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Hello Mooney experts and aficionados, I've come to Mooney Space to be educated and have knowledge imparted upon me by gracious and patient Mooney Kings and Queens. My username is a bit presumptuous, seeing as I don't own a Mooney as of yet, but, I'm trying to practice some PMA, Positive Mental Attitude. I'm located in Canada and looking to purchase my first aircraft. Any and all advice is much appreciated. Mission-wise: Looking for a 4 seat aircraft (most of the time it'll be just myself plus one, but would like the option to carry a third person at least), that's relatively fast (140kts+), is IFR capable, and has a decent useful load (~650lbs plus fuel). I'm new to the world of Mooney and I've come across this 1960 M20A. Photos. Spec sheet. Logs. What I know: Asking $39,900 USD Current location of aircraft: Calgary, Alberta. Potential future home: Southwestern Ontario Fabric on the wings has been replaced by fibreglass. Has been for sale for some time. This video on YouTube shows it being uploaded 8 months ago. Has been hangared at least since the current owner purchased it. About 15 years. Hasn't flown much in the last few years. No known issues with the landing gear pucks. Has had a gear up landing in the past. Logs seem to document the repair fairly well. Has a wooden wing. I've never considered an aircraft with a wooden wing. Some reports say they can actually be preferable to metal, woods rots but aluminum corrodes - type of thinking. I'm not sure what to make of it. Seems everyone has their preferences and biases. Living in Southwestern Ontario, the humidity is a concern. Hangar space is also especially difficult to come by in my area. I may have to keep the aircraft outside for the first while. Is it even worth it to consider a wooden wing aircraft if it can't be stored in a hangar at all times? What I don't know: What am I missing? This seems like a machine that would accomplish my mission, has a low-time engine, very low-time prop that was OH in 2014 (so still some time before it's 10yr inspection for us here in Canada), IFR with a GNS 480, all for a seemingly decent price point. As they say, if it's too good to be true... Anyone know a good mechanic for a pre-buy with experience in wooden aircraft around the Calgary, Alberta area? Anyone know someone with a similar short-body M20 in southwestern Ontario that would let me sit in their aircraft and try it on for size? I'm a tall dude without any trace of an eating disorder. Would anyone be able to sit behind me, or is that rear bench for aesthetics and suitcases only? I hear these short-body Mooney's can be on the smaller side? Many say the reputation for being small is simply not true, and that it's a commonly misunderstood myth. Thoughts? Probably a lot more that I'm not even aware of. Stuff that I don't know I don't know... So I leave it to you, oh great and mighty gods of the Mooney Space forum. Talk me into it, talk me out of it. I'm all ears and open to any and all suggestions and recommendations. Thank-you kindly in advance for everyone's time in helping a Mooney wannabe join your exclusive club. Or perhaps advising that I continue looking, and potentially save me from a financial 7700. All the best.

Hi all. A bit of a preface here. I'm a new owner, just getting my first annual on my own (the first was done with the seller and we split some costs). Minor back story here. There have been a lot of things discovered in this annual that seem like they should have been discovered in the previous, and apparently there were many mistakes made by this supposedly reputable shop. I know this isn't a poor man's hobby but WOW! My question is relating to avionics upgrades, and costs. I know I need a new Mode S transponder. I has been in the back of my head and I have been starting some more serious research. I have received a rough verbal quote from a local shop for an install on a new GTX-345 so that I can benefit from the compatibility to my 430W. He said I was looking at 8-10k USD. Keep in mind I am in Canada so ad 25% to that, then add 13% more for sales tax. After doing a bit of reading on just a couple US websites they advertise "From $4800". I would assume that is just to purchase the unit, although how much can the unit cost vary. I would assume it would only be the install cost that varies save for maybe a few different wiring options or kits that certain planes might need. Regardless, he told me that the install is in the 20 hour range. At about $100 CAD per hour, I can't quite figure out where the rest of the cost is coming from to total 8-10k USD. Even if the unit is 6k USD, that would mean the install is $4000 USD which is more than 40 hours if the rate is $100 CAD per hour. It simply isn't adding up. Here is my next question. How long can it possibly take to install a damn transponder. I'm new to the airplane world and the airplane ownership world and I am still trying to understand and feel out how aircraft maintenance and avionics shops work. I know it's an expensive game. Do most work on flat rate? I'm a pretty savvy guy and have been around auto shops and many types of repairs. I can remodel a small bathroom in 40 hours, or re-re an engine and transmission on a car in less time than that. I would think that a transponder install would be a day's work. Again, I am not making any claims, I am simply asking for some advice from some experienced guys. I am mainly looking to not get ripped off. I have NEVER been opposed to paying a fair price. I am looking to figure out what is fair. When I do decide to replace the transponder I was thinking to also replace the audio panel. I would have hoped it would save some time with them already having everything apart, but based on the telephone conversation it seems that the savings may not be as much as I had anticipated. I understand that Mooney's are regarded as difficult to work on when it comes to panel stuff. I would appreciate any input from anyone, especially Canadians that have made a trip to the US to get installs done and if it went smoothly. Could you also let me know if there is anything special I need to get done in regards to logs to keep everything legal for TC. Any recommendations on shops to look into would also be great. These guys seem to be a Garmin heavy store. He was really pushing the Garmin, I guess maybe because I have the 430W and for compatibility? It does sort of make sense to stick with the same brand throughout my panel, also considering a possibly upgrade to a G5 set up when my AI and DG crap out. I have no problem with people supporting a brand they believe in, but from what I know, Garmin is on the more expensive side of the options out there. Is there a better bang for your buck? Thanks in advance

