Things I should know?

[Cwalsh7997]

Hi first off I'm 17, got my PPL in January and currently have 100 hours. Next year I'll be attending Embry Riddle, and right now my family is currently buying a plane. We are on the final stretches of buying the plane, which is a 1969 Mooney M20F, I'll leave a link below. I have time in some complex planes such as a arrow, and most of my time is in a cessna and an archer. What I wanted to know was what should I know about the M20F and Mooneys in general, such as best cruise RPM and Manifold Pressure for optimized cruise and different characteristics??

http://www.trade-a-plane.com/detail/2047530.htm

[rbridges]

Others will chime in about cruise settings but I just wanted to make sure you get a good pre purchase inspection. Besides the typical mechanical problems, mooneys are known for fuel tank leaks and corrosion. My 2 cents are to make sure someone knows how to check these things before you take ownership.

[Guest]

Congratulations! Great to have a young pilot joining our ranks.

Do be sure to get a very thorough PPI before your purchase. Mooney's like all airplanes harbour some costly items, wing spar corrosion, tubular tubing corrosion and fuel tank leaks to name a few of the more common ones.

If you're building time in it, a Mooney can be flown at quite low power setting and very low fuel burn rates all the while flying circles around anything else you've flown so far.

Clarence

[ryoder]

I fly my C at 120mph IAS with it leaned to 75 ROP and 2300 rpm 18.5" MP. At that cruise setting I burn 6.5 to 7 gph in a typical two hour flight. I can bring the rpm down below the red and save more gas but the oil pressure gets low and the engine is rougher.

I like flying at 2300 rpm in general so I often just leave it there and adjust throttle for a faster cruise or descent.

[Mooneymite]

Advice here on Mooneyspace is great, but take the time to read/study the POH.

 

Pretty much everything you absolutely must know/do is in there.

[1964-M20E]

Congrats ands welcome

I fly my F around 2450 to 2500 RPM WOT leaned to 8.5 to 9.5 GPH depending on altitude and available MP.

Down low I will pull it back to about 22 or 23" 2400 and lean it out to 8.5GPH

Pay attention to your speeds on approach and watch the float on short runways.  I found the transition to the Mooney easy from the 172.

The arrow seams to sink much faster than the Mooney on approach.

You will enjoy the Mooney.   Good luck with your continuing education.

 

Oh and remember the most important thing make sure the gear is down.  Talk out loud to yourself and passengers and tell them speak up and ask you if the gear down when you go to land.

[carusoam]

Congrats...

I bought a Mooney so my parents could visit with there grandchildren...200nm away.

We started with an M20C Time Machine.

Consider getting some M20F specific training for the whole family. That will include the data you have requested, and then some.

Then look up the story about the young guy, about your age, who borrowed his parent's Ovation and flew around the world.

Some kids really know how to earn the full trust of their parents.

Best regards,

-a-

[N33GG]

Mooneys are great. Just don't make it a high wing! :-)

[HRM]

You're not Timmy are you?

 

Welcome to the weird, wacky world of Mooney!

[Seth]

Congrats!!  My first Mooney was a 1967 M20F.  Your's has much better paint, an autopilot, and GPS - much better than mine was equipped (and you purchased it for less!!).  I thought I was young when I purchased mine at 26.  I now have a 1983 M20J Missile 300 - I can't believe I've already owned it longer than my first Mooney.  3 years on the F, and now nearly 4 in the Missile.

 

Make sure to check your gear is down THREE times before landing.  GUMPS on downwind, GUMPS on base, and Green Light over the Fence on short final.  If on a straight in - still three checks - gumps, gumps (depending on approach/distance) and green light over the fence.  Yours is electric gear.  When you put the gear up or down, keep that hand not on the gear switch but touching somewhere on the panel (maybe the glare shield) until the gear is up or down.  That way you won't forget to double check.  The reason you don't keep your hand on the gear switch itself is in case you get some turbulence, hold on too tight, and twist/crack/break it off.  It's happened to a few.

 

Every landing is a go-around - if you land it's a bonus.  Be on speed - not over speed - on speed.  Depending on your field, pick a point where if you haven't touched down, you go around.  I learned to fly my F model at a a skinny 2400' field with obstructions on both ends.  You can land a Mooney at the proverbial 1/2 mile strip, but you have to be on speed.  I am now based at a 4200' field but visit my original field often enough to keep my training up (and it's where my MSC is located).  I like the long field for safety margin, but feel comfortable landing in 1800' if i had to.

 

There is debate on Flaps on takeoff or not.  I like to use them as I trained at a short field so that is natural to me.  If you use them, remember to retract them before you get out of the white arc.  

 

Always have an out.  Be very smart with your go/no go decision.  DO NOT fall prey to "get-there-itis."  You can always show up 24 hours later if need be.

 

Good luck with your Mooney and your future aviation training.  You picked a great airframe.   

 

Take care,

 

-Seth

[Browncbr1]

your first time flying, try to pick a stable air day.  The control throws on the yoke are much heavier than the 172 and also there is less throw, so less input on the yoke yields more authority on the control surfaces.  Also, mind the trim.... continual trimming is required and make sure you are trimmed on final for hands off idle...   you'll get comfy after a while...   good luck.. that's a nice plane.. i had been eyeing it just like every other sick person on this site.. 

[Yetti]

Brown is bad Blue is good until it is all blue and spinning around blue.  half brown half blue is a good balance

[DrBill]

Congrats on the PPL, the Mooney and ER (My younger son graduated from them in 2012 and now is a captain for Piedmont Airlines).

I fly my E at 2400-2450 RPM and 24 in (if possible or WOT if not) and lean to 20 LOP.  Last flight I got 8.0GPH at 5000 ft with 135KTS IAS.

I think that's just about at 20MPG and better than my Ford Ranger.

I really LOVE my Mooney.

BILL