Just had my longest flight

[eaglebkh]

Coming home to Hartselle, AL, from Kissimmee, FL, last week, my wife and I were in the air for 4.5 hours.  Forecast headwind of 30kts was actually 50kts.  Fortunately, the winds eased back down to the forecasted speed about half way home.  The Aspen winds aloft indicator giving me that critical information.

I usually file 5:15 for fuel on board, and never take off if the ETE is more than 4:15 - just like to have a 1 hour reserve.  So I'm curious what is the longest you have been in the air for a single flight/leg?

[rob]

Longest flight in my logbooks is 5.8, which was a trip from central WI to Memphis that was routed over Kansas City due to a severe line of thunderstorms running West to East right across the course of flight. Once I realized that I was going to have to divert that far, I pulled the power way back as I wanted to avoid a stop. Landed with 45 minutes of fuel left.

I've been up for about 5.5 a few times. That was at high altitiudes and burning about 8 gal. an hour in my C model. Was during a trip from Kalispell, MT to Starkville, MS, which I made with one stop (S27-KBBW-KSTF). Longest leg was 743 NM. 

The fact that I have two restroom facilities on board makes the long flights possible (gatorade bottles).

You have got to love the flexibility of the Mooney.

[Piloto]

11 hours from LPAZ to CYYT against 50kts headwinds and ice on a M20R with 130 gallons (long range tanks equipped) of fuel and one gallon for relief.

José

 

[Brendan]

WOW!!! that is awesome!

[FlyDave]

I did a 6.5 hour flight from Crystalaire (just north on Los Angeles) to Yearington, NV in my glider (ZERO GpH). The longest flight in my Mooney has been 2.5 hours @ 10.8 GpH. Man, you can really travel in a Mooney....Yeehaaah!!!

[Immelman]

Just shy of 5 hours.. 4.7 or 4.8 maybe? In my E model, standard tanks. My personal minimum on fuel is 1 hour left, for day VFR. With that longest leg, I was running right up to that minimum. This was also a high altitude flight where I'm burning ~8gph in cruise.

[trjymr]

Mine was about 3 then 2.5 from KLXV-T59-KHQZ.  If I remember right we averaged about 120kts gs, bad winds!  I dont know how you guys do 5 and 6 hours... Guess Im rookie cause I was TIRED I dont think I could go as long as some of you.  Im just over 100 hours total and about 40 in my E model...(which I love!!!)

[Jeff_S]

Longest non-stop was this Fall from KC (OJC) to ATL (PDK) at 4.2 hours. We had crosswinds the whole time which netted to just about no wind factor, so I cruised LOP at ~9.5 gph and made about 155 knots over the ground.

[rorythedog]

olathe, kansas to tallahassee, fl in my m20j. i'm not sure of the time but it seems like it was about 5 hours, and 722nm. we used to carry a 5 gallon coffee can on board-ha!

i once flew my cherokee 140 from boca raton to olathe and remember the total trip time(with strong headwinds and stops) was about 11.5 hours....that was a long day!

[Skybrd]

A few months ago was my longest non stop flight. It was from Oshkosh, Wi to Grand Island, Nebraska. I just purchased the M20E Mooney and it burned 12 gals per hour fuel at 2500 rpm and 24 inches. Another time, years ago I flew another Mooney (M20A)  non stop from Cheyenne Wyoming to St George Utah.

[piperpainter]

The longest flight I had was 5:45 min/730 NM on standard tanks. I didn't have a tailwind but I was up high burning about 7.2 GPH! landed with 10 gallons left boy i sure love my Mooney! 

[eldeano]

Quote: piperpainter

The longest flight I had was 5:45 min/730 NM on standard tanks. I didn't have a tailwind but I was up high burning about 7.2 GPH! landed with 10 gallons left boy i sure love my Mooney! 

[carusoam]

Longest flight with wife: NJ - New Orleans:  1,000 nm, 7hrs total - one stop in the middle.  no used gator aid bottles......

