Introduction! Future Mooney owner!

[Capitalist]

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to introduce myself! I have been lurking around here for some time and decided to join up today as the reality of aircraft ownership has gotten more serious. 

I am an entrepreneur from about an hour north of Houston and am currently enrolled in flight school. By the time I am finished with training I will be instrument rated and complex trained in a Saratoga. It has always been a huge dream of mine to learn to be a very competent private pilot and also own my own aircraft for business and fun with my wife, and eventually kids. My work demands that I spend time in Austin, South Texas, Northern Mexico, Dallas, San Antonio, and all over south of Houston which, as Im sure some of you folks from Houston could attest, can still take 2 hours in a car. The advantage with Houston, its a good Uber city and there are lots of little airports. Denver and DC are my only real long haul needs. 

With all of that said, I decided to dive in and research some airplanes that could fit my missions. Efficiency and speed within my skill level is paramount. I have always looked at 172's and Warriors as training or just for fun planes VS a viable business tool. I like Bonanzas and Malibus, but the space is unneeded at the moment. I landed on the idea of a M20J or M20K with fresh annuals and recent major overhauls. It can be uglier than sin as long as its mechanically solid because I will want to have a fresh paint job and some upholstery work done to make it my own. Mooneys seem to strike that perfect balance for what I am looking for in an airplane at the moment. My dream airplane if cost was no option, and hopefully one day it isn't... A TBM 930. 

Im excited to learn more about these beautiful airplanes as I work my way to and through ownership. It is great to be here!

-Kyle

Edited July 24, 2017 by Capitalist

[Oldguy]

Welcome aboard! There will be many of us to quiz you on mission (sounds like you have it pretty well defined) and altitudes of some of the airports you will be visiting. All of us love Mooneys and we enjoy sharing that joy and passion with others. Several on the board did their PPL in a Mooney, although I am not one of them. They make excellent instrument platforms and several of us are taller than most and still fit well. You are coming into aviation at an exciting time. New avionics are being released almost daily, and nearly any plane can be upgraded to use the newest equipment to provide safety and situational awareness on a level we have not seen before.

And it your goal is a TBM, with a Mooney, you are a third there!

Woodlands, Conroe, Kingwood or somewhere else?

[Capitalist]

3 minutes ago, Oldguy said:

Welcome aboard! There will be many of us to quiz you on mission (sounds like you have it pretty well defined) and altitudes of some of the airports you will be visiting. All of us love Mooneys and we enjoy sharing that joy and passion with others. Several on the board did their PPL in a Mooney, although I am not one of them. They make excellent instrument platforms and several of us are taller than most and still fit well. You are coming into aviation at an exciting time. New avionics are being released almost daily, and nearly any plane can be upgraded to use the newest equipment to provide safety and situational awareness on a level we have not seen before.

And it your goal is a TBM, with a Mooney, you are a third there!

Woodlands, Conroe, Kingwood or somewhere else?

Grew up in Kingwood, moved to the Woodlands after college, eventually got married and moved to Montgomery... So basically all three haha. 

Good to meet you oldguy 

[Oldguy]

5 minutes ago, Capitalist said:

Grew up in Kingwood, moved to the Woodlands after college, eventually got married and moved to Montgomery... So basically all three haha. 

Good to meet you oldguy 

I've lived in Galveston, League City, Pearland, Webster, Bellaire, Memorial, Heights and Kingwood. Whew! Wears me out just typing it.

Good to meet you, too, Kyle.

[rbridges]

welcome aboard!  The J is my personal favorite.  A K model would serve you well if you need the altitude.  Most people recommend flying for a while with a PPL to see what your general mission is.  I always thought I needed space for 4 adults, but I quickly learned that I fly by myself 50% of the time and with one other person 49% of the time.

[Capitalist]

21 minutes ago, rbridges said:

welcome aboard!  The J is my personal favorite.  A K model would serve you well if you need the altitude.  Most people recommend flying for a while with a PPL to see what your general mission is.  I always thought I needed space for 4 adults, but I quickly learned that I fly by myself 50% of the time and with one other person 49% of the time.

Agreed. I on the short jaunts I'm positive it will be just me the majority of the time. I'll probably fly from the Conroe airport to the Alvin municipal airport 2 times per week. I loathe that drive.

I might even consider flying into the city itself. I'm far enough out of the city that it might make sense to fly into Hobby (not sure).

For the longer haul business stuff I would bring my VP about 70% the time. I would bring my VP and another employee about 10% percent of the time. 

For vacation, my wife, and eventually kids. We want 3, we have 0 so I have some time before I have to worry about a 5-6 place airplane.

