Hi All-
I'm new to these forums, and the Mooney world in general, and I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction.
First, some context.....I'm a comm/multi/instrument pilot (~500 hrs TT) who hasn't been flying for quite a while after 'life' got in the way. I'm now fixing that and getting back into the air and looking for aircraft options, and Mooney has been on my mind. That said, other than a couple of hours in the backseat of a 231 many years ago, I'm essentially clueless in all things Mooney. I've got plenty of high performance/complex time, so I don't see that being an issue from an insurance and/or capability standpoint.
Mission wise.....
Ideally, I'm looking for a plane that would work for a small partnership group (~3-4 people) that I could use for local flying and occasional trips. Local flying will mainly be boring holes in the air + approaches. My primary trip profile will be from my home base in MA up to a vacation home I have on an island off the coast of Maine. Its a short (~175nm) trip but the airport there has a 2700' runway with some trees around it, so something that will safely get in/out of that airport is key. There will likely be longer (300-750nm) trips a few times a year too. Most flights will be 1-2 people. I want something that is IFR capable, efficient, safe, fun to fly, etc. Ideally something with more modern avionics, or that I can update within the budget.
As I've looked at options, the PA28 & C172/182 options don't appeal too much to me due to speed, unless I find a great opportunity. A SR-22 would be great, both because of the avionics, but also the parachute induced spousal comfort level, but the price premium is hard to swallow. This is what has had me thinking of options in the Mooney and Bonanza worlds.
Price wise...I'd like to stay below a top level of $150k-200k combined between the purchase price + renovation costs for avionics, etc. Lower cost is obviously nice, but I also don't want something on the extreme low end that I have to invest tons into making it a mission capable plane for my needs.
I'd love any suggestions and advice as to where I should and should not be looking for models, etc.
Thanks!