SilentT

Got a bit of a pickle as I'll be relocating the plane home in the next 4-8 weeks. Adsb doesn't exist in the 84, and while I can use the Adapt system I'd prefer to find a used tail Beacon from yall first before going to ebay etc. or having to fly home without.

So it's not really about the money. It's about downtime and flying. This plane hadn't flown in years. Need to get hours on find its secrets etc. But that kns80 is the localizer as well, so with no GPS, no localizer or dme now, it's pretty limiting.

I mean I intend to upgrade it, but I want to do instrument training and get comfortable with the aircraft get some time first before blowing into a panel.

Anyone have or know where I can find a working kns 80? Looking on eBay they're all parts only with unknown status assumed to be defective. I bought a Mooney this week and the buttons light up with the master but the unit itself will not power on everything else seems to work okay.

Anyone ever heard of or used socal ferry pilots? Looking to have Mooney ferry and they claim to have in excess of my insurance requirements to be covered. What should I ask for, what should I look for, never considered a ferry?

Oddly enough it is. Traditional broker took it out best case $6,000 for a 6 month worst case uninsurable with zero complex time. Avimco will do 3900 the first year but need 10 hours

That's the title says I'm struggling to get complex hours before becoming an owner, none of the flight schools around me carry complex aircraft anymore. This is mostly due to the removal of the requirement for complex to single engine commercial and other routes being more appealing. Any yall CFI in western indiana/eastern IL or nw arkansas want to give me some instruction, I'll pay?

I mean thats fair; I've not found myself in that condition yet. I'm offsetting 11-13 hours of commercial travel for 2.5 hours of flight. To your point if at the last minute I dont depart, I'm in the same condition I was in anyway. Drive, it takes 11 hours. No differently than the alternative. At some point you have to have personal commitment and discipline to make the right choices and not take unnecessary or unmitigated risks. Like emergency and backup planning, its essential to have an out; my out is driving if the weather turns bad from a good forecast. If the forecast was always bad, I flew commercial. Ultimately, the goal is to have an IR in the next 3-4 months because every day I'm home I schedule to fly. Flying doesn't always work out due to weather, that has been dramatically impressed upon me at this point. Thank you most of all for your wisdom though. These are the things I needed to hear.

Thanks for this perspective. I've taken this advice, and the advice of @LANCECASPER and am looking for something cheaper, non K. I found a very reasonable J for about 150k which is more than @LANCECASPER suggested but avionics and quality make a huge jump between 100-150. I can also get traditional coverage on it (at a dear cost) but is what it is. As mentioned before I dont need the plane to be fully funded by work, it just makes it more affordable. The point was I have an opportunity to get work to fund my hobby, not I can't have the hobby if they dont. The reality is that without also flying for work, I wont get enough hours to justify keeping the bird for weekend flying only.

I agree, there are some wild assumptions here around flexibility. No matter how much I say, there is extreme flexibility some people wont accept that. Hell I drive it alot at 10 hours because I didnt like the commercial flight hour options. All of that to say, there are very real considerations here to not lose sight of as well.

See this is the scariest part for me. Not being able to find parts. The 4k inspection sucks but it's part of it, but not knowing if the next issue is non-repairable...

Thanks for the perspective, the idea also was to learn and train in the Mooney. Rather than the clapped out 152 rental with limited avionics. True on 252 just looking for cheaper options as well.

No passengers just me and total flexibility in schedule. The timing was convenient as weather is generally improving and would get IR this spring / summer. Flight is Midwest to Midwest, Indiana to Missouri. Cost is manageable. Appreciate your numbers. My issue is insurability, I don't mind paying the 6-9k while I build time, I need to find someone who would have just a hair higher hull limits.

Dispatch priority isnt the end of the world. I just go book commercial if it looks bad to fly 3-5 days out. The priority is flying my dream plane, and letting someone else help cover the costs!

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I didn't really address schedule. I have on many occasions booked commercial 3 days out because unfavorable weather. I also can go a day or two early or stay a day or two late. Flexibility is what makes it work. Work loves when I leave home early and get home a few days late to boot! I was reflecting on Lance's position. Maybe look into an older F with some upgrades I think Gmax has one at 100k, and build some time and come back for the big boy plane later. The real issue is not the cost, I can afford it. Its the hard upper limit of 180 on a plane likely to cost 225. Not a number avemco wanted to play with.