DakotaFlyer

Chris - that would be awesome! I will actually be back in town on Sept. 4-7 if you're around.

Sorry - it's not my place to publicly air our disagreement

As an update here, my prior purchase fell apart so I'm back in the market for an Ovation with G1000 and FIKI, but am opening up to the idea of a STEC55x instead of the GFC700 (and potentially foregoing WAAS if I can't find an upgrade kit lying around...). if anyone knows of one for sale, or may be for sale in the near future, I'd appreciate the heads up. I'm a cash buyer and can move quickly.

Mike - you hit the nail on the head. For me, other than 10 hours in a SR22, all of my flying career has been in steam gauge Pipers and Cessnas, mostly with King GPS units, so a G1000/GFC700 combo (which will be WAAS upgraded) is pretty much revolutionary in terms of capability. While the NXI is very nice, for me it just isn’t worth the very significant increase in cost. That said, if Garmin ever got the GFC500/600 approved for the M20 platform, I would certainly entertain older Ovations that currently use an STec.

Thanks — my mission with the FIKI is not to our climb ice or plow through it... it’s to punch through the 2k layer that sits over the northern plains all winter. I do understand the potential downsides with the G1000 setup, but major panel updates are something I’d rather avoid and I don’t think I’ve seen any planes for sale setup like you outlined.

Thanks!

Sure - I’d be the first in line for the 60% off sale!

I’m in the market for an Ovation but need FIKI and the GFC 700 with WAAS and VNav. Anyone know of one for sale but not on Controller?

Thanks Russ -- yes, the WAAS, GFC700, FIKI combination is what I was looking for in an Ovation and this checked all of the boxes. That said, I'm eagerly awaiting Brian's report card to confirm all is as it should be.

Thanks all for the insights above. To help bring this story to a conclusion, I'm under contract on an Ovation (https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/25896481/2007-mooney-m20r-ovation-3-gx) pending pre-buy with Brian at San Marcos. I almost (like completed transition training and everything) ended up in a SR22T, but ultimately my mission profile won out and I realized the significant cost difference in operating the SR22 (T or no T) is overkill for what I need to do. That said, I sure thought hard about an Acclaim... but I ended up back at the same operational cost concerns. To fly from Sioux Falls to Minneapolis/Chicago/Denver/Nashville, you just don't need the turbo or the associated maintenance/FF increase. Hope to meet some of you at a future MAPA event.

And my pre-buy. After speaking with a lot of different folks, for my first Mooney/airplane purchase, I’m confident in Brian’s capabilities and attention to detail. That said, it’s not the cheapest pre-buy I was quoted, but I think that says something positive about his service. I’ll report back with my experience once the deal is completed.

Thanks! Appreciate the lead on mooneyflyer. Quick follow up, would training on a M20J be materially different than on a M20R? Most of the instructors teach in J's, which I'm sure would be helpful, but would prefer to train in something similar to what I'd buy.

Thanks Paul. That's really helpful. Appreciate the insight. Ted

Thanks - that's why I'm on here looking for a Mooney to fly around Chicago... SR22s are easy to find/rent... Mooneys not so much.

Hello all, Apologies in advance if some of this has been covered elsewhere, but I couldn't find anything relevant via searching. I am currently considering the purchase of a plane to support an impending move this summer to South Dakota while still enabling efficient work travel east of the Rockies ~3 days per week. I've come across a Ovation2 with FIKI and G1000 (http://www.airmart.com/aircraft-for-sale/114/mooney/n322pm-2005-mooney-m20r-ovation-2-gx/n322pm) that seems to fit the bill for what I'm looking for. That said, I've never flown a Mooney before and am a bit cautious given the step up from my recent history in C172/C182 steam aircraft. That said, I do have my comm/multi/instru and have about 400 hours TT and 50 hours complex. First, does anyone know of someone with an Ovation in the Chicago area that I could get a test flight in? Second, is there a rental G1000 Mooney/CFII that could help me complete transition training over a multi-day period? I'd be willing to travel in the 48 states for this. Third, my other option under consideration is a FIKI SR22 (G3 or G5), but the additional maintenance, acquisition cost, etc., isn't as attractive. However, what is attractive is the formalized training program, availability of rental aircraft and CSIP instructors, more qualified service centers, etc., plus a more capable avionics platform. That said, either the SR22 and M20R would fit my mission profile of ~2 pax and ~700 mile legs. I know this is a Mooney forum, but does anyone disagree with the thought process? Honestly, the incremental speed of the M20R in cruise isn't that relevant to me, but the lower Vs/Vso compared to the SR22 very much is (though what I've read of the M20R's landing characteristics has me concerned given the SR22 has issues there as well). Appreciate thoughts and advice in advance. Not trying to start a M vs C debate... both are nice and are targeting different segments of the GA space, so no reason to go there. Ted