Mooney space before or after

[bonal]

Obviously this applies to those of us that have only owned our Mooney for less time that there has been Mooney space and not those that have owned for many many years. The question is did you find Mooney space before or after you purchased your Mooney. Did it have an impact on your decision making with regards to your purchase, For me it was a clear case if I knew then what I know now I would have done differently. As those that have read some of my other posts know I am very happy with my plane now but the effort it took to get it there was monumental to say the least. MS first Mooney plane second is a better way to go. what kind of deal breakers do you attribute to the things learned here.

 

And to be clear not weather or not buy a Mooney but a particular Mooney

[Jeff_S]

I don't recall ever reading anything here that would dissuade me from purchasing a Mooney. I'm on my second, after all, so the brand must have something that keeps me coming back. I found Mooneyspace before I purchased my J initially.  In fact, the first Mooney I seriously considered buying was N205KD which I found here when the owner Brett answered my questions and told me his plane was for sale. He flew it down for me to look at and I really liked it, but we got into a bidding war with another buyer (who is a MS member still, but I haven't seen him active in quite some time) and since it was the only model of Mooney I had examined up close, I decided to let it go.  It all worked out in the end, though, because I found N1077G and loved that plane too.

 

I would say that using MS before the purchase certainly helped me know how to ask the right questions and look for the right thing. That may have helped me scope and narrow my choices once the quest began in earnest.

[Robert C.]

Started reading before buying; got helpful comments and answers to naive questions and both the sense of community and it's helpfulness contributed to the decision. I probably would have bought a Mooney anyway but the support here made it easier.

 

Robert 

[aaronk25]

Before....great aid in convincing me a "small, cramped and hard to work on mooney" was for me.

[gjensen]

After,  spent time on Piper related forums due to owning a Dakota prior to the Mooney. This site has been a great source of info.

[kmyfm20s]

I found MS after owning my 1st Mooney. As much as I wish I had all the knowledge of MS prior to purchasing my Mooney I was fortunate to have purchased from AAA. My CFI is a Mooney enthusiast and said Jimmy and Dave where good guys so I ran with it. I really feel I have learned alot on power plant management on MS which was something I was lacking before.

[carqwik]

Hmmm... I learned to fly M20J&Ks in the mid-1980s...after two years in Poopers...er, Pipers....so safe to say that MS had zero influence on my purchase considerations....only learned of this website a few years ago. 

[carusoam]

I found MS after my C but before my R.

I got some good ideas about the IO550 and the Missile, but at the time there were not enough Missile owners onboard to get first hand experience...

There were only a few posts per week. Easy to stay up to date with a site that has a dozen new posts and a few new threads.

Best regards,

-a-

[Hank]

I bought my C in June 07, found this place in late 08. Used to scour the Net looking for Mooney knowledge, but as this site grew, my searching tapered off. Very few things cannot be asked and answered in a day here, it's a wonderful resource.

Did lots of investigating in posts here, and messages some members while debating an faster, more modern model, but ended up leaving that option alone for now.

[DXB]

Found it during the plane search process late last year, was considering an Archer or an M20C.  It probably steered me toward the Mooney a bit.

[EDNR-Cruiser]

After... - I wasn't even looking for a Mooney when I decided to become an aircraft owner... - I was rather looking for a TB10, a PA28 Archer or at best a PA28 Arrow, mostly because I was an absolute Newbie with just a little over 100 hrs total time under the belt, no experience with constant speed props or retractable undergear and I had flown nothing but Cessna 152 and 172 and PA28-181... - and all I knew was that I wouldn't want a Cessna! 

I was just about to sign for a PA28-Arrow IV when I was offered my Mooney... - and even though I knew immediately that THIS was my plane, it took many months to find out what a gem this aircraft really is. I discovered MooneySpace months after I bought my Mooney and it helped tremendously to understand what I've got. A BIG thank you to all the contributors to this great forum!

[Marauder]

I joined a long time after... In fact 21 years after I bought my Mooney. I went searching for my first post in 2012. I can't remember why I signed up (glad I did), but it probably was in search of my Holy Grail... Cheap Klixon switches. I also joined right after I made the decision to upgrade my avionics and I may have joined to pick your collective brains about the steam to glass conversion that I was about to embark on.

 

You folks have been a great source of knowledge and it is a pleasure communicating with you -- even you Timmy, wherever you are. 

[Bob - S50]

Airplane first, MooneySpace second.

 

Bought the airplane for performance.  Found Mooneyspace for good info.

 

Bob

[chrisk]

Before!  Mooneyspace was critical in making me feel comfortable with buying a Mooney.  It was 3 months of reading about Mooneys before I found one to fly.  Then it was another 6 months before I sold my old plane and found my Mooney.

[gsxrpilot]

Before.

