Demo flight & Your thoughts on a C?

[afward]

Time to quit lurking...

Is there someone with a C or E model willing to give a demo flight from KSUZ for my wife & I?  No rush, I'd just like to get her in the right seat to make sure she'll be comfortable before I try to buy a M20.  Speaking of which...

Has anyone seen N113TA before / know anything about it?  It's a 1966 M20C listed on TAP and ASO.  It certainly will need some work, but having your thoughts would be much appreciated.

[Hank]

Take a ride, you'll both like it!

My wife 5'3-1/2" wife rides right seat, sitting on two thick chair cushions. I'm 5'11" and sit on a 2" cushion, it helps with visibility over the cowl and really improved my landings. It's been eleven great years and over 700 fun hours, even if I'm flying less since moving back South.

Cs are great, versatile planes. And I'm a completely unbiased owner . . . . . . .

[Skates97]

My wife and I are both 5'10", she loves our C/D. She sleeps as much in the plane as she did on road trips in the car, it just takes less time to get there. Take a flight in one and you'll fall in love with it. 

For the typical 3-500nm trip I can't come up with a better option. She we could step up to an E or J but for the additional cost it's not going to get us there that much faster. 

[rbridges]

The C is perfect for me and my wife.  Kids are older, so it's just us.  No major mountains to cross.  Everybody has their preference, but I'd rather pay a little more, and get a nice plane that's spec'd well.  Upgrading a plane costs you 100% whereas buying an upgraded plane will cost you substantially less for the improvements.  

[afward]

Thanks for the comments, guys.  I'm really thinking a short body will be perfect for us (primary mission is "wife & I to the beach, condo, etc").  C/D vs. E, I'd like to have the FI engine and an engine monitor for LOP operations (plus the extra 20 ponies), but how much difference is that?  Probably $20k or so?  Not sure it's worth it.

If I can find something that already has a lot of work done to it but is priced nicely, I'll certainly prefer that over "gotta upgrade from scratch".  Just right now price is the bigger factor.

Soooo....  Will anyone with a C/D or E be around central AR in the next week or so and be willing to do a demo flight or two?

[afward]

Just as an update on this, we did not pursue the plane mentioned above (condolences to the family affected).  My wife vetoed any Mooney after I showed her pictures of my legs while sitting in a C model.  She has leg issues and needs more room to move them around, so the tight footwell surround won't work for her.

Our flying club has a B33 Deb with a throw-over yolk, and I made the mistake of putting her in the right seat for a trip...  Now she wants a Deb (possibly the club's, if astral alignment allows).  Or a Centurion (Yeah, no)...  Ah well, for now we've decided to wait until she gets through RN school before we look at buying anything.

[RobertGary1]

Mooney has more leg room than the Bo. In the Bo you sit up like in a truck and there is little room for legs straight. In the Mooney you sit lower and your legs can stretch out straight. The downside is that pilots under 6 feet do have issues; some get extrenstions to help with rudders. 

-Robert 6’3” 

[Jerry 5TJ]

Sorry she nixed a C model.  My wife and I flew ours all over the USA happily.   Good times.  

My T210 was one of the most comfortable planes I’ve owned.  Easy in/out and highly adjustable seats. 

You could have your wife test-sIt the forward-facing rear seats in a PA46 — but I suggest you don’t if you’re not prepared to buy her one.  

 

[afward]

@RobertGary1, I've discussed that with her, and the end result is that she's really not interested in trying.  The opening for the legs to go in just isn't big enough for her, even though legs nearly straight out is actually the better posture for her issue...  Ah well, "Happy Wife" and such...

@Jerry 5TJ, for the money, I think I'd rather have a C33A (or newer, though not a 36) vs. a C210, plus the Bo would be cheaper to insure (from what I heard, around half as much for the same insured value).  Obviously that will change over time.  In any case, I'm certain that a PA46 is well beyond my budget (to say nothing about my skill & training levels) and will probably stay that way.

[MARZ]

On 7/24/2018 at 8:14 PM, afward said:

Has anyone seen N113TA before / know anything about it?  It's a 1966 M20C listed on TAP and ASO.  It certainly will need some work, but having your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Isn’t this the one involved in the recent fatality?

[afward]

Yep:

 

[carusoam]

I think an MSer has a hangar full of things for sale...

