Newbie Looking For Advice

[Yetti]

Learn to land in something other than a Mooney.   Then transition to the Mooney.   

[PeteMc]

1 hour ago, 40_Year_Dream said:

Um - I'm pretty sure that for Basic Med, you have to pass a 3rd Class medical first, at least once ! (In my case, a Special Issuance 3rd class). It's pretty clear in the regs.

Gotta love the FAA's own info. 

FAA Website: If you meet the BasicMed requirements, you can operate under BasicMed (without an FAA medical certificate) right now! 

AOPA website: If you’ve never held a FAA medical certificate, you'll need to obtain one from an aviation medical examiner (AME), but you will just have to do that one time.

[jaylw314]

36 minutes ago, PeteMc said:

Gotta love the FAA's own info. 

FAA Website: If you meet the BasicMed requirements, you can operate under BasicMed (without an FAA medical certificate) right now! 

AOPA website: If you’ve never held a FAA medical certificate, you'll need to obtain one from an aviation medical examiner (AME), but you will just have to do that one time.

Both are technically correct.  The BasicMed requirement includes having had an FAA medical some time within the past 10 years, IIRC, even if it is expired and you no longer have one, so yes, you COULD jump into BasicMed without an FAA medical certificate.  The website was created when it first came out, and they were targeting people who could no longer fly because they were out of medical.

[midlifeflyer]

5 hours ago, jaylw314 said:

The BasicMed requirement includes having had an FAA medical some time within the past 10 years

No it doesn't. The BasicMed requirements include having had an FAA medical certificate  some time after July 14, 2006. 

[midlifeflyer]

6 hours ago, PeteMc said:

Gotta love the FAA's own info. 

FAA Website: If you meet the BasicMed requirements, you can operate under BasicMed (without an FAA medical certificate) right now! 

AOPA website: If you’ve never held a FAA medical certificate, you'll need to obtain one from an aviation medical examiner (AME), but you will just have to do that one time.

I don't  understand what the love is. "If you meet the BasicMed requirements" means you have to meet the requirements, right?  

[Guest]

8 hours ago, mike_elliott said:

One of the new Ultras was sold to a gent who didnt have a pilot's license yet, and I have given instruction to a 17 year old who hasnt solo'd yet in his 2009 Acclaim. Frankly, he was better than many at staying ahead of the plane, stick and rudder skills. He will breeze thru the PPL for sure.

An Acclaim as a trainer at 17!  Where did I go wrong in life?

Clarence

[jaylw314]

20 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

No it doesn't. The BasicMed requirements include having had an FAA medical certificate  some time after July 14, 2006. 

Ha!  At least I was right 5 years ago 

[haymak3r]

What a great thread to read! I am a new Mooney owner, and am still a student pilot currently. I would like to give my thoughts on this, albeit very limited still compared to the rest of you!!

So, I am about 54 hours in to my training, and 48 of those were in a C172. While, I believe that training in a complex from the get go is doable, I can't imagine how much more involved it would be. The Mooney sorta fell in to my lap, as the other GA guys on field where I train knew I was looking for one. This one was located on field, and the owners couldn't fly it anymore and needed to get rid of it. Anyways, Going from the 172 to this was AMAZING. The differences were way more than I expected, and am extremely happy that I have the knowledge, training, and hours on the 172 prior to the transition. My instructor and I sat down, and discussed at length the advantages and disadvantages of finishing my ppl in my Mooney, but in the end we both felt that I was ready, and decided to transition.

Learning everything, from communications, to maneuvers is not crazy different, but enough that having the ability to go slower, and not have to be perfectly on the numbers on every landing, etc has helped lesson that learning curve of starting in a complex. 

With that said. I can only take lessons twice a week, which gives me a couple hours of flight time a week after the ground work. Having more time to dedicate to this may have changed my opinion on this. At the end of the day, I am thankful for starting out on the 172, and then moving to the Mooney. It also gave me WAY more respect for my instructor and his constant push for me to focus on pattern work, and speeds which has helped me 100%.

