Jump to content

Looking to buy Mooney, what i need to know about?


Juha

Recommended Posts

Congratulations on peering into the world of Mooneys!  One of the greatest marketing strategies Mooney should use is to have a demo  fleet of other brands (C,P,B...) and let the pilot fly those first and then the Mooney—sold!  There are common things to look out for from one brand to another, corrosion, fuel leaks, maintenance history...but the main one is your budget.   In my humble opinion, the bargain finds out there will more than likely be cause for bringing them up to good reliable machines (repairs or engine work...) or up to the 21st century (avionics upgrades...), so your budget will be the deciding factor to your end result.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you know the model you are looking for, Turbo, UL, Speed you're looking for? Mooneys have certain things to look at (wet wing vs bladders, gear pucks...) but each model has things also, do you want the J-bar or electric gear, speed brakes (the need for speed brakes) ...? I recently got my first Mooney and took about a year to find the right one for me. I love it and would not have gotten another brand for anything (well maybe not anything ;) ) I stayed away from planes with high engine times and hangar queens. Nothing wrong with them I just knew I wanted a plane that had been flying consistently for a few years and had (statistically) a lot of life in the engine still. I'm on the low end of the avionics with only a 430 but got a deal so ...

 

If you can, define your mission a bit more. Is your trip 100nm or 1000nm, just you or more, do you want to cruise in the upper teens sucking O2. Also what is your experience level like?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every model of airplane has special systems that require special attention.  In Mooneys it's the gas tanks.  They're wet wings, and the sealant gets old.  There are but two solutions, a reseal or bladders.  A proper reseal can only break done at a very small handful of facilities around the nation.  If the Mooney you're looking at hasn't had any of this done it is either leaking gas or will soon. And yes, it's very expensive.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Browncbr1 said:

Is 90% of your mission you and one or two other people, or is it more like 4 people with bags?   What’s your budget?

 

9 hours ago, Browncbr1 said:

Is 90% of your mission you and one or two other people, or is it more like 4 people with bags?   What’s your budget?

Max 200k budget most like 150k max.  2 people with some bags are good enough. 4with tooth brush and credit card.

To make 500-1000 miles at easy afternoon.

 

 

 

 

9 hours ago, Browncbr1 said:

Is 90% of your mission you and one or two other people, or is it more like 4 people with bags?   What’s your budget?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, cwaters said:

Do you know the model you are looking for, Turbo, UL, Speed you're looking for? Mooneys have certain things to look at (wet wing vs bladders, gear pucks...) but each model has things also, do you want the J-bar or electric gear, speed brakes (the need for speed brakes) ...? I recently got my first Mooney and took about a year to find the right one for me. I love it and would not have gotten another brand for anything (well maybe not anything ;) ) I stayed away from planes with high engine times and hangar queens. Nothing wrong with them I just knew I wanted a plane that had been flying consistently for a few years and had (statistically) a lot of life in the engine still. I'm on the low end of the avionics with only a 430 but got a deal so ...

 

If you can, define your mission a bit more. Is your trip 100nm or 1000nm, just you or more, do you want to cruise in the upper teens sucking O2. Also what is your experience level like?

My Mission to get 500-1000 miles for coffee, dinner, weekend just run away from village.

our village runway is a bit short about 1700 ft.  It might be than i need to get digger and build few more feet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks go to my friend OW...  :)

Welcome aboard Juha!

You have come to the right place...

 

Comparison to brand C is a popular way people have arrived upon Mooney ownership...

Both the C172 and M20C are in the same cost arena... when purchasing... and for operations...

You will recognize the differences immediately... from acceleration, to climb rate...

If you are only flying around the traffic pattern... you will also notice the glide ratio on final descent...

If you get the opportunity to go on a short cross country... you will easily recognize the additional speed...

 

The only thing negative is the small upcharges in insurance and maintenance every year... because the gear folding up has some tiny costs associated with it... 

If you can share your level of flight experience, people can share their thoughts on best matches of machinery...  got the IR already?  Got mountains in your neighborhood?  Any plane ownership experience?

