Should I buy a Mooney?

[bd32322]

After 1 year of mooney M20J ownership - I have to agree with the rest of the folks - its purely a recreational vehicle and not a comfortable airline replacement. I am a low time IFR rated pilot (~300 hours). It has worked great for me where an upcoming weekend shows nice weather or light IFR at origin and clear at destination and I have been able to fly there, sight see etc and come back - all within a weekend. Although sometimes I had to delay because of winds after a front with the weather severe clear. I think the max endurance for our trips has been about 3-3.5 hours - which is quite a lot of range for a M20J (half-way down the east coast to warmer areas)

I think if I were to fly myself I would endure 1000 nm trips with multiple hops (usual caveats about weather apply) - but your family is the litmus test I think. They will grumble after 2 hours and then give you definite orders to land after 3

You might want to look at faster planes however - maybe a turbo mooney or a twin aerostar.

As for weather - I have had made some flights where schedule was somewhat important - reach on a certain day - not a certain hour - and I have made those flights fine by stacking the deck in my favor. Fly early in summer etc - avoid most of the cumulous activity, always be ready to buy airline tickets at the last moment etc etc. It has been hard to find really bad weather for the occasional long trips I do - about one greater than 500nm trip one-way every 2 months (boston chicago). If you are making the long trips much more frequently - you will run into really bad weather more frequently.

[scottfromiowa]

Quote: johnggreen

Jonh,

There are many good, valid reasons to purchase an airplane, and good, valid reasons (depending on your mission profiles) to purchase a Mooney.  I encourage you to explore them.

On the other hand, you have set forth a fairly definite profile of what is driving your investigation of purchasing a Mooney.  You want to purchase an $80,000 Mooney to transport four people over 1000 miles, with increased flexibility as to when you go (and arrive I assume), save time over the airlines, and do so with a cost savings over airline tickets.

I mean no insult or offense to anyone by my answer.  You asked a question and you want (I assume) and deserve an honest response.

Here is mine:  preposterous.

The scenario you propose and the benefits therefrom are so far from reality as to be pure fantasy.

I'm sorry.

Jgreen

[gsengle]

Quote: DaV8or

Jeez! Are we turning into the Red Board already?? Welcome Jonh to our forums. IMO, the search button is not a required entry manuever. Just about every topic has been discussed, so if everyone just clicked search and got their answer, the forums would slow down and die. If some find the same ol' same ol' topic boring, no need to respond or even read for that matter.

[scottfromiowa]

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/bizav/2187-full.html#206545

here is what you need for the mission.  A little more than your budget...