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I'm going to buy a Tesla Cybertruck instead....way cheaper in the long run and way cooler. Thanks for all of your input. https://www.tesla.com/cybertruck

This plane is airworthy and flies at least once a month.

Are these areas easy to inspect? I have access to the plane and would like to look at these areas before I decide to hire someone for a pre-buy.

I'm looking at a 1969 M20F and I have some concerns about corrosion from an external glance. Is surface rust like this on the ring gear and engine acceptable? The nuts on the cylinders have me concerned as they are quite corroded. I believe the plane was previously based in New Orleans near the ocean. With this surface corrosion, is internal corrosion likely on the structure too? Take it or leave it? I'm considering offering 80,000 - 85,000 which is on the low end for an F model. This plane actively flies. I currently live in the desert so continued corrosion will be at a very reduced rate.

Wow, that's way bigger than I imagined.

Just saw this Youtube video of a really compact scooter. Kind of pricy, but really compact. 15-20km and 25kph isn't great, but definitely useable.

My wife and I are looking for good e-scooters to get around on when we take the plane places. Ideally 20 miles of range and lightweight. I'd like to fit two in the baggage compartment of a M20K. Any suggestions?

Very valuable context. I'm used to flying a hotrod that can sustain 8,000-10,000 ft/min at normal weights below 10,000 feet and >2,000fpm at at max gross (all engines operating...cut it in half with 1/4 engines out). I have a grand total of 20 hours in something under 1,100 horsepower....I have a lot to learn.

Well...the prop has more power turning it so it takes a bigger bite.

Higher DA also requires higher TAS for the same IAS (rotation/climb speed). In other words, that lower horsepower must accelerate the plane to a higher actual velocity.

I'm still here and reading the topic. Interesting stuff. All of this discussion is good for me to take in. I'm still planning on buying, but don't want to bring every little question here.

Those climbs aren't bad actually. I'm used to flying multi-engine where all we care about is engine out climb performance, and these numbers are better that what I'm used to seeing for 3-engine climb performance in a 4-engine jet. ....of course 4-engine climb capability is much higher, but you can't count on that.

There are so many factors to balance when deciding on a plane. I'm 99% in the Mooney camp, and it's pretty much 50%/50% for me for J vs. K with a slight lead on the J side. When it comes down to it, one of the main reasons I want a plane is to travel, and taking my dogs is a part of that. Without an easy way to get them on oxygen, I'm stuck below O2 levels anyway. My wife will want to sleep and I'm not comfortable with her sleeping on O2. Sound like climb performance at my intended high DA stopovers is low, but manageable.

Thanks for the datapoint. J sounds marginal, but doable. Hopefully someone with firsthand knowledge of a K will be able to provide inputs.

Sounds okay/safe for day VMC, but not for an IFR departure. I'll have to pull some performance charts to run the numbers to see what the book says.

Any perspectives on how J models perform on takeoff at 8,000+ DA? My planned mission will likely see me transiting Gallup, NM (KGUP) or Santa Fe, NM (KSAF) fairly regularly since it's a nice 3 hour mid-point between two primary destinations. Today KGUP's DA is 8,500' and KSAF is 8,100'. How's climb performance? The highest SID out of KSAF is 310'/NM to 8,200' (field elevation is ~6,400'). My home field's DA is currently 5,300' so that will be a factor too. What I'm really trying to do here is pin down J vs K for how I plan on flying the plane. I think it's pretty obvious that a turbo will make a big difference in this case. All comments appreciated. Thanks!

It seems like me doing even the most basic due diligence was too much for him. He's not even responding to me after pushing for the logs as a "fundamental part of this process".

With multiple referrals, I'll reach out to him and see how he can help. I'm not necessarily looking to buy today, or even in 6 months so hopefully he can help me keep an eye out. Seems like buying a plane has more pitfalls than buying a house.

I'm pushing him for logs, but expect to not go through with it. He told me that it's been flying before he acquired it, but I can't find any ADS-B tracks other than the flight to his location and maybe one test flight a few days prior unless ADS-B was only recently installed.

It's this plane for anyone curious (N166X): https://www.trade-a-plane.com/search?listing_id=2421381#

This guy is unbelievable... I'm trying to buy his product and he's unwilling to do the slightest legwork. It's a business, not an individual seller. Their website says they've been involed in over 500 transactions....with this level of customer service? https://pristineairplanes.com/

The seller doesn't have scans of the logbooks and doesn't seem technically able to provide them. He also said he's too busy to email me a few dozen high quality pictures. I'm a bit put off by that and don't necessarily think he's hiding something.

Thanks to all for being very helpful in my quest to acquire a Mooney. I've found a strong candidate M20J that looks great based on pictures/description and a brief phone conversation with the seller. I'm not seeing any obvious red flags on a plane that appears to be well taken care of. I'm looking for help on what to ask before I travel across the country and waste my time on something that I could have learned on the phone. I'm looking for help for the top 5-10 questions I should ask the seller. A few off the top of my head: - All ADs complied with? - Any STCs? - What did the most recent annual find? Thanks for any help!

Fascinating. I saw only one turbo Mooney above oxygen levels.

It's tough for me. I come from a style of flying where I can fly at FL410 at 500KTAS without paying for the gas or maintenance so of course I want it all. It's difficult to decided what I want out of an airplane when my primary mission is cross country. I really liked the 109 gallon tanks on the M20K this thread is about because I have no issues with 8 hour legs and was fantasizing about sky hooking it at FL230 and going from the Pacific to Atlantic non-stop with a modest tailwind.