Mooney for tall pilot

[Yetti]

Planes I can't fly due to height beyond the average bear.  Bonanza, Cherokee 256, Cessna 310.

Sitting in several Mooneys at All American, I found that some people will add foam to the seat raising it up during a redo....   It would be easy to remove if you find one that has had foam added.

[sailon]

I just finished getting the paperwork done to modify my F to drill the extra hole required by my long legs.  My torso is short, but my sister says that I got all of the legs in the family.  Just to modify the print by the DER set me back 1 AMU.  NOT inexpensive, and the DER just updated the print to change the part number of the rail from the E model to the F.  I saw some discussion regarding various models.  I can fly the 252 model without any problem and no seat rail modifications required.  I suspect that the K version stretched the fuselage maybe 6 inches.  F's and shorter will likely require a seat rail mod if you are a long legged pilot.  Not sure about the J model, but it may require rail mods as well.

[Marauder]

I just finished getting the paperwork done to modify my F to drill the extra hole required by my long legs.  My torso is short, but my sister says that I got all of the legs in the family.  Just to modify the print by the DER set me back 1 AMU.  NOT inexpensive, and the DER just updated the print to change the part number of the rail from the E model to the F.  I saw some discussion regarding various models.  I can fly the 252 model without any problem and no seat rail modifications required.  I suspect that the K version stretched the fuselage maybe 6 inches.  F's and shorter will likely require a seat rail mod if you are a long legged pilot.  Not sure about the J model, but it may require rail mods as well.

Exactly how long are your legs? I wear 36" inseam pants and I believe I'm on the second last set of holes in my F.


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[mike_elliott]

44 minutes ago, sailon said:

I just finished getting the paperwork done to modify my F to drill the extra hole required by my long legs.  My torso is short, but my sister says that I got all of the legs in the family.  Just to modify the print by the DER set me back 1 AMU.  NOT inexpensive, and the DER just updated the print to change the part number of the rail from the E model to the F.  I saw some discussion regarding various models.  I can fly the 252 model without any problem and no seat rail modifications required.  I suspect that the K version stretched the fuselage maybe 6 inches.  F's and shorter will likely require a seat rail mod if you are a long legged pilot.  Not sure about the J model, but it may require rail mods as well.

The F, J and the K's are the same fuselage length. If you can fly a 252 without a seat rail mod, you should be able to fly an F without the mod, unless Mooney made a mod to the seat rails by adding an extra hole somewhere along the line.

[RobertGary1]

Yea I'm confused too. Unless you mean you modified your E to have the F rail. I'm 6'4" and my F works out great. But I know it's difficult for shorter pilots. F and J only differ by speed mods, same airframe jigs.  

-Robert

[ArtVandelay]

It depends on if you mind having your legs straight or want some bend, I point my toes to apply the brakes so I'm almost all the way back, with only 33 inseam.

[Brandontwalker]

2 hours ago, sailon said:

I just finished getting the paperwork done to modify my F to drill the extra hole required by my long legs.  My torso is short, but my sister says that I got all of the legs in the family.  Just to modify the print by the DER set me back 1 AMU.  NOT inexpensive, and the DER just updated the print to change the part number of the rail from the E model to the F.  I saw some discussion regarding various models.  I can fly the 252 model without any problem and no seat rail modifications required.  I suspect that the K version stretched the fuselage maybe 6 inches.  F's and shorter will likely require a seat rail mod if you are a long legged pilot.  Not sure about the J model, but it may require rail mods as well.

Silly question, but you did confirm that your F doesn't have pedal extensions installed right?  I only ask because my J had extensions installed when I bought it and I was thinking about another set of holes in the rail.  Upon closer inspection, I discovered the extensions on the pilot's side and removed them.  I now sit with the seat locked in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd hole from the back (depends primarily on whether I'm slouching on a longer trip).  For reference, I am 6'2" with 34" inseam.  I have had 6'6" passengers onboard with no problems at all.

[zaitcev]

On 12/6/2016 at 4:38 AM, RV8Driver said:

 I'm 6'6" and 240lbs. Any tall guys out there that can give advice (...)

I'm a bit under, 6.5" and 220 lbs, but I think Ovation should be plenty for you. If I had a budget for M20R, I would give a Cirrus a good look. I'm sorry to admit but I actually wanted a Bonanza, mostly for its improved rough field capabiltiy, but I could not fit comfortably into the budget ones. But in Mooneys I can fit into the earliest M20Cs with no issue. Note that Mooney fuselage is not wide and sometimes passengers prefer to stagger seat positions.

[StevenL757]

Yeah, like many others, I'm 6-4, 220, and have the 1.5-inch rudder pedal extensions in my ship, and I still need to move the seat forward 9 inches.  Headroom isn't a problem by a longshot.

