J-D

Thank you, I am a firm believer of taking calculated risks. Of course, I don't know what I don't know about flying a Mooney but I think with right training I can learn to be a safe pilot while flying a Mooney.

Hello, I think and Ovation with FIKI capability is beyond my price range. Personally, I try to get the best I can possibly/financially get and use it for a long time. Now, I am inclined to get an M20K 252 (I might consider the right M20K 231 as well). I have been extremely busy at work and was not able to check any airplane for a while now. Hopefully, I am going to get more time mid to late December. I will start searching again and work to complete my certificate.

Thank you for the insight about the USAF training. I plan to find the best instructor possible. There are two Mooney experienced CFI in Houston, TX according to the Mooneyflyer's website. I contacted both of them well before I started PPL training. One of them told me he is very busy and can only do the transition training, the other CFI told me we could work together (possibly) but scheduling might be a problem to fly as much as I wanted to fly with him. I plan to contact both of them again when I get the airplane and PPL.

Thank you for the list. I had not articulated this well but this would pretty much be my approach to the entire process.

This is along my thinking. I don't mind paying $5-8K for renting while getting my PPL. Considering my landings, I am actually happy to do it another person's airplane rather than mine. That being said, paying higher for IFR training plus dealing with potential scheduling issues will only delay my progress. In addition, as you pointed out, instead of paying that amount for rental I can apply to my budget or just keep it in the bank for unexpected things.

Thank you everybody. I really appreciate sharing your thoughts and experience with me. They are very important for a person like me to make an informed decision.

This is a great point! In my case, I will be visiting the same location in those cities and they are within 10 miles of an airport. So, I can take the Uber to the office. I have thought about “get rhereitis" a lot actually. My conclusion is that I can always drive if I absolutely need to be there or just go another day. I do sometimes delay my travel if I don't feel 100% for driving 6-8 hours roundtrip that day too.

I agree one can make money buying/selling it. I just cannot see myself dedicating a lot of time to pick a good plane each time.

These sound good to me. Honestly speaking, I am not saying I will buy an Ovation and only an Ovation. I will be happy with J or K as well. I just don't want to purchase another brand airplane to keep a few years and deal with hassle of selling that airplane and buying another one. Regardless of the airplane I get, I will make sure that I am training with an instructor until I am proficient. I have flown to OH using airlines over 10 times in 1.5 years before COVID and would not hesitate to do it again. The same goes for locations in TX, I have been driving for years and can always drive if needed.

Thank you for your insight. I understand the risk of transition from a trainer to Mooney. That is one reason for me to actually pursue IFR rating immediately after PPL with a Mooney experienced instructor. That would be a 40-hour of training with an instructor. I hope that gets me where I need to be. However, I would continue training with an instructor if needed. That is actually the deal I made with the family that I will not take any unnecessary risk and fly with an instructor as long as I need it.

Thank you Steve, this is very helpful. I liked your point about needing TKS. I see a few Ovations with FIKI but they are over 200K and over my budget.

Thank you for your suggestion. I have been trying to find a opening my calendar to stop by Jimmy Garrison (GMAX) on my way to Austin. JD and Laura's place seems to be an easier deviation from my regular route though. I might stop there first.

Thank you and all others who suggested starting with another airplane. Based on my understanding, it is too much hassle to buy and sell airplanes. So, I am inclined to buy something I really want at the beginning and use expenses related to buying/selling to train with a Mooney instructor.

Howdy! I am a student pilot still still learning about flying an airplane. I also started looking around to purchase an airplane specifically a Mooney for its speed. Currently, I drive a lot for work/business (about 60K miles a year) and hoping that getting an airplane will save me a lot of time. Most of my travels are going to be between Houston, TX (where I live) and Austin and Dallas TX. I also need to fly to Ohio 6-7 times a year for business. For most of my flights, I will be alone. For trips to OH, I might combine family and business so there can be up to 3 average sized adults in the plane for those trips. I have been reading forums a while and decided that I will actually not use my airplane for my private pilot certificate. However, as soon as, I get my PPL I plan to work on IFR rating and hoping I will have my airplane by that time. If I can find, I will choose a Mooney experienced instructor for the IFR training. Anyway, I started looking for M20J initially, then I convinced myself to get a M20K 252 possibly. Once I started thinking about M20K 252, I saw a few Ovations on the controller around $160K close to M20K 252 prices. I don't want to spend more than that amount for an airplane now. Another reason for me to consider an Ovation is that I read Ovations are more comfortable, which might be great for my parents if and when they travel with me (my parents live in OH) Given this background, I was wondering if anybody assess the following three airplanes especially by pointing out any specific things to watch for. Of course, once I think seriously about purchasing one, I plan to get a pre-buy done by a competent shop. Thanks in advance! JD https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/197840917/1987-mooney-m20k-252tse-piston-single-aircraft https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/147262289/1999-mooney-m20r-ovation-piston-single-aircraft https://www.controller.com/listing/for-sale/195764623/1998-mooney-m20r-ovation-piston-single-aircraft