Instructor for transition to M20C

[DXB]

Can anyone recommend a good instructor in South Jersey/Southeastern PA (ideally near KPNE) for complex training with simultaneous transition training into an M20C?  I just purchased the plane and would like to start in December after my check ride.  The training would be for a low time private pilot with experience only in Piper Warriors.  Much appreciated!

[mooniac15u]

Air-Mods at N87 is an MSC and does flight training. 

[ryoder]

A couple of tips from someone who just did this transition but from a 172. Read the poh five times. Then once more. It's short. Fly base leg at 80mph and no faster. Triple check that the gear is down and locked and the green light is on. Use nose up trim immediately after adding flaps in the pattern just as the poh says. Be trimmed out on final. Test this by letting go of the pressure on the yoke. When you cross the numbers reduce power and add a bit of trim. Do the flare gently and verify the green light is on again.

After startup aggressively lean for taxi. Lean more than you think is necessary. Lean aggressively in cruise and don't go full rich in the pattern. I know the poh says to do thatnut you will foul the plugs of your carb is like mine, just go almost full rich.

Use the boost pump for takeoff and landing but don't forget to turn it off I'm cruise or climb out after you have some altitude.

Plan your descents because the Mooney won't want to come down.

Have fun! It's really not that hard to fly.

[Alan Fox]

John Pollante out of Cross Keys , has thousands of hours Mooney time ,

[Flymu2]

Can anyone recommend a good instructor in South Jersey/Southeastern PA (ideally near KPNE) for complex training with simultaneous transition training into an M20C?  I just purchased the plane and would like to start in December after my check ride.  The training would be for a low time private pilot with experience only in Piper Warriors.  Much appreciated!

 

Cris Gleason out of the ACY area. He's on this list.

[StinkBug]

On this same subject, for someone who has only flown Cherokees (and archers and warriors) and 172's, would you be better off doing the complex training in something else first before doing the Mooney transition? Seems like going straight to the Mooney makes the most sense, as it's gonna be a type transition no matter what. Might as well do one rather than 2. Am I wrong in thinking this? I'm in the process of buying an M20B, and have access to a number of other complex aircraft through my club. Arrow, 182, commanche, etc. 

[Hank]

I went from a 172 straight to my C, six weeks after my PPL checkride. It can be done, just get a good instructor and concentrate on flying accurately. Heading +/- 5°, speed +/- 2 mph, or less. Fly as accurately and precisely as you can. Mooneys are not trainers, and are not as forgiving, but are wonderful to fly!

Start by learning the Owners Manual. Read through it, write your own checklists (whether you use it or not) as it's a good way to learn the numbers and processes.

Welcome to the club!

[DXB]

On this same subject, for someone who has only flown Cherokees (and archers and warriors) and 172's, would you be better off doing the complex training in something else first before doing the Mooney transition? Seems like going straight to the Mooney makes the most sense, as it's gonna be a type transition no matter what. Might as well do one rather than 2. Am I wrong in thinking this? I'm in the process of buying an M20B, and have access to a number of other complex aircraft through my club. Arrow, 182, commanche, etc.

I've wondered the exact same thing - could transition in an Arrow first but instead am going strait to the M20C...efficient or foolish?

[DXB]

A couple of tips from someone who just did this transition but from a 172. Read the poh five times. Then once more. It's short. Fly base leg at 80mph and no faster. Triple check that the gear is down and locked and the green light is on. Use nose up trim immediately after adding flaps in the pattern just as the poh says. Be trimmed out on final. Test this by letting go of the pressure on the yoke. When you cross the numbers reduce power and add a bit of trim. Do the flare gently and verify the green light is on again.

After startup aggressively lean for taxi. Lean more than you think is necessary. Lean aggressively in cruise and don't go full rich in the pattern. I know the poh says to do thatnut you will foul the plugs of your carb is like mine, just go almost full rich.

Use the boost pump for takeoff and landing but don't forget to turn it off I'm cruise or climb out after you have some altitude.

Plan your descents because the Mooney won't want to come down.

Have fun! It's really not that hard to fly.

Thanks so much for the tips.  I wondered hard if I should buy an M20C with its merits and scores of devotees on this board, or an Archer as my first plane (it's much closer to the Warrior that I trained it).  The standard advice I got in the training community was the latter.   Then I had a friend who trained in a 172 like you, made the switch to an M20C over 10 hrs, and has never looked back.  I went with my friends advice- hardly a rational decision, simply picked the answer I wanted to hear.  Interestingly he said many of the same things as you regarding the transition.  I'll have to get to know the leaning issues you discuss, as I'm less familiar.   The Pipers float a good bit more with excess speed than the 172s,  so I feel decent at preventing this.   It sounds like the Mooney is harder to slow down and also less forgiving if you drop it on early than the Warrior- I've certainly done plenty of such crappy things to my school's poor Warrior in my training without serious consequence.  

[gsxrpilot]

Like you, I had all my training hours in a Cherokee.  Both the PPL and the IA and lots of hours in between are all Cherokee time with it's Hershey Bar wing.  I thought the transition the C was very easy.  It's not difficult to fly.  And contrary to the consensus on this board, I don't find it difficult to land fast.  I often land without flaps on longish runways without any issues at all. But it's also easy to land with full flaps, nice and slow over the numbers. The thing that was noticeable to me was the sight picture at the round out on approach was different.  If I used the same sight picture from the Cherokee, I would be too high over the runway.  The Mooney seems to sit much lower to the ground. But then I was afraid of rounding out too low and touching the prop.  Anyway, it's worked its self out and now with almost 100 hours since purchase in March, it seems to be second nature.

 

You can get very proficient very quickly when you own the airplane.  You and only you fly it, and you fly it a lot.

[carusoam]

+2 for both Cris G and John P...

Let me know if you need phone numbers.

Transition training is important. One of my favorite things to learn...full flap, gear down, Go arounds...

Best regards,

-a-

[DXB]

+2 for both Cris G and John P...

Let me know if you need phone numbers.

Transition training is important. One of my favorite things to learn...full flap, gear down, Go arounds...

Best regards,

-a-

Yes if you could send me contact info that would be terrific!   I see John Pallante on the Mooney Safety Foundation website, but I haven't found contact info, and I've gotten no response via my inquiry through the safety foundation site.  

[carusoam]

Pm sent...

-a-

[ryoder]

Pm me for my phone number. I can fill you in on a noob flying a C.

[Mooneymite]

The on-line magazine "The Mooney Flyer" has a list of Mooney instructors for various areas.  Check it out.