marty7012

@jaylw314 great information and some more points to take into consideration during this education journey and beyond. I had not considered turbo models for traveling higher out west but that's a very valid point. Thank you, this has been a fantastic welcome to this community and I can't wait to get more involved.

@spistora I've had my eye on that lot for quite some time (and I might keep sending it to the wife every few weeks or so). Surprisingly HOAs aren't even that terrible for what kind of homes are in that neighborhood but I believe they have time requirements to begin building a structure so long after purchasing if I read rules correctly. @Ross Statham thank you! I'll be taking some PTO next week down in the panhandle so I'll send you an e-mail here shortly! @carusoam unfortunately she is not. Her career field is related to a niche community of air traffic control. Just a matter to defining budget, needs/wants, builders, and financing. But we'll get there!

@irishpilot That's the approach I'm taking right now. I've heard UPT is a very intensive year and the general consensus I've received from everyone I've spoken to is as you said; Use Saturday to hang out and unwind and Sunday to study/prep for the next day and week. Wife wants to build a home when we get there and might have dropped a hint that I could do a hangar home on an airfield, but I'm trying to be realistic about that one (not holding my breath). But once we get settled, a small, quick plane would be much easier to travel to family which is all out of state. Feel free to PM with any tips on prepping for UPT or beyond! @201Steve I understand that one - spent 3-6 hours every other weekend detailing, cleaning, researching my Boxster back in the day. Would probably end up doing the same with an aircraft!

@dlthig that's kind of the plan. I will be in a reserve unit so PCS and unknown assignments shouldn't be an issue and I'd hate for the aircraft to just sit for 18-ish months of training unless it was in a partnership. How was your UPT experience (if you went that route) Currently waiting for my IFC to get dates @carusoam I was active for 10 years, 3 years in the TN guard and will be transferring to the reserves hopefully this year. As you mentioned, the interior space is pretty much a non-issue. Definitely plan on following up with @Hank for more information. Aviation community is awesome from the small pieces I've experienced and am looking forward to getting more involved. Was having difficulty finding employment in Panama City and a guard buddy got me a job up here in HSV. So just living on post in my RV and commuting back and forth to spend some time with the wife before either of us get orders to the next assignment (training in my case). @gsxrpilot I'll keep an eye on the K and J models and see if any good opportunities pop up. Thank you!

@carusoam reddit has been...a heck of a roller coaster. Thank you for the welcome. The 7 hour legs are definitely long and I would anticipate stopping after 3-4 hours when not flying solo. I typically do my drive from HSV to Panama City in 5.5 hours without stopping unless I forgot to fill the truck first so it wouldn't be too much different for me. Neither of us are large people so I think the narrowness of the Mooney body that I've heard about won't be much of an issue. ICT to MRY would be the longest and probably only a once a year trip, otherwise trips will be 500-700 for range @KLRDMD it sounds like a phenomenal aircraft and fantastically equipped, but may be a bit sooner (and slightly over cap) for right now, but I very much appreciate the heads up and will keep an eye out for the listing! @Hank that would be fantastic to have a chat with you. I'll probably be driving back down to the panhandle sometime early Feb and could swing by since I pass near Montgomery if you're available. I don't know of any airport lunches here in HSV yet, but I did just move up here recently @spistora I'm planning to be in or around Wichita - getting hired on to a flying unit out of McConnell.

Hello everyone! I'm a new member here at the referral of a reddit post. I've researched buying a plane before but never had a true mission and had trouble moving in the right direction. As we get older, things start to clear up a little bit more. Mission: Two people (<350lb) based in Kansas with a goal of being able to fly to visit family and friends on opposite ends of the country (CA, ID, IN, GA, etc) with a few days worth of luggage. Ranges vary 400-1200 nmi (fuel stops are assumed for longer trips) Speed before economy for the longer trips, but also trying to remain somewhat under a conservative 15gal/hr burn Pilot: currently 100 hr PP awaiting military flight school training dates (no IR/ME yet). Currently living in the panhandle and working in Huntsville, AL. Would love to meet with anyone for coffee and educational conversation about Mooney as I know very little aside from spotting one on a ramp! Budget: $100k-$150k for the time being, may increase if able as the purchase grows closer (I think this is going to be a difficult budget for the ranges unless I want to travel at 110 kts for 12 hours) I have been looking at the some experimental/homebuilts but the wife is concerned about the Experimental label (I've tried to explain it). I like experimental for the reduced restrictions on what you can do to the aircraft and the more affordable upgrades later, but what are the logical arguments for certified over experimental? What may be my options to consider; what kind of realistic annual maintenance costs to expect for that option; availability of parts for the option; a good source for calculating mx and operating budgets; any any general education on this pursuit; or potential considerations I may not be thinking about going this route. Wife is also very concerned on aircraft age (tried to explain this one away too, but she requests it be newer than 1994) Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing and learning from you all! -Marty