Why J vs K? Is that like the Ovation vs Acclaim? Speed vs efficiency? I like the speed of both. When will I like additional altitude? 

 

Edited July 24, 2017 by Capitalist

[rbridges]

Most people out West like the ability to fly at higher altitudes i.e. mountains.  The highest peak on the east coast is 7k feet.  Pretty easy for a normally aspirated mooney to handle.  Some people just prefer flying at higher altitudes for weathe avoidance, fuel economy, tail winds, etc.

[TCC]

The K is a turbo. Turbo allows you to fly higher. High enough get over the Rockies safely, and to need supplemental oxygen. Turbo also adds to you maintenance and operating expenses since there's no such thing as a free lunch.

[Capitalist]

Interesting. I understand the turbo making it easier for the plane to breathe at elevation... It might be something I one day kick myself for not getting... On the other hand, lower operating cost with superb capability was what drew me to Mooney in the first place. 

As I train/fly more I will probably get the feel for what capabilities I want/need, but as far as my current missions are concerned, I don't think I NEED the turbo. Just might be nice. I would like to stay up and out of the weather for most flights that exit the Houston area. 

[LANCECASPER]

Climbing in the heat of South Texas will be easier in a Turbo, especially if you're gong into Northern Mexico where you'll have some higher elevations.

[jrwilson]

48 minutes ago, Capitalist said:

Interesting. I understand the turbo making it easier for the plane to breathe at elevation... It might be something I one day kick myself for not getting... On the other hand, lower operating cost with superb capability was what drew me to Mooney in the first place. 

As I train/fly more I will probably get the feel for what capabilities I want/need, but as far as my current missions are concerned, I don't think I NEED the turbo. Just might be nice. I would like to stay up and out of the weather for most flights that exit the Houston area. 

people say the turbo is costlier....Probably is, so far I haven't seen it, other than a bit higher fuel burn and an extra $100 bucks on the annual to inspect the turbo.  But yeah, it has extra parts and 2 more cylinders, so eventually there will be a cost.  The plus side is I can climb to 24,000 feet if I need to; I haven't needed to yet, but I usually cruise at 16,500 to 17,500, if I'm going any distance, which is above the weather, above the turbulence and above the heat.  Plus, the cruise speeds up there are usually pretty phenomenal.  The K has extra range over the J because of bigger tanks and more speed, plus, on average, they're better equipped.  It's also nice to not have to worry so much about density altitude; with the turbo, I can take off from Tahoe or Mammoth in the middle of the day in summer without a problem, which is really nice.  If you couldn't tell, I really like my plane 

[peevee]

2 minutes ago, jrwilson said:

people say the turbo is costlier....Probably is, so far I haven't seen it, other than a bit higher fuel burn and an extra $100 bucks on the annual to inspect the turbo.  But yeah, it has extra parts and 2 more cylinders, so eventually there will be a cost.  The plus side is I can climb to 24,000 feet if I need to

no turbo, no care

[XXX]

I wonder if the turbo translates to higher insurance premiums? Does anyone who has made the transition from J to K have any insight on additional cost?

[Hank]

@Parker_Woodruff should be know. He upgraded J-->K, then worked for Falcon. 

Edited July 25, 2017 by Hank

[BigAl]

Welcome aboard! I live in Conroe. No plane yet for me. I'm on a mandatory wait period for my better half to finish school. You'll find this forum to be to most informative and addicting place to visit. All answers live here and are just a search away. Good luck in your search and more than likely I'll see you soon!

[carusoam]

My favorite words....

Welcome aboard, Capitalist!

It is great when you can use a plane as a work tool.  

The discussions about cost pale a little when you are using company money to maintain a high reliability for departure readiness... (there is a more specific word for this)

Many cost differences between a normally aspirated and Turbo plane are not that large until it is time for overhaul.

If you find that you want to fly as fast as practical, you are going to use up some spare parts.

Turbos and flight levels go together like Speed and distance...

If you like Speed and efficiency, there is room to save some money.  It's up to you, the pilot/owner...

I like Speed and effiency, but I also like to climb at over 1kfpm...

Choose the plane you like...

1) short, medium, or long body...

2) Power supply: Normally Aspirated, Turbo, or Turbo normalized.

3) Choose your ecconomics: Gas sipper, gas drinker, full out gas hog.

4) Paint, interior and instruments can all be added or changed later.

5) Learn what a PPI.  A capitalist wants to preserve his capital.

6) Best for your health.  Train, and move up, then really explore your options. Trying to save money by skipping some steps can be a false promise.

