Mooney and Flying Family

[kmyfm20s]

24 minutes ago, PMcClure said:

I started flying when the kids were 6-9. I kept up with our family's total weight over the years in a spreadsheet. Early on, the total weight for all five of us was under 600 lbs. Now it is 1042lbs with new daughter in law.  No more Mooney family flying for us! For a brief time when we were 600-800lbs, the B36 worked out well. But eventually we out grew that and they got busy. Most of my flying was by myself and I told the B36 for the Ovation. Now it is just my wife and I going to visit the kids. I even took out one back seat so the golf clubs fit better. 

Baron, TBM or Pilatus is the only way I can do family flying from here on. But honestly, I doubt there will be many times when all of us could be on the plane at the same time. 

On the topic of car seats, we did use a booster seat for a little while. It helped the little ones see out better and the seat belt fit better across their hips. We put the forward rear seat passenger's shoulder strap behind them since it went across their neck.  

With the kids in school,  sports etc it seems like someone has to be left behind or come late anyways. I fly solo 95% of the time since I use my plane to commute to work. I don’t want the cost of the fuel burn for anything bigger and I don’t need a bigger plane for myself. I have decided to send a few of the family commercial If needed and so far I usually end up flying 2 trips for the short ones since the schedules are staggered anyway. 

[gsxrpilot]

3 hours ago, Missile=Awesome said:

13gph. 175-185knots. 98 gallons.  I like any comparison one wishes to serve up.

That would be 1400 nautical mile range (not counting reserves, climb, wind, etc.) Which is damn impressive!

My 252 only carries 76 gal of gas, but will do 190 knots at 9.5 gph for a range of 1520 nautical miles (same disclaimers)...

(But I have to wear a mask) 

But the Missile still has me beat on the useful load. At full fuel of 98 gal that would leave 512 lbs payload. In the 252 I only need 70 gal to do the same 1400 miles but that only leaves me 480 lbs of payload. So the Missile beats the 252 by 32 lbs.

But if we convert the 252 to an Encore the equation goes the other direction with the 252 exceeding the Missile's load by 198 lbs.

These comparisons are fun to do... even if not all that practical. But I think the point is that ANY Mooney will prove to be much more efficient than any other certificated four-place flying.

 

[geoffb]

190 on 9.5?  Really?

[Niko182]

11 minutes ago, geoffb said:

190 on 9.5?  Really?

Thats up high. Id guess above 20,000. Hes one of the only people I have seen that flies his plane above 25k.

[RobertGary1]

I did that in my F until my kids grew up and moved out. I can count on one hand in 20 years the number of times I filled the tanks to the full 6.5 hours of fuel. 
To me it’s part of growing up you no longer fill the tanks. Rarely filled them on the citation or King Air either. 
 

-Robert  

[ArtVandelay]

I did that in my F until my kids grew up and moved out. I can count on one hand in 20 years the number of times I filled the tanks to the full 6.5 hours of fuel. 
To me it’s part of growing up you no longer fill the tanks. Rarely filled them on the citation or King Air either. 
 
-Robert  

Really? I do it every time, but I have to travel to get the cheap fuel, so kind of pointless to not fill up. And I’m retired, so that makes me a grown up. ;-)

[TGreen]

4 hours ago, nosky2high said:

with a smoking hot wife

Trust but verify, nosky. You gotta back that up with a photo!

[gsxrpilot]

1 hour ago, geoffb said:

190 on 9.5?  Really?

 

1 hour ago, Niko182 said:

Thats up high. Id guess above 20,000. Hes one of the only people I have seen that flies his plane above 25k.

Yes, definitely up high... that's why I mentioned having to wear a mask. I'd be at FL250 or FL260 to get that speed. 

[MIm20c]

Turbos are great but with kids I think the usefulness fades away unless you normally fly out of high DA airports. Just climbing to 250 from 900 msl takes a long time at a fairly high burn rate. Wouldn’t make much sense for short (3-4hr) legs.  IMO the risk is too high for young kids above 12k...
 

@LevelWing I’d really look at the ovation/eagle or follow your gut to another brand.  The nice thing about the wide piper models is the extra elbow room and interior space...I’d really like a pa46...

 

[Niko182]

Just now, MIm20c said:

Turbos are great but with kids I think the usefulness fades away unless you normally fly out of high DA airports. Just climbing to 250 from 900 msl takes a long time at a fairly high burn rate. Wouldn’t make much sense for short (3-4hr) legs.  IMO the risk is too high for young kids above 12k...
 

@LevelWing I’d really look at the ovation/eagle or follow your gut to another brand.  The nice thing about the wide piper models is the extra elbow room and interior space...I’d really like a pa46...

 

Even though the pa28 6 is slow, itll take literally anything you put in it and itll do it around the same speed block to block as the C

[LevelWing]

Just now, MIm20c said:

Turbos are great but with kids I think the usefulness fades away unless you normally fly out of high DA airports. Just climbing to 250 from 900 msl takes a long time at a fairly high burn rate. Wouldn’t make much sense for short (3-4hr) legs.  IMO the risk is too high for young kids above 12k...
 

@LevelWing I’d really look at the ovation/eagle or follow your gut to another brand.  The nice thing about the wide piper models is the extra elbow room and interior space...I’d really like a pa46...

 

Unfortunately the Ovations and Eagles are a bit outside of my range for the time being. I agree with your assessment of the turbos but I think they tend to meet the requirements from both an operational standpoint and a budgetary standpoint. If I could find a Missile in the right price range I'd certainly consider that as well. It's got enough HP to mitigate some DA effects while not being a turbo.

[RobertGary1]

Also remember that flying high in the winter with a turbo is limited by lack of fiki in most cases. 
 

-Robert  

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Niko182 said:

Even though the pa28 6 is slow, itll take literally anything you put in it and itll do it around the same speed block to block as the C

No, my C used to walk away from a local 6 even on short 30nm lunch runs. He'd depart while I was starting up, and I'd be right behind him in the pattern, flying 23/2300 at 3000msl . . . . Cherokee 6s are a lot if things, but they are not fast. Or quick. Or efficient. 

I typically indicate ~145mph on those lunch runs.