More Mooney than brains

[sleepingsquirrel]

I have returned to aviation after being involved with all the other things one needs to do to live on this planet. Last May I started my journey back by spending time in a J3 on floats. I'm older now and 5 hours in that environment was fatiguing to say the least. I'm a traditional Cessna pilot and left handed to boot. Needless to say flying from the back seat, stick in right hand and throttle in left hand was a bit of a challenge. However, the fuse was lit! I have done very little since last May but research aircraft prices, compare specs and try to find the aircraft that suits my personality.

I finally found a Cessna 150 on ebay that made me feel comfortable, G Model ( which can be put on floats) . Of course I have a wife and the low entry cost and her familiarity ( has soloed) got me over the wifely advise against the wifely resistance to blowing cash into the atmosphere. She had not been encouraging during my search for a plane, flatly threatened divorce if I purchased a Lake amphib, I had found.  Well, if not divorce, at least make me miserable for the rest of my natural life. I lost two Lake amphibs under this threat. Finallly ,Dec. 3 ,I hit "buy it now" for the great C150 I now openly own.  I had to shine up my balls and just say to her , I'm not going to die regretting never owning my own plane. She realized she was no longer in control of my newly polished hardware. She began to become involved in the finalization of the deal on the 150 by making me ask the seller ,"What's the condition of the interior "? I think we all know not to ask that question about a 43 year old airplane! When she observed the pictures of the two year old paint (looks great) she remarked "Why didn't you buy a four place airplane"? 

I could have died,or strangled her for her stubborn resitance and then just, "why didn't you buy a four place airplane".

If your still with me, I took this as tacit permission to go and find the four place plane of my dreams. It didn't take long to find a 1961 Mooney M20B at my value/price . Some of you may argue that it is really a three place machine, but, there are four seats.

I closed the deal at "buy it now on ebay "and the plane was delivered on the 10th of Dec. The check out and turn over was great , the plane fits my personality to a tee. Now I have something more exciting to do on climb out than  just look around as the world SLOWLY sinks away as in a C150. I have mastered the Mooney wave and have managed to successfully land (with the gear down ) the required number of time to satisfiy the FAA.  I will be asking myself three times during the landing phase  this question, "Is the gear down and locked , is the light green"? This seems to be working so far. I love the flight performance of this old bird.

Some of you already know the real purpose of this post, for the rest of you , I know how much trouble I'm in if my wife finds about about this "other" affair. I had to buy this one because like the 150 it would never show up again at this condition and price! My plan is to let her get back into the swing of the enjoyment of flying with me and the get tired of the 150 Trainer. Already had offers for profit if I sell, but need it for her. I have the two planes tied down within sight of each other, just close enough to be seen and not far enough away to look like I'm hiding something if she arrives to go flying and I might have been flirting with the Mooney while waiting for her. Really, I know that I would be better off seeing another woman at this point, the forgivness thing and all would be easier if I got caught in a cheap motel than caught waxin' my Mooney.

Sometimes polishing your brass is a good thing , sometimes polishing your brass gets you in trouble. I just keep telling myself that she is going to love the MOONEY ,I can't wipe the smile off my face after tying down this thing down.

I don't need marriage counseling, I'm glad to have found this knowledgable forum, I have more MOONEY than brains!

until we meet again,

Sleepingsquirrel

 

[scottfromiowa]

Can't wait to hear part II....Squirrel has been awakened!  Good for you!  Have fun.  I say keep the 150 and put it on floats.

I remember after many months...years of talking airplanes finally saying.  "I'm buying a Mooney.  You can either get on board, or not"...It's been 8 years and she's still on board and values the cross country capability more and more.

Great post...

[MooneyMitch]

Also looking forward to Part II.  My guess, she will adore the Mooney too!

[Mcstealth]

The sequal will be an interesting read, as was the original.

[jelswick]

Congratulations SleepingSquirrel!  It took 2-3 yrs of flying and getting an instrument ticket before my wife would get in mine, but she's now like Scott's for the utility it provides.  My daughter refers to it as "Jim's other woman", so I can definitely relate.  If she doesn't love it today, she'll love it tomorrow.  If she doesn't then, well...it's like my friend said, good airplanes are hard to come by, there's lot's of potential wives out there!  Just kidding of course; I'm very grateful my wife is actually very supportive of my Mooney addiction now and let me take our son for the first time with me to Oshkosh this year (I'd been going for about 5 or 6 yrs myself).  Good luck and enjoy the fine machine you've picked out; Mooneys really are the best!

