How to get into a Mooney

[201er]

Unless you’re one of the 2 people with a 3 door Mooney, you’ll have to resort to getting in the hard way. 
 

What’s your preferred way to get in and out? 
 

Bryan has some recommendations and techniques to master:

 

[mike_elliott]

left hand on center structure tube, right foot in foot well, right hand on hand grab front door jamb, swing your a$$ in and sit down

Ultras from pilot side switch hands and feet, same technique 

 

 

[takair]

My technique is apparently not one of Bryan’s FAA approved methods.  I “Plop” in.  No other way to describe it.  This is easy when alone.  Not as easy if the pilot is sitting in the left seat and you are a pax.  One moment you are on the wing walk, next moment you plop into the pax seat.

 Many passengers seem to use a Tasmanian devil, tear up the airplane, approach to entry.  If you aren’t fast enough to prevent it, the entry door will be a weight bearing handle and the carpet will end up bunched around the rudder pedals…..and worse yet…somehow the pax is stuck with one foot in the aircraft and one leg wrapped around their head with that foot still out on the wing walk….I just can’t explain it, and certainly haven’t come across an FAA name for it.

[slowflyin]

I use @mike_elliott 's technique.  When I'm instructing someone new on how to board, I add two things.   One-don't touch the door.  Two- stand on the wing walk and look down through the windscreen and grab the bar with your left hand.  #2 is helpful.  Otherwise, they fumble around banging the visors.......

[kris_adams]

that was pretty funny...thought he was serious at first

[0TreeLemur]

In our previous plane, a C model, I would put left foot in first, then right foot, while leaning against the aft edge of the door frame.  Then slide down with my back against the aft edge of the door frame.  Easy, but tended to scratch my leather belt where my lower back slid down the door frame.

The first time entered our J, I tried the same thing.   The inertial reel bruised my back.  Man that hurt!

Now I consciously tell myself to step down right foot in first, bring in the left foot, then duck under the top of the door frame and put my left knee on the right front seat.  Turn and sit.  No clothing damaged. 

 

[A64Pilot]

Knee replacements make it tough, I get my feet in first on the pax side and the tough part is getting my feet past the nose gear well. That well is what makes it tough and I believe why people say a Mooney is cramped.

A key is making sure both seats are fully to the rear, if they aren’t I can’t get in.

Today I’m going to try to fly to Deland for lunch after my third knee replacement, it was replaced on 7 Feb, so it’s a little early, but I want to try.

I am going with a safety pilot, neighbor is a CFII who will ride along just in case he’s needed. I’ve not taken anything for pain except Tylenol for more than a week.

I think I will be fine IF I can get in, getting in is the battle.

I’m determined to keep the Mooney and not buy a 182 or something that’s easier to get into, but concede it’s likely that day is coming.

Once in as a Mooney has you sitting low with your feet out in front of you and legs straighter than normal it’s quite comfortable

 

[flyboy0681]

My problem wasn't getting in, but off. Last month I was deplaning and missed the step, falling flat on my back. Only through the grace of God I didn't break anything. I'm still extremely sore, but fully functional. Be careful out there.

[ArtVandelay]

My problem wasn't getting in, but off. Last month I was deplaning and missed the step, falling flat on my back. Only through the grace of God I didn't break anything. I'm still extremely sore, but fully functional. Be careful out there.

No step for me, so I leave the flaps down so my foot doesn’t catch getting in/out.

[DCarlton]

I usually crawl in with my hands on the pilots seat, then sit in the passenger seat and slide over (trying not to put weight on anything but the seat bottoms).  My biggest challenge is not peeling back the edges of the interior plastic on the center wheel well hump with my shoe soles when I slide out.  Regardless of how I get in though, I sit in the passenger seat and slide over; usually moving the seat belts, arranging the charts and plates, and opening the vents first while I'm in the passenger seat.  

[DCarlton]

3 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Knee replacements make it tough, I get my feet in first on the pax side and the tough part is getting my feet past the nose gear well. That well is what makes it tough and I believe why people say a Mooney is cramped.

A key is making sure both seats are fully to the rear, if they aren’t I can’t get in.

Today I’m going to try to fly to Deland for lunch after my third knee replacement, it was replaced on 7 Feb, so it’s a little early, but I want to try.

I am going with a safety pilot, neighbor is a CFII who will ride along just in case he’s needed. I’ve not taken anything for pain except Tylenol for more than a week.

I think I will be fine IF I can get in, getting in is the battle.

I’m determined to keep the Mooney and not buy a 182 or something that’s easier to get into, but concede it’s likely that day is coming.

Once in as a Mooney has you sitting low with your feet out in front of you and legs straighter than normal it’s quite comfortable

 

I'm hoping the day I get to stiff to get in and out comfortably, and the day I decide to stop flying coverage at the same time.... but I had been eyeballing Cardinals as a possibility down the road before the wing spar issue.  

[A64Pilot]

How I got in was left foot first and sit down with the right (damaged one) leg still on the wing, slide in to the pilot seat and drag the leg in, bending it enough to get past the gear well was the hardest.

Getting out I drug my butt out onto the wing bringing legs out last, turn 90 degrees, close door and get off the leading edge.

Standing and walking off the training edge would have been much harder, and more likely to fall.

[A64Pilot]

1 hour ago, DCarlton said:

I'm hoping the day I get to stiff to get in and out comfortably, and the day I decide to stop flying coverage at the same time.... but I had been eyeballing Cardinals as a possibility down the road before the wing spar issue.  

Yeah I don’t know what I’ll do, probably some kind of LSA, an Amphib looks like it could be fun.

