New member and not a Mooney owner.....YET.....Hope to be soon - comments please

[bonal]

Well... here's way more than 600#s of pilots on a 4 hour flight to '13 SunNFun in my E, the 6'er in the back claimed he had plenty room :

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKBNWcXxpuM

The link does no work fix it cause I want to watch.

[Bob_Belville]

The link does no work fix it cause I want to watch.

Hum, did you try to cut and paste? MS isn't inserting a hyperlink. Guess I should not have clipped the https://

 

[Hank]

I went from my 150 into my mooney with no difficulty make sure you transition with an instructor that knows Mooney's.

*I heartily agree with this, having bought my Mooney six weeks after my PPL checkride. It's all about good training, and being diligent to fly it by the numbers after the instructor is gone.

Once I'm leveled off I put it back a bit and it fits great until it's time to gear up for landing.

PLEASE tell me this is a typo! Don't gear up before landing . . . Please, please, put your gear DOWN to land!!

[bonal]

PLEASE tell me this is a typo! Don't gear up before landing . . . Please, please, put your gear DOWN to land!!

Good one, I mean get prepared for landing

[Marauder]

Once I'm leveled off I put it back a bit and it fits great until it's time to gear up for landing.

I hope you meant "gear down" I don't want to see that!

[Marauder]

PLEASE tell me this is a typo! Don't gear up before landing . . . Please, please, put your gear DOWN to land!!

Hank -- you are too fast! You should have taken that job in Jersey!

[Marauder]

The link does no work fix it cause I want to watch.

If you want to watch an even better video, you should watch the one for Bob trying to get his IFR clearance out of my airport. Oops, sorry, can't do that. He ran out of fuel before he got it.

When you coming up to visit again Bob? Enjoyed the conversation!

[Hank]

Hank -- you are too fast! You should have taken that job in Jersey!

I had two competing offers. The salaries were the same, but the relocation package for here was much nicer. Up there wouldn't even give me a hotel room to sleep in between my 500-mile drive to get there and showing up at work the next morning . . . Rather like shopping for an airplane, the devil is in the details!

[bonal]

Thanks Bob that was great to watch and man those controllers really earn their pay. I will have to make the trip some day soon.

[ShermAv8tor]

Sherman,

 

Make sure you keep in mind that the actual cost of a plane is one thing but the recurring expense is a completely different animal.  Make sure you have at least 20% of the purchase price set aside to fix all of the deferred maintenance items you'll find the first year.  Also, keep in mind, that you'll have insurance (north of $2K for a new pilot), annuals (~$2k) and monthly hangar rent(~$2000-$5000 Annually).  This is all before you put a single drop of gas in the plane.

 

If you don't have this level of disposable income, you might want to look at partnerships similar to what you're doing with your 150.

Hi Gary, Yes I am factoring that all in, and right now hangars are not available where I'm at, so outside tiedown for short time hopefully. I have quotes on insurance too. I will be doing all MX and Mods on my own, I have a good network of aviation peeps who all have connections to, all about the networking right? Thats awesome your based at DTO, that would be the airport we would fly into! We used to live on Lake Lewisville in Hickory Creek, and have been to Ponder many times on motorcycles. Our son lives in Aubrey. I used to work part time with Butch at USAviation flight school/maintenance shop and thats when I had the most exposure to GA. Doing annuals, top ends, cylinders, and worked a few mooneys as well, but gosh that was 2005ish? Wonder if butch still works there? Ha had a taylor craft he flew to work. Any way thanks for the great advice.

[ShermAv8tor]

Ok I just finished reading the post that was linked on thread 4 - So what did I get out of that? Its George vs Mooney guy.....LOL, no not really. But wow. Very good and informative info, and I will start using the search function more for my questions. Thanks again for the great comments and feedback, keppem coming if you have more to add....I am back to looking/considering the E model as well as the F, I think I may have been overthinking it a bit.....well alot actually, this whole process is swallowing me whole!

 

My wife says if she had a propeller I would be more interested in her  uh oh!

 

Somebody mentioned flying and transitioning to the GIV, well I have flown the simulators alot, and landed......and I have been a flight engineer in the past as well in GIV's, GV's, G550's...........I have been fortunate enough to be at 51,000 feet and seen the curvature of the earth!! If you ask me landing the Gulfstream is easier than the C150 I fly now!!

 

Yes I have contacted a couple of transistion pilots off the LASAR site, and will definately do that even if insurance didnt require it....I like to learn, and not afraid to ask questions or admit I dont know.....Maybe someday I can offer others what im learning from this experience.

[Bob_Belville]

If you want to watch an even better video, you should watch the one for Bob trying to get his IFR clearance out of my airport. Oops, sorry, can't do that. He ran out of fuel before he got it.

When you coming up to visit again Bob? Enjoyed the conversation!

Might be your turn! I threw a nice party and you Yankees stayed home. Plus our weather is nicer than yours for the next few months. 

[bonal]

Just a suggestion if your having trouble finding your wife just the right gift for Christmas.

