New M20C Owner- First plane

[redrider54]

Well I finally made it happen after multiple attempts at buying I was finally quick enough. I recently bought a 1966 Mooney M20C Serial #3310. 

I got a text message from a buddy knowing I was looking for a Mooney of some sort that fit my budget. It was a screenshot of a Facebook for sale ad. I immediately found the ad and sent the owner a message said I would like to move forward with the purchase. I drafted a very simple contract and started searching for someone to do a pre-buy and roll it into an annual if everything checked out.

The owner agreed to bring it from KHND to KVGT for the pre-buy and within a few days the pre-buy checked out and rolled right into completing an annual on the plane.  It only had some minor things pop up and required new rubber on the mains other than that the maintenance records were pretty immaculate!! 

My next hurdle was to get 5 hrs. dual in it per Avemco. I reached out on here and Facebook groups and found a CFI that owns a Mooney M20G and had time in a C which was needed for insurance as well. We met up early in the airport at Las Vegas and then ubered up to North LV to the plane. Did a nice little walk around and inspection of the plane, gassed up and took off to KPAN Payson, AZ for some good lunch and even better PIES!!!!!

From there we made the final trek to KAEG Double Eagle II in ABQ, NM were N2657W is now securely stored in my also new to me Hangar. That was also a feat of luck as I was on a wait list for over 2 years when I got called about 3 days prior to picking up my plane.

Overall great purchase experience and the previous owner was fantastic to work with.  

I'm pretty stoked and really enjoy it so far. I'm still getting to know the plane and trying to decide if I should take my commercial checkride in it or the PA-28 140 that I have been practicing in for the last 60ish hours?

[Hank]

Wooo-hooooo!!!!

Welcome to the club! Cs are incredibly versatile and very fun. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!  

[Niko182]

Commercial manuevers are a lot easier in a mooney than in a 172 or pa28. The plane is a lot more stable. Id say do it in your aircraft.

[DCarlton]

And an Evora to go with it.  I've been very tempted by those cars.  Looking forward to seeing the new Emira.  

[redrider54]

56 minutes ago, Hank said:

Wooo-hooooo!!!!

Welcome to the club! Cs are incredibly versatile and very fun. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!  

So far I love the added speed and stability!

42 minutes ago, DCarlton said:

And an Evora to go with it.  I've been very tempted by those cars.  Looking forward to seeing the new Emira.  

Ohhh yeah love the Evora GT it's been a pleasurer to drive it! The Emira looks nice I just can't get on board with it no longer being hand built.

 

47 minutes ago, Niko182 said:

Commercial manuevers are a lot easier in a mooney than in a 172 or pa28. The plane is a lot more stable. Id say do it in your aircraft.

I thought it might and at my DA it may be easier for the Steep Spirals leaving the 1500agl.. It would take me 30mins to get to altitude just to do that in the 140!!!! HAHAHA. 

 

I just need a local CFI with Mooney time to go over the maneuvers with me. 

[EricJ]

59 minutes ago, DCarlton said:

And an Evora to go with it.  I've been very tempted by those cars.  Looking forward to seeing the new Emira.  

A buddy just won SCCA autox nationals in one.

[David Lloyd]

Nice lookin’ C, you’re gonna enjoy it.

Wish we were back near Albuquerque.

[hammdo]

Congrats!  

Welcome from N2652W!

-Don

[redrider54]

2 hours ago, EricJ said:

A buddy just won SCCA autox nationals in one.

Way cool!! They are beast on the track, it's like it's on rails!

2 hours ago, David Lloyd said:

Nice lookin’ C, you’re gonna enjoy it.

Wish we were back near Albuquerque.

Thanks, I am so far!

1 hour ago, hammdo said:

Congrats!  

Welcome from N2652W!

-Don

Heyyyy thanks! Close tail # that's cool

[Jsno]

Wow}  Avemco required 10 hrs and ten take off and landings for me.

[hammdo]

I'll be real curious how she does at that elevation!

-Don

[redrider54]

4 minutes ago, Jsno said:

Wow}  Avemco required 10 hrs and ten take off and landings for me.

Not sure your hrs vs mine.

But was 280hr ASEL with IR and 18hrs RG.

[redrider54]

Just now, hammdo said:

I'll be real curious how she does at that elevation!

-Don

So far so good. Full bags I was easily getting 5-700fpm. Where the 140 I normally fly was barley getting 300fpm

[Ragsf15e]

5 hours ago, redrider54 said:

Well I finally made it happen after multiple attempts at buying I was finally quick enough. I recently bought a 1966 Mooney M20C Serial #3310. 

I got a text message from a buddy knowing I was looking for a Mooney of some sort that fit my budget. It was a screenshot of a Facebook for sale ad. I immediately found the ad and sent the owner a message said I would like to move forward with the purchase. I drafted a very simple contract and started searching for someone to do a pre-buy and roll it into an annual if everything checked out.

The owner agreed to bring it from KHND to KVGT for the pre-buy and within a few days the pre-buy checked out and rolled right into completing an annual on the plane.  It only had some minor things pop up and required new rubber on the mains other than that the maintenance records were pretty immaculate!! 