I really don’t travel much at all and therefore don’t really need the Mooney

[MooneyMitch]

You put your left leg in
Your left leg out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.............................all seriousness aside......................it's fun reading all the techinques in this thread!

 

I always offered up my style of ingress/egress, but did alert my passengers that sometimes it can be simply undignified either way.....................do whatever works for  you..........

[DonMuncy]

I reach in grab the center post with my left hand, while stepping into the floor with the left foot, grab the strap with my right hand, swing in and settle myself into the passenger seat. No fuss, no bother other than the floor mat having to remain in place. I have mine safety wired to the seat rails at the front.

[Pinecone]

16 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

I reach in grab the center post with my left hand, while stepping into the floor with the left foot, grab the strap with my right hand, swing in and settle myself into the passenger seat. No fuss, no bother other than the floor mat having to remain in place. I have mine safety wired to the seat rails at the front.

That is what I do.

Byron (Jetdriven) installed snaps to hold his carpet.  I think, when I replace the carpet to have him do the same for mine.

[EricJ]

6 hours ago, flyboy0681 said:

My problem wasn't getting in, but off. Last month I was deplaning and missed the step, falling flat on my back. Only through the grace of God I didn't break anything. I'm still extremely sore, but fully functional. Be careful out there.

Two airplanes I'm in frequently are mine and my buddy's Cherokee 180.   On mine the step is reasonably close to the ground and it's an easy step from the wing to that and then to the ground when deplaning.    On the Cherokee in comparison it's about 10k feet from the step to the ground and I often put my foot down from the step expecting the ground to be right there and then do a face plant or similar because it isn't.    When I did my multi-engine training in a Seminole it was the same thing the first time I got out, step off the wing, step off the step, faceplant. 

[T. Peterson]

10 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Knee replacements make it tough, I get my feet in first on the pax side and the tough part is getting my feet past the nose gear well. That well is what makes it tough and I believe why people say a Mooney is cramped.

A key is making sure both seats are fully to the rear, if they aren’t I can’t get in.

Today I’m going to try to fly to Deland for lunch after my third knee replacement, it was replaced on 7 Feb, so it’s a little early, but I want to try.

I am going with a safety pilot, neighbor is a CFII who will ride along just in case he’s needed. I’ve not taken anything for pain except Tylenol for more than a week.

I think I will be fine IF I can get in, getting in is the battle.

I’m determined to keep the Mooney and not buy a 182 or something that’s easier to get into, but concede it’s likely that day is coming.

Once in as a Mooney has you sitting low with your feet out in front of you and legs straighter than normal it’s quite comfortable

 

Ouch! Wishing you a speedy recovery!

 You have mentioned in different posts that you don’t really use the Mooney for taking trips. You may certainly tell me it’s none of my business, but I am curious as to why you don’t avail yourself of that benefit? If I am intruding please forgive me, but I find that taking trips in the Mooney is a wonderful blessing. We do have family spread all over and I suppose if we were all in the local area it would be different.

 If it’s because you don’t have any place to go, you are welcome to come visit my wife and me in Ennis, Texas. F41 is 20 minutes from our house. 

[skydvrboy]

I do the monkey bar swing.  I step in with my right foot, stoop down and grab the center bar with my right hand, and then swing my butt across to the pilot seat in one motion.  My left foot goes across to the pilot footwell at the same time, leaving only my right foot to slip past the center console.

[Hank]

12 minutes ago, skydvrboy said:

I do the monkey bar swing.  I step in with my right foot, stoop down and grab the center bar with my right hand, and then swing my butt across to the pilot seat in one motion.  My left foot goes across to the pilot footwell at the same time, leaving only my right foot to slip past the center console.

Pretty similar to how I do it. But I'll need to swing by the hangar and pay close attention to actually write down what I do . . . .

[hais]

I go on all fours and wag it on my way in : how else would the high wing drivers on the ramp know I'm excited?

[hais]

14 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Knee replacements make it tough, I get my feet in first on the pax side and the tough part is getting my feet past the nose gear well. That well is what makes it tough and I believe why people say a Mooney is cramped.

A key is making sure both seats are fully to the rear, if they aren’t I can’t get in.

Today I’m going to try to fly to Deland for lunch after my third knee replacement, it was replaced on 7 Feb, so it’s a little early, but I want to try.

I am going with a safety pilot, neighbor is a CFII who will ride along just in case he’s needed. I’ve not taken anything for pain except Tylenol for more than a week.

I think I will be fine IF I can get in, getting in is the battle.

I’m determined to keep the Mooney and not buy a 182 or something that’s easier to get into, but concede it’s likely that day is coming.

Once in as a Mooney has you sitting low with your feet out in front of you and legs straighter than normal it’s quite comfortable

 

Wish you a speedy recovery 

[MooneyMitch]

15 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Knee replacements make it tough,

Speedy recovery.  I’ll bet you’ll eventually be able to negotiate getting in and getting out much better and be able to keep your Mooney!

Thank goodness for wonderful medical technology that helps extend our quality of life. Best to you. 

[icurnmedic]

Facing backwards Right knee on passengers seat, right  hand on rear seat so not much weight on passengers seat back, roll in. Basically opposite to dismount. Works well for me. 

[mike_elliott]

16 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

I reach in grab the center post with my left hand, while stepping into the floor with the left foot, grab the strap with my right hand, swing in and settle myself into the passenger seat. No fuss, no bother other than the floor mat having to remain in place. I have mine safety wired to the seat rails at the front.

Don try stepping on floor with right foot vs left, it removes having to drag the right foot  in once seated in pax seat. BTW, I know of at least 2 Ultras that received kitchen approval to purchase once I taught she who knows what's in their best interest Mooney ingress and egress 101.