Your next Mooney

[MIm20c]

Keeping within the Mooney ranks I’m curious what other members are looking for on the used market.  These are planes you immediately check the condition, equipment, bank account, and imagine them in your hangar. 
 

For me the short list is:

87-88 205 J

97-98 encore

2004 ovation dx

 

[MikeOH]

I checked the bank account....never made it past that

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, MIm20c said:

Keeping within the Mooney ranks I’m curious what other members are looking for on the used market.  These are planes you immediately check the condition, equipment, bank account, and imagine them in your hangar. 
 

For me the short list is:

87-88 205 J

97-98 encore

2004 ovation dx

 

Do you mean "cheating" on my own special Mooney?   Forgive me father for my eyes have strayed.  There is nothing with piston engines that I would even consider.

[Hank]

I'd like a Missile, but Seth is busy reporting so many upgrades to his'n that he'll never sell it, and if he did I couldn't afford it . . . .  

Besides, retirement is becomiing possible, and a C is a better retirement ride anyway.

[Mooney_Mike]

I'd like a trophy 211 or 212 for some reason those F models with all the 201 speed mods and more really catch my eye.

[Ragsf15e]

Purely for operational reasons, I’d like an Eagle with TKS.  No AC or O2 to weigh it down, just TKS.  But like @MikeOH, the bank account currently doesn’t agree.

[ZuluZulu]

If Jonny wants to give me that factory demonstrator I promise to take really, really good care of it.  Otherwise, all my future upgrades are already sitting in my hangar.  

[Niko182]

29 minutes ago, ZuluZulu said:

If Jonny wants to give me that factory demonstrator I promise to take really, really good care of it.  Otherwise, all my future upgrades are already sitting in my hangar.  

Gotta get those ceiling switches somehow.

[steingar]

I think the only Mooney I'd feel like swapping for would be this one:

[Seth]

13 hours ago, Hank said:

I'd like a Missile, but Seth is busy reporting so many upgrades to his'n that he'll never sell it, and if he did I couldn't afford it . . . .  

Besides, retirement is becomiing possible, and a C is a better retirement ride anyway.

Hank - Should I ever move on you'll be one of my first calls. There's one other member Mooneyspace member who has asked me the same! -Seth

[Seth]

If I were to move into a new Mooney it would have to be pressurized. Though I originally thought over the last 18 months we'd need a fifth seat (twice), that's not the case right now. So likely pressurized and an extra seat.

That said, I do believe a pressurized 4 seat aircraft makes sense for some at a price point below the M350. Kind of like Cirrus with the Vision Jet, the SF50. It doesn't compare well to Jets, it compares well to turboprops, and doesn't have the range nor runway performance of those turboprops. It's the slowest, lowest flying jet, least expensive jet. It's great, and it's selling.

I feel a four place pressurized aircraft using much of the current Mooney parts could be something - but this is a discussion for another threat.

Cabin space, pressurization, andl likely 5-8 seats is what I'm looking for as the next upgrade. Maybe something similar to an RV8 or a Tarragon as a tandem in line aircraft could be fun too. For now, and likely for a long time, my Mooney Missile is the aircraft for me.

My first airplane was a 1967 M20F Executive which I purchased in 2008. Great airplane. It was amy 4-10 year airplane. Get my IFR, learn aircraft ownership, and see if I needed any more capacity as I was still single then. With the upgrades I wanted, it made more sense to sell and buy something with the AP, paint job, GPS in panel, AP, and speed mods. I looked at 252's and Missile's. 3 years later in 2011 the 252's were still significantly more than the Missile and I really didn't need the turbo at the time. The 252 and Encore are great airplanes too!

-Seth 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Seth

[daytonabch04]

The Bravo is great, but would love an Acclaim with TKS/FIKI. Something to poke through some layers..  

[GeeBee]

I love my R. When you want it, talk to my widow.

 

[Parker_Woodruff]

16 hours ago, MIm20c said:

Keeping within the Mooney ranks I’m curious what other members are looking for on the used market.  These are planes you immediately check the condition, equipment, bank account, and imagine them in your hangar. 
 

For me the short list is:

87-88 205 J

97-98 encore

2004 ovation dx

 

 

I like your list.

1997-1998 Encore.

Any M20R with A/C.

Any M20S

[Skates97]

I don't have anything on the Mooney list, my plane is everything I am looking for now and in the future. However, thinking ahead about 15 years where hopefully retirement is for me, I would love to give it a friend in the hangar, a tail dragger with big tires to get in and out of some back country strips.

