The Search Begins....

[helodriver20]

Finally...pre-approved for an aircraft loan.  There was a day in my life when I didn't struggle with getting a loan.  I've paid cash for three different helicopters back in the day.  But those days are long gone.

So the bank approves $100k for a decent 231 I submitted.  But after looking at my needs, I'm not really sure I 'need' a 231.  Sure, the turbo would be nice for density altitude days.  I could carry more people with more fuel.  But usually it will either be me alone, or my wife and I with our dog.  I can easily do with a nice E, F, or J.  And I can save some money for upgrades.  Less maintenance too.  When I was partial owner on an F before, we had no problem in the summer in Denver.  Sure, a nice K would be better.  

I live in the Denver Metro Area.  90% off my flying will be commuting to eastern NM / West Texas on a weekly basis where I work for a living...flying an EMS helicopter.  It will save me countless hours driving (averages around 10 hours each way). 

I thought about joint a group/fractional bird, but with me using the aircraft for 9 days at a time, this won't work in most circles.

So, let the searching begin for a nice E, F, or J! 

[gsxrpilot]

There's an E about to come up for sale in Austin. I'll post more when I know more.

[helodriver20]

4 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

There's an E about to come up for sale in Austin. I'll post more when I know more.

Thanks!

[peevee]

no turbo, no care.

 

If you plan to go IFR west bound like, ever, you'll want one.

Plus, K's are going for less than J's it seems.

[gsxrpilot]

Just now, peevee said:

Plus, K's are going for less than J's it seems.

But CapEx pales in comparison to OpEx.

[helodriver20]

Just now, peevee said:

no turbo, no care.

 

If you plan to go IFR west bound like, ever, you'll want one.

Plus, K's are going for less than J's it seems.

Very true.  And I love your Rocket and it's at a perfect location. 

Don't get me wrong, I want a K.  But do I really 'need' one.  Probably not.

[Garryowen]

Us helicopter guys start to shake when we get above 2000' AGL. 

[mooniac15u]

9 minutes ago, Garryowen said:

Us helicopter guys start to shake when we get above 2000' AGL. 

As far as I can tell helicopters start shaking anytime the engine is running.

[helodriver20]

13 minutes ago, Garryowen said:

Us helicopter guys start to shake when we get above 2000' AGL. 

2,000 agl!  Let's not get crazy! Lol

[peevee]

4 hours ago, helodriver20 said:

Very true.  And I love your Rocket and it's at a perfect location. 

Don't get me wrong, I want a K.  But do I really 'need' one.  Probably not.

I've had it both ways and living here wouldn't go back.

 

I can climb at 1500fpm through about any altitude I'm certified. Just saying.

[1964-M20E]

5 hours ago, helodriver20 said:

2,000 agl!  Let's not get crazy! Lol

I started in fixed wing and move to helios and I get form other rotor heads why you fly so high.

[Steve W]

I too really wanted a K after a bunch of Cessna and Cirrus rental turbo flying. But I'm in pre-buy on a J primarily because of the operating cost. Because I'm in the PNW my next step would eventually be turbo and FIKI. Which absolutely wasn't in the budget for now.

[helodriver20]

7 hours ago, Steve W said:

I too really wanted a K after a bunch of Cessna and Cirrus rental turbo flying. But I'm in pre-buy on a J primarily because of the operating cost. Because I'm in the PNW my next step would eventually be turbo and FIKI. Which absolutely wasn't in the budget for now.

That's the way I'm leaning too.  Plus it doesn't over-stretch my budget from purchase to maintenance.  

[Amelia]

Yeah. Me, too. After four months of not being in the left seat of anything fancier than a 21-year-old Volvo, I am having severe withdrawal symptoms. But frequent perusals of the Mooneys-for-Sale sites have yielded little within my $100K price range and my upscale wish-list. Yea, though I live at 11'msl, I loved my 231. Very little got in my way, not summer heat, not bumpy summer buildups, not density altitude... up and over the haze, right up over the winter ice-laden stratus... Sure would like another one as nice as the one I broke. .Y'all keep your eyes open for me?