Sleeping squirrel, it may take a long time, but the mrs. will grow to trust your judgment and enjoy the benefits of Mooney flying.

-a-

[piperpainter]

Quote: eldeano

Holy **##! That is a long way!

[flight2000]

Short term memory lose for some of you...

http://www.mooneyspace.com/index.cfm?mainaction=posts&forumid=2&threadid=1050

The CLIF note version:

Jonathan Paul flew a 1966 M20E non-stop from San Diego, CA to Savannah, GA.  Landed with 17 gallons of fuel still in his 88 gallon tanks.  The rest of the details he outlined in his post.

Longest flight for me has been 3.7 hours from Daytona Beach to Mrytle Beach, SC a long time ago.

Brian

I've never gone longer than my bladder will allow me to comfortably accomplish.  Something about peeing in a bottle doesn't sit well with me...

[eldeano]

Quote: piperpainter

Holy **##! That is a long way!

[rob]

Quote: piperpainter

Holy **##! That is a long way!

[1964-M20E]

My longest flight was yesterday went form KNEW (New Orleans) to KMEZ (Mena AK) and back in the same day. I went up there with my neighbor to get his Arrow painted and new interior.  I had to throttle back to let him keep up.  About 3 hours there and 2.5 back 343nm each way.

I’m looking to make a trip to Orlando but the flying gods have not deemed it worthy of good timing and weather yet.

 

[rorythedog]

Quote: 1964-M20E

My longest flight was yesterday went form KNEW (New Orleans) to KMEZ (Mena AK) and back in the same day. I went up there with my neighbor to get his Arrow painted and new interior.  I had to throttle back to let him keep up.  About 3 hours there and 2.5 back 343nm each way.

I’m looking to make a trip to Orlando but the flying gods have not deemed it worthy of good timing and weather yet.

 

[eaglebkh]

Quote: trjymr

Mine was about 3 then 2.5 from KLXV-T59-KHQZ.  If I remember right we averaged about 120kts gs, bad winds!  I dont know how you guys do 5 and 6 hours... Guess Im rookie cause I was TIRED I dont think I could go as long as some of you.  Im just over 100 hours total and about 40 in my E model...(which I love!!!)

[eaglebkh]

Quote: piperpainter

The longest flight I had was 5:45 min/730 NM on standard tanks. I didn't have a tailwind but I was up high burning about 7.2 GPH! landed with 10 gallons left boy i sure love my Mooney! 

[1964-M20E]

We just dropped off the Arrow.  I'll post some pics of the Arrow when we go back to get it in January.  They guy has a decent no frills work shop.  We looked at a Beech he had just completed in and out and it looked good and we toured the rest of the shop.  Price seemed reasonable compared to any other Aircraft painter.

[rorythedog]

Quote: 1964-M20E

We just dropped off the Arrow.  I'll post some pics of the Arrow when we go back to get it in January.  They guy has a decent no frills work shop.  We looked at a Beech he had just completed in and out and it looked good and we toured the rest of the shop.  Price seemed reasonable compared to any other Aircraft painter.

[jax88]

According to my gps, 4.1 hours and 537.7nm from Las Cruces to Las Vegas sightseeing through the mountains along the way.  I also have a 4.3 hours and 549.6nm from New Orleans to San Antonio dodging weather.

[Jerry 5TJ]

I did 5.7 hours in my old M20E nearly two decades ago from SNA to TDW, helped along with a good following breeze.  I was ready to get out when I got there.

All of our Mooney rides pale compared to THIS flight -- recounted in Bill Gunston's book "Bombers of the West" pp. 151-152:

"A B-47E of the 43rd BW took off from Sidi Slimane, Morocco, on 17 November (1954) to return to its base at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.  Fairford proved to be under a complete clamp, and the bomber flew all the way back to Morocco.  Encountering extremely bad weather over Africa, the crew changed their minds, and learning of a better forecast over the UK, eventually set course again for Fairford.  They landed at Fairford on 19 November, having covered 21,163 miles in 47h 35m."

I bet those three guys were glad to get out and stroll around some, too.