Want to fly a m20j 201 in/near Charlottesville

[Heybluez]

Hello All,

I am starting to look for a plane for myself -- thinking later in Spring or early Summer to pull the trigger -- and I am researching which platform to get. I am a ~200 hour Instrument rated pilot who has spent most of my time in Cessna 172 and 182s. My typical mission will be for my work flying from my home base of KCHO up to NYC, maybe as east as KY and down to Atlanta. Essentially mid-Atlantic area. I want to get something on my own - eg no partners for now - so my budget is ~$75,000. I would like a decent instrument panel with a good autopilot and WAAS, if possible. And generally something in nice condition given my wife is still is nervous to fly with me so something that does not look like a beater will help, right?!

My research is pointing me to a Piper Arrow, Cessna 182 and the Mooney m20j. On paper I am leaning towards a m20j but I have never actually been in one. Nor do I know anyone that really knows them. My question is two fold. First, where can I go near KCHO where I could get a ride in one? Second, any Mooney folks on this forum live in Charlottesville or nearby? Love to pick your brain.

Anyway, appreciate your input. Oh by the way, I plan to fly a little tomorrow morning and was planning to head to manassas... If someone is around maybe I can say hi..

Thanks!

MJP

[bonal]

Let me be the first to say hello and welcome. I'm on the west coast so can't be of much help on the first hand part. I think a Mooney is a great choice for the speed vs fuel factor. You did not mention if there are kids in the mix. At 75k I have seen some nice J's but with the upgrades you mention might be a little harder to find. As others will no doubt point out you can find some outstanding F's or E's for less with all the bells and whistles. When you think of Mooney think sports coupe vs Cessna pick up truck when it comes to sitting position. And as others will point out take your time on your search and get a Mooney specific pre buy inspection. Good luck and happy shopping.

[Danb]

welcome aboard...and 2nd bonal's statements, give the mooney a real good look for your type flying there is no choice better among theses you mentioned..good luck..

[Bravoman]

We are all a little biased here since we are mooney owners. I can't say enough good things about mooneys. Great fit and finish, fun to fly, and fast. But there are trade offs. Very tight on the inside, and usually useful loads a bit on the low side. We also have an early 80s fixed gear saratoga that is slower but hauls lots of people and stuff. If it is just you and your wife the mooney is great. Any more than 2 people, particularly with any stuff like luggage, not so much.

Best of luck and hope we can be of help to you in your decision making!

Regards, Frank

[Hank]

There are some very knowledgable folks here; one of them, George Perry, wrote an excellent thread about things to look for when shopping for a vintage Mooney. It will be worth your time with the Search box above. When he wrote it, George was a lowly Naval aviator with an M20-F, I believe; he's now a retired Naval aviator working for AOPA, and has upgraded to an M20-S.

Welcome aboard! Hope you have a good plane shopping experience. If nothing else, it will expose you to new and different aircraft regardless of what you buy. There are only a few Experimental models that will take you as far, as fast, on as little gas as an M20-J, which is the efficiency leader of Mooneys. All Mooneys were designed and built to be fast and efficient, but the J is the ultimate in both. There are faster models that burn more gas, mine burns less gas and goes slower.

The difference between an F and a J is that a lot of aerodynamic cleanup work was done to the airframe. New cowl, different windshield, different induction system for the engine added a third door to each main gear, tweaked the fresh air intakes, added flap gap and hinge seals tweaked the junction between wing and fuselage, etc. Some of these were later made available to older models, and they do help.

Have fun looking, and pose any questions you may have here. Just remember how much our advice is worth . . . .

[Heybluez]

Thanks all! Very amazing to see how great and open this forum is. I do have a 5 year old but I am not sure when I will be taking him. Most likely one more adult... Possibly 3 total adults. Will look at the George Perry articles and will try to go out and take my time. I'm also ok with getting some of the stuff I want and upgrading as I get more cash

Thanks!

MJP

[rbridges]

Mooney would be awesome for a bunch of 1 or 2 people trips. Speed and fuel burn can't be touched by much else in the certified world. The 182 will win with comfort and ease of ingress And egress. I would get a 182 before I'd get an arrow. The 182 is nearly the same speed as an arrow but higher fuel burn. Depending on your mission needs, I'd go mooney or 182 based on your choices.

[aaronk25]

Ya I'd skip the arrow....130-135kts....besides there are 182s that are STC to burn mogas....that will really help cut costs.