[Oldguy]

21 hours ago, helodriver20 said:

Very true.  And I love your Rocket and it's at a perfect location. 

Don't get me wrong, I want a K.  But do I really 'need' one.  Probably not.

Maybe a Missile?

[jrwilson]

As a current 231 owner and past 20C owner, I have to say, the K maintenance hasn't been bad.  Granted, its only been 2 years, but it has been about the same cost as the C.  The annuals are easier (One piece belly, fewer inspection panels, much fewer screws in the cowl).   Granted, there are 2 more cylinders and a turbo, but really hasn't been a problem.  I did have to replace a turbo check valve, which was about $500, but that was a clamp chafing problem, so can't really blame anything 231 specific on that.  Other than that, had an alternator problem, which was just a connector, and a dead battery...that's it in 2 years.

As for performance...wow...I don't worry about density altitude anymore.  I go in and out of Tahoe and mammoth in the summer with no problems.   The 75 gallon tanks are great and a bit of a speed mod in of themselves.  The speed is great, the range is great, the systems are great.  Much roomier than the C too.  The only problem I've had so far is finding places to top off the O2.

Edited March 29, 2017 by jrwilson

[peevee]

We keep two 330cuft tanks in the hangar and top off at home. Tanks are 35 bucks each to exchange plus a 15 dollar delivery fee.

[Bob_Belville]

7 minutes ago, peevee said:

We keep two 330cuft tanks in the hangar and top off at home. Tanks are 35 bucks each to exchange plus a 15 dollar delivery fee.

I carry O2 for two in my NA M20E. a 160 cu ft tank in the hangar is good for multiple fills on the airborne tank and costs next to nothing to fill.

[jrwilson]

12 minutes ago, peevee said:

We keep two 330cuft tanks in the hangar and top off at home. Tanks are 35 bucks each to exchange plus a 15 dollar delivery fee.

Yeah, I want to do that too.  I haven't done it yet though...

[jrwilson]

This is a comparison on the costs of a 201 vs a 231...

http://www.mooneyland.com/is-a-turbo-mooney-a-better-buy-than-a-201/

Is it accurate?  No idea, but it does give some justification for me doing what I already wanted to do... 

The other thing I noticed when I was shopping, besides the prices between 231s and 201s being so close, was that 231 tended to have more options and upgrades than 201s. 

[KLRDMD]

12 minutes ago, jrwilson said:

http://www.mooneyland.com/is-a-turbo-mooney-a-better-buy-than-a-201/

Is it accurate?  No idea, but it does give some justification for me doing what I already wanted to do... 

I think a 231 is an under-appreciated airplane and while it does cost more to own and maintain that a 201, the differences can be minimal. If you run the engine right, 231 engines do just fine without a lot of $$$ put into them between overhauls. And yes the typical 231 is better equipped than the typical 201 with most being newer airframes with less total time than the 201 too.

But . . .

"The Mooney can carry ice with the best of them . . ."  - um, no.

". . . waiting a full 5 minutes from touchdown prior to shutting the engine down . . ."  - um, no.

". . . not shock cooling the engine on descent."  - um, no.

[Steve W]

I will agree that a large number of the 201s out there aren't really 'well equipped'. Which for me at least means a WAAS GPS and a 2 axis auto-pilot that can follow a glide slope. Altitude and VS preselect are almost unheard of.

Personally most of my flying has been solo so even here in the west I don't remember a time where I've cancelled a flight due to density altitude, I'm sure there were a couple, or where I chose a more comfortable airport or planned a fuel stop out of the mountains which is probably easier in California than Colorado. On the other hand there have been plenty of times when I cancelled due to Ice. And then a few times where I would have cancelled in anything less than a turboprop.