New Member from Los Angeles

[StinkBug]

Mike Jesch is a great guy, even though he's a Cessna owner. He's also a close friend to the Mooney Caravan. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone. 

As for A&Ps, there are a lot of options around, but the nearest Mooney Service Center is Crown Air at KMYF. They treated me well a few years ago on a pre-buy, and one of my friends has them do all his annuals and is quite happy with them. Now that I'm based at MYF I'll probably use them more as well. 

[Skates97]

For some reason I thought there was an MSC over at Cable KCCB. I seem to remember that @TheTurtle had a prebuy or maybe it was post purchase work done by them? 

[JohnB]

2 hours ago, Rudest Buddhist said:

Thanks for the response everyone. Sounds like IR + total time is the best use of my time right now.

Sounds like Mike Jesch out of Fullerton is the goto Mooney CFI in SoCal?

Anyone in CA have any recommendations on a decent Mooney A&P? @Simon @Skates97

Welcome fellow pilot neighbor! +1 on Carusoam's comments. I found that my instrument rating and time dropped my rates the most, but time in type helped. Doesn't have to be a Mooney though, although when you get a Mooney, a Mooney specific instructor like Don Kaye @donkaye would be highly recommended (that proof of transition training in exact airplane also helps with your insurance rates).

Mechanic's I would recommend LASAR for your annuals, but for local A&Ps, Tom's Aircraft at Long Beach does a great job but might be a bit far for you, and your closest service center to EMT is going to be Foothill Aircraft at Cable, although I've never gone there. Welcome!

 

JB

[TheTurtle]

Just now, Skates97 said:

For some reason I thought there was an MSC over at Cable KCCB. I seem to remember that @TheTurtle had a prebuy or maybe it was post purchase work done by them? 

Yea I had my prebuy done at Foothill Aircraft at Cable.  He's an MSC.  Im not pro or anti that guy.  Missed a few things and nitpicked a few other things.  Nothing major.  Nice enough.  Wasn't terribly expensive.  I didn't get what I feel like people get when they go to Don Maxwell or Lasar though to be fair I didnt want to pay their prices and he was close to me   I have an IA I work with in the hangar next door now so I haven't been back to Foothill since the prebuy. 

[TheTurtle]

8 hours ago, Rudest Buddhist said:

That's what I thought. These rates are crazy: http://duboisaviation.com

@chrixxer spent a lot of time in that plane.  I thought it was a B model though?  Youll like the large... back seat us F guy have

[Rudest Buddhist]

Thanks for responses everyone. Added some of these shops to my list. LASAR seems fantastic for annuals.

@TheTurtle Yep, reason I'm looking at the F model (or possibly G) is that roomier backseat. I like to fly co-workers from my office out for lunch once a week and I don't think the C or E would be comfortable enough. I'm going to take that B model at Dubois up a few times to verify though.

[gsxrpilot]

1 hour ago, Rudest Buddhist said:

@TheTurtle Yep, reason I'm looking at the F model (or possibly G) is that roomier backseat. I like to fly co-workers from my office out for lunch once a week and I don't think the C or E would be comfortable enough. I'm going to take that B model at Dubois up a few times to verify though.

Lots of us have had two adults in the back seat of a short body (C, D or E). I figure I'm the owner so I'm never going to sit in the back seat. Those who are sitting in the back seat are riding for free, or just happy to be up in the airplane. They won't complain.

Your own height will determine the back seat room. 

[Rudest Buddhist]

22 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

Lots of us have had two adults in the back seat of a short body (C, D or E). I figure I'm the owner so I'm never going to sit in the back seat. Those who are sitting in the back seat are riding for free, or just happy to be up in the airplane. They won't complain.

Your own height will determine the back seat room. 

Good to hear, sounds like that might be an option as I'm 5' 10" 140lbs (skateboarder build). I love flying passengers but getting a C over an F might allow me to spend that much more on the panel and the first five years of MX that comes up.

[gsxrpilot]

2 minutes ago, Rudest Buddhist said:

Good to hear, sounds like that might be an option as I'm 5' 10" 140lbs (skateboarder build). I love flying passengers but getting a C over an F might allow me to spend that much more on the panel and the first five years of MX that comes up.

Yep, there will be plenty of room in the back seat. I'm 5'10" as well. They won't be comfortable for a 4 or 5 hour cross country, but they'll be fine going for lunch or a even a couple of hour trip.

I thought the same thing, and ended up getting a really nice C. I never heard any complaints from the back seat. Of course they were flying for free.

[Skates97]

I'm 5'10" and 185lbs, my wife is 5'10" and xxx lbs , her daughter is 5'8" and I think 160lbs (sat behind me), and my youngest son is I think around 5'2" and about 90lbs. We have made cross country trips with all four of us. Longest was Salt Lake to Corona, CA. Nobody complained from the back seat. 

[StinkBug]

The back seat in the C looks REALLY tight, until you slide the front seats forward to where they actually are in flight. I've had 4 adults in mine before as well. Not what I would call roomy enough for long distances, but plenty good for short fun flights. 

[Rudest Buddhist]

2 hours ago, Skates97 said:

Good backseat pax info

 

1 hour ago, StinkBug said:

Good backseat pax info

Nice! That’s good news. I’m going to scope out this rental M20B in the next few weeks to check the cabin size.