[HopePilot]

Getting popcorn ready...

[Capt_CrashN_Burn]

"Waxing my Mooney" hahahahaha!!!

 

Now there's a euphamism I haven't used before. X-D

[thinwing]

I feel bad you missed out on 2 lake amphibs!!!!  I used to own one and it was the most fun you could have with your clothes on !!!! The rest of the story should be real interesting,good luck when she finds out about the mooney..kpc

[FlyFstr]

Sleepingsquirrel that was really fun to read! Please keep us informed. I forecast that your wife will settle down a bit and enjoy the stupid things "us guys" rationalize to justify our self serving desires.  

Heck, we could die tommorow. Save for tommorow but enjoy it now.

 

[FlyFstr]

Sleeping....forgot to ask. Whats up with that possum in your pick?

[scottfromiowa]

That's a raccoon, my friend...

[Capt_CrashN_Burn]

Nawh, it's a Badger!!

[richardheitzman]

Wow Scott, is that really the whole story? If it is I need to try that on my wife. I get the big NO every time I even come close to the subjet.

Quote: scottfromiowa

Can't wait to hear part II....Squirrel has been awakened!  Good for you!  Have fun.  I say keep the 150 and put it on floats.

I remember after many months...years of talking airplanes finally saying.  "I'm buying a Mooney.  You can either get on board, or not"...It's been 8 years and she's still on board and values the cross country capability more and more.

Great post...

[FlyFstr]

Quote: scottfromiowa

That's a raccoon, my friend...

[scottfromiowa]

I got NO, NO WAY.  NO F$#%ing way...so many times I think I just finally wore her down.  Believe me that was my only "my way or the highway" in 27 years of marriage.  Maybe I'll try one more after 50

Maybe he thought he had squirrels in his yard?  (photo) heh, heh.

[thinwing]

Well that is the answer to his problems...simply tell her that those pesky raccoons(squirrels..whatever )have been into the cessna 150 and you need to replace it with a mooney "4 seater"I am sure she will totally believe you....thank you very much..next problem please...kpc

[Kwixdraw]

I did it Scotts way back in the early 90s.  Flew in misery every time she was in the plane for a few years until I caught AIDS (Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome) and gave her the dumpola. Wish I'd have gotten into flying before I got married. The new (good) wife knows how things work in the real world and is used to me walking into things when something interesting flies overhead. We live close enough to Chino that we see a Mustang or T-6 fly over fairly frequently. She knows not to be between me and the door when "Merlin" or "round motor" come out of my mouth. I'm just trying to figure out how to avoid painting the J purple so she feels like she is participating in it's restoration.

[MooneyMitch]

My wife is a pilot and Mooney owner!  Nothing left to say except, life is good!

[Kwixdraw]

Ya done good Mitch.

[Capt_CrashN_Burn]

Quote: Mitch

My wife is a pilot and Mooney owner!  Nothing left to say except, life is good!

[tony]

Squirrel buying the airplane is the most inexpensive part of ownership, the most interesting part of this story is what’s to come.  The care and feeding…..

I look forward to the next chapters

 

[trjymr]

Im also interested in hearing part two... My then girlfriend now fiance was told "I'll buy you a ring after I get a Mooney"  and she waited, so I popped the question a couple weeks ago, she said yes.  But I'd like to get a newer faster Mooney one day and thats not a very popular subject... LOL

[Parker_Woodruff]

Quote: trjymr

Im also interested in hearing part two... My then girlfriend now fiance was told "I'll buy you a ring after I get a Mooney"  and she waited, so I popped the question a couple weeks ago, she said yes.  But I'd like to get a newer faster Mooney one day and thats not a very popular subject... LOL

[MooneyMitch]

Quote: trjymr

Im also interested in hearing part two... My then girlfriend now fiance was told "I'll buy you a ring after I get a Mooney"  and she waited, so I popped the question a couple weeks ago, she said yes.  But I'd like to get a newer faster Mooney one day and thats not a very popular subject... LOL

[Ned Gravel]

Got y'all beat.

32 years married as of 12 November and her most common posture in our Mooney is asleep in the right seat.  She says that the vibration puts her to sleep.  That and breathtaking scenery.  The bumpier the better. 

She is not a pilot like Jolie, but she did take the copilot course.  You know the one they take in case.....

She believes that flying is a shared experience too.  She just wants to be there. 

Works for me.