Sitting Mooney Advice

[N201MKTurbo]

I would do Santa Fe instead of ABQ. It takes you through the same gap. Maybe Double Eagle.

[cwaters]

23 minutes ago, Junkman said:

I flew a similar track in a BE23-24 many years ago and never went above 10,000. ABQ is the best place to cross the Rockies without going too high, especially if you can stay VFR. Just keep a really close eye on density altitude, you may find you want to stick to early morning and early evening but your Mooney will do just fine.

Cheers,
Rick
 

 

Thanks, My plan was a 2 day trip and try to make it to ABQ on the first day and spend the night then early morning out west with the sun 

[Stan]

Glad your thinking of flying, been there done that, 5 times, (in different airplanes) and will do it again.

Don't discount the southern route, further south through El Paso, Tucson, then up thru Blythe, 29 Palms (watch the jarheads) then into Fox.

Good Mexican & Tex Mex food along the way.

I was based in Flabob in the Inland Empire, but quite a few airport (as some have stated in the upper desert), plus Apple Valley, Southern CA Logistical (used to be George AFB), etc..

Suggest on the return, Northern Ca (again based at CCR), then Reno, through Salt Lake, etc., old air mail route.

 

Take your time allow yourself to enjoy every flight, it is well worth every minute.

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Stan

[cwaters]

57 minutes ago, Stan said:

Glad your thinking of flying, been there done that, 5 times, (in different airplanes) and will do it again.

Don't discount the southern route, further south through El Paso, Tucson, then up thru Blythe, 29 Palms (watch the jarheads) then into Fox.

Good Mexican & Tex Mex food along the way.

I was based in Flabob in the Inland Empire, but quite a few airport (as some have stated in the upper desert), plus Apple Valley, Southern CA Logistical (used to be George AFB), etc..

Suggest on the return, Norther Ca (again based at CCR), then Reno, through Salt Lake, etc., old air mail route.

 

Take your time allow yourself to enjoy every flight, it is well worth every minute.

 

My concern is the timeline, the plane goes into annual about a week and a half before I would need to leave and I absolutely have to be out there on the 7th. It’s my first annual with the plane so I’m not sure on the timeline for it and am unable to do owner assist. Each day I go back and forth about taking it and leaving it and finding a fellow Mooney pilot who could run it around the pattern a few times a month. Not ideal but might be where I am 

 

also so I finish my IFR training the week before annual so it would be a very tight timeline for a plane fresh out of annual and a ink wet IFR pilot 

Edited July 28, 2021 by cwaters

[Schinderhannes]

On 7/23/2021 at 8:57 AM, cwaters said:

out near Edwards AFB, in the desert area. 

Airlines from all over the world temporary store aircraft in the Mojave - Victorville area because the climate is perfect for that purpose. Also the temperatures in the high desert are quit a bit lower than in the surrounding areas. September - November is a beautiful time to be in the Desert and you will be sorry that your bird is on the other side of the country.     

[EricJ]

Do the slight diversion to go up by the Grand Canyon.   You don't need to cross any of the corridors, unless you want to, just fly along the south edge of the protected airspace.   

 

[Smiles201]

If it all works out, consider spending a couple of hours with an instructor at Double Eagle in Albuquerque to review density altitude, and have a plan b. If it is taking too much time there are lots of airports along the way to leave it for three months rather than push yourself or your plane into an uncomfortable situation. Have an adventure to remember. I've had lots. 

[kortopates]

I have no idea how experienced you are but as an instructor I would be sending a new pilot via the El Paso route that @Stan mentioned above - with less concern for density altitude and mountainous terrain and it should provide less turbulence. It's also my preferred route in the winter time for less icing threat but that shouldn't be a concern unless a system is moving through; which really can happen in the fall.  

Edited July 28, 2021 by kortopates

[JoeM]

+1 for early mornings from New Mexico West. In the summer, you will have thermals and convective buildups in the afternoon.

[N201MKTurbo]

The summer bumps in the desert won’t hurt you, but they are a PITA. They start at 11:00, peak at 3:00 and start to taper off at 4:00 and are mostly gone by 6:00. Daytime lasts till 8:00.

[KNorton]

I recommend you take the southern route that has already been mentioned. That’s what I did the first time I flew west and it was a good decision. It is still my preferred route.

Two days will be enough time, if you fly long days and have good weather. However, thunderstorms may have other ideas. I was trapped in Roswell, NM for half a day last Friday by thunderstorms.

Whatever you do, do not push yourself because of your time constraints. There is no place worth dying to get to. Get-there-itis kills a lot of pilots.