However maybe by less of a J than you want and upgrade as you go??? And money becomes more plentiful.

That's what I did with my J bought it for 53k and upgraded it. Got about 100k in it now but it's got some nice toys I was able to buy as $$$ came available.

A j is worth 155kts any day of the week. With some mods 165kts....

[anthonydesmet]

Hello MJP!

Welcome to the Mooney mafia.  I, like you, had been looking for about 5 years and finally went from a looker to an owner last July and I am loving every minute.  I flew primarily Cessna 172/182 and Piper's and I will tell you has a much more honest feel compared to a cable controlled airplane.  You point it where you want it to go and it goes. I however went the M20K 262 route. George Perry and I flew together in the Navy and I can vouch for Hank's comments that he would be worth a chat. Great guy!

Also, if you need help looking and want to know all the pitfalls (and there are quite a few to watch out for when Mooney shopping) I can recommend the guy that helped me out.  Also, I live in Virginia Beach so I am close.  

Your comments sound similar to the ones I heard when I first started airplane shopping and I will tell you what everyone (non Mooney owners) told me. First realistically figure out what your current mission is and as best you can, what your future mission might be (distance, payload, # or passengers routinely with you, pets?) and also research insurance. Not that its a show stopper but insurance companies may have some caveats until you add a few more 100 hours. 

Feel free to drop me a line. 

 

Regards,

Smut

[ArtVandelay]

I had no trouble with insurance at 150 hrs from AOPA, standard 10 hrs transition training required

[Bob - S50]

MJP

 

Welcome and good luck.  As others have said, nothing beats the M20J for efficiency.  Each year brought small changes to the J, but '78 turned out to be the biggest one for me.  The '77 had the fuel selector between the pilot's feet.  Too hard for an old man like me to reach.  '78 moved it between the seats.  And the '77 had lever power controls rather than push pull vernier controls.  I much prefer the verniers for fine adjustment.  With a little effort you can find a J with a useful load of 950+ pounds but you'll have to ask.  With that useful load, you'll be able to put in enough fuel (41 gallons) to fly for 3 hours (LOP) at 150 KTAS, land with 10 gallons, and still carry 710 pounds of people and bags.  Or, if you are a glutton for punishment, fill the tanks, fly about 6 hours, go 900 miles, and carry about 580 pounds of people and bags.

 

I too looked at the Arrow... and Comanche, Bonanza, Rockwell 112, Cardinal RG and 182RG.  The Arrow and 112 are the slowest of the bunch.  Bonanzas are pretty cheap right now but if you consider a V tail Bonanza, check the CG loading.  It isn't hard to go out the back end if you put much weight in the back seat.  I think the Deb is a bit better.  My second choice was actually the 182RG but the drawbacks for me were the landing gear, higher fuel burn for about the same speed, and carbureted rather than injected.  Could carry more weight though.

 

Best of luck,

 

Bob

[carl]

I am a new pilot with a M20 E, I have 166 total hours to date. About 11 in the Mooney

 

My insurance required some duel instruction in type. (M 20 E).

 

I found Blue Ridge Aviation who has a M20 E for duel and i got my  complex sign off from the instructor Nate Krobath.

  They are located in Hangar 3 at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, VA.

This is pretty close to Charlottesville. 

 

 

 

 

[Amelia]

As a C172 owner, I'd chafed a bit with its slow speed and a few other beefs, but basically, I liked it a lot. No idea of upgrading as far as I did, but when a friend offered me 1/4 of his beautiful and totally tricked out Mooney 231, 1980 20K, for considerably less than my 172 was worth, I jumped ship, and that was 30+ years ago. I am still very happy with it. We hauled two grownups, two little kids and a skinny exchange student across the country twice. We hauled the four of us full-sized humans plus a big Lab puppy all over the place. Fast! It has all the room we need, we pack light, and I can beat the airlines, door to door, to any place east of the Mississippi River. (We now live in NE NC. Come take a look. Sit in it. Fly it with me.) You won't need a turbo to climb your lovely mountains, but I tell you, on a high DA day, it is great to zoom over summer buildups to clear and smooth on top, especially when you can find a good tailwind. You might add Mooney 231 to your list, as they had nice panels from the outset, and are often as cheap as the 201s. There was a lot of fear-mongering about the complexity and certain mechanical disaster with the turbocharger, but I haven't found that to be so....yet, in 2000 hours. And my passengers like the room in back, once I get my seat pulled to the forward stops.