[gsxrpilot]

The Mooney I lust after is the one that I own... but haven't flown in almost 6 months. I'd love to have a pressurized airplane, but I don't see that happening.

I do hope to add a tailwheel high wing airplane to the hangar in the next year or so. 

[Niko182]

For me it would be either a Screaming eagle or an Encore. I really like the "none limiting" useful load. Obviously i still need to check W&B, but It usually pretty simple doing longer trips even when I fly with 4 people. That said I already have more than I want. If I had a C, or an E, I'd still be stoked for the opportunity to fly something. 

As far as stepping up, Only thing that comes to mind as a move up is a 79-83 model A36 with osborne tip tanks and a TAT TN setup. 

A J3 as the side plane wouldnt be half bad either.

Edited March 10, 2021 by Niko182

[gsxrpilot]

5 minutes ago, Niko182 said:

For me it would be either a Screaming eagle or an Encore.

Back in 2016 I was going back and forth between a Screaming Eagle and the 252/Encore. Looking for the "forever" Mooney, it was down to those two. I obviously ended up with the 252 soon to be an Encore. I'm sure I'd have been happy with the Eagle as well. But I've never had a second thought about the 252/Encore.

[Niko182]

Just now, gsxrpilot said:

Back in 2016 I was going back and forth between a Screaming Eagle and the 252/Encore. Looking for the "forever" Mooney, it was down to those two. I obviously ended up with the 252 soon to be an Encore. I'm sure I'd have been happy with the Eagle as well. But I've never had a second thought about the 252/Encore.

Same viewpoint here. Lately i've been started to fly higher, and the ecore wouldn't limit me in that department like the eagle would, even though I could probably make it to 22 to 24 thousand feet, but the idea of a turbo doesn't sound half bad, especially grabbing a nice tailwind up high. However, after experiencing 310hp on takeoff, especially when light would be something I'd miss. That never gets old.

[hammdo]

I pretty much have my forever plane. Once the AI G5, Trutrak, and Electric Step goes in, it's maintain it. Fix a few small fuel tank seeps, plan a top OH, then paint are about the main items I'd consider. She's running great right now so Top OH will only happen when a cylinder issue starts showing up. Since the bottom was IRAN about 600 hrs ago with the new prop, I'm hopeful she has a lot of hrs left...

David sold me a great flyer... 

-Don 

[squeaky.stow]

I bought my Mooney with a very specific mission in mind. Non-stop 600 mile commute to our summer place on my precious few days off and the ability to reliably be back in the office on Monday morning. The 252 excelled at that mission better than I had ever hoped. TKS, turbo and XM weather make for awesome dispatch reliability.
Now that I am retired it is harder to justify, but I find that putting on a sad pouty face and welling tears keeps the wife from pressing the issue too hard. For now....

Besides, you can never really “justify” owning an airplane. We do it because we love airplanes and would rather waste our money on them than on (insert your vice of choice here).

If I ever have to move on, I am sad to say that my next Mooney won’t be a Mooney. More likely a Cub or Champ or a homebuilt. Something cheap to own and just for sunny evenings when the air is like glass.

 

[Igor_U]

My next Mooney is my current '67F with a "new" reman Lycoming engine and some upgrades (PlanePower alternator) and rearrangements I'm doing on it's vintage pilot's panel (6-pack layout G5, audio panel). It mainly suits my needs, has a good speed and range and while you can't ever justify owning it as toy, I can (almost) afford it. 

Every now and then I look at the turbo or TKS (I fly PNW) but you can't beat a simple F that I know and work on for 16 years now. Maybe one day will change my mind but 'till then I'll fly 14M.

 

 

[201Mooniac]

I can't think of an airplane that would be better for my missions than my current J.  It has been my perfect plane for over 25 years and I doubt I'll ever part with it.  I am considering another plane though, a homebuilt as a retirement project.

[carusoam]

Hmmmmm....

Adding another Mooney...

Go Mite!

-a-

[irishpilot]

Man, I'm jealous of all you guys and your forever planes. I can't keep planes more than a few years. My E model was economical, but didn't have long legs and space. My Bravo is awesome: it goes high, fast, TKS, and O2. Problem is useful load at 860#.

My family trips require serious W&B calcs to stay below gross, and that's getting old. My kids keep getting bigger. Planes with over #1100 UL are on my radar...twins and Experimental.