My next hurdle was to get 5 hrs. dual in it per Avemco. I reached out on here and Facebook groups and found a CFI that owns a Mooney M20G and had time in a C which was needed for insurance as well. We met up early in the airport at Las Vegas and then ubered up to North LV to the plane. Did a nice little walk around and inspection of the plane, gassed up and took off to KPAN Payson, AZ for some good lunch and even better PIES!!!!!

From there we made the final trek to KAEG Double Eagle II in ABQ, NM were N2657W is now securely stored in my also new to me Hangar. That was also a feat of luck as I was on a wait list for over 2 years when I got called about 3 days prior to picking up my plane.

Overall great purchase experience and the previous owner was fantastic to work with.  

I'm pretty stoked and really enjoy it so far. I'm still getting to know the plane and trying to decide if I should take my commercial checkride in it or the PA-28 140 that I have been practicing in for the last 60ish hours?

Real nice airplane (and car).  I have g5s with a 430w as well.  Great combo.  Do you have an autopilot?  If not, that could be your first upgrade, or an engine monitor.  Or both.

[neilpilot]

17 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

Real nice airplane (and car).  I have g5s with a 430w as well.  Great combo.  Do you have an autopilot?  If not, that could be your first upgrade, or an engine monitor.  Or both.

Hopefully front shoulder belts have been added. That’s the first mod I’d recommend for a stock vintage M20

[carusoam]

Nice work Red!

+1 for doing the commercial and other training in your plane…. You get to know it better with every flight.

 

Which one weighs more… the M20C or the Lotus?

Best regards,

-a-

[Rusty Pilot]

Congratulations, you will love flying her.  Also, love the yellow vette!

[Ragsf15e]

4 hours ago, Rusty Pilot said:

Congratulations, you will love flying her.  Also, love the yellow vette!

Uh oh…

[Shadrach]

6 hours ago, Rusty Pilot said:

  Also, love the yellow vette!

[Hank]

Love the LBC!! My own is somewhat larger but still gets lumped in with the "little" ones just because it's also "British."

[Rusty Pilot]

15 hours ago, Shadrach said:

I looked too quickly at the post via my phone.  I thought it was a new mid-engine vetted, obviously not

[redrider54]

On 9/8/2022 at 8:14 PM, Ragsf15e said:

Real nice airplane (and car).  I have g5s with a 430w as well.  Great combo.  Do you have an autopilot?  If not, that could be your first upgrade, or an engine monitor.  Or both.

Thank you! I don't have an autopilot and have been briefly been looking at the BK Aerocruz 100 but haven't looking too much into it. Not sure what my cost would be. 

It has a very basic engine monitor but I do want one where I can swap out the primary gauges too.

On 9/8/2022 at 8:34 PM, neilpilot said:

Hopefully front shoulder belts have been added. That’s the first mod I’d recommend for a stock vintage M20

It does have that, why do you say that though?

On 9/8/2022 at 11:35 PM, carusoam said:

Nice work Red!

+1 for doing the commercial and other training in your plane…. You get to know it better with every flight.

 

Which one weighs more… the M20C or the Lotus?

Best regards,

-a-

Hopefully, I need to find a CFI local that is comfortable in a Mooney. 

[redrider54]

On 9/9/2022 at 5:51 AM, Rusty Pilot said:

Congratulations, you will love flying her.  Also, love the yellow vette!

Thanks! LOL ouch man that hurts!!!!

On 9/9/2022 at 10:07 AM, Ragsf15e said:

Uh oh…

LOL

On 9/9/2022 at 12:05 PM, Shadrach said:

HAHAHAHA

On 9/9/2022 at 12:48 PM, Hank said:

Love the LBC!! My own is somewhat larger but still gets lumped in with the "little" ones just because it's also "British."

Awesome!!

On 9/10/2022 at 4:05 AM, Rusty Pilot said:

I looked too quickly at the post via my phone.  I thought it was a new mid-engine vetted, obviously not

HAHAHA lol it's okay, I had one on order before buying this car. 

[redrider54]

There is a slight possibility that I may be moving to Fairbanks, AK now ( military and just found out Friday afternoon) so I'm kind of freaking out about what to do with the plane. This is such an unfortunate turn of events after I was just getting settled, within a few years of retirement and hoping I was done moving!

 

Anyone with Mooney experience in AK? Worth the hassle for me to bring it up there if I can't get my orders canceled?

[Shadrach]

5 hours ago, redrider54 said:

There is a slight possibility that I may be moving to Fairbanks, AK now ( military and just found out Friday afternoon) so I'm kind of freaking out about what to do with the plane. This is such an unfortunate turn of events after I was just getting settled, within a few years of retirement and hoping I was done moving!

 

Anyone with Mooney experience in AK? Worth the hassle for me to bring it up there if I can't get my orders canceled?

If I were slotted to move to AK I would certainly want to have a plane while there. A Mooney would not be my first choice (I’d want something with the nose wheel in the back) but I’d make do.