dmc

Thanks, I'm just in the research phase now. Hopefully I'll be able to check some out to see if they are for me. I don't expect $35k to get a pristine example, but hopefully a servicable one. I'm not going to do anything for a while, and in few months hopefully I'll have a better handle on what I want and need. Then I'll also have a better idea on how much I want to spend.

Hi, I'm new here and Ive spent the last few days reading some of the old post. I'm still a student pilot but of coarse I want to own my own plane soon. I'm 54 and hope to have my PPL completed by this spring. Initially I was looking at the Cessna 172 as thats what I have been training with, but it's no Mooney. After looking at counless adds I realized that the older Mooneys may be in my price range, $35,000 give or take. My worry's are maintenance cost, safety, parts availability, and finding a mechanic familier with the Mooney. I'm in the St. Louis area, and Ive seen a few Mooneys at the airport, but havn't talked with any of the owners yet. Hopefully I can talk with a few and get an idea on who works on their planes and some of the cost. So is a early Mooney, say a M20C, a realistic plane for a new pilot? I would complete my PPL in the Cessna as I think that would be best. Does anyone have any idea on the cost of owning a older Mooney compared with a similar aged Cessna 172? Also what are realistic useful loads on a M20C? Can 4 adults fit for a short flight? Anyone here from the St. Louis area that I could get a close look at their plane and tallk.