Jonny

Thanks for the note! I watched this last week, actually. Some of what he said was speculation, but one premise is correct: Building Mooneys is very costly and inefficient. I like to say, "while we pour our hearts into every plane, the competition pours plastic into a mold." To move us to a completely composite airframe would cost many millions to certify and many, many years. But indeed, to your point, we are still in business. We are going to focus on maintaining the existing fleet and standing ourselves up with parts production. Then we'll start talking about entering the market again. In the meantime, the economy looks set to contract - building GA planes is about to become that much riskier. Maybe this isn't such a bad time to be on the sidelines. Jonny

Hey Folks: We're looking for an experienced Mooney A&P or ideally an IA (chief inspector material) down here at the Mooney Service Center. Hill Country is a great place to live and Mooney is a great place to work. If you know anyone, please direct them to our service center director, Mike Kneese. mkneese@mooney.com Thanks everyone! Jonny

Hi Folks. For clarity, the Mooney factory didn't perform the annual on the aircraft that was lost. In any event, our focus right now is keeping the friends and family of those who were lost in our thoughts and prayers and allowing the NTSB to do their work. Kind regards, Jonny

Working on it. The issues is getting the FAA and Garmin approvals. But we know it's a problem for many and a solution would generate income and good will. Hoping to get there soon.

Hey Marc - Can you get me a part number?

Hey Chris - Just picking up on your thread now. The shop rate is $120/Hr. But as for your specific situation, if you have a mechanic you love that knows your airplane, you should definitely stick with him. Especially for an older plane like a 1967 C. On a separate note, if you did reach out to the factory and didn't hear back, please let me know. That would be a problem. Jonny

Hi Skip - Some quick answers: The factory is staffed by folks steeped in Mooney tribal knowledge. We have folks that have been there for years, in addition to some new folks who we would like to pass the baton to. As for parts, there will always be some issues getting parts. Manufactured parts not so much, but securing from the supply chain, etc. That being said, if we don't have them, no one else does. We are doing our best in this regard and things will improve. And if it's a minor issue that makes the plane un-airworthy, then it's probably not a minor issue. Our IA will be as careful as any other IA should be. If your plane isn't airworthy to begin with, def don't fly it 1000 NM to Kerrville! As for competition, Mooney Service Centers already compete with one another. This is a geographical issue. I don't expect every Mooney owner will forego their local MSC for the factory. But we have spoken to the more local Texas MSC and they want us to succeed and support us in our efforts. Jonny

Hey Folks: I'm reading this thread with respect. I'm thick skinned, so you won't drive me off and healthy criticism is just that. What I can say is that some ideas being tossed around are being made in a vacuum. There are heftier headwinds than meet the eye and the factory is dealing with an inheritance that weighs things down as well. So, on top of building a self-sustaining business we're dealing with our past luggage. I promise, we do know what we're doing. We understand the parts business and we are looking at the most efficient ways to increase margin while not upsetting the Mooney fleet. It's a fine balance as your comments illustrate. So, please keep the dialogue going. I'm pretty good at pulling the hidden gems from the hyperbole and I'm alert enough to know what I don't know. In the meantime, bringing your airplane to the Factory Service Center really does help the bottom line. We've been getting a lot of calls from folks looking for customer support rather than to set up appointments. We still do customer support and Frank Crawford should get a metal for the number of emails and calls he returns. But I respectfully ask that you consider letting us do a pre-buy, or repair, or an annual. That is what would help the most at the moment. Plus I'd get to meet you in person and you can criticize or praise me in person Jonny

Hi Don. Good to hear from you. And thanks for relating that story. The folks in Kerrville are good people and they really care. Your support is always greatly appreciated. Jonny

Thanks for this post. Yes, this all true. The bigger you build, the higher the risk. We are working to stand up the company building parts and the service center so we can withstand the tough times and not need capital infusions every month. Once we do, we will weigh the other risks and garner the necessary investment. But for right now, the key is to keep Mooney alive so we have a factory behind our existing planes! PS - I just hope I don't meet the same fate as your CEO! Thanks again! Jonny

Will do my best to stay in touch. Thanks for all the support!

Thank you! We're also offering Pre-Buys. And we're putting together a factory certified pre-buy. So if you're thinking of selling your plane, get the factory cert in advance which should really help you sell your plane. Jonny

Hey Folks: It's been a while since I've posted and for that I apologize. I've been working diligently to keep Mooney alive and kicking and to put us in a position to become self-sustaining so we can concentrate on the more important stuff: Developing the retrofit landing gear to increase useful load and building brand new Ultras. Although we have kept parts moving, I'm well aware that there is frustration at the delays and in some cases, your inability to get certain parts. Some of this is a result of supply chain issues and some of it is that we simply don't have the resources to purchase the vendor inventory we need. I promise you that we are working on ways to remedy this. Many of you have written or called me offering your support and suggestions. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. Some of your ideas are great and if I haven't been able to implement them, it's simply because we don't yet have the resources. We have just formally re-opened the Factory Service Center. One way you can support us, is to book an appointment and have the factory service your plane. We're competitively priced and whether it's for an annual or some vexing issue that no one else seems able to fix, come down to Kerrville and the folks that built your plane will take care of it. We'll also show you around the factory and if I'm available, I'll stop by so we can talk Mooney in person. The service center number is: (830) 792-2064 and the email is FSC@Mooney.com We look forward to hearing from you and I thank you for your continued support. Warmly, Jonny

Hey Folks - Been off of here for a while dealing with the ice storm in Texas and plans for a new version of the Ultra. The factory took a hit but we're back up and running. No Back Springs came in last week so those of you who were grounded are hopefully up and running again - we are on order for more. Also, wanted to alert everyone that we're selling N197CV, the Ultra Ovation Prototype. It's a beautiful plane, only has 300 Hrs, will have a 1 year tip to tail warranty and I just put new seats in it. Also, it's NXi Phase II! If you're interested, hop onto the Mooney website and have a look - it's listed under New Factory Sales. Hope you're all safe and well! Jonny

Unrelated to the new Ovation - I wanted to post about the folks at KTEL in Tell City, IN. I recently landed there on my way to Kerrville. Their mission is to make GA affordable and they're doing it right. A courtesy car, cheap fuel, a place to sleep for the night and most importantly, mid-west friendliness! Thanks to Ken and Mark at KTEL - appreciate the service! Stop by and say hello! Jonny