New Mooney Owner - 1984 M20J

[Ryan ORL]

Hey guys, I finally closed on my 1984 M20J today!

I've been wanting to get a Mooney for quite a long time, and finally managed to make it a reality

Thanks very much to the very helpful people in this community who helped me focus my search a bit, especially @gsxrpilot, who went out of his way to help me when I was just beginning my search.

I'm looking forward to all the adventures I'm going to have in my Mooney!  Now I just need to learn how to use this weird GNS480  

[carusoam]

Congrats on getting the bird in the hand!

-a-

[gsxrpilot]

Very nice! You'll enjoy that for sure!

[toto]

Congratulations!

I traveled to see this aircraft about five years ago, and was blown away by how clean the owner kept the aircraft and the hangar. I'm pretty sure you could eat out of the wheel wells. And off the hangar floor. 

I think you'll really enjoy it.

[gacoon]

Sweet looking Mooney, have fun!

[Seymour]

Congratulations!  

...and I'll suggest the GNS480 user group (if you haven't joined already).   

 https://gns480-users.groups.io/g/main/topics

[Ross Statham]

 What a beautiful bird! Love the paint, and really like the avionics. She’s a real eyecatcher. Have you set any goals for what you want to do with her this year?

[Ryan ORL]

57 minutes ago, Ross Statham said:

 What a beautiful bird! Love the paint, and really like the avionics. She’s a real eyecatcher. Have you set any goals for what you want to do with her this year?

After I work out some minor bugs, plan to do several cross country flights with my wife... to see her family in Cincinnati, to New Orleans, and ultimately I’d really like to cross the CONUS coast to coast.

At some point soon I’ll also put a GDL-50R so I can ditch my portable ADS-B in (this has a 330ES), and further down the line I’d like to do a GTN750/GTX345 setup.

[Ryan ORL]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

[KB4]

YT has a good hour long old tutorial on the box. May be under CNX80 but it’s same as GNS480. Pilots Guide available in pdf on google. 

[Bartman]

Congratulations on your new bird and welcome to our community. The J is a perfect plane for travel and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I have enjoyed mine. 

[TonyK]

Congrats on the new to you.  If you ever find yourself up at Sanford and bored stop by 23 on the SW ramp I would love to check out your new bird.

[Ryan ORL]

10 hours ago, Seymour said:

Congratulations!  

...and I'll suggest the GNS480 user group (if you haven't joined already).   

 https://gns480-users.groups.io/g/main/topics

Thanks!  I will check this out.  This GPS seems to have quite a dedicated following, from what I've seen by looking around.  It does have quite a lot of capability versus the 430W/530W series, but the UI is a bit complex  

[toto]

30 minutes ago, Ryan ORL said:

Thanks!  I will check this out.  This GPS seems to have quite a dedicated following, from what I've seen by looking around.  It does have quite a lot of capability versus the 430W/530W series, but the UI is a bit complex  

The big advantage over the GNS units was native support for airways iirc.

[Ryan ORL]

5 minutes ago, toto said:

The big advantage over the GNS units was native support for airways iirc.

It has that, as well as the ability to program random holds on fixes, plus it supports all the types of more unusual legs you get on DPs/STARs, like heading to intercept radial, heading to altitude then direct, etc.

[LANCECASPER]

9 hours ago, Ryan ORL said:

After I work out some minor bugs, plan to do several cross country flights with my wife... to see her family in Cincinnati, to New Orleans, and ultimately I’d really like to cross the CONUS coast to coast.

At some point soon I’ll also put a GDL-50R so I can ditch my portable ADS-B in (this has a 330ES), and further down the line I’d like to do a GTN750/GTX345 setup.

I'd stick with the portable until you can put in the GTX345. Used 345s are starting to come up for sale. By the time you sell your 330ES you won't have a lot more into it that a GDL50R considering labor to install it. It's taken me awhile to figure this out, but it's a lot more cost effective to go in there once and do it right than to keep opening up the panel.

[rbridges]

Which airport is that?  We've flown into KORL several times to see our son who attends UCF.

[MooneyPoor]

Congrats on the new bird! 

[Ryan ORL]

16 minutes ago, rbridges said:

Which airport is that?  We've flown into KORL several times to see our son who attends UCF.

I'm based at KORL but some of the photos above were from KZPH (where I bought it), and KDED (nearby).

[flyboy0681]

Once this damned pandemic is over it would be worth your while to fly into one of our monthly Mooney luncheon gatherings and meet two dozen or so owners from all over the state.

[mike_elliott]

Congrats! I trained Clark and John in this plane. Both excellent pilots and I am sure were excellent caretakers.

[fantom]

An excellent choice....good fortune with her 

[Ross Statham]

11 hours ago, Ryan ORL said:

After I work out some minor bugs, plan to do several cross country flights with my wife... to see her family in Cincinnati, to New Orleans, and ultimately I’d really like to cross the CONUS coast to coast.

At some point soon I’ll also put a GDL-50R so I can ditch my portable ADS-B in (this has a 330ES), and further down the line I’d like to do a GTN750/GTX345 setup.

Ryan, these are good goals.  One is similar to mine-- I have done two west to east (California to the southeast) trips where I bought aircraft in California and flew them east.  This year I am planning to fly the central Rockies route up to Washington and Oregon with another pilot buddy-- going to do a week long trip.   One thing to think about is taking a different route east than you do west.  My two east bound trips were superb-- some of my best memories flying.

I also like your avionics choices-- I have a GTN 650 and LOVE it.  Wish I had room in my panel for a 750!

[Danb]

Sweet plane Ryan,  good luck were praying for a better year

 

DB

[201Steve]

Congrats, she's a 'Beaut!

Reach out to me if you ever make it to KSSI St Simons Island GA - great destination airport for lunch or overnight, just a quick hop from Orlando. Enjoy!