[MB65E]

Welcome Man!! I wouldn't rule out a nice C. The Angle valve cylinders are expensive, But I love my little E! There are some really ratty ones out there so be careful! Even if your an IA, try to get some feed back on the potential aircraft from another peer. As a tech being emotionally envolved has its challenges. Make sure you buy a round trip airline ticket when you go look at these old airplanes. Also, this time of the year, arrange a preheated hangar for the inspection. Lol.

Southwest now flys direct to Dallas... Just saying...

But with our youngest one turning 2 the cost to fly the 4 of us in the Mooney looks even better!

Enjoy the hunt!

-Matt

[rbridges]

Welcome aboard Sherman. We got our Mooney, a 1965C, in April 2013 and have thoroughly enjoyed it!

 

'65 C models are the best ones.  

[Hank]

Just a suggestion if your having trouble finding your wife just the right gift for Christmas. image.jpg

Can I get that as pasties?

[bonal]

'65 C models are the best ones.

My wife and Mooney were born on the same year and might not agree. Is there something special about the 65 or are you just because that's what yours are. If so I can appreciate your loyalty.

[ryoder]

Jeff I appreciate the feedback, but the reality is I cannot afford to spend 80K on an airplane, especially since my son will be starting college next fall, and who knows when that happens I might have to sell whatever I have at the time and downsize till college is done….hoping thtas not the case…..

I am a senior member of another forum which is devoted to lowering college costs. degreeforum.net

Check it out. You don't need to pay that much for school if truly on a budget or otherwise. Your son can CLEP out of classes and can actually begin finishing college credits now while in high school. This goes for adults that want to finish a degree too. Ask me for details. It's all legit and dome by the same people that do the SAT and the credits are accepted at Harvard as well as your local state school.

[Jeff_S]

Don't mean to be a butt head but the OP pointed out his budget is in the 40 AMU range and yes I think it funny when someone that can afford an Ovation 3 suggests an airplane that may seem inexpensive to the Ovaition guy but is clearly out of the indicated budget.

I would like to have a 911 GT3 as well but live in the real world of what I can afford. Yes the short body is less accommodating than a long body but honestly how often would you have four adults I have flown several long trips with 3 adults with no problem at all.

Sorry if I sound a bit peeved but some time people with lots of money forget there are those of us that are only just able to afford this hobby.

 

Wow, such vitriol after making an innocent suggestion. And as I read through the posts, I don't think I was the only one who offered up the idea of a J.  My personal financial situation had no bearing on my comment...my first plane was a Piper Warrior so I know all about budgets.  My point was to expand the OP's thinking about which planes fit his mission and not let a current budget number be too restrictive.  Who among us hasn't had a budget in mind for a big purchase, like a house, and then all of a sudden the PERFECT house comes along that costs more?  Where there's a will there's a way, I guess was my only point.

[bonal]

No worries Jeff, I guess it kind of struck a nerve like if I was in the position to buy an airplane and my budget was X and I'm all excited about what I'm about to do and some one says gee Bonal I don't think the plane you're considering is going to be good enough I think you should buy a better one even though it's twice what you can afford. That would be a bit like a bucket of cold water being tossed on my dreams. I Would wonder if all the guys that fly the faster better models think all us vintage guys have crappy old Spads that don't measure up. We all have to balance desires with reality and for some of us that means something that might not be as nice as someone else's reality. Just a thought.

[Marauder]

No worries Jeff, I guess it kind of struck a nerve like if I was in the position to buy an airplane and my budget was X and I'm all excited about what I'm about to do and some one says gee Bonal I don't think the plane you're considering is going to be good enough I think you should buy a better one even though it's twice what you can afford. That would be a bit like a bucket of cold water being tossed on my dreams. I Would wonder if all the guys that fly the faster better models think all us vintage guys have crappy old Spads that don't measure up. We all have to balance desires with reality and for some of us that means something that might not be as nice as someone else's reality. Just a thought.

Having seen a number of those "crappy old Spads" up close, I would venture to say some of them are in a lot better shape and better equipped than their younger counterparts. It is all a matter of stewardship.

There is an Ovation on my Field that has is in worse shape and lesser equipped than my F. My biggest concern is that I may fall prey to the speed demon someday and not be satisfied unless I see a "2" in front of my TAS.

[bonal]

Wasn't sure how to spell Sopwith Camel so I chose the Spad instead. A 2 would be nice I agree but for some it's not doable and I hate to see some one casting a shadow on what might be the best thing someone else can afford. In fact it seems kind of snobby IMHO

[rbridges]

My wife and Mooney were born on the same year and might not agree. Is there something special about the 65 or are you just because that's what yours are. If so I can appreciate your loyalty.

 

Just being silly.  It's just b/c it's the one I happened to own.  

[MB65E]

Sherman! Meet Airbornpinata! He might have what your looking for... Unless it's really full of corrosion, is doesn't get much cheaper.

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/13732-family-going-from-4-to-5-looking-to-sell-my-m20e-asking-33k/#entry182933

-Matt

[airbornepinata]

There is no corrosion issues, however there is definately a need for paint.  It is priced accordingly...