With your budget, you have plenty of opportunity to get a great machine...

Like all planes... a PPI is a great method for protecting your wallet...

Speed...

Efficiency...

 

Go Mooney!

Best regards,

-a-

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, carusoam said:

Thanks go to my friend OW...  :)

Welcome aboard Juha!

You have come to the right place...

 

Comparison to brand C is a popular way people have arrived upon Mooney ownership...

Both the C172 and M20C are in the same cost arena... when purchasing... and for operations...

You will recognize the differences immediately... from acceleration, to climb rate...

If you are only flying around the traffic pattern... you will also notice the glide ratio on final descent...

If you get the opportunity to go on a short cross country... you will easily recognize the additional speed...

 

The only thing negative is the small upcharges in insurance and maintenance every year... because the gear folding up has some tiny costs associated with it... 

If you can share your level of flight experience, people can share their thoughts on best matches of machinery...  got the IR already?  Got mountains in your neighborhood?  Any plane ownership experience?

With your budget, you have plenty of opportunity to get a great machine...

Like all planes... a PPI is a great method for protecting your wallet...

Speed...

Efficiency...

 

Go Mooney!

Best regards,

-a-

Thank you mate

this would be my first bird.  
Have had 15 years on my bucket list to have pilot lisence so my IR would be next thing.  Atm my mission is to get out bf in from village. “As far as possible as short time as possible”  

on my worries are how long runway it needs. We have abou 1700 ft . I m prepared tool take digger and make bit more. But what’s really needed specially in winter conditions.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Runway requirements require a longer discussion...

Fortunately there is a thread that handles that pretty well around here...

Search for shortest runway... or something like that...

 

Expect that some people use around 2k’.

It also depends on what is at either end of the runway...

And... how much weight you want to carry with you...

Skills are important as well...

An extra 10kts on approach can use up 1k’ in extra distance...

You don’t need super human skills...

You do want to pay attention to detail...

Winter vs. Summer... Summer warm weather, produces less hp, less lift, DA density altitude is important...

We have a few people that have built their own runways around here... haven’t seen any lately though...

Good luck with the bucket list!

PP thoughts only not a CFI...

Best regards,

-a-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Juha said:

Thank you mate

this would be my first bird.  
Have had 15 years on my bucket list to have pilot lisence so my IR would be next thing.  Atm my mission is to get out bf in from village. “As far as possible as short time as possible”  

on my worries are how long runway it needs. We have abou 1700 ft . I m prepared tool take digger and make bit more. But what’s really needed specially in winter conditions.

 

 

 

A 1,700' runway is way below my personal minimums for my 1974 Mooney C.  If you are not precise on speed a Mooney can float.  Most Mooney pilots I speak with like at least 2,000' or 2,500' for minimums.  In reality I generally use less than half of my 3,000' runway, but I like the margin for safety.  For the I like a long wide runway.  It probably stems from starting my flight training at Baltimore in the 1980's.  Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Juha said:

Thank you mate

this would be my first bird.  
Have had 15 years on my bucket list to have pilot lisence so my IR would be next thing.  Atm my mission is to get out bf in from village. “As far as possible as short time as possible”  

on my worries are how long runway it needs. We have abou 1700 ft . I m prepared tool take digger and make bit more. But what’s really needed specially in winter conditions.

 

 

 

With your budget and mission I was going to say ovation, but now your talking about a short field that sounds like it’s unpaved.  For my F model, 2500’ paved at sea level is completely fine.  Two blade prop ovations need quite a bit more take off roll.  The ovation3 is better for short field, but it sounds like your runway is too short.   With such a short field, two people and a mission that is just for fun, I’d save your money and look for a very nice E model with a three blade prop.   If high density altitude, find one with a turbo stc installed.  Or with your budget, just buy the stc separately.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to visit a 2000' grass field (then I moved ~3 Mooney hours away). My limit going there was 2 people and half tanks. Had it been paved, maybe more, but getting out from grass that may not have been mowed recently and over trees at one end and a cement factory's gravel pile at the other end, that was my weight limit.  M20-C, 3-blade Hartzell prop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/22/2021 at 3:43 PM, cwaters said:

