For those of you that don't use the MAPA email forum (wish they'd move over here!) the following was posted today by Trey Hughes, Executive Director of the Moony Aircraft Pilots Association. I'm sure he wouldn't mind me sharing it as it gives an overview of the status of things in Kerrville:
"There have been several new issues affecting the Mooney factory in Kerrville and these have caused a rash of new rumors to circulate the internet the past two days. The fact is, the economy sucks! As I wrote in the LOG, everyone in the airplane business has suffered varying degrees of loss during this economic downturn - read recession. All aircraft manufacturers have gone through downsizing and layoffs including Mooney. At my last count, there remained about 30 - 40 folks in Kerrville and all the "outside" Kerrville offices had been closed. Production has ceased (it makes no sense to keep making airplanes if you can't sell them) and the manufacturing folks have been laid off. The paint shop is closed; the completion center is silent; marketing has been curtailed; engineering R & D has stopped - all in an attempt to get a handle on overhead while the slump in new aircraft sales continues. Of course this is very unfortunate for all those who lost jobs and we will keep them in our prayers as the company moves forward in an attempt to continue until better times. However, some things are still working in Kerrville and MAC management has assured me that they will continue to support the existing fleet as long as possible. Parts manufacturing and support is still staffed and your service center can still order what you need for your current production or legacy Mooney. Warrantee support is still in operation. Aircraft sales is still in operation and there is inventory available for anyone interested in a new Ovation or Acclaim. Tech support and customer support are still offering services to owners. Product support engineering is still there as is flight test and certification. While Mooney is not in production, they still have the type and production certificates and are communicating continuously with the FAA on fleet status. Mooney has entered a state of hibernation (their term) at the factory in order to keep overhead as low as possible without significantly affecting sales and support. They have positioned things in Kerrville so that they can affect a timely "awakening" then the economy shows signs of recovery. As you would expect, with only a handful of people still staffing the various departments and phones in Kerrville, those still there are multi-tasking and sometimes are not at their regular numbers. Patience is important for anyone calling the factory with an inquiry. If necessary, leave a voice mail or better yet send an email to the individual you are wishing to contact. Email addresses are easy - first initial followed by last name @mooney.com should work. If you are still having problems call the MAPA office and we will attempt to intervene. By the way, those who have tried to log on to the Mooney website or connect to the Service Bulletin/Service Letter link on the MAPA website will notice that Mooney's server is down. This is an unfortunate coincidence (timing is everything!) because it is an actual technical problem and not related to the economic reduction at Mooney. If anyone has any questions or fears, please call me at MAPA and I will try to help. Regards, Trey Hughes Executive Director Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association"