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KABQ Mooney Instructors?


JRHogancamp

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Hi, I've just purchased a 1983 Mooney M20J in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I'll have my private pilot's license in ~2 weeks, and after that I need to get trained in the Mooney. Are there any instructors in or near Albuquerque who can train me? I will have ~55 hours total time with my private, 2-3 hours in retracts, and 0 hours in a Mooney. I'll need at least 10 hours of instruction for insurance purposes. It's currently sitting at Double Eagle, KAEG, but I'll store it at KABQ long term after I get the ASDB installed. My dad's been a pilot for decades and owns a Bonanza which I've flown a few times, so I'm familiar with complex aircraft, but I need specific instruction in the M20J. 

The plane has a Garmin 530W, an autopilot, and I'm installing an ADSB IN/OUT in the next couple of weeks. 

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Welcome aboard JR!

Congrats on finishing up the PPL...

The CFI list in the Mooney Flyer is the best resource we have... if doesn’t list a CFII in NM...

The next step is to see what MSers are in the neighborhood... because they probably have a favorite Mooney CFII...

The secret list of MSers and accompanying neighborhoods is kept by @gsxrpilot... So I invited Paul to your thread...

Great to see you are carrying on a family tradition of flying...

How did you select the Mooney, when the old man is flying a different brand?  :)
 

+1 for Transition Training... a few hours of concentrated learning about the specific airframe details... really adds to your experience, quickly.

Sometimes insurance company’s mandate how much training and solo time you require... if you need insurance contact Parker...

Best regards,

-a-

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Thanks for the replies! @gsxrpilot, I hope to hear from you soon! 

I selected a Mooney for a couple of reasons. I was looking at 182s or Dakotas, but those are going for $20-30k more than what the bank will finance, at least for ones that you want to buy. With how difficult it was looking for a good one, I decided to get a plane that I might keep for a LONG time rather than a fixed-gear transition plane. I noticed that Bonanzas have bad CG problems, and V-tails are nicknamed "doctor killers" (and their insurance is ridiculously expensive). So I looked for something near me, and this Mooney was for sale in town! I went to look at it and it was perfect for my mission: flying fast to go see friends across the US. It has almost all of the avionics that I need, so good to go! And the old man may or may not fit comfortably into a Mooney any more...

I already have insurance, and it requires PPL and 10 hours dual instruction. Does anyone have a checklist made up for Mooney M20Js? My POH is ancient (1983 to be exact), so I'd love tips from experience Mooney flyers about how to operate the aircraft. Take-off at high altitude, cruise, overheating, landing, etc. Thanks!

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9 minutes ago, JRHogancamp said:

I noticed that Bonanzas have bad CG problems, and V-tails are nicknamed "doctor killers" (and their insurance is ridiculously expensive). 

1) Bonanza do not necessarily have bad CG problems. My S35 had an empty CG if 77.8 which allows any reasonable loading you can come up with.

2) V-Tails never were "doctor killers". Doctors (and attorneys and others) were V-Tail killers.

3) Insurance on a Bonanza is in line with, or cheaper than a Mooney. I paid $1,380 earlier this year for $100k hull.

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Things to acquire when able...

Some is pretty easy to get...

Know where your nearest MSC is...

1) Get the POH for your plane’s year of manufacture... required by the Arow documents....

2) Get the most recent POH for your plane... M20Js were last built in the mid 90s...

3) The most recent POH May have the most recent engine data and procedures...

Realistically M20Js are very modern machines... there may not be much difference between the first and last POH....

4) Parts and Maintenance Manuals... Always good to have if you are looking to learn as much as you can about your plane...

Most of these are electronic documents... available at modest cost...

Makes for a great conversation with your MSC... the MSC is the necessary connection between the owner and the Mooney factory...

Best regards,

-a-

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I took my first lessons at KABQ in 1967, although I didn't get a license back then. I don't know of any Mooney specific instructors in NM although there are a few in TX. My suggestion would be to do what I did. I bought my 231 as soon as I had my PPL, maybe it was a little before. I had an instructor lined up to get going on my Instrument and I had him teach to fly the Mooney.  You will need someone who can give you a Complex endorsement and that takes about ten hours so that would give your insurance hours. There are a series of very good Mooney specific clinics called the Mooney Pilot Proficiency Clinic. There is one scheduled in Santa Fe in April. If COVID does not allow that, they will probably try to postpone until it can be held. All the instructors are Mooney specific instructors and probably you would get someone who owns and flies a J, or at least one of the normally aspirated models.  The clinic is a three-day affair. Ground school on day one, then some ground school and some flight training on day two, and day three is all flight training. Lots of WINGS credits come with it. 

In retrospect, I wish I had found a Mooney instructor, but that is because the engine management for my aircraft, the 231, is quite a bit different from managing the normally aspirated J. During the time I was working on my Instrument I put about 20 hours in a J and I did not find it hard to fly. The main issue is to make sure you keep your speeds under control in the pattern, the things will float forever if you don't and you will probably make it to the Rio Grande, but if you get your speed control down it is not difficult to fly. Then go to Santa Fe, they will give you a very thorough education in flying the J.

Sent you a PM.

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