Tom F

Mikeoh opinions are certainly like belly buttons, everyone has one. You appear to have a hard on for anything related to the Mooney operation. Or maybe, comprehension is an issue for you. Do you have anything constructive to add or do you like making pointless statements. Is Lasar supposed to shit the money to buy Mooney? Chances are someday you’ll need something, good luck. Or maybe, you’re just happy polishing your hangar queen.

I looked at that bird when it was for sale before the 3rd gear up. It's a bargain for a reason. And fwiw, Brian is the long body guru. As a matter of fact, my bird is at his shop at this very moment.

The reality is, Lasar is raising money in the assurance program, they are lining up investors, and the crowd source is probably the best option for the masses. If half of the airframe owners pitch in on average $1,000 that would raise $3.5mm. That gets them up and running, eliminates current ownership, and to think about starting out without debt, they could build inventory then get a bank loan for improvements. As I have said before this is similar to buying a EAA Lifetime membership. You feel good supporting an organization and if you own a Mooney, the success of the company that built the plane you fly around in has factory support. That support is in the form of parts, engineering, upgrades........ We have a company to save, I challenge each and every one of you to contribute to what I believe is a worthy cause. The alternative is, well there really isn't a viable alternative. If you so desire, click the link and contribute whatever you can so we be part of the next chapter of Mooney. Thanks for your consideration. https://www.lasaraviation.com/contribute

My understanding is the parts deal is done and the entirety of the company is what’s under contract and pending.

I think I want one of those spinning screamers. O3 too slow.

It looks like the guys at Lasar are listening to the feedback. There are more details on the website. I am reviewing.

That assumes they have successfully purchased Mooney. Not what I’d call the spirit of the deal however. I’m sure the Lasar guys will take your shortcut into consideration. Good luck with that.

While I do not have firsthand knowledge of the agreement between Lasar and Mooney, I believe you are correct with regard to the name and the PC, TC, PMA’s STC’s etc.

I would assume you may be correct on Mooney being broke. Please provide some information to back your claim of Lasar’s financial condition. I’ll monitor and wait for factual information to back your claim.

You may very well be correct. Unfortunately that’s not where we find ourselves today.

Nothing, except it’s not for sale for a $1.00. Business go out of business everyday without filing bankruptcy. You’ve made an assumption without any knowledge of the actual facts.

Tim, 100% agree.

Yes you are correct. OEM have largely Mooney specified parts and will only sell them to Mooney. The costs of engineering inventory and running a business would dictate a 3x cost on said OEM parts. I equate any assurance program or other form of support like buying an EAA lifetime membership at 60 years old. It’s purely for a belief in the cause and because I care enough to support them. The financial ROI isn’t a concern. The amount of money I spend on my airplane isn’t exactly a good ROI, it’s a lifestyle choice. Sure it’s convenient and saves some time over airline travel, but really I could survive without the plane.

I could be and probably am off a little but if 6500 planes average $150k that’s $975,000,000. A nominal 5% decrease in value is $48,750,000. My cocktail napkin calculation thinks a new owner could do what Lasar is attempting for maybe $6-8mm. I certainly agree with you completely on the services that could be offered as an add on to the revenue stream.

Agreed, but for whatever reason they’ve not stepped up. In the current Mooney ecosystem either Lasar or Maxwell would seem to be the naturals to take the lead.

I know who the owners are. You should really become more knowledgeable before commenting. The information is not that difficult to obtain. Whoever you are, 1980, you hide behind the anonymity of a handle, and you have made posts you can’t substantiate. Seeing Mooney fail seems to be a blood sport for you. Have a great day!!

