Announcement Soon!

[cliffy]

As one who was allowed access to an announcement before it happened at Mooney and asked to be silent until it happened (which I faithfully did) I can fully understand that for competitive reasons or for market splash wanting to keep something secret has its advantages. 

 

[Raptor05121]

I fully understand as well, but technically speaking, since you do not work for them, how can they tell you what to do? italian mob hit?

[cliffy]

Actually they're not from Texas but New Jersey, you gotta problem with that?  :-)

[MyNameIsNobody]

On November 25, 2015 at 9:34:27 AM, DAVIDWH said:

Just in from a reliable journalistic source:

Diesel engine (445 hp) with revolutionary 5 speed transmission for those high altitude take offs. (No more fouled plugs)

Back up electric power source with wing embedded solar panels and high tech ni cads.

On board entertainment system with free porno channels. (Secretly coded for when wife is on board)

Comes free with your choice of ANR headsets

Enough said.

 

So is McStealth getting spanked. or is someone else doing the spanking...:)

[Mcstealth]

Okay guys. I thought this thread was over. I now need some advice.

There is more to this story. Remember how I said that someone from Mooney called my families restaurant, and that my family had taken the call, telling me to shut up. I just found out today that an email was also sent to the restaurant. 

A high up executive sent said email, and in not kind words, described the encounter at the restaurant as he saw it. He described how he was incensed by my behavior, warned my family that patrons their restaurant should be wary of me and my posting ways, and on and on. Over two full paragraphs of attack David.

No I will not post the mail.

I just want some Mooney style advice on how to respond. I am at a loss of words as of this second. How do I respond to this this letter? It was personal and not necessarily professional in its content. I know some of you will say I deserve what I got, and some will have an opposite opinion.

My wife says call the man and have a conversation.

Everyone knows I am Mooney thru and thru. If I could buy the first new plane off the line, I would. This letter won't change my thinking but I do want to respond to it. I sort of wish now that I didn't learn of it.

Flame suit on.

DF

 

 

 

[Mcoyne34]

11 minutes ago, Mcstealth said:

Okay guys. I thought this thread was over. I now need some advice.

There is more to this story. Remember how I said that someone from Mooney called my families restaurant, and that my family had taken the call, telling me to shut up. I just found out today that an email was also sent to the restaurant. 

A high up executive sent said email, and in not kind words, described the encounter at the restaurant as he saw it. He described how he was incensed by my behavior, warned my family that patrons their restaurant should be wary of me and my posting ways, and on and on. Over two full paragraphs of attack David.

No I will not post the mail.

I just want some Mooney style advice on how to respond. I am at a loss of words as of this second. How do I respond to this this letter? It was personal and not necessarily professional in its content. I know some of you will say I deserve what I got, and some will have an opposite opinion.

My wife says call the man and have a conversation.

Everyone knows I am Mooney thru and thru. If I could buy the first new plane off the line, I would. This letter won't change my thinking but I do want to respond to it. I sort of wish now that I didn't learn of it.

Flame suit on.

DF

 

 

 

Go buy a bonanza or a Viking and send said executives pictures in an email response. (Obviously you wouldn't really want to do that)

[Nemesis]

Well David...

First, if they did not want something seen in public or announced to the public, then it should stay hidden. If they need complete privacy, then trucking the secret item to Mojave, CA for testing etc. would seem appropriate. Also, it might be a good idea for Mooney employees to keep their mouths shut if there is some sort of innovation that is being worked on.

Having had face to face conversations with several of the higher-ups at Mooney all of which were cordial, and having followed your postings here for quite a while, something definitely seems amiss. I do not think it is ever appropriate to contact a third party (in this case the family restaurant) if one party or the other feels offended, injured (financially), hurt, etc.

David, you are already in Kerrville. Take a drive over to the sales office and see if you can talk to the person that called the restaurant or sent the email. Go with a smile trying to alleviate the situation, not to exacerbate. Maybe you can find a way to know if they are in town or traveling. Remember that there is a guard shack before you get to the sales office so you might need an appointment to get through. Let them know that you understand that they might want to keep certain things secret but also that it is not appropriate to contact other family members if they have a dispute with you. If they want to keep their project a secret then they should keep it in the hangar and tell their employees to keep their mouths shut. They should already know that you are a pro-Mooney guy and that you hope for their success.

Whatever you saw and whatever you heard from employees is all fair game as far as I am concerned unless those employees asked for you to not repeat what was said. If you had taken a picture then that is your property to publish but only do so knowing the back lash or consequences.

To this point, you have not let the cat out of the bag, it was only teased a little. I am not sure if anyone really feels slighted in any way, that is up to you and them of course. I would think that it would be an easy decision for any of the officers at Mooney to take a 10 minute meeting with you to clear the air.

