The furthest you have flown in a Mooney

[Becca]

Quote: jetdriven

Im not sure how far "West" Oshkosh is from Houston.

[Seth]

Without stops - in the 1983 Mooney Missile from KISM to KGAI in a little over four hours. Longest point to point Distance.

Without stops - In the 1967 Mooney M20F - forget where but it was just over 4.5 hours, and I landed with not a comfortable amount of fuel on board - Longest time aloft.

With stops - Summer 2010 in my former 1967 M20F - Flew from the east coast to west coast and back - circled the country.  KGAI - Maryland to NC (business lunch) to OK (business), to Dallas TX (business dinner), to Victoria, TX (business), to South Padre Island for Fourth of July with the old gang from college.  From there to West Texas (fuel), then Pheonix Arizona (goodyear field - lunh with friend), and from there to Santa Monica Airport to visit my sister for a few days.  We flew out to Catalina for a late lunch one day.  From there I headed to PDX - Oregon for the evening with an old college frined, and the next morning left for Bozeman, MT (fuel and lunch), and then to Rapid City Falls for Mt. Rushmore.  The next morning I went to Luverne, MN, where the field was named after a former colleague and family friend of mine, Quentin Annenson (a fighter pilot's story that aired on PBS a few times), and then to Flying Cloud in Minneapolis, MN for a birthday weekend with a friend (his BDay) and business meetings on Monday and Tuesday.   I flew home to Maryland with one stop for fuel that Tuesday evening.  It was something like 40 hours of flying over two weeks - it was fabulous.

[Shadrach]

Quote: Seth

Without stops - in the 1983 Mooney Missile from KISM to KGAI in a little over four hours. Longest point to point Distance.

Without stops - In the 1967 Mooney M20F - forget where but it was just over 4.5 hours, and I landed with not a comfortable amount of fuel on board - Longest time aloft... 

My god man how much fuel did ou depart with? That thing should have had at least another 1.5 hrs worth of gas if you were topped off.

My longest non-stop is just under 700nm. anything over 4hrs is plenty for me.

[Joe Zuffoletto]

When I was based in Napa, CA, my farthest flights were to Vancouver, BC, Minneapolis and Little Rock.

Now that I'm based in Denver my farthest flights have been to San Francisco, Cabo, Little Rock and Chicago.

[FlyDave]

My longest flight was with NotarPilot flying his new 201 from Johnston County airport (KJNX) near Ralleigh Durham, NC to Long Beach in the LA basin via KTHA (Tullahoma Regional Airport), KTUL (Tulsa International Airport) and KABQ (Albuquerque International Airport).

I had a blast - Thanks for taking me along Notar!!

[jdrake]

I'm based at Trenton, NJ (KTTN) and the farthest we've flown this J is:

North: Prince Edward Island, Canada (CYYG)

South: Naples, FL (KAPF)

West: Sedona, AZ (KSEZ)

East: Monouth Executive (KBLM) ;-)

[Seth]

Quote: Shadrach

[Hank]

I know what you mean about getting uncomfortable. I just flew 4.4 hours [thank you, headwinds!], leaving with 50 gals in my 52-gal tanks. I ran the left tank low enough that I was getting nervous, counting time on my fingers. When I landed, I still had 10 gals in the right tank. It's no fun looking at 2-digit groundspeeds . . .

This was a long ways from my longest-distance flight, but it was certainly my longest duration.

[Seth]

Quote: Hank

I know what you mean about getting uncomfortable. I just flew 4.4 hours [thank you, headwinds!], leaving with 50 gals in my 52-gal tanks. I ran the left tank low enough that I was getting nervous, counting time on my fingers. When I landed, I still had 10 gals in the right tank. It's no fun looking at 2-digit groundspeeds . . .

This was a long ways from my longest-distance flight, but it was certainly my longest duration.

[jetdriven]

Quote: Seth

[jetdriven]

Quote: jlunseth

I have to say, the Mooney is a very capable aircraft that will take care of you under pretty much any conditions.  The biggest issue on long trips is weather, there will always be something, and it will be different than what was forecast.  XM weather is a major "must have" addition to any long distance aircraft.

[Seth]

Quote: jetdriven

Ross-

My former 1967 M20F had bladders (and though I'm a believer in both bladders and wet wings, but that's a discussion for a different thread) that were put in prior to my ownership in the early to mid 90s (so at that point 15+ years with no issue) but it was the smaller bladders - 27 per side or something like that but only 25 usable - so about 50 useable gallson.  At 11 gallson per hour max, that would be 4.5 hours of flight.  I did not have full power the entire time in order to extend range, and was leaned pretty well, but I knew I had to get on the ground.  I had less than 30 minutes of flight remaining (I'm sure of that) and vowed never to let that happen again.

So, I didn't have 1.5 hours left, I had at best .5, and after the Top off, if memory recalls, though I didn't run either tank dry, I didn't have more than a few gallons left in each wing.  It was deep into the 40 gallons, if not closer to 44 or 45 on the top off.  I'd have to check my records. 

The new Missile, with 98 gallons, and at a lean of peak setting of about 12 gallons an hour at 170 knots, that's a LONG distance flight in 0 wind conditions.  I do not plan to test that.  I tend to fly ROP currently as I'm still working on getting the engine smooth at LOP far enough from peak to make that work without negative vibration (again, topic for another thread) but even at 15-17 gallons per hour ROP, 98 gallons lasts a long time.  If anything, I tend to not fuel up as much and thus do not carry the full 98 unless I find cheap fuel to top off.  I find that I fill up th the mains at 62 useable now more often then filling up the entire 98.

It does amaze me that I'll put 70+ gallons in the wing at the pump, when in the F model I'd put in 35+ on a big day.  Sticker shock for sure, espeically with fuel prices these days.

-Seth

[jetdriven]

Jim R. runs LOP in his Mooney but at like 50-55% power, where no overheