Training in a rocket?

[wombat]

I'm possibly buying a rocket fairly soon and while I've got several hundred hours in a M20E, that's almost 6 years ago and my hours with a turbo is < 10  and I don't have much experience in planes that are > 165 KTAS.

Does anyone have recommendations on somewhere or someone to do some training for me?  I live in the Pacific Northwest but the plane I'm looking at is out East.    Possibly willing to fly an instructor out to where the plane is and put them up for a night or two, (if/when I purchase it) if anyone is willing to do that.

I've got about 1,700 hours total, and commercial single and multi-engine, as well as single engine sea, and my CFI (but not MEI or CFI-I) and I've even got my tailwheel endorsement.   So I'm more ready than a fresh PPL.   I'm no Don Kaye, but I'm ready enough to know that I want some more specific training before I launch in one of these beasts.

[N201MKTurbo]

I have about 40 hours in Rockets. I’ve never been checked out in one, just flew it. They fly like a Mooney. Two things, they climb like a bat out of hell. And they have a lot of pitch inertia. When the nose is moving up it wants to keep moving up and conversely when it is moving down it wants to keep moving down. Not a big deal, but be aware of that. It takes a bit more effort to keep the nose up on landing. Whatever you do, don’t get into a pitch oscillation in the flare. Just be smooth. It has very little prop clearance.

[exM20K]

@Rocket 305 could be your guy.  Dunno if he does instruction in his Rocket, though.  Michael is a very good CFII and MEI who has owned a Rocket for a long time.  He’s based in Chicagoland.

[aviatoreb]

2 hours ago, wombat said:

I'm possibly buying a rocket fairly soon and while I've got several hundred hours in a M20E, that's almost 6 years ago and my hours with a turbo is < 10  and I don't have much experience in planes that are > 165 KTAS.

Does anyone have recommendations on somewhere or someone to do some training for me?  I live in the Pacific Northwest but the plane I'm looking at is out East.    Possibly willing to fly an instructor out to where the plane is and put them up for a night or two, (if/when I purchase it) if anyone is willing to do that.

I've got about 1,700 hours total, and commercial single and multi-engine, as well as single engine sea, and my CFI (but not MEI or CFI-I) and I've even got my tailwheel endorsement.   So I'm more ready than a fresh PPL.   I'm no Don Kaye, but I'm ready enough to know that I want some more specific training before I launch in one of these beasts.

Good for you!  Welcome to the club.

There is a bit different.  As N201 said - its heavy in pitch (unless you get a four blade MT prop like I did!) - and there are some engine management issues which you need to pay attention to if you want a good healthy engine.  Speed is no big deal - its still a mooney and flies slow like other mooneys - and it flies faster than most - but you get used to it...pretty quick!

 

[wombat]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.     I have not yet actually purchased the plane I'm looking at, but I'll let y'all know if I do.

 

[Austintatious]

It blows my mind how insurance has changed...  My stepfather bought a KA90 back in the early 90's.... He got into it with no training at all to fly it home with insurance in place.  In 2004 I was insured as PIC on a lear 31a  with less than 800 hours Total time, though I did have a Ce500 type already.

I am not saying that was the smartest thing, but the requirements for insurance have have gotten a little silly.   We just got a quote to add a pilot to a policy on a rocket... They wanted an ADDITIONAL 1600 per year ( 50% increase) to name him on the policy... This is a professional pilot with an ATP rating and thousands of hours in jets who flies regularly.  They want him to get 5 hours of instruction before he flies alone and will not reduce the premium until he has 50 hours in M&M.   

The rocket is no more difficult to fly than any other HP/Complex aircraft.  Does it have a few idiosyncrasies?  Sure... But the reason I enjoy it so much is because of how simple it is to fly.  There are really only 2 things one needs be careful of (vs other similar aircraft) or you could really get into trouble....  Be on speed at the threshold and Keep the nose up!I mean honestly, if you  do that and be sure to put the gear down before landing, you will be fine. 

all of the things that add complexity to operating the airplane are either avoidable ( IE:  flying high enough to need oxygen) or apply to every other HP/complex aircraft of its type IE: avoiding Icing.

 

 

[Planejim]

I just bought N5659M, a Mooney Rocket, from Skywagons in Placerville and used Don at Foothills in Cameron Park, CA for the transition.  He's good.

https://www.foothillsportaviation.com/

Jim

[wombat]

I suppose I should update this thread.   I bought N5773S and I've put about 12 hours and 2,000 miles on it so far.

Will hopefully be picking it up at KFXE with freshly sealed wing tanks in 3 weeks and then flying it 2,300 miles back home to WA state.

[Fly Boomer]

On 6/11/2023 at 8:55 PM, Planejim said:

I just bought N5659M, a Mooney Rocket, from Skywagons in Placerville and used Don at Foothills in Cameron Park, CA for the transition.  He's good.

https://www.foothillsportaviation.com/

Jim

Welcome to MooneySpace, and welcome to the Rocket world!