Shortest runway landing

[PilotDerek]

What is the shortest runway you have landed your mooney on? Being located in So Cal, most of the runways around here are longer than 5000 ft. There are two that I would like to go to but are less than 3000 ft. I was curious what some of your shortest runway landings have been. I know you can land mooneys short, the few landings I've made I have been able to get off the first turn off; however I always knew I had a large safety factor.

[Comatose]

1800 feet for me (North Bass Island, OH) but I look at anything over 2200 as pretty routine short field stuff. 3000 is a normal landing.

Just don't come in too fast. If it is really short come in as light as possible, at 1.1x your stall speed on short final, and expect to land with more of a plunk then a nice smooooooooooth flare. Be ready to go around if you misjudge.

[Skybrd]

One of the favorite California airports next to the ocean is Oceano and it's 2325 feet. I've taken my former A and E model Mooneys there and didn't have a problem. I haven't taken the J model there yet, but hope to after it gets out of the paint shop. I've used a trick of dumping the flaps at near touch down to shorten my landing. The A and C models have quick acting manual and hydraulic flaps but the J model has electric. Not sure if the electric flap retractions will happen as fast to do this trick. Caution, if you try this make sure your about ready to touch down since it could cause a stall if your too slow and too high.

[Parker_Woodruff]

I've landed F50 back when I had my M20J, Lake Whitney State Park Airport in central Texas.  It's 2000 feet long and you need to touch down early.  Can't use a lot of braking there because the coarse surface will eat up your tires.

[Hank]

I41 is a 2000' grass strip on the bank of the Ohio River. Approach is either over a gravel pile at a cement plant or through a [narrow] slot in the trees. A little too fast means floating, but raising the flaps at 3' agl settles you in nicely anyway. Just don't try to go in/out heavy. That's the shortest I've been to so far; the shortest paved runway I've been to is 33A in upstate SC--2770 x 30, and watch the church steeple on final.

P.S.--home is KHTW, 3000 x 75, with trees close at both ends preventing any IAPs. Never had a problem.

[Cris]

Marlboro Ma. (9B1) is a real trip- 1659' @285' elev. with a fence at one end guarding a road that regularly gets hit by departing A/C. Used to take my J's in there but every landing was a short field approach. I'd be very reluctant with a long body.

[MooneyMitch]

Oceano, CA [L52] is our little "slice of paradise" airport, within a 5 minute walk to the Pacific Ocean.  We use it frequently with the E model and the R model.

Speed is always the key in our Mooneys for landings.  If this is correct on approach to either runway [29/11], then attempting to hit the numbers is not a requirement.   With the E, we can be off the runway at the first exit.  The R can be the same. 

If I am too fast, then I can easily make the second exit or roll all the way to the end, which is where the self serve fuel stop is located. 

This is not to say that I haven't landed to fast and too long at L52, and had to apply some moderate to heaving breaking at times.  There is a learning curve for this length of runway, but once again, it all boils down to the correct final and over the fence speeds.  Having that speed correct, you can fly right over those numbers and have hundreds of feet of runway left for touchdown and stopping.

Departures are also not a problem here.  With the E, we're off before the first taxiway exit.  The R, off at least by mid-field, even with full tanks and passengers/baggage. 

Practice at your local field, using the 2325 x 50 feet dimensions, then come and see us on December 3rd for Toys for Tots, and again on May 12 for Oceano Airport Celebration Day [also, the Friday night before, a burger fry and dance will be held].  Camping on the field and plenty of hotel accomodations within a few hundred yards of the airport. 

Oh yes, don't forget that large body of water, located just off the departure end of 29...............it's a great place to spend the day using our new "fly and ride" bicycles!

Have Mooney will travel!

[clh]

I have used T00's 1900' grass.  Ditto on the keep the speed under control and expect to "Plunk" the landing.  If you are not perfect on your approach, go around and try again or choose a different runway. 

Also, keep in mind that takeoff uses more runway than landing...  

[Immelman]

1,800' of gravel in Seldovia, Alaska (a little slice of heaven here on earth!) in my M20E. I will write up that leg of the trip in the next day or two of my blog.

I personally shoot for a 50-100% (depending on obstacles) safety margin over what the book says I will get for performance, and I used a bit less than half of the strip for takeoff and landing.

[201er]

1,900ft runway (no obstacles) at about 2,500' DA, got gas, and then took back off that runway at gross weight. Wheels left the ground at about 1700ft into the runway. No going back!

[rbridges]

Quote: JimR

I've landed my J at Cedar Key (KCDK), which is a little island runway on the Gulf side around the big bend of Florida.  2355 feet, I believe.  Sea level with an unobstructed approach.  It was really a non-issue with careful speed control (I used 75 mph) and with special attention payed to putting it down on the numbers.