M20C, M20F/J, M20J, and a mini Bo...

The mini Bo looks nice. If that is what it takes to get in the game... has the efficiency like sitting in a truck while going 100+mph... 

There is a lazy V-tail in that collection as well.  Great/fantastic for sleeping in... 

Planning on being in N.J. at all?

Best regards,

-a-

[chrixxer]

N113TA talking, sort of, to GYR before the crash: http://archive-server.liveatc.net/kgyr/KGYR2-Gnd-Twr-Nov-26-2018-2230Z.mp3 (between approx. the 15 and 22:30 timestamps, approximately).

[afward]

19 hours ago, carusoam said:

[snip]

Planning on being in N.J. at all?

Best regards,

-a-

Sadly, no.  Maybe just north of KLOM sometime first half of next year, but that'll be a work trip and I probably won't have any real spare time.

[afward]

2 hours ago, chrixxer said:

N113TA talking, sort of, to GYR before the crash: http://archive-server.liveatc.net/kgyr/KGYR2-Gnd-Twr-Nov-26-2018-2230Z.mp3 (between approx. the 15 and 22:30 timestamps, approximately).

Yeah, I saw that on the other thread...  Can't bring myself to listen to it.

[carusoam]

Work travel is the best way to see some great planes for sale...

I would have never been able to get to San Antonio to see a great O for sale otherwise...

The first 15 minutes of seeing the plane is important.  Getting pics and logs can be done and reviewed later.... this way you are only reviewing the important ones...

Best regards,

-a-

[carusoam]

KLOM is the birthplace of AOPA... near philly...

-a-

[afward]

@carusoam that's a good point.  Once I'm back to looking I'll give that option some serious thought.  Thanks!

[moodychief]

Andrew,

Bring your wife out and let her sit in my airplane.  Pictures don’t always show things the way they really are.

Dinner talking with my wife might help as well!

[Cody Stallings]

There is a C or E (can’t remember which) at Saline Co.

I done some Propeller work an a Dynamic Balance on it not to long ago.

PM me an I will give you the fellas Information, he may be willing to take you for a spin around the Patch.

 

[midlifeflyer]

On 11/28/2018 at 1:45 PM, afward said:

@RobertGary1, I've discussed that with her, and the end result is that she's really not interested in trying.  The opening for the legs to go in just isn't big enough for her, even though legs nearly straight out is actually the better posture for her issue...  Ah well, "Happy Wife" and such...

@Jerry 5TJ, for the money, I think I'd rather have a C33A (or newer, though not a 36) vs. a C210, plus the Bo would be cheaper to insure (from what I heard, around half as much for the same insured value).  Obviously that will change over time.  In any case, I'm certain that a PA46 is well beyond my budget (to say nothing about my skill & training levels) and will probably stay that way.

C33 is a fine airplane and your wife will probably find sitting in it as comfortable as the living room sofa.

[MBDiagMan]

On 11/28/2018 at 8:09 AM, afward said:

Just as an update on this, we did not pursue the plane mentioned above (condolences to the family affected).  My wife vetoed any Mooney after I showed her pictures of my legs while sitting in a C model.  She has leg issues and needs more room to move them around, so the tight footwell surround won't work for her.

Our flying club has a B33 Deb with a throw-over yolk, and I made the mistake of putting her in the right seat for a trip...  Now she wants a Deb (possibly the club's, if astral alignment allows).  Or a Centurion (Yeah, no)...  Ah well, for now we've decided to wait until she gets through RN school before we look at buying anything.

The picture doesn’t tell the story.  She needs to sit in it to know.  The only way.  If you can find an F or J, it will have the same dimensions in the front seats for a test fit.

i think walking away on this basis is a mistake.  Just my opinion.  Best of luck with it all.

[afward]

It may be a mistake, or it may not.  Since I'm not actively in the market to purchase, it's probably not worth arguing with her right now.

That said, I do have one question: Is the footwell the same on a mid-body as it is on a short-body?

[afward]

@moodychief I'll have to see if we can arrange for that sometime.  I don't have any idea when, though.

[bonal]

I believe the foot wells are the same. Depending on how tall she is if the seat is all the way back her feet might not  even be in the foot wells. We all must keep our better half happy but I do agree with MB in that you can't make that kind of assumption without an actual experience. Good luck, fun stuff looking for an airplane.