ewilliams93

Thanks for the reference, so much good info here from all! @1980Mooney I had seen some of that but all the docs are great. Prior to this point I hadn't gone cover to cover on any of it. I'm getting excited about the search and it seems there are a couple airplanes on the market that fit the bill, now I just have to survive the holidays and find the time to get out and take a look at one.

I noticed several listings made mention of or bragged about the articulating seat and didn't really thing anything of it. I guess over the years in aviation I've flown enough different makes/models/types that I've just learned to adapt to a new sight picture from airplane to airplane. Your point is extremely valid now that I think about it. Not having to settle or compensate for limited positions would be nice to have onboard from the get go!

Thanks everyone for the great info! It's looking more and more like I'll narrow the search to a nice late model J. I think anything with 950-1050 UL will let me do everything I want. Correct me if I'm wrong but it doesn't look like you really gain a great deal of UL by going to the ovation. I do see the benefit in the climb performance, 20 extra knots, and another 10" of room. Am I missing something in the UL department as most Ovations I've seen advertised have roughly the same UL as the J models. Regards, Eric

Thanks for the notes, I'm glad to hear it carries a lightweight family of 4 around Texas well! I'll keep that article and date range in mind as I continue my search. I don't see the need for FIKI, freezing level for most of what I intend to do shouldn't be a huge issue and on the days that it is I will adjust accordingly, if i went the turbo route it would be a different story. I'm just use to sweating so its expected but yes AC would be nice.

Do you have any specific examples or things to look for outside of the norm. While I'm not flying light GA regularly we are a corporate flight department operating under the same 91 regs and I've been around acquisitions in the past so I have some idea.

Great info on the cargo! I've heard if spacious if not using rear seats but never seen a real world application. If you have a photo of it loaded down I would love to see it, I cycle as well and like entertaining the idea of packing the bike just curious how to navigate the door even without seatpost and wheelset. As far as the budget goes I would be shopping in the <$200k mark for a solid late model J model. Obviously the Ovation budget would be quite different, realistically I think the GX models would be out as I don't need to be spending that kind of money on an airplane but I would be comfortable anything sub $280k

Hi all, What an excellent resource for Mooney research! My name is Eric Williams and I have been watching the Mooney market for quite some time now. A little bit about myself, I'm an aviation enthusiast and professional pilot by trade, currently chief pilot of a three aircraft corporate flight department in Houston, Texas. My father taught me how to fly and owned a couple aircraft over the years (172 and twin Comanche), I've been isolated from the light GA and single engine piston world for roughly 5 years now with a few exceptions. Over that time frame I've really started to miss that side of aviation and have justified the necessity of ownership so here I am. While I do not directly have any Mooney experience I've always been interested in the airframes because of the pilots appeal, speed, and efficiency. I've been searching through this forum and have found several similar posts and lots of great model comparison and operational notes so I'll try my best not to beat a dead horse. Below is the cliff notes on my mission, my sense is that a J model or Ovation is the most sensible option. If anyone has any input or wouldn't mind fielding some questions over the phone that would be great. I would love to meet or speak with other Texas based Mooney owners about their experience and how they came to their decision in terms of aircraft selection. Planned Annual Utilization: 80-110hours Home Airport 60R Navasota 10% Local flying for fun or $100 hamburger 1-3pax onboard less than 100nm 50% short haul cross country 150-300nm(most frequently between Houston and South or Central Texas) often solo 40% mid to long haul cross country 400-800nm this is where the mission profile is more demanding. These legs would be a mix of the Florida panhandle, Tennessee, deep West Texas(big bend country), and some southern Colorado/New Mexico. The Colorado/New Mexico trips would almost always be 1-2 pax tops as these would likely be short summer vacations or hunting trips. The Florida trips would almost always be 4 adults or 3 adults and one child(currently 3yo). Everyone in my family is small, I'm about 5'7" 140lbs and that's probably a good average pax weight. We all pack light although I am curious how difficult it would be to carry rifles and hunting gear for 2. I've noticed not all models have removeable rear seats. A strong IFR platform is a must although I've flown in enough shit weather in my life I don't intend to fly regularly in widespread low imc or night imc conditions as my schedule will likely be flexible enough to avoid it. Thanks in advance for comments, advice, and future problem solving. Please feel free to reach out with any recommendations in the shopping experience, I would also like to find a local Mooney CFI with a fair amount of J model and ovation experience. Regards, Eric Williams