Oshkosh

[MooneyMitch]

We are in Oshkosh for the week!!  Sad to say Mooney Airplane Company will not be here this year.  We are thinking positive that the economy will allow Mooney to ramp up again soon and get back to the business of building that great airplane!!

Oh yes, we're playing music in the official EAA band Wed. evening at Theater in the Woods.  If you are here, come by and say hello and enjoy some of our patriotic music.

Mitch Latting and Jolie Lucas, N6619U[hers] and N211MJ [MINE!!!]

[Chris White ex-N205KD]

We'll be there Thursday morning.  Anybody else going?

[MooneyMitch]

Sadly the Mooney display site is very much missed here at Oshkosh.  With that said, Ronnie Kallis and Jennifer Mitchell are here selling airplanes.  They are staked out at the MAPA both.  According to Ronnie, Jennifer is selling two airplanes here which will leave about 6 left at the factory.  Mooney is still a sponsor of several activities here at Oshosh this year. 

What a fantastic time here aborbing GA in almost every form.  The Virgin Galactic, Airbus 380, Airbus 320 and everything else that flies!!!

[Parker_Woodruff]

Quote: Mitch

Sadly the Mooney display site is very much missed here at Oshkosh.  With that said, Ronnie Kallis and Jennifer Mitchell are here selling airplanes.  They are staked out at the MAPA both.  According to Ronnie, Jennifer is selling two airplanes here

[RobertoTohme]

Quote: Parker_Woodruff

As in they are already sold or they are attempting to sell them?  Were they ordered previously and picked up at at KOSH?

[MooneyMitch]

As I spend more time here at Oshkosh, taking in everything bit by bit, and seeing all the other high profile aircraft displays, it has become extremely clear [in my opinion] that Mooney Airplane Company made a huge mistake by not being here!!  Never let them see you sweat, and this is the place for that not to happen!

[RobertoTohme]

Well, it sure was a big mistake not to bring at least 1 airplane to the show, but take into account that the company is owned by non-airplane people that doesn't understand what Oshkosh is.   Trey told me that he practically begged management to send an Acclaim for exhibit, and he got the cold shoulder....

On another note, I know that there's an offer on the table from Germany to buy the company that has not been well received, and there's interest from an asian group too but no offer yet.  I hope that the company changes hands quick before the current group sinks it deeper, because they seem to be happy with the service center and parts department making money but doesn't seem there's much interest in building airplanes in the short term.

[MooneyMitch]

When you have the worlds fastest single piston engine aircraft, and you don't put it on display in grand fashion at the worlds largest GA airshow.............and all the other competitors do just the opposite, that is a mistake.  All aircraft manufacturers are suffering from this market, and they have spent tons putting their product here in a most "look at me" style. 

You have to be here to understand the full impact the missing Mooney is having!

[Mcstealth]

And to that end.....

 

http://www.mooney.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=521&Itemid=54

 

[MooneyMitch]

We have had such an awesome time here for AirVenture 2009!!  Absorbing GA at its finest.  What a great community of aviators and the love of it all.  It's on the list for 2010 now............we'll fly our Mooney back next year.  I've always thought Disneyland was the happiest place on Earth, to me anyway, until now.  I have truly never experienced such camaraderie and happiness of this magnitude in one place.

[triple8s]

I read their pityful excuse for being MIA at AV. I guarantee one of their customers would've been more than happy to display his or her new Mooney at AV and it would've cost much to do that. In my profession, (Utility Construction & Maintenance) aerial lift manufacturers are constantly asking customers to lend or display the newest of the new equipment that has been purchased and if you want proof of that just drop in at the IQUEE show in Louisville this year. I dont  believe that line a'crap!

Mike

[MooneyMitch]

For those wishing to express their opinion of Mooney not displaying at Oshkosh, here CEO is Sol Mayer's contact information:   smayer@mooney.com.

[docket]

I think yall are making too big of a deal out of it.  If I read the headlines right Chrysler and GM just went through a bankruptcy.  Mooney is a small company that on a good year is probably an economic question.  IF they failed and went through insolvency I would not be surprised.  Saving money in this economy probably makes sense.  How much profit do you really think is in a plane even if it sells for 600K?  I would rather see them miss a year and still be around next year.  The reason that the plane is not selling is that there is no market for it right now since it is nothing more than a regurgitation of the same plane that is not selling even if it is owned by Matt Kenseth.  If I were them I probably would have shut down, preserved capital and just sold parts.  The Mooney sells on speed, the Bo sells on size and quality and the Cirrus sells because it is state of the art.  I'd rather see Mooney there next year with the RR turbine.  IF they show up with another copy of the Acclaim it won't be pretty.  I am a former Baron owner and downgraded to the Mooney just because it made the same speed with 1/2 the maintenance.  I still miss the Baron but not the bills.  The Mooney is a great plane but for 600K I think the earlier models were more groundbreaking. 

[Seth]

Oshkosh was GREAT.  I was there Thursday through Sunday morning.  I did stop by the MAPA tent and do hope that Mooney pulls through the current economic times.  Wish I had checked earlier to see who went - I'll make sure to do that next year.  If you have not traveled to OSH in the past - do so.  It is worth the experience.