Hey Everyone! I just thought I'd introduce myself. Proud new owner of a '81 M20K Rocket. She's going through import right now sorting out some airworthiness issues. Will have some pictures for you guys soon. Always looking to meet new friends or some advice. Cheers, Mark

Hello to our Canadian friends. I have to meet some work friends at Niagara on the Lake this weekend. I'll fly into CYSN from Erie (KERI). I have done the towered Billy Bishop (CYTZ) many times, but this will be my first trip to a non-towered Canadian airport. I will file IFR, I have CANPASS, and will do the eAPIS stuff. My Questions: 1) When I land, do I have to call and close my IFR flight plan? Do this with FSS? 2) Can I close in the air? Do I still have to call and report landing? 3) On departure, what is the best way to pick up my clearance? London rdo? Toronto approach from the ground? FSS? 4) Anything that I haven't though of? Thanks for the help! Brad

I've flown into and around Canada quite a bit. However, it's always been through the company's dispatch folks. I've never flown my own plane into Canada (it's a long way from Atlanta ), but I just saw this in the Fltplan.com newsletter. Probably I'm the only one who didn't know this, but.... Be Sure to Cancel Your Canadian Flight When Plans Change The U.S. and Canada handle most things similarly, but there is one important difference: the way the FAA and Nav Canada treat flight plans that are filed but not used. In the U.S., a filed flight plan will simply expire if ATC is not contacted for an IFR clearance. In Canada, however, a filed flight plan is handled as a firm plan to depart. At non-controlled airports, the Canadians take the opposite approach from the FAA. They assume that an aircraft has departed as planned unless they hear differently. When filing a flight plan departing from an uncontrolled airport, Nav Canada expects to establish contact within 60 minutes of the scheduled departure time. Otherwise, search and rescue efforts begin on the assumption that you have taken off and are now missing. At controlled airports with operating towers in Canada, this isn't much of an issue, since the pilot would be in radio contact from taxi out. From remote airports (or at airports after the tower has closed), failing to cancel a filed flight plan causes a great deal of unnecessary effort to locate the pilot. If the flight plan has not been filed yet (FltPlan.com normally files your flight plan 2 hours before scheduled departure time), then just remove the checkmark from the 'File This' column on the Active Flight Plan List and click Press Here When Done. There is no need to contact Nav Canada. To cancel a flight plan after it has been filed, you must contact Nav Canada. Any Canadian ATC facility that could have given a clearance can also cancel a flight plan. Nav Canada has a national phone number, and a phone call is the most reliable way to cancel your flight plan. The phone number appears on the top right side of your NavLog. It's also important that contact information on FltPlan be complete and up to date. Nav Canada can see that a flight plan was filed through FltPlan and will contact us if there is an issue (see the article below). So please remember, at non-controlled airports the Canadians expect departure within one hour of the time on the flight plan or they start looking.

Hi there, I am a soon to be M20K owner ( 2 aircraft in the works, just need to make a decision ) and am looking for some Mooney specific transition training in western Canada. My background is in C172/182 and DA40, and I want to make sure I know this plane inside an out as it will be the first I have owned outright. Any suggestions for someone local or within reasonable travel distance? I am likely going to get the new aircraft ferried over with an instructor and will get the basic hours to keep insurance happy, but with all that I read on this ( fantastic! ) forum, I clearly have a lot to learn.