I currently allocate ~$1500 / month to cover hanger, MX, and fuel. Flying 10 - 15 hours a month. Obviously the first few years are going to have higher MX than normal but do those numbers sound about right?

[StinkBug]

I don't include fuel in monthly costs, because that can vary so much. I also don't have a hangar. My tie down at CRQ was $200/month, my new spot at MYF is $115. Insurance started at about $1800/yr, but dropped a lot after the first year. I'm at about 1000tt and 700 in type now, paid about $1200 last year, waiting to hear what this year is gonna be. My annuals have averaged around $1600/year, and about $800/year in other maintenance, not including oil changes. I fly a lot, so my oil and fuel numbers may not match yours very well at all. 

[Rudest Buddhist]

Wow. $2400 / yr in MX + annual would be amazing.

[StinkBug]

I chalk that up to very good prior maintenance by the past owner and Don Maxwell, and the fact that I fly it a lot and keep a careful eye on things myself. 

[SantosDumont]

On 10/10/2017 at 8:18 PM, Rudest Buddhist said:

Thanks for the response everyone. Sounds like IR + total time is the best use of my time right now.

Sounds like Mike Jesch out of Fullerton is the goto Mooney CFI in SoCal?

Anyone in CA have any recommendations on a decent Mooney A&P? @Simon @Skates97

Ken Hetge up in Techachapi did my annual last year.  He also rents his Mooney M20C.

[Rudest Buddhist]

13 hours ago, SantosDumont said:

Ken Hetge up in Techachapi did my annual last year.  He also rents his Mooney M20C.

Nice added to the list. 10 hours with a CFI would help me out after I finish my Instrument Rating.

[chrixxer]

On 10/10/2017 at 2:54 PM, Mooneymite said:

SMO?

Fly fast....before they shut it down.  

Grumble grumble ... No respect. Did you miss the TRO I got?

[chrixxer]

On 10/10/2017 at 2:33 PM, Rudest Buddhist said:

Hey Gang! Just introducing myself. Newly minted private pilot (Just finished my first BFR) working on my Instrument Rating out of KSMO. 150TT 102 PIC 11.2 Complex 30 High Performance. Used to fly 4 - 7 hours a month, now I'm doing 10 - 20. Daily driver is currently a 182P but I'm patiently looking for an M20F in the 50K - 70K range which I would hanger out at KEMT.

I'm curious what I should be doing in the meantime. What are the best ways to get my insurance down before I buy. Commercial License? Time in type? I found an M20C a hour or so away from my house and was curious if I did 25 hours in that if it would help with my M20F insurance rate. There's also an M20F available 2 hours flight time away if the model is more important.

This website has been a great resource already. Donated a couple bucks to help keep the lights on.

Cheers!

Wait, newly minted PPL, or just finished your first BFR?

Insurance (at least QBE) counts all non-turbo Mooney time as make-and-model time. I needed 5 hours M&M to be insured (or a checkout with a CFI with 750TT, 150 retract, 25 time M&M). I did my "checkout" and some familiarity flying (rental, non-CFI-accompanied) in an M20B and that all counted for my M20E (RIP).

[chrixxer]

On 10/10/2017 at 3:00 PM, Rudest Buddhist said:

Can do! There's a M20C renting for $140 a few hours from my place. I'm planning on spending my weekends in it and racking up hours.

DuBois' rental is (as others have mentioned) an older M20B (1961). The owner's manual is a joke and the performance tables are ... anemic, and the avionics are ... interesting. But it's a good bird and it'll help in the transition training. (And CNO is about a 45 minute drive from the westside on the weekends. I did most of my PPL and CFI-I training hours out there.)

I've been up in '770 since my accident.

[Rudest Buddhist]

1 hour ago, chrixxer said:

DuBois' rental is (as others have mentioned) an older M20B (1961). The owner's manual is a joke and the performance tables are ... anemic, and the avionics are ... interesting. But it's a good bird and it'll help in the transition training. (And CNO is about a 45 minute drive from the westside on the weekends. I did most of my PPL and CFI-I training hours out there.)

I've been up in '770 since my accident.

Nice! I actully used to actually spy your yolobird from our tie downs at Upper South. 

I'm a 150TT PPL, just had my first BFR so been flying for 2 years.

Short term plan is to finish my Instrument Rating and then start building time in that Dubois' M20B or head out to Tehachapi and rent BFCs' M20C.

[carusoam]

Regarding the anemic owners manual...

Get a copy of the latest POH for the C for additional information.  It has a lot of shared mechanicals...

Same engine, 95% Same airframe.  A couple significant differences regarding rudder throw and length and fuel capacity.

PP thoughts only.  Not suggesting you pick up a POH that doesn't fit your plane.

Best regards,

-a-

[chrixxer]

1 hour ago, Rudest Buddhist said:

Nice! I actully used to actually spy your yolobird from our tie downs at Upper South. 

Training in a 182, "our" Upper South tiedowns ... You're an Air Spacer, ain'tcha?

[Rudest Buddhist]

Just now, chrixxer said:

Training in a 182, "our" Upper South tiedowns ... You're an Air Spacer, ain'tcha?

Yes sir! Wanted to see if you’d catch that. 

[mbmaksymdc10]

I have s 1978 201 I will be selling 

mbmaksymdc10@aol.com