Jim      

[exM20K]

Derek,

My home drome is 2250x30. I operated a 231 here for four years w/o incident.  A friend brought a Bravo in landing to the south (2500') with no excitement at all, and I believe the Bravo is probably the worst short field mooney.  Maybe the 2-bladed Ovations are worse.  Search YouTube for "Mooney Landing 36 @ Naper" for proof!

 

We also had the 231 and a 201 into North Captiva, FL (FL90) a number of times.  While the field is only 1800' of grass, the approaches are clear, so you can drag it in with power.

 

Practice, practice, practice and you should be able to get the mooney in most places.

[ToddDPT]

Quote: Mitch

Speed is always the key in our Mooneys for landings.  If this is correct on approach to either runway [29/11], then attempting to hit the numbers is not a requirement.   With the E, we can be off the runway at the first exit.  The R can be the same. 

[markeg1964]

My home airport has a 2465ft runway.  In my M20B is it not an issue.  Following is a video I took last winter landing at the strip shortly after getting the Mooney:

http://www.youtube.com/user/markgunnison#p/u/0/1_hOuEY2z6Q

Looks like my shortest is a 2350ft

[MooneyMitch]

There had been some talk about L52 getting an AWOS, where are we in that process?

I have been requesting this for over 2 years now.  Unfortunately our County folks that run the airport have not been responsive at all.  I will keep trying though.

In the meantime, you can actually see the field on two cameras which are donated/maintained by Emperical Systems, Inc. [located at Oceano Airport] by accessing www.oceanoairport.com.

Come on over for Toys Dec. 3.  It will be tons of fun and a good flight for you too.

[HopePilot]

I try not to land on runways under 23000 feet, but the government discourages me from landing at Area 51. Mitch and Jolie have been successful at proding me into landing at Oceano, and I reckon I used less than 1800 feet (with a leisurely, very light, braking rollout).

[MooneyMitch]

Quote: HopePilot

I try not to land on runways under 23000 feet, but the government discourages me from landing at Area 51. Mitch and Jolie have been successful at proding me into landing at Oceano, and I reckon I used less than 1800 feet (with a leisurely, very light, braking rollout).

[David Mazer]

I live near Kennedy Space Center with a very long runway for the ex-shuttle but I want to know where you land on a 23,000 ft (4.4 miles) runway!

[N601RX]

Roosterville is 2700 x 20 and follows the hills.  I've saw twins land there before.

[N33GG]

I have two home bases.  One is Palestine, TX with plenty of runway for almost any landing.  The other airport is Parker County just west of Ft. Worth with a runway that is 2892 X 40 ft.  Not really that short for most landings, but if you are long to the south, you immediately go off of a rocky bluff and it would not be pretty.  However, if you go long to the north, it is worse, as you go off of another bluff and will be in the middle of I-20 traffic.  Some unfortunate pilots have  gone long to the north and met an 18 wheeler, and the 18 wheeler won.  Some airports are not that bad, but can become very unforgiving if you are carrying a little extra airspeed due to wind shear or other conditions.  Landing downwind at Parker County is a really bad idea.  Be careful out there!

[HopePilot]

Area 51 had a 23,000 ft runway, but it is currently closed and the longest one they now use is 12,000 ft (or so says Wikipedia).  The longest runway we have in SoCal is Victorville at 15,050 x 150, where I first practiced landings in an Mooney M20C.  We also have Mojave Spaceport at 12,503 x 200 ft and San Bernardino is a healthy 10,000 x 200.  Naturally, I'm kidding about needing a runway that long.

[David Mazer]

I just read something that said the Area 51 runway with overrun in both directionwas about 31,950.  I could probably land there without too much sweat.

BTW, I have been working on shortening my landings as a practice effort.  With any favorable wind and lightly loaded, I can stop in 1,800 - 2,000 ft with regularity but even a few kts makes all the difference in the world.

[Jerry 5TJ]

I had a co-worker back in Maryland who drifted off the side of a grass airstrip in his 1964 M20C and into 6' tall corn in the adjacent field.  I think his ground roll was about 19 feet.   Does that count, or do you have to be able to take off again? 

 

[jetdriven]

How many bushels did he harvest with his 36x19' swath?

[Lood]

1800ft grass strip for me. This is also my limit at this stage, but not necesarily that of my Mooney. I had to do a go around to get everything exactly right and then landed and taxied out with very little braking. The Mooney will be able to go into a shorter strip in the right hands, but I myself would be wary.