For insurance. Everybody is right. Uhm, I don't want to discuss insurance lol. There is one company in the country that will insure a student pilot with retractable gear.. And they make you pay for it. HOLY CRAP!

Good luck with your decision!

-Chris
 

Edited November 24, 2021 by haymak3r

[jaylw314]

5 minutes ago, haymak3r said:

What a great thread to read! I am a new Mooney owner, and am still a student pilot currently. I would like to give my thoughts on this, albeit very limited still compared to the rest of you!!

So, I am about 54 hours in to my training, and 48 of those were in a C172. While, I believe that training in a complex from the get go is doable, I can't imagine how much more involved it would be. The Mooney sorta fell in to my lap, as the other GA guys on field where I train new I was looking for one. This one was located on field, and the owners couldn't fly it anymore and needed to get rid of it. Anyways, Going from the 172 to this was AMAZING. The differences were way more than I expected, and am extremely happy that I have the knowledge, training, and hours on the 172 prior to the transition. My instructor and I sat down, and discussed at length the advantages and disadvantages of finishing my ppl in my Mooney, but in the end we both felt that I was ready, and decided to transition.

Learning everything, from communications, to maneuvers is not crazy different, but enough that having the ability to go slower, and not have to be perfectly on the numbers on every landing, etc has helped lesson that learning curve of starting in a complex. 

With that said. I can only take lessons twice a week, which gives me a couple hours of flight time a week after the ground work. Having more time to dedicate to this may have changed my opinion on this. At the end of the day, I am thankful for starting out on the 172, and then moving to the Mooney. It also gave me WAY more respect for my instructor and his constant push for me to focus on pattern work, and speeds which has helped me 100%.

For insurance. Everybody is right. Uhm, I don't want to discuss insurance lol. There is one company in the country that will insure a student pilot with retractable gear.. And they make you pay for it. HOLY CRAP!

Good luck with your decision!

-Chris
 

Hey, good luck with finishing up your PPL!  Shoot me a PM if you ever want to poke around CVO and another J

[SCPDaddy]

Thanks for all the great responses!

I am now training with FlightGest out of RDU (10-15 minutes from our house) on a Piper Archer with G1000.  First flight last week went well with a great CFI and I felt pretty comfortable flying it, learning the sight picture, using the G1000, etc., but also realized there is so much more to learn and be prepared for emergency-wise.  Another lesson on the Archer later today but unfortunately they are already booked heavy the next 4 weeks despite their 8 CFIs.  Plan to get my PPL on that airplane and other trainers/renters here in the RDU area.  I also noticed some Mooney trainer/rental airplanes in one of the local clubs that I will look into.

Once I and my instructors feel I am ready, I will then transition to N300ME, which I just closed on the purchase of today as I needed to get it before year-end for tax purposes.  She's a 2007 Ovation 3 GX with G1000, GFC700, L3 Stormscope, TKS FIKI, ADSB-out, oxygen, etc.  See attached pics.  I got reasonably priced insurance with another very experienced Mooney pilot friend listed as the only pilot until I'm hopefully ready for her sometime in 2022.

I am looking for an experienced Mooney CFI in the Raleigh area for once I am ready to transition.  Tonight I reached out to Mark Kolber who appears to fit that bill, and if any of you know of others please advise.  I also sent a message to the Currituck Airport folks trying to get in touch with Gary Ambrose who reportedly also fits that bill since I spend a lot of my business and personal time in the Outer Banks.  I have plenty of time to try to do this right and appreciate your input and resources.