Do you know the model you are looking for, Turbo, UL, Speed you're looking for? Mooneys have certain things to look at (wet wing vs bladders, gear pucks...) but each model has things also, do you want the J-bar or electric gear, speed brakes (the need for speed brakes) ...? I recently got my first Mooney and took about a year to find the right one for me. I love it and would not have gotten another brand for anything (well maybe not anything ;) ) I stayed away from planes with high engine times and hangar queens. Nothing wrong with them I just knew I wanted a plane that had been flying consistently for a few years and had (statistically) a lot of life in the engine still. I'm on the low end of the avionics with only a 430 but got a deal so ...

 

If you can, define your mission a bit more. Is your trip 100nm or 1000nm, just you or more, do you want to cruise in the upper teens sucking O2. Also what is your experience level like?

500-1000 nm trips.  No really need to get high accept performance.

 

could also  e nice to burn regulat fuel instead of double price 100LL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

High power sort of dictates the use of 100LL...

It would be really nice to have a fuel that was low cost and didn’t dissolve pump, tank and engine seals...

Look up Swift Fuels... see what they have lately... it is lead free, but lower in octane...

Would probably work well for cruise portions of flight and early descent only...

Detonation is the phenomena that we need to avoid... and 100LL does that really well...

Best regards,

-a-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been a really interesting discussion so far.   Like you, I owned a Cessna 172 years ago, and decided I needed something faster and gooder.  Fortunately I had a Civil Air Patrol buddy (and flight instructor) who educated me on complex aircraft (and Mooneys) and ultimately we used his M20G for me to get my commercial ticket, which was easier and far more fun than I was expecting.  Did it in his Mooney, which got me hooked, and shortly thereafter I sold my 172 and bought my first Mooney. (But I digress.)

As noted, length of runway-- especially landing your Mooney-- is vital.  I'm fortunate to be based at a field with a 5400 foot paved runway.

One of the nice things that the American Bonanza Society folks do is an "Ambassador" program, where prospective Bonanza owners go for a ride with a current Bonanza owner, and make themselves available to discuss the ins and outs of flying a Bonanza.  Why can't we do that for you?  Might not be a bad idea for you to ask around a bit, including right here on this thread, and see if you could find a few folks that are willing to take a couple of hours out of their life and talk to you by phone, and in person, and fly with you.  I live in the Florida panhandle, and I'd be delighted to take you up in my bird as well as sit down over a cup of coffee or two and discuss some of the pleasures-- and pitfalls-- of transitioning to and owning and flying Mooneys.  Don't even need to split the gas with me.  (Weather's nice this time of year, by the way.)

One of the nice things about Mooneys are the variety of models available.  I have owned both an "F" as well as currently a "J" (N6201Y) as well as the above "G" I learned on; those three flew very similarly.  You'll have LOTS of models to choose from, in a variety of price points, with a variety of options and avionics, both normally asphyxiated and turbo.  But for the price point you're describing, you're going to have no problem in getting yourself lots of airplane.  The folks in this forum are already doing a great job in helping you see that already.    My personal preference is to get one with an autopilot with altitude hold-- very helpful on long cross country flights like you're describing, and indispensable when flying IMC.

Call my cell (770-329-5400) if you want to talk-- or go fly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/22/2021 at 11:12 PM, Juha said:

Thank you mate

this would be my first bird.  
Have had 15 years on my bucket list to have pilot lisence so my IR would be next thing.  Atm my mission is to get out bf in from village. “As far as possible as short time as possible”  

on my worries are how long runway it needs. We have abou 1700 ft . I m prepared tool take digger and make bit more. But what’s really needed specially in winter conditions.

 

 

 

from your post (if i read it correctly)you live in a small town ,rural area with a short 1700 dirt strip that possibly is on your own property.This implys pretty primitive runway with out any infrastructure ...not sure if a Mooney is correct choice as you mention getting out the equipment to possibly increase length of runway.Not knowing your exact location,my guess would be 6cyl powered taildragger,Maule M6/7,cessna 180/185/piper supercub (slow)....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.