bradhescock

@carusoam & @Stephen So far so good. I was able to spend some time with Sean ( @Bayern Speed) yesterday afternoon and poke around on his F. I like the mid-body cabin and the Mooney design in general. The seating position feels good and sports-car like as I anticipated, and don't anticipate any fit issues. Definitely cements a mid-body onto my shopping list. I think the C or E would be a great airplane, but with my tall family, I'm not sure how practical the cabin size would be for us. The hunt continues.

@Planegary - thanks for the offer! @Rwsavory took the time to show me his C model on Saturday and I'm meeting @Bayern Speed this afternoon to check out his F. If I get out your way I'll give you a shout. What a generous community this is. Thank you all for your help.

Thanks, Sean. I PM'd you and will reach out to coordinate a time.

Thanks for the replies! My mission is developing. For the first 100 hours or so, I'd anticipate it would be just me in the airplane. I'd like to earn my instrument rating. Typical flights will be from Memphis to DFW, STL (where my son is in college, WashU) and wherever my daughter ends up choosing for college next year (likely somewhere in NC.) I don't see me doing anything super long distance, but who knows. I'd rather solve for 80% of the mission (just me in the plane or perhaps me and my wife, <400nm) than overbuy capability at this stage in the game. If we find that everybody loves flying as much as I do, then I can start thinking about a big boy plane. I've been limiting my search to Lycoming 4-cyl powered certified aircraft in the $50k purchase price range that would have a clear exit strategy/market should I decide to upgrade after flying for a couple of years. That's led me to a 172, a M20x, or a PA28 of some flavor. The M20's speed seems like it would lend itself to being more "upgrade proof" than a fixed gear Cherokee 180 or certainly a 172, i.e. I could see being inclined to keep it longer. Cheers, Brad

Hi all. I'm a 55 hour student pilot based in Memphis and am starting to think about what I'd like to do about an airplane once I get my ticket, hopefully next month. I have a little Cherokee time, but mainly have been flying a 172. The M20 series seems to be an interesting value proposition, but I'd like to try one on for size. I'm 6'3" 220lbs, so want to make sure I fit and am comfortable before adding the airframe to my shopping list. Are there any vintage Mooney drivers in the greater Memphis area? I'd love to meet you and see your airplane if you could spare the time. Thanks in advance for your help! Cheers, Brad