With all due respect, if you’ve owned your airplane for a month or for 50 years doesn’t give you any more or less ability to get parts if Mooney goes tits up. I’ve read your post a couple of times and you appear to assume this is some sort of a long body program. I’m curious about this. I have failed to interpret this the way you have and looking over the Lasar website (which I agree lacks details) I don’t see anything that indicates shorts and mid’s wouldn’t be the focus. Either you have information to back your statements above, or you’re full of shit. These birds are well manufactured and parts wear out over time. It makes sense a 40 year old plane would have parts wear out before a 20 year old model. I’m fully aware of the fleet size and although I am a long body guy, Lasar would be nuts to craft any program around long bodies. I have zero knowledge of what parts the factory makes or has demand for and I am 100% sure nobody on this forum has that information. The short and mid’s are the key to saving Mooney in its present form. Damn near everyone in this forum has thrown a shovel full of dirt in the grave. In following and posting in this thread there have been a few helpful ideas spring up which is great. Has any one from this group picked up the phone and called Lasar? If you read my posts you should see that I have respectfully asked the collective group repeatedly for ideas to an eminent problem. Most responses seem to be based on 2 theories, 1. parts will magically appear from the parts fairy of airframes past or 2. the factory, the ability for the factory to produce parts, documentation and engineering is just not worth it. I hope I’m wrong but if Mooney goes out of business I am fairly certain the value of the fleet decreases. This thesis is my sole interest in saving the company. One common thread exists we are all Mooney owners. Have a great Saturday and safe travels wherever the Mooney fleet takes you next.

Based on the level of negativity and cynicism if I owned Lasar or any other vendor courting Mooney owners this would be the last place I’d consider using. This is about saving a brand each and every one of us is a stakeholder in. As an investment, WilliamR is right the history of this company is atrocious. As is stated in every investment I’ve made “past results are not indicative of future performance”. We’re certainly starting at the bottom of the barrel. Once again this is an impassioned plea for ideas. Tons of knowledgeable owners here whose net worths are literally in the billions. Thanks in advance for your ideas.

I would suspect the current owners would need to file chapter 7. Your assumption is they are willing to. Neither of us know what current ownership wants to do. I have no knowledge of debt. I believe we have 2 owners, neither US based, who were ready to put the key in the door and call it a day. What happens then? Lasar steps up to cover expenses with a contract to purchase. If the factory closes and rots away what are our options.

This is helpful.

They’re under contract to purchase Mooney in its entirety.

I’m not versed in bankruptcy law, but if it’s that easy somebody may have an opportunity to own Mooney through bankruptcy. Good luck with the FAA, I’m fairly certain the money they’d save in CH7 would be eclipsed in what you’re going to need to get FAA certifications back. But once again I’ve never been through bankruptcy, but I’m sure there may be a bankruptcy attorney in this group who might shed some light on it.

And they still have parts availability issues like us, Piper and Beech. This is no doubt about factory parts but it is also about engineering, documentation and certifications. Mooney makes factory parts but they also hold the key to many OEM parts that have been backordered for years due to a lack of capital. Many of these parts will not render your airframe AOG, but what if they do?? It sounds like some of you like chasing parts, more power to you, but I’m not crazy about spending all my time chasing used parts with no paperwork.

I’m hoping we will be getting more details and the term and conditions about the program soon. What may be missing here is some context. Lasar took over the Mooney Factory Parts program in July. That’s been documented here in other forums. Mooney is basically bankrupt again and was within weeks of shutting down in July. Laser stepped forward and is covering the Kerrville expenses including payroll for the Mooney employees. Laser put this program together to raise needed capital to fund the purchase of Mooney in its entirety, to produce inventory for Mooney airplanes and to modernize the Kerrville facility with equipment that will hopefully help contain parts costs. It’s a huge undertaking. The alternative is Mooney is gone. I’d fairly certain if Mooney disappears the value of every one of our airframes diminishes, insurance cost increases, if it’s even offered, and the likelihood of our planes being AOG increases significantly. I have seen enough of the Mooney finances to know the options are extremely limited. As I understand it, current ownership has thrown in the towel and are done funding Mooney. I, other than being a Mooney owner, have zero stake in Lasar or Mooney. I, like many others want to be part of a sustainable solution to the financial issues that have plagued Mooney for most of its existence. I’m hopeful Brett and his team at Lasar will be responding to the issues in this thread. In the meantime I looking forward to suggestions to move Mooney on to the next chapter.”

The Mooney Assurance Program was rolled out at MooneyMAX in Branson Mo today. Looking forward to MMGA Making Mooney Great Again