crustymuffin

Yup, I got my private flying those 172s so I know what you mean. It’s not a big deal if you have the appropriate training and awareness of weight and balance. I’m more concerned about taking the airplane over/around mountains into California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Colorado.

I appreciate everyone’s insight, especially from you guys living in/near mountainous terrain and the impact on your ops as both NA and turbo. I’m leaning quite a bit toward turbo. What do you all think the difference in operating cost is? I’ve seen people say “marginal” and “not much” which is subjective, but I also realize quantifying it is difficult. So with that said, what’s your best guess as to the maintenance cost increase over the J? In figuring the rough math with an increase of $15 per hour I could actually get the hourly cost in a given year down to comparable with the J, accounting for the increase in flying the additional capability affords us. If possible, 231 vs 252 is appreciated.

This all makes sense, TKS and O2 are on the table for us, practically required if we spring for the turbo. I’m still in SLC quite a bit and would you like to at least sit in a Mooney, and it’s been a few years. Any chance I could swing by TVY? No worries if it’s too much between strangers on the internet!

Outside of monsoon season it’s between 10k and 11k in the afternoon, 8k-9k in the morning. Judging by my previous experience, if I stayed within the state a J would be exactly what I need as long as I keep the engine healthy. Traveling afar is the bigger question

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and settled on Mooney ownership, trying to decide between a J or K (252). I have read many other old forum posts on this topic, but I want to hear from you all who have flown both the J and K out in the mountainous areas west of Denver. I'm leaning in the direction of the turbo, but justifying the purchase and maintenance costs is making the decision a bit challenging. Just to be clear, I can definitely afford the K, but a wider dollar cushion is always nice to have. For clarity, I'm only considering the 252 variant of the K because I don't want to worry about the financial or mental workload of those premature high-altitude systems in the 231. Background: ATP and lifelong involvement in GA to at least some extent. Living in Flagstaff, AZ and based in Salt Lake City for work. The mission for the airplane would involved recreational cross country flights of 300NM or greater between four times per year and once per month. Using the airplane for commuting to work would be a desirable option, but not essential by any means. On the weekend trips most of the time we would be hauling just two people plus light bags. Occasionally a friend or family may join us. The vast majority of flying we would be doing would also be the most important stuff, flying down to lower elevation fields within the state of Arizona. No matter which type, night flying and approaches with ceilings below 1000 feet are no-go territory. Long story short; the main mission would be bumming around the "local" area for fun with about 30-40% serious, mountain-topping cross-country flying being a highly desirable option. My concerns with the J are performance above 15,000 feet and dispatch reliability given weather conditions. I like the systems simplicity and the associated lower burden of cost while enjoying the relative simplicity on fun-flying days. My concerns with the K are reliability, maintenance cost, the effect complex systems have on "fun factor" when hanging flying around the local area, and whether you all feel those are justified by any increased dispatch reliability. Thank you all for your responses, and stay safe up there! -Rich