I've also found and watched/read quite a few Mooney landing technique videos, articles, etc., and from what I gather it seems that like other airplanes, good things happen when you have a stabilized approach, configured and on speed, and follow the manufacturer-recommended flare, touchdown, and de-rotation procedures.  Otherwise do a go-around and try it again.  I've done plenty of FDR-readouts and data/pilot procedure analyses on 757, 767, DC-10, MD-11 and other airplane tail-drags and bounced landings and I can't recall any that were not ultimately blamed on unstable, off-speed approaches and/or improper flare and other procedures.  If they can do it with their high level of training, experience, CRM, autothrottle, oleo strut gear, etc., it's no wonder I hear about so many Mooney landing issues including bounces, prop strikes, etc.  From a geometry standpoint I don't think the short Mooney gear is helping provide a lot of pitch attitude margin for prop strike or tail drag, so I'm a little concerned about learning how to control that margin precisely and am hoping that training, experience, and the relatively large attitude display on the G1000 for the occasional peek/cross-check will allow me to forever avoid those issues.

Charley

left_front.jfif left_landing.jfif

[Hank]

Congrats,  Charley! You're off to a great start. Update us periodically on your progress. Just be careful, don't rush things, and never ever try to force a Mooney onto the runway.

[Yetti]

so not a CFI but I would do this.   While I will always recommend learning to land in someone else's plane,  If you find a Mooney CFI there is no reason that you can't fly your new to you plane with the Mooney CFI and just focus on all the other stages of flight besides landing during your 4 week wait for a trainer to learn to land.

The G1000 is the G1000.   What I suggest doing is Pick things you need to be able to do.  Change the radio, set the transponder enter flight plan. go direct, set lean.  Watch a youtube video and take notes.   There are several ways to do each thing with the G1000.   But pick one way for each thing and take notes then go fly.   Each time I would go up with the G1000 I would learn something new.

You can follow the CFI through the landing phase and that will just be that much ahead.   For landing I suggest this.    Before take off sit at the take off point and take a mental picture of the how things look.  Take off fly around then repeat the sight picture with a bit more nose up and you will nail it.

Trim, trim trim is the most important thing to reset before take off.  You will forget once or twice and then you will never do it again.   The power of the mooney can put you in a departure stall very very very quickly and much force is needed to push down to prevent the nose pitching up.

 

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard SCPD!
 

Is @midlifeflyer the Mark mentioned above?

Great flight instructor
Knows Mooneys

Lives in that part of the Mooney world

 

Get your training going… keep it going…

Efficiency…. is using a trainer…

Training from the beginning in an Ovation is tough….  (I re-trained in an Ovation, after a long time away from flying….)

I went back to the trainer for a few hours… better for both the pilot and the Ovation…. 

 

Flying both planes adds to your flying experience… only flying one plane, is really limiting to your overall experience….

The same reason people like to fly tail wheels, and gliders… you get a lot of experience in a short amount of time….

The O3 has 310hp…  that is a tremendous amount of power… a huge W:HP… similar to a Corvette.

 

Have respect for the extra power…   Don’t feel bad if you want to use the trainer simultaneously….  Some people train on a lap top computer before doing their actual flights…. Similar, but different…

 

Go Ovation!

-a-

[midlifeflyer]

6 hours ago, carusoam said:

Welcome aboard SCPD!
 

Is @midlifeflyer the Mark mentioned above?

 

Yes, Charley and I have spoken. 

[PeteMc]

Congratz @SCPDaddy !!!

After some time  with your local CFI and some time on your own in your new Mooney, then consider the Mooney Pilot Proficiency Program.  Even though I had a fair number of hours when I bought my Mooney and did my initial Insurance Required hours and Flight Reviews, IPCs, etc, with a very knowledgeable Mooney owner/CFII, I still learned a LOT going to a PPP a year or so after I started flying a Mooney. 

Probably the easiest way to see when future PPPs are happening are at this site:  https://www.mooneypilots.org/mapa-events

 

[carusoam]

18 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

Yes, Charley and I have spoken. 

The whole Mooney World is on a first name basis!

Go MS!

Go Charley!

Best regards,

-a-