[1980Mooney]

7 hours ago, cwaters said:

My concern is the timeline, the plane goes into annual about a week and a half before I would need to leave and I absolutely have to be out there on the 7th. It’s my first annual with the plane so I’m not sure on the timeline for it and am unable to do owner assist. Each day I go back and forth about taking it and leaving it and finding a fellow Mooney pilot who could run it around the pattern a few times a month. Not ideal but might be where I am 

also so I finish my IFR training the week before annual so it would be a very tight timeline for a plane fresh out of annual and a ink wet IFR pilot 

Tight is right.  When you say "I absolutely have to be out there on the 7th" do you mean September 7?  If so it sounds like you will be flying over the holiday weekend.  And so when you say "the plane goes into annual about a week and a half before I would need to leave" do you mean drop it off on August 25 and hope to have it done, ready to pick up on Friday September 3?  There have been comments online in MS and I have experienced firsthand here in this part of Texas that there is a tendency for A&Ps "drop off" dates to slip because they are behind on completing existing planes.  And many A&P's, on a first annual for a new customer, tend to find numerous examples/problems from poor prior work in addition to current squawks especially in a 40+ year old plane.  Just hope that none or your A&P staff are taking that last vacation before school starts.  Also hope that they don't find anything that needs to be sent out for IRAN or OH.  It will never come back in time for reassembly.  Everyone will be rushed.  And echoing the last comment to "do not push yourself because of your time constraints." any slip in the Annual schedule will make you feel rushed. It's not a good situation in your first trans- continental experience.  Given flexibility of time, this is a great journey.

Also - have you given any thought about how your might deal with a breakdown along the way?  You will not find a mechanic on the Labor Day weekend even for something minor. 

I would seriously have your "plan B" commercial tickets reserved and handy.

Edited July 28, 2021 by 1980Mooney

[mike_elliott]

6 hours ago, JoeM said:

+1 for early mornings from New Mexico West. In the summer, you will have thermals and convective buildups in the afternoon.

West Tx should be in this list also.

[cwaters]

4 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

Tight is right.  When you say "I absolutely have to be out there on the 7th" do you mean September 7?  If so it sounds like you will be flying over the holiday weekend.  And so when you say "the plane goes into annual about a week and a half before I would need to leave" do you mean drop it off on August 25 and hope to have it done, ready to pick up on Friday September 3?  There have been comments online in MS and I have experienced firsthand here in this part of Texas that there is a tendency for A&Ps "drop off" dates to slip because they are behind on completing existing planes.  And many A&P's, on a first annual for a new customer, tend to find numerous examples/problems from poor prior work in addition to current squawks especially in a 40+ year old plane.  Just hope that none or your A&P staff are taking that last vacation before school starts.  Also hope that they don't find anything that needs to be sent out for IRAN or OH.  It will never come back in time for reassembly.  Everyone will be rushed.  And echoing the last comment to "do not push yourself because of your time constraints." any slip in the Annual schedule will make you feel rushed. It's not a good situation in your first trans- continental experience.  Given flexibility of time, this is a great journey.

Also - have you given any thought about how your might deal with a breakdown along the way?  You will not find a mechanic on the Labor Day weekend even for something minor. 

I would seriously have your "plan B" commercial tickets reserved and handy.

Thanks for this, it goes into annual on August 26 and yes I have to be out in ca by September 7th. I forgot about the holiday and didn’t think about a problem along the way and not being able to find a mechanic. Maybe this isn’t the time for the first transcontinental flight for me. 

[carusoam]

17 minutes ago, cwaters said:

Thanks for this, it goes into annual on August 26 and yes I have to be out in ca by September 7th. I forgot about the holiday and didn’t think about a problem along the way and not being able to find a mechanic. Maybe this isn’t the time for the first transcontinental flight for me. 

There is a first time for everything…

You can’t wait for everything to line up perfectly…

You can build Plans B, and C…

Always have a way out…

Review each planned stop… what to do next if the plane decides it doesn’t want to go any further…

 

Combining real life and long X-countries gets challenging…

When you know your plane really well…. A really long X-country can be planned incredibly quickly… and executed smoothly…

 

It might be a good idea to get the Savvy maintenance program… break down assistance?

 

PP thoughts only, know your limits…

Best regards,

-a-

[N201MKTurbo]

I can’t believe all the naysayers. Sure, things can happen, but that’s what makes flying interesting. 
 

I would fly your original route. Give yourself an extra day or two if you can. Have a great flight!

[Raptor05121]

I'd vote the southern El Paso route as well. I ferried a C model from CA-FL two years ago during the heat of July and with two people we were struggling at 400fpm out of Phoenix and took forever to climb to 12,000 feet for the crossing in NM. As a Florida flat-lander, even the "easy" route, I don't consider the Rockies something to play with. I-10 is a 2,000-mile long runway, anyway.

Edited July 28, 2021 by Raptor05121

[N201MKTurbo]

I don't get you guys. There is not a Mooney made that can't fly to Santa Fe. Its no big deal. Why do you want him to fly an extra hour or two? Besides I've been tossed over Newman too. There is no mountain flying on the ABQ SAF route, unless you consider mountain flying seeing mountains.