You don't want a Cirrus...you want a plane you can actually fly.  I only have about 50 or so hours in the SR20 and -22, and if I ever won one, would sell it and buy a Mooney.  Three buttons in a Cirrus...

1.  Takeoff

2.  Land

3.  Oh S---

:-)

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, StevenL757 said:

Yeah, like many others, I'm 6-4, 220, and have the 1.5-inch rudder pedal extensions in my ship, and I still need to move the seat forward 9 inches.  Headroom isn't a problem by a longshot.

You don't want a Cirrus...you want a plane you can actually fly.  I only have about 50 or so hours in the SR20 and -22, and if I ever won one, would sell it and buy a Mooney.  Three buttons in a Cirrus...

1.  Takeoff

2.  Land

3.  Oh S---

:-)

Wow - I am same height and weight and I just had an extra hole added to my seat rail and now i am happy as a clam that I can really get a lot of leg extension.

[thinwing]

On 12/6/2016 at 9:03 PM, Hyett6420 said:

What these ones. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory

 

We flew up to Bend Ore for some mountain biking (great trails)at the bike shop rental counter,my wife strikes up a conversation with another couple from SAN Francisco.She  is normal ,but after My wife mentioned we had flown to Bend Municipal airport vs this couples 10 hr drive,the guy she is with goes off about chemtrails effecting his brain.He gets out his cell phone and shows me regular airliner contrails (prob at 35000 ft)and insists these are at 4000 ft and are made by the US Govt to control fertility!He asks if since I am a pilot ,how many times I've seen the govt spraying ...I tell him I haven't seen any ,but that's because of all the tin foil I have wrapped a round my head to guard against cosmic radiation!My  wife gives me the "there you go again" look while trying not to crack up..needless to say ,we opted not to bike with this couple.

[Mcstealth]

On December 6, 2016 at 11:46 AM, Hank said:

Calling @yetti . . .

AaaRoooooo.AaaRooooooooo.

hehe. Couldn't resist. 

 

[gsengle]

Also two suggestions - take time to adjust the seat in every way including vertically to decide you fit.

Second the long body models like the R feel very different in flight than on the ground due to the nose up stance. Get a flight if you can!


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[Yetti]

6 hours ago, sailon said:

I just finished getting the paperwork done to modify my F to drill the extra hole required by my long legs.  My torso is short, but my sister says that I got all of the legs in the family.  Just to modify the print by the DER set me back 1 AMU.  NOT inexpensive, and the DER just updated the print to change the part number of the rail from the E model to the F.  I saw some discussion regarding various models.  I can fly the 252 model without any problem and no seat rail modifications required.  I suspect that the K version stretched the fuselage maybe 6 inches.  F's and shorter will likely require a seat rail mod if you are a long legged pilot.  Not sure about the J model, but it may require rail mods as well.

If you like I made a jig to drill holes at 1.5" as the drawing says.  39" inseam

[mike_elliott]

21 minutes ago, Yetti said:

If you like I made a jig to drill holes at 1.5" as the drawing says.  39" inseam

Ill put the drawings for the seat rail mod and a completed 337 I received from the late great Yuri Avrutin about 17 years ago in the download section

[sailon]

Maybe Mooney left a few holes off of the rail.  I checked several times for the pedel extensions, they were not there.  With the seat in the last hole, I was uncomfortably close to the panel.  The K sits totally differently.  Also, I do not have vertical seat adjustment like the K does.  My inseam is 34 inches.  Mike, be careful with regards to downloading data for the seat rail mod.  The print that was downloaded previously from this website was exclusively for a specific tail number.  It takes an STC to modify the fleet from a single mod.  My mechanic and I looked at the print that I downloaded from here, saw the exclusivity paragraph, and we figured that the FSDO would not approve.

[Yetti]

And now the major vs. minor discussion begins.    The question you can ask is if you do your weight and balance by what hole you and the copilot put their seats in.   

[mooniac15u]

7 hours ago, Yetti said:

And now the major vs. minor discussion begins.    The question you can ask is if you do your weight and balance by what hole you and the copilot put their seats in.   

How a pilot chooses to operate has no bearing on whether something is a major or minor mod.

[Yetti]

(xi) Changes to the empty weight or empty balance which result in an increase in the maximum certificated weight or center of gravity limits of the aircraft.

[mooniac15u]

2 hours ago, Yetti said:

(xi) Changes to the empty weight or empty balance which result in an increase in the maximum certificated weight or center of gravity limits of the aircraft.

I would say that a new hole in the seat rail meets that criteria since the TCDS specifies a CG range for the seats.