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New C Model Owner and OSH Woes


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I would like to introduce to the Mooney community my "new" C model. I bought it 3 months ago and pretty much stumbled on it at my home airport. I was actually looking to buy an Archer or Comanche 180 before I saw the light and decided to go with the Mooney. It's a 1965 model and has 4,400 hours on the airframe and 300 on the engine and prop, ten year old paint and a Garmin 430. I'm a little bias but I love the paint scheme on it. There are some minor squawks and small things I want to change but so far I couldn't be happier with it. What airplane can you get the speed and efficiency of a Mooney!?

To christen my new airplane we took it to Oshkosh for the first two days of the show. On to my next point; is it normal for Oshkosh to fill up within the first few hours on a Monday! I was in line and outside of Fisk when we got the news that parking and camping was all filled up. We ended up going to Fond Du Lac and had a great time but I was shocked that on a Monday at 9 a.m. they'd be full. While at FLD we camped next to a woman who flew a Varga into the show, after some small talk we found out we got our license and soloed the same exact C150 over 12 years ago. Aviation's a small world.

As I fly it more I'll have discussions and questions but for now I wanted to introduce the "new" airplane!

Nate

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A kind Comanche owner arrived early and reserved some spots in Vintage camping for a number of us.  No reason Mooney owners can't arrange the same next year.  You just have to have a plane older than 1970.

Clarence

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23 hours ago, M20Doc said:

A kind Comanche owner arrived early and reserved some spots in Vintage camping for a number of us.  No reason Mooney owners can't arrange the same next year.  You just have to have a plane older than 1970.

Clarence

Clarence, I came in with the Caravan landing about 3 Sunday afternoon. I tried to park my old E in Vintage but it was completely full. Bucko and I were being led to Illinois aka the South 40. Maybe you or your clever friend can tell us who you have to know to hold prime spaces.

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Just now, Bob_Belville said:

Clarence, I came in with the Caravan landing about 3 Sunday afternoon. I tried to park my old E in Vintage but it was completely full. Bucko and I were being led to Illinois aka the South 40. Maybe you or your clever friend can tell us who you have to know to hold prime spaces.

Hi Bob,

As I said a fellow Comanche owner arrived early and paid for a number of spots in advance.  Those wanting a spot provided him with a credit card and our EAA member number.  He then marked out the assigned spots with stakes and caution tape, applying our camping permit to the stake.  When we landed we held up our VAC sign, then when we got there held up a sign with our row number.  We were directed to our spot.

Many type clubs arrange group parking, we are going to try do the same next year through the ICS.  Any of the Mooney groups should be able to do the same.

Clarence

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59 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

Hi Bob,

As I said a fellow Comanche owner arrived early and paid for a number of spots in advance.  Those wanting a spot provided him with a credit card and our EAA member number.  He then marked out the assigned spots with stakes and caution tape, applying our camping permit to the stake.  When we landed we held up our VAC sign, then when we got there held up a sign with our row number.  We were directed to our spot.

Many type clubs arrange group parking, we are going to try do the same next year through the ICS.  Any of the Mooney groups should be able to do the same.

Clarence

Thanks! That's info that could come in handy! The Mooney Caravan had arranged for our spaces together in the N40 but they were in a section that was only for camping. We paid for comping even though we had a room. 

You and Sabermech were in the area I was hoping to get. Was it a mix of camping and parking? 

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1 hour ago, Bob_Belville said:

Thanks! That's info that could come in handy! The Mooney Caravan had arranged for our spaces together in the N40 but they were in a section that was only for camping. We paid for comping even though we had a room. 

You and Sabermech were in the area I was hoping to get. Was it a mix of camping and parking? 

Bob,

Not every plane had a tent beside it, mine had two, so I assume that as long as you pay for parking you're all set.

Clarence

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8 hours ago, Sabremech said:

Pay for parking? Hmmm, I didn't pay anything to park.

 

29 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

My assumption was that there was a parking fee, I guess parking is free, camping has a fee.  I learn something every day.

Clarence

 

Now that really hurts. We paid $135 to park 5 nights in the North 40! 

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No reserved parking in North40. That's basis for mass arrivals, so people can park together because they arrive together. This is an ongoing struggle with EAA. Ask the Cessnas, whose tent was surrounded by Bonanzas. Vintage area seems to have a very civilized approach, why not reserve if one pays in advance? Everyone wins!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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  • 9 months later...

I've always heard the North 40 was for camping only. A couple of years ago we saw them make a guy in a Baron move because he was parked there but NOT camping there. He's been there a couple of days when they booted him. We always fly up the Friday or Saturday before and get good spots. It does start filling up fast on Saturday and Sunday so it could've been full on Monday morning. 

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1) The North 40 is ideal for camping and long term parking, not much else... It is a long walk to everything else.

2) There isn't a special security force that has been hired to throw out non-campers.   :)

3) A Baron can be confused as a small flying apartment. Tents and apartments don't mix very well.

4) Best I can tell Its an honor system...  sneaking into the War Bird section with a Long Body Mooney might get figured out before you get marshaled into the area...

5) keep one thing in mind... nobody really likes a lot of daily taxi traffic amongst the tents.  280 horses trying to get out of soft ground can cause a flurry of tents.

Thoughts that come to mind.  Go KOSH!  It's a great week.

Best regards,

-a-

Edited by carusoam
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