Dave

[Raptor05121]

First off,

What in the heck does this have to do with a restaurant? If you were in a public setting, taking pictures/observing something that was public, there is nothing they can do. If they know you made a reference to something they want secret, the ONLY thing they should have done was ask you nicely. If they are doing this in a bully fashion, I'd either lawyer up or tell them you're going to plunk a lawn chair outside of the airport fence with Cessna/Beechcraft on speed dial. The new CEOs are not the same people that handcrafted these planes for the past 60 years.

[1964-M20E]

Make an appointment with him to discuss face to face the issue he has and if you cannot come to an amicable agreement then go about your business anyway you choose.  This also goes if he refuses to meet with you.

 

 

[Shadrach]

7 hours ago, Mcstealth said:

Okay guys. I thought this thread was over. I now need some advice.

There is more to this story. Remember how I said that someone from Mooney called my families restaurant, and that my family had taken the call, telling me to shut up. I just found out today that an email was also sent to the restaurant. 

A high up executive sent said email, and in not kind words, described the encounter at the restaurant as he saw it. He described how he was incensed by my behavior, warned my family that patrons their restaurant should be wary of me and my posting ways, and on and on. Over two full paragraphs of attack David.

No I will not post the mail.

I just want some Mooney style advice on how to respond. I am at a loss of words as of this second. How do I respond to this this letter? It was personal and not necessarily professional in its content. I know some of you will say I deserve what I got, and some will have an opposite opinion.

My wife says call the man and have a conversation.

Everyone knows I am Mooney thru and thru. If I could buy the first new plane off the line, I would. This letter won't change my thinking but I do want to respond to it. I sort of wish now that I didn't learn of it.

Flame suit on.

DF

 David, what does your restaurant have to do with this? Did you have executives dining with you and overhear something they said while patronizing your family's restaurant? Restaurants are a public places, but most folks have some expectation of privacy when having a conversation.  Was the original post motivated by something you heard them say? it's unlikely that anyone would send you such a message unless they believe that you intended to divulge sensitive information that was acquired in a way that they perceive as unethical.

[Marauder]

Let me add a little bit of corporate twist to this. If the "rumor" was started based on an overheard discussion by Mooney employees in a public forum, shame on the Mooney employees. My corporation has very clear rules on how new product concepts and subsequent development are handled. One of those rules is managing how company private information (like a new product concept) is handled. We all sign CDAs and are clearly required to respect that confidentiality. And that means not discussing the confidential information in a public venue.

If on the other hand, Dave was soliciting information from employees about the "rumor", I can see where I as a Mooney executive may resort to a cease and desist letter to protect my company's interests and privacy. That letter wouldn't come from me, but from our legal team and it would call out the allegations of the activities that are being done and include the customary "or else" phraseology. It would be highly unlikely that I would issue a letter or email by myself without legal review. That said, being a small company, these codes of business conduct are probably not established.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bonal]

My question is was this call and then email made as an official act of the company or just an individual on his or her own account. If it was not then I would advise Mooney of the action and let them deal with the party doing this. If the individual was discussing proprietary information in a public setting he/she may be attempting to cover the inappropriate action.

[bonal]

B26 we were thinking the same thing at the same time I think you said it better though.

[Seth]

On November 18, 2015 at 11:32:52 PM, gsengle said:

Or look at this one

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cobalt-transforms-private-aircraft-with-the-innovative-co50-valkyrie-and-valkyrie-x-300177391.html

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not pressurized or FIkI but really cool looking!  Let's see if it enters production.

 

-Seth

[steingar]

I'd call my mouthpiece.  Private citizens are free to discuss whatever they like.  I'd take the letter to my lawyer and have him or her write a good nastygram.  I kid you not, this is utterly unacceptable behavior.  I can only hope its one employee and not corporate culture.  

Were I in the market for a new Mooney and heard about this I'd be done.   If I didn't get a VERY contrite apology from whoever wrote that letter I'd post it on every aviation board there is.  The aviation world is really really small and has no room for tools who act like this.

[Mcstealth]

1 hour ago, Shadrach said:

 David, what does your restaurant have to do with this? Did you have executives dining with you and overhear something they said while patronizing your family's restaurant? Restaurants are a public places, but most folks have some expectation of privacy when having a conversation.  Was the original post motivated by something you heard them say? it's unlikely that anyone would send you such a message unless they believe that you intended to divulge sensitive information that was acquired in a way that they perceive as unethical.

Just by chance I walk in late to the restaurant, and there are seven or eight Mooney shirts sitting there. I didn't ask them any specifics at all. All I said was "when is the press release?" to these gentleman. And I did ask the name of the very Asian looking fellow that was there. I did tell the story of the rivets spitting out like bullets when the Mustang was first pressurized. I guess I upset someone.

 

 

[Mcstealth]

58 minutes ago, bonal said:

My question is was this call and then email made as an official act of the company or just an individual on his or her own account. If it was not then I would advise Mooney of the action and let them deal with the party doing this. If the individual was discussing proprietary information in a public setting he/she may be attempting to cover the inappropriate action.

I do believe the email came first. My family didn't respond in time, and I guess that is why the phone call was made. These are assumptions on my part.