[larryb]

In 10 years of annuals I've never had one in 1.5 weeks. 2 weeks minimum, usually 3. This year was even longer.... 

 

As far as the trip itself, I like to pick mid-size airports with reasonable fuel prices, FBO's, and maintenance if I need it. I avoid deserted little strips. I don't search out the absolute cheapest fuel price, I just avoid the big airports with $7 fuel. I always call the FBO and verify pricing and fuel availability. I also find the FBO's get the best prices on local hotels, so it's best to let them make reservations for me. They often know of good, close hotels that have a shuttle and will pick you up. But, the person doing this work usually works weekdays, so best not to making these calls on the weekends. It's easier to be traveling on weekdays vs. weekends. If you want rental cars, that too is easier on weekdays. Many of the mid-size airports are served by rental car locations that are closed weekends, or perhaps only open Saturday morning. 

[cwaters]

3 hours ago, carusoam said:

There is a first time for everything…

You can’t wait for everything to line up perfectly…

You can build Plans B, and C…

Always have a way out…

Review each planned stop… what to do next if the plane decides it doesn’t want to go any further…

 

Combining real life and long X-countries gets challenging…

When you know your plane really well…. A really long X-country can be planned incredibly quickly… and executed smoothly…

 

It might be a good idea to get the Savvy maintenance program… break down assistance?

 

PP thoughts only, know your limits…

Best regards,

-a-

I understand not waiting for everything to line up as that will likely never happen, but in this instance everything has to line up perfectly for this trip to work out and I have to make that call now to put in travel orders with work. 

 

Its a multi dimensional problem and should the flight be cut short somewhere in the middle, the plane is stuck there for ~3 months as I won't be able to take multiple days to go get it after any work is done. 

 

I'm starting to think this just isn't the trip for me right now with my comfort level with the situation (all things involved) annual and the trip and the tight turn around times. I'm shy of 200 TT with about 60 in my J as for experience right now. As many have mentioned if anything slips with the annual then my back is against the wall trying to just get her home much less on the opposite coast. It might be better to find a good Mooney pilot near my home base to show her some love while i'm gone. 

Edited July 28, 2021 by cwaters

[cwaters]

4 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I think your tight timeline for your annual inspection (and especially a “first” annual inspection), combined with your firm arrival date make this trip better suited for the airlines, personally.  Coast to coast trips via GA are wonderful, but you have to stack the deck in your favor and your situation and timeline just don’t seem conducive to that to me.   But you never know.  If you try it might be the trip of your life.  

Thats whats got me so on the fence, roll the dice and try it (but if things don't line up perfectly it makes a mess of things on the travel orders side) or to just plan a vacation trip of this type in a year or two and not have the pressure of work looming. 

 

Typically I'm a roll the dice kinda guy when it comes to timelines but not with work in the balance, I think finding a good mooney friend to run it around the pattern a few times a month and just go commercial is turning out to be the better bet 

[cwaters]

32 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

That’s what I would do, brother.  I just wish I was your local good Mooney friend.  

Jim

Unfortunately I don’t have many I know around me. 

[carusoam]

Tough choices when so much is still in the new 2U category…

After a while you get to know your plane and your own skills…

And get good at knowing the weather…

You have a bag of tools, a spare part or two…. and a visa, MasterCard, Amex card, a cirrus ATM card, a Nyce atm card, a discover card… and Apple Pay  

 

Our limit was… we had to be back at work on Monday… four of us… two jobs, two schools….

So… you are seeing what it takes to be a GA pilot… on a budget… with limitations…

Go as far as you can… without becoming unsafe…

If the answer is store the plane… while you travel…. You have to do what you have to do…

First annuals can be tough… ordinary annuals are four or five days…you already know what needs to be done for the most part… few surprises…

PP thoughts only not a CFI…

Best regards,

-a-

[cwaters]

Just an update: 

I ended up getting the plane back the day before leaving for my trip and decided to leave her home and have a new Mooney friend exercise her while I'm gone. He has been sending me pictures and pireps of her flying and how she is behaving. I'm having some withdraws from not having the ability to get in the cockpit for 3-4 weeks now. 

In the end I wish I had flown her out here but know it was the right choice with the situation I had and the tight timelines I was presented. Thank you all for your advice and guidance. 

Edited September 28, 2021 by cwaters

[McMooney]

Southern route is the easiest.  It's really disconcerting flying at 12000 feet and the ground being 1000 feet below you 8).

So about keeping it outside, it's Southern Cal, otherwise known as Desert.  rust isn't really a thing unless you keep it directly on the coast.

Buy a cover to block the sun, you'll be great.  

I'd suggest you sneak out and fly, there are an amazing amount of places to go .

 

hmm, guess i was a bit late 8)

Edited September 28, 2021 by McMooney