Ovation in Arizona

[avi8tor]

First time poster here and a Bonanza owner looking to possibly make the switch to an Ovation. Main driver behind this is that I own my Bonanza with a partner and wanting to move into sole ownership. The Ovation on paper seems like a perfect fit for my mission - 2 small kids and the wife, hops over to California or up north in the summer months (Bonanza does not shine in high DA). Looking to see if there is an Ovation owner in Arizona willing to let me take a peek at it. Not interested in a flight, I have flown M20Ms and Js and wondering if the 2' of extra length is enough for the wife, kids and the extra luggage we always end up bringing. I know it won't be as big as the A36 but we always have 2 empty seats when we fly and I feel like that is wasted space.  Thanks in advance.

[Niko182]

1 minute ago, avi8tor said:

First time poster here and a Bonanza owner looking to possibly make the switch to an Ovation. Main driver behind this is that I own my Bonanza with a partner and wanting to move into sole ownership. The Ovation on paper seems like a perfect fit for my mission - 2 small kids and the wife, hops over to California or up north in the summer months (Bonanza does not shine in high DA). Looking to see if there is an Ovation owner in Arizona willing to let me take a peek at it. Not interested in a flight, I have flown M20Ms and Js and wondering if the 2' of extra length is enough for the wife, kids and the extra luggage we always end up bringing. I know it won't be as big as the A36 but we always have 2 empty seats when we fly and I feel like that is wasted space.  Thanks in advance.

Honestly I'd stay with the A36 or a toga. If youre consistantly flying with 4 people, you want 6 seats. Take the 2 seats of wasted space out of the plane, and fill it with luggage. The Ovation is an awesome travelling plane, but you'll most likely run out of useful load filling it up with 4 people and bags and fuel.

[Ragsf15e]

52 minutes ago, avi8tor said:

First time poster here and a Bonanza owner looking to possibly make the switch to an Ovation. Main driver behind this is that I own my Bonanza with a partner and wanting to move into sole ownership. The Ovation on paper seems like a perfect fit for my mission - 2 small kids and the wife, hops over to California or up north in the summer months (Bonanza does not shine in high DA). Looking to see if there is an Ovation owner in Arizona willing to let me take a peek at it. Not interested in a flight, I have flown M20Ms and Js and wondering if the 2' of extra length is enough for the wife, kids and the extra luggage we always end up bringing. I know it won't be as big as the A36 but we always have 2 empty seats when we fly and I feel like that is wasted space.  Thanks in advance.

Unlike @Niko182, I think the O might fit you just fine.  Yeah, if you’re traveling with 4 adults all the time, a 6 seater is nice, but even high school kids are lighter and more flexible than adults.  My wife flys happily in the back of our F while my son flys copilot and my daughter watches movies in the other back seat.  Mooney is good with 2 adults and 2 kids.  Make sure your family aspirations stop there though!

So an ovation got almost all the extra length in the baggage, so room shouldn’t be a problem.  Heck I’ve been carrying around 2 carseats and luggage in my F’s baggage for the last two years...

@Niko182is probably right that you should check the fuel required for your planned flights vs your planned payload vs the useful load available.  Ovations have a wide range, but somewhere between 775-1000ish.  If you want AC for Arizona, it’s kinda heavy.  An Eagle might also work for you.  Generally the same, most have better UL.  Probably no AC though.

Maybe if you give some details like 450lbs of people plus, 100lbs of luggage, plus desired 400nm range with 1 hour reserve, someone can run the numbers for you and see what kind of UL you need?

[Hank]

1 hour ago, avi8tor said:

First time poster here and a Bonanza owner looking to possibly make the switch to an Ovation. Main driver behind this is that I own my Bonanza with a partner and wanting to move into sole ownership. The Ovation on paper seems like a perfect fit for my mission - 2 small kids and the wife, hops over to California or up north in the summer months (Bonanza does not shine in high DA). Looking to see if there is an Ovation owner in Arizona willing to let me take a peek at it. Not interested in a flight, I have flown M20Ms and Js and wondering if the 2' of extra length is enough for the wife, kids and the extra luggage we always end up bringing. I know it won't be as big as the A36 but we always have 2 empty seats when we fly and I feel like that is wasted space.  Thanks in advance.

The M20M Bravo and the M20R Ovation are the same airframe, different engines. If your family was comfortable in the Bravo, they'll be comfortable in an Ovation. The Ovation won't fly as high, won't necessarily need oxygen, will be less expensive to maintain and will burn a truckload less fuel per year.  

[skydvrboy]

I think we have someone around here who flies an Ovation and did so regularly with some kids a while back.  Anthony,@carusoam, you want to take a stab at this one?

[carusoam]

Hmmmmmm...

I think I have this one...  

Welcome aboard, Avi8tor!

I’m not much of a writer... but, I’ll do my best.

 

Ovation is the perfect plane for a family of four...

1) Factory built...

2) Normally aspirated...

3) IFR to the Max... including FIKI if / when desired.

4) Perfect for those runs to grandma’s house states away...

5) Awesome for the weekend run to the Jersey shore...

6) Can get in and out of 2k’ long runways... if you have the skill...

7) If you drive a Tahoe... The O is your bird...  if it fits in a Tahoe... it fits in the O... a perfect next step from an M20C, if you have ever cubed out... (it takes a lot to cube out an M20C... ask Hank and see his pick-up truck the Ford Ranger... if it fits in one Ranger, it will fit in the other...)

8) the biggest challenge I see coming... you may have to apologize to all your friends at BT...  

9) Kids and flying... The M20C was tight with two car seats in the back....  it got tight again when my kids reached middle school...

10) Now the kids are somewhere... The O may make a good forever-plane...

11) Speed... check!

12) Efficiency... LOP and the O, it’s in the POH power charts... nothing new there..!

13) Safety... very few Os have experienced an engine out...  Mine did by a prior owner... early IO550s had an oil cooler challenge...  Find all the Cirrus challenges of the same time frame... they had about 10 oil coolers pump the oil overboard... all fixed now!

14) Long distances... I went to Mooney Summit... about 900nm away... refilled the tanks after I got there...

15) High altitudes... I don’t use O2 with the family... but the O can climb to the flight levels if desired...

16) College visits around the country... perfect!

17) College drop-offs and pick-ups easy as it gets...

18) Let’s talk options... 02, FIKI, AC, ADSB, glass screens, WAAS.... more excess HP...

19) You won’t need a six seater when you have an O...

20) “The Ovation on paper seems like a perfect fit for my mission - 2 small kids and the wife”  

It turns out... the paper didn’t lie. We went to see the plane for sale, then sent it for its PPI... no waiting, no flying, fearing any delay, somebody with money could swoop in before my ducks could get aligned...

So.....

If you like speed, efficiency, and safety for a family of four... with extra room enough for a cock-a-poo too... 

If you don’t have time to fly the plane yourself... can I recommend... Jimmy or Don do the flying for you...  (one guy does the selling of Mooneys, the other is the king of PPIs for Mooneys...) both flew my plane before I did...

Go O!

Go Mooney!

What did I leave out?  There is so much more....

PP thoughts only... not a plane sales guy, yet...

Best regards,

-a- 

[kmyfm20s]

The plane has worked out well for my needs. This is a trip back to San Diego from sun valley Idaho with a friends daughter that hitched a ride. 3 adults and a baby. You can see the bags since I took the 1 seat back out which I do when I belt in the baby seat. I could have easily left it in. There is a large western saddle in that pile along with the baby gear. Non stop 4 hour, 720 nm flight and everyone was comfortable. 
 

[thinwing]

that is quite a load back there..where is the moter cycle??