? I love the livery! Also, is it a wrap, or paint?

My experience was that it cost me about 2x as much to own/operate in EU as it does in US. Regarding ACG Air-Craft, I realize that there is only one drawback that I could think of (reverting to previous topic): If they work on your plane for a while, it will sit outside in the damp German weather. My plane sat out for a very long time, with no chance to be hangared because the local hangar was full at that time. The service is great, I appreciate how they operate and they let me participate, but my plane experienced some heavy weathering due to Germany's humid/rainy climate.

True! I guess the easiest way to put this, is that there are no charges for IFR flights in the US. No landing fees either, unless you're using jet-level services. On a typical cross-country flight (Coast to Coast), I'll plan on about $100 for parking fees and facilities costs. The rest goes to fuel + lodging + meals. I can fuel up at any time, arrive at any time and leave at any time from nearly any airport here. Not so in Europe... remember operating hours PPR, Customs, local flight patterns, etc. Brutal flight planning involved. Again, I agree, it is worth it. Especially, when flying to places like Vannes, Croatia, or any cool area in Europe (there are so many!).

IIRC, it was over $100 for the stickers. (obviously just printed stickers, nothing fancy...) It may have been more... tbh, the memory was bad enough that I don't want to go back and look ;P

Interesting angle. Never heard of this before, would you be willing to elaborate just a bit more? Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your input!

Not yet, great idea, I'll get on that!

@GeeBee, unfortunately not. Another contact pointed out Continental Motors outside Mobile, AL, but they just stopped doing EASA inspections last week as well. If anyone else has any suggestions, I'd be really appreciative.

Just contacted them, thanks @GeeBee UPDATE: Unfortunately, they no longer provide EASA inspections.

Thanks @neilpilot I started here, and called a number of orgs, but repeatedly encountered the issue that they are primarily certified for parts mfg and overhaul. I'll keep digging in, thanks a lot!

Hello fellow Mooneyites! I have a J which is now in Florida after I flew it across the pond last fall and I'm searching (now urgently) for a US-Based EASA airworthiness shop that can inspect it for the annual. Do any of you know anyone who might be able to help? I've called all the major shops I can think of, but no-one does this anymore is what I've heard... I'm hopeful that's not the case! Thanks for any and all tips/help, it will be greatly appreciated.

Right on all counts (as usual), Mr. Kaye I would gladly fly with you any time, any where. I'm so grateful you made the trip to elevate my competence, thank you! I've learned so much from MooneySpace by reading. Thanks to everyone who makes this a phenomenal resource!

Instruction from @donkaye is the best I've received. I credit his instruction with saving my life several times. Highest recommendation I can give.