Looking at buying a Mooney

[Huckster79]

1 hour ago, Devin said:

Thank you so much for this very detailed response.  A lot of great stuff in there and I really appreciate it!

No prob! I’m just repaying the guys that gave me thoughtful advise as I have navigated similar decions… 

[tcal780]

I bought my 70C last year. It checked all the boxes for my mission (IFR, complex, "4 seater," autopilot)

I earned my Instrument rating in it and am now working on commercial. Took it on a few trips and plan to fly to OSH this year. Despite the higher cost of ownership than a Cherokee, I dont regret it one bit. I only wish parts weren't so scarce. Total, I've probably spent/allocated $40k in the first year of ownership, that includes fuel (approx 150 hours + maintenace reserve), hangar, insurance, pre-buy, 2 annuals.

This community is the right place to gather intel. Invaluable.

Best of luck in your search.

Tcal

[Devin]

10 hours ago, tcal780 said:

I bought my 70C last year. It checked all the boxes for my mission (IFR, complex, "4 seater," autopilot)

I earned my Instrument rating in it and am now working on commercial. Took it on a few trips and plan to fly to OSH this year. Despite the higher cost of ownership than a Cherokee, I dont regret it one bit. I only wish parts weren't so scarce. Total, I've probably spent/allocated $40k in the first year of ownership, that includes fuel (approx 150 hours + maintenace reserve), hangar, insurance, pre-buy, 2 annuals.

This community is the right place to gather intel. Invaluable.

Best of luck in your search.

Tcal

Thats awesome man.  Thanks for the comment.  Yea there has been so much valuable information on here.  Im glad your plane is working out for you.  I am a little nervous going into ownership but I know its what I want to do and I think makes the most sense versus renting.  You can only read so much and ask so many questions but the real knowledge and experience comes from doing so I am looking forward to ownership and all the learning along the way and hopefully the learning curve wont be to damaging financially haha.

[MBDiagMan]

On 7/6/2023 at 5:06 PM, Huckster79 said:

 

Yea, I think you are on the right track myself.  Especially looking at F or J... If you can swing a J- do it, for me personally I could afford a lot nicer F than I could a J, I would have been stretching to afford a J that wasn't run out... But each of our circumstances are different, had I been able to afford a J w a relatively fresh engine I would have.  But the price delta for similar engine hours and just J to F made the F my obvious choice, but again J is the haloed gal in the line up, if it can be done.  But you are better off, in my opinion, of making sure ya buy a solid bird that's not a fixer upper.  As in Id rather have a solid C model than a clapped out F.  Id rather have a solid F than a run out J.  But that is budget dependent and different for each of us to decide.  But with the cost and headache of an overhaul make sure the primary focus is on sound, quality engine, then down the list to other wants...

I think you're onto something with being a bit taken back by the advice to buy a simpler plane to save money then upgrade.  Nothing wrong with that route, but I think with quality training you are on the right track.  But we pilots are just a bit opinionated and we all have lots of opinions.  You'll have to take all of what all of us tell ya and triangulate off it to form your plan.  

I think really the only differences for cost is going to be the insurance and annual which you already acknowledged and it's not that that bad anyway.  I was 0 retract time, 500 total hours, my insurance started at $3300 it ends up like $2800 now that I have 25 hours in it.  My Cessna 140 with half the hull value was $1200.   Annual went from $1000 on the C140 to $2500 for the base annual.  So really the only potential for more cost over the Cessna would be if I had a repair on the landing gear or the CS prop... As both planes might need carb/injection work, both planes could have an attitude indicator fail, both planes could need a new alternator/generator, etc... 

So, sure with more "stuff" on board, more to break potentially, but if you aren't going for a doggedly simple plane like my old 140 which obviously you aren't if you are going to use it for family trips, there's just not that much more potential for repair costs.  I love the idea of my manual gear as that keeps things very simple there, so I think my manual gear a flaps are an advantage, from my perspective- less motors and switches....