 

I'd already firmly decided on a Mooney prior to finding this site. But after finding this site and reading the entire Vintage Mooney forum, I decided to search for a really nice C rather than an E to fix up... and I'm very happy with my C.

 

This site is twice the value of all the other Mooney sites on the web put together.

[1964-M20E]

I bought my E before I found Mooneyspace.  When buying a good plane you don't need a village.    Speed, efficiency, capabilities, manual gear and cost brought me to Mooney.

[Hector]

Mooney first then Mooneyspace. My mooney sort of fell on my lap. I was not really looking to buy but had been flying with my buddy who owned a mooney and when he decided to buy a twin he told me the mooney would be up for sale. I knew he took meticulous care of the plane as I had helped him on several occasions including the latest annual only a couple of months back. I decided then this was my bird and it's been absolutely great. I found Mooneyspace after looking on the web for anything Mooney to increase my knowledge. These days I don't look much anywhere else for mooney information. This site is just excellent and I have learned a lot from all who participate here. From Maintenance stuff to good tips on aviating I suck it all in and try to incorporate the best into the way I fly and maintain my Mooney.

[MyNameIsNobody]

After. WAY after...

[Mooneymite]

I discovered MS long after I bought my plane.  In truth, had I been a follower of some of the advice here on MS, I might not have bought this particular plane.  There were several things about it that a lot of Mooneyspacers would have condemned:

 

Missing log book. (74-80)

Damage history (a gear-up).

It's a "dirty wing" model.

Electric gear.

 

Now I've had this plane for 17 years and none of these items has been an issue for me.  In fact, I love my electric gear and the dirty wing performs about as close to the POH as any Mooney of that era.  As a newbie, I probably would have been intimidated by popular opinion on some of these issues and missed what has turned out to be a wonderful, reliable plane.

 

On the other hand, most of the advice on MS is excellent.....just not all of it.  

[DaV8or]

I discovered MS long after I bought my plane.  In truth, had I been a follower of some of the advice here on MS, I might not have bought this particular plane.  There were several things about it that a lot of Mooneyspacers would have condemned:

 

Missing log book. (74-80)

Damage history (a gear-up).

It's a "dirty wing" model.

Electric gear.

 

Now I've had this plane for 17 years and none of these items has been an issue for me.  In fact, I love my electric gear and the dirty wing performs about as close to the POH as any Mooney of that era.  As a newbie, I probably would have been intimidated by popular opinion on some of these issues and missed what has turned out to be a wonderful, reliable plane.

 

On the other hand, most of the advice on MS is excellent.....just not all of it.  

 

You and me both. I found MS first, but still ignored advise and bought a plane with both damage history and electric gear as well as the twisted wing. Why the hell did I do that? Value. My plane had a lot of content I desired at a low cost. So far none of the demerits against my plane has been a problem... knock on aluminum!

[chrisk]

Mooneyspace is what convinced me that buying a plane with a gear up was not that big of a deal. 

[Bob_Belville]

I bought 2 M20Es and flew them over 2500 hours before visiting MS.

 

I'm here to learn.

 

And maybe pontificate a little now and then.

 

And to post a pic of my panel or my Sun N Fun arrival video once a month for newbees, Marauder, and a certain airline captain from Toccoa.

[DaV8or]

Mooneyspace is what convinced me that buying a plane with a gear up was not that big of a deal. 

 

Seriously, it's not. However at sale time, many buyers think it is and so tougher to sell. My solution so far is just don't sell!

[Hank]

I bought 2 M20Es and flew them over 2500 hours before visiting MS.

 

I'm here to learn.

 

And maybe pontificate a little now and then.

 

And to post a pic of my panel or my Sun N Fun arrival video once a month for newbees, Marauder, and a certain airline captain from Toccoa.

I had just over 100 Mooney hours when I found this site.

Don't we all enjoy pontificating from time to time?

With any luck, I'll get a video of my next (second) trip to Sun n Fun; the first time I was too busy flying, navigating and watching the gaggle of RVs I'd been told to follow. Then ATC had me sidestep ( red & white Mooney, sidestep to 9 R, the wide runway) and fly until I crossed 5-23, a mile away, at 20' agl. It was interesting, wish I'd had spare attention to look out the side windows.

[Bob_Belville]

I had just over 100 Mooney hours when I found this site.

Don't we all enjoy pontificating from time to time?

With any luck, I'll get a video of my next (second) trip to Sun n Fun; the first time I was too busy flying, navigating and watching the gaggle of RVs I'd been told to follow. Then ATC had me sidestep ( red & white Mooney, sidestep to 9 R, the wide runway) and fly until I crossed 5-23, a mile away, at 20' agl. It was interesting, wish I'd had spare attention to look out the side windows.

Our video was shot by the 3rd pilot on board from the rear seat. It was the first time into KLAL for each of us. If you're considering it, it was really a piece of cake. Controllers are good.