Any news from MAC???

[flyby201]

I've been reading in AvWeb and AOPA newsletter and e-bulletins that say the GA busines is starting to improve.  I was wondering if there is any movement to revive MAC?  Anyone know anything?

[mooniac58]

I think if Obama gets his way it will take another downturn.  He is trying hard to do away with the tax incentives on businesses purchasing aircraft - which is probably the only thing that kept GA aircraft companies from going under during the recession.  Obama is using the "we hate rich guys, their corporations and their jets" mantra to drum up support with the American "sheeple" when the truth is it was also a huge push to get little businesses to step out and buy Cirrus, Mooney, Beech, Piper, etc.

AOPA covered it recently here: http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2011/110629obama_vilifies_aircraft_praises_ga_manufacturers.html

 

[KSMooniac]

Last I heard is that they are moving to Chihuahua.

José

[John Pleisse]

Quote: mooniac58

I think if Obama gets his way it will take another downturn.  He is trying hard to do away with the tax incentives on businesses purchasing aircraft - which is probably the only thing that kept GA aircraft companies from going under during the recession.  Obama is using the "we hate rich guys, their corporations and their jets" mantra to drum up support with the American "sheeple" when the truth is it was also a huge push to get little businesses to step out and buy Cirrus, Mooney, Beech, Piper, etc.

AOPA covered it recently here: http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2011/110629obama_vilifies_aircraft_praises_ga_manufacturers.html

 

[Parker_Woodruff]

about the only good news is I don't think China will be the very next buyer for Mooney...but that ain't to say they won't buy it after the next buyer.

[John Pleisse]

Quote: Parker_Woodruff

about the only good news is I don't think China will be the very next buyer for Mooney...but that ain't to say they won't buy it after the next buyer.

[donshapansky]

Every CEO in the past number of years at Mooney had the brilliant idea of subbing out the assembly of most items that were labor intensive and required skilled labor at Kerville to make the items. This was a cost cutting move that would enhance the bottom line, but nobody ever found a source that could manufacture the parts.

[danb35]

Quote: N4352H

In 2009, there was nothing more preposterous than Barney Frank requiring the CEO and top brass of Chevy to "drive" to the finance hearings and not "fly".

 

[John Pleisse]

Quote: danb35

[ghovey]

I assume from this discussion that there is no news from about MAC or the future of parts and or "Mooney Factory" support.

[donshapansky]

They are using former employees on a contract basis to make parts for them off site, which has helped keep a lot of aircraft flying. Molded plastic parts and gear doors are not being made as far I can gather.

[ghovey]

Thanks Don

[jetdriven]

OT rant

[Becca]

Quote: donshapansky

They are using former employees on a contract basis to make parts for them off site, which has helped keep a lot of aircraft flying. Molded plastic parts and gear doors are not being made as far I can gather.

[donshapansky]

I don't know the details of the relationship, but the concern by my informant was that the tooling would get lost over time by being borrowed to make the parts, but he was assured that this was not happening and that the structure of the relationship was a firm relationship that eliminated those concerns.

[fantom]

I've heard the same concerns from several people, and based on the history of fixtures and tooling disappearing, and the structure and control of Mooney ownership being, shall we say, less than stable, there is very good reason to be uncomfortable, IMO.

Whatever the relationships are, they're ill defined.

[docket]

I say let's put together an owner's syndicate and buy the parts business -- the Commander guys did it (albeit it was a failure but their ownership was smaller).  I'd be curious just to see if we can get to a price because the current ownership must be pretty strong financially since they avoided bankruptcy.  

In any event, it may be a good time to try because I'll bet that the current ownership is seeing the picture pretty clearly that the economy is not going to favor airplane production in the near term and the parts business is the only viable asset right now -- they can keep the type certificate.  

If anyone wants to jump in feet first let me know.  Being realistic, the business would likely have to stay in Kerrville because if you saw the factory you would know that the machinery would be awfully expensive to move.

[Cris]

Ah,  That is a tall undertaking but I like challenges. Today I heard that MAC has been visited by a serious group interested in the skilled labor pool. Ostensibly they want to build parts for the aviation industry at large but they have several contracts which they outsource & would like to bring in house. To do so requires something like MAC. Presumably this group would also handle Mooney parts & start up production. That might be the model! What do you think? I seem to recall that has been tried but I wonder why it did not work before.

[jetdriven]

They didnt file bankruptcy per se, but they did form a new entity and "foreclose upon themselves" thereby shedding the debt, a de facto bankruptcy.

 

But if they cannot make money building 3800$ ailerons or 4,100$ elevators perhaps they should just burn it down.

[co2bruce]

Dockets idea may not be far off. As our fleet gets older and parts get harder to find (and more expensive) the owners may need to do something similar to Commander and Eclipse. That would give us all an excuse to fly back to Kerriville.  

[John Pleisse]

Quote: co2bruce

Dockets idea may not be far off. As our fleet gets older and parts get harder to find (and more expensive) the owners may need to do something similar to Commander and Eclipse. That would give us all an excuse to fly back to Kerriville.  

[Parker_Woodruff]

The one thing that a Mooney parts company has going for it is there is a lot more of a fleet to support than Commander ever had...

[N513ZM]

Quote: donshapansky

They are using former employees on a contract basis to make parts for them off site, which has helped keep a lot of aircraft flying. Molded plastic parts and gear doors are not being made as far I can gather.

[aerobat95]

Too bad we cant just make some of the parts ourselves.....especially the gear doors...I have seen some pretty amazing things done on car restorations where guys start out with a piece of sheet metal and after some time come up with some pretty amazing parts....as good or better than the original.

[John Pleisse]

Quote: aerobat95

Too bad we cant just make some of the parts ourselves.....especially the gear doors...I have seen some pretty amazing things done on car restorations where guys start out with a piece of sheet metal and after some time come up with some pretty amazing parts....as good or better than the original.

Yeah...and there is nothing like those BMW oil transducers that are identical to the ones in our Mooneys, but cost 1/20th the price.