So yea its going to be a bit more for insurance and annual than a fixed pitch fixed gear glorified trainer, but if you are financially secure enough that the fixed gear fixed prop wasn't the absolute most you could possibly afford, I don't think its going to be night and day...  I'm new into the Mooney so I could be very wrong, but from what I'm seeing and studied I don't believe I am.  I really think you are making a reasoned decision to go this route as long as you get some good estimates now what insurance and base annual will run and other basic costs and are comfortable with the figure- go buy your mooney

You will hear a lot of myths about these birds too, most are myths... The one that sticks out to me is they are a pain to slow down and pain to land.  I find when I pull the throttle back and raise my pitch it slows down, when I'm on final it's about like a chickenhawk to land- just about 10mph faster is all.  I think the hard to land reputation comes from folks flying sloppy and 80mph on final ends up 85-95mph- nope- peg your airspeed and it lands like any other plane.  I'm a rookie and usually make the first turn off without torching my brakes... Sure at a decent altitude ya have to plan your approach a bit more, and I've blown it, but it wasn't anything that one 360 didn't cure- learned a good lesson and move on as a better pilot for it... 

I also don't see prices going down on birds, save momentarily for a recession, but when we even look at those with cold hard logic- they last between a year to two, but these birds aren't being replaced by new ones at the rate we bend em or poorly taken care of ones corrode out... So I think buying your last plane first is not a bad idea, and that doesn't have to be 100% literally true as in ya can't ever upgrade, but I don't think I'd buy a Piper 4 place then the Mooney, if I could afford it, I'd just buy the mooney and be set for more years even if its not forever... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very well said Huck!  I also have a sweet little Cessna 140 as my second plane.

There are many differences between a Mooney with its stronger than heck steel cage around the passenger compartment and a crush like a beer can Cessna or Piper.  From where I sit, spending owner time in a beer can before then moving to a Mooney has a downside that I haven’t seen mentioned here.  I’ve purchased three planes so far and they’ve all been decent e ampules, but there were still things to do to get them sorted out the way I wanted them.  Intentionally planning on going to a different plane means one should plan on the expense and time that likely will be required when acquiring the second plane.

[Huckster79]

56 minutes ago, MBDiagMan said:

Very well said Huck!  I also have a sweet little Cessna 140 as my second plane.

There are many differences between a Mooney with its stronger than heck steel cage around the passenger compartment and a crush like a beer can Cessna or Piper.  From where I sit, spending owner time in a beer can before then moving to a Mooney has a downside that I haven’t seen mentioned here.  I’ve purchased three planes so far and they’ve all been decent e ampules, but there were still things to do to get them sorted out the way I wanted them.  Intentionally planning on going to a different plane means one should plan on the expense and time that likely will be required when acquiring the second plane.

What would you say you find that downside to be moving from a beer can to the beefy ol Mooney?  I love the feeling of no longer being in a beer can, but I would guess your take on it may be insightful....

The one thing I can say I don't love is one door for everyone, I get it, but I don't love the fact that if that thing is sinking or in flames we all have one normal exit... But given the overall picture I still like the sturdiness I now feel...

[MBDiagMan]

On 7/19/2023 at 12:04 PM, Huckster79 said:

What would you say you find that downside to be moving from a beer can to the beefy ol Mooney?  I love the feeling of no longer being in a beer can, but I would guess your take on it may be insightful....

The one thing I can say I don't love is one door for everyone, I get it, but I don't love the fact that if that thing is sinking or in flames we all have one normal exit... But given the overall picture I still like the sturdiness I now feel...

The point I was trying to make was that if you plan on starting in another plane, any plane, before moving to the Mooney, you will have to sort the first plane, build time in it, and then after going to the Mooney, you will start over in the sorting process to get everything working correctly and equipped as you want it.  SO….. why not just start with the Mooney and go through the sorting process only once.