The letter was written in full disclosure of who the author was, and the Title in his signature begins with a "C" followed by two other letters.

And the kicker here is that the email was titled to the General Manager my sister, about unacceptable behavior, by me. It wasn't written directly to me. This is truly where I have the problem. The author is warning my family about a secret grabbing sibling and how he behaved at the restaurant, in front of a table of Mooney shirts. Not even a request for David to call said author. The body of the letter was directed right at me though.

I think I will give the author a call. Try and get a little discourse going and see where it goes.

Rant over.

DF

 

[steingar]

2 minutes ago, Mcstealth said:

I think I will give the author a call. Try and get a little discourse going and see where it goes.

Rant over.

 

Says me call the lawyer and let him or her do the talking.  This is the most offensive thing I've heard of on this board.  The person who did this must discover unambiguously that he or she cannot treat members of the public this way.  We're Americans, and our fathers and grandfathers shed blood for the freedoms we enjoy.  The behavior of this individual spits on their memory.

[Shadrach]

Sounds like a cultural clash.  Perhaps a call is in order. Seems odd that a C level exec would do something like this, but then I'm used to doing business with Americans and Western Europeans. My experience with the Chinese is limited to a Canadian subsidiary - If anything, they were polite to the point of bordering on saccharine. 

[M20F]

14 minutes ago, Shadrach said:

Sounds like a cultural clash.

Sounds like a lot of the Internet which is a one sided story, without knowing the other side it is really hard to make judgements. 

[jrwilson]

The restaurant world in kerrville is probably pretty small too. If a group of business men from local companies can't have a conversation without being pestered for information from a fanboy, who then blabs said information on a widely read industry board, then I suspect that fanboy's family's business will see much fewer business customers.

Family owned restaurants like to talk about treating customers as "family." Well, the OP made a douche move in how he handled information he learned from a paying customer.

Was Mooney's letter petty and unnecessary? Maybe, we haven't seen it, but I can see their frustration,

Mooney and the OPs restaurant have an ongoing relationship, even a perceived trust, they order catering to the factory, etc. then he pulls this nonsense? I call BS on it.

It's Texas, Mooney employees can find other steak joints to eat at...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Andy95W]

10 minutes ago, jrwilson said:

The restaurant world in kerrville is probably pretty small too. If a group of business men from local companies can't have a conversation without being pestered for information from a fanboy, who then blabs said information on a widely read industry board, then I suspect that fanboy's family's business will see much fewer business customers.

Family owned restaurants like to talk about treating customers as "family." Well, the OP made a douche move in how he handled information he learned from a paying customer.

Was Mooney's letter petty and unnecessary? Maybe, we haven't seen it, but I can see their frustration,

Mooney and the OPs restaurant have an ongoing relationship, even a perceived trust, they order catering to the factory, etc. then he pulls this nonsense? I call BS on it.

It's Texas, Mooney employees can find other steak joints to eat at...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1

Harsh but valid, IMO.

[jrwilson]

6 hours ago, steingar said:

I'd call my mouthpiece.  Private citizens are free to discuss whatever they like.  I'd take the letter to my lawyer and have him or her write a good nastygram.  I kid you not, this is utterly unacceptable behavior.  I can only hope its one employee and not corporate culture.  

Were I in the market for a new Mooney and heard about this I'd be done.   If I didn't get a VERY contrite apology from whoever wrote that letter I'd post it on every aviation board there is.  The aviation world is really really small and has no room for tools who act like this.

You would pay a lawyer to write a letter saying, basically, "Your email hurt my client's feelings?  Knock it off please?"  Seems like overkill to me...  David is in a service industry, he should provide better service and not alienate customers.  Granted, Mooney shouldn't have sent the email, but...

[bradp]

This  thing seems like it's now wholly blown out of proportion.  To David - this may have been better as an 'ask first' rather than beg forgiveness later if it was something overheard.  Live and learn.  If it were a public conversation in a public establishment, the Mooney execs should have known better and not yapped about things they didn't want getting out.  That's just dumb.  Re: the C-x-x who drafted a letter and followed up with a vaguely threatening personal phone call - he's the C-x-x at a major manufacturer.  If it really pissed you off that much, have someone from your legal department draft a boilerplate in 5 min and be done with it.  Threatening letters are below your level of leadership.  Something the good leaders learn is how to deal with things they don't like in an adult way.  Unless, that is, the C-x-x is Chief Enforcement Officer.  That would mean something different... especially in New Jersey.

I'm not going to even approach the cross cultural dynamics in Kerrville.  :-)

[thinwing]

so going back on all this and the conversation at the restaurant that David had with CEO .David making the crack about rivets spitting out like machine gun bullets when Mooney first pressurized the Mustang....My guess is that Mooney international is going to Pressurize the Aclaim type S!!...which is something not even the Duluth guys could do with the Cirrus......oh oh...some guys in dark suits wearing black hoods are pounding on my door!!I gotta go know out the back door!!