7) Really challenging to skip steps and run a business at the same time.  Some people put their real lives on hold to focus on getting to the next step faster...

8) With the economy in a pleasant state, Mooney's are being bought and sold quite often.  The nicest ones don't stay on the market very long...

9) If you are a fan of Janet Yellen, Lower for longer may be meaningful...

10) Texas is a great place to be in Mooney aviation!

How does that sound?  Motivational? Or scary?  

Best regards,

-a-

[jerrodmonaghan]

Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to introduce myself! I have been lurking around here for some time and decided to join up today as the reality of aircraft ownership has gotten more serious. 
I am an entrepreneur from about an hour north of Houston and am currently enrolled in flight school. By the time I am finished with training I will be instrument rated and complex trained in a Saratoga. It has always been a huge dream of mine to learn to be a very competent private pilot and also own my own aircraft for business and fun with my wife, and eventually kids. My work demands that I spend time in Austin, South Texas, Northern Mexico, Dallas, San Antonio, and all over south of Houston which, as Im sure some of you folks from Houston could attest, can still take 2 hours in a car. The advantage with Houston, its a good Uber city and there are lots of little airports. Denver and DC are my only real long haul needs. 
With all of that said, I decided to dive in and research some airplanes that could fit my missions. Efficiency and speed within my skill level is paramount. I have always looked at 172's and Warriors as training or just for fun planes VS a viable business tool. I like Bonanzas and Malibus, but the space is unneeded at the moment. I landed on the idea of a M20J or M20K with fresh annuals and recent major overhauls. It can be uglier than sin as long as its mechanically solid because I will want to have a fresh paint job and some upholstery work done to make it my own. Mooneys seem to strike that perfect balance for what I am looking for in an airplane at the moment. My dream airplane if cost was no option, and hopefully one day it isn't... A TBM 930. 
Im excited to learn more about these beautiful airplanes as I work my way to and through ownership. It is great to be here!
-Kyle

Hi, I own a 76 Mooney 20J and live in NW Houston. I am also doing training. I'm not sure if you would be interested but I've been looking for a partner due to some economic hardship with my business. Maybe something you would consider? Put some hours on mine and make sure it's exactly what your looking for? I've only got 20 Hrs on the plane SMOH and the total time is 2200 hrs. Give me a call or text and we can possibly share some additional info. Take care Jerrod 661-972-7223


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[carusoam]

Some MSers make great partnerships!

Best regards,

-a-

[Parker_Woodruff]

12 hours ago, Chupacabra said:

I wonder if the turbo translates to higher insurance premiums? Does anyone who has made the transition from J to K have any insight on additional cost?

Any difference will be negligible.

Insurance rates are very low right now.

Insurance is such a small expense ($) in aircraft ownership at this point.  That said, an instrument rating will be the best thing to lower your rates, followed by having good RG time and maybe 500 hours.

No, it's not worth it ($-wise) to find a Mooney to rent for 10-20 hours if the sole goal is to lower your insurance rates.

[jwilcoxon78]

My wife and I have a 2 year old and a second on the way.  We've had our J for about 1.5 years now.  For the most part, I'm flying myself but, when it's been the whole family, it's no problem, car seat included.  The previous owner of our bird had two boys that were around 8-10 and they flew all over the place.  I say this to say that, unless you need the altitude now, I would stick with a J since you're contemplating a larger aircraft later down the road anyways.  Plus, I could only imagine the difficulty in keeping a cannula on an infant. 

Good luck in your search and keep us posted.

[Capitalist]

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome! 

[bonal]

Welcome to MS looking at your name makes me think that performance more than budget will direct you in your choice of Mooney model.  Those of us on the bottom of the top that had to choose based on economics will I think all state they are very happy with the M20 B C D E G and F. My wife and I have done a bit of mountain ranges in our C and dont give it a second thought. It's all about GW and DA and good flight planning. good luck with your search but just wanted to let you know the early Mooney's are also very capable flyers.

[Capitalist]

Can someone explain the executive model? Is it a bit larger?

[Capitalist]

10 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

The Executive is the M20F. It is 10 inches longer than the A, B, C, D, and E, which are generally referred to as "short bodies".  5 inches in the rear seat and 5 inches in the baggage compartment. It makes a big difference in rear seat leg room if the front seaters are tall and have to fly with their seats slid back.  The F shares the same length fuselage as the G, J, and the K. These are generally referred to as "mid length bodies". The later models are longer still and are generally referred to as "long bodies".  

Jim

Thank you!! I appreciate that. 

[gsengle]

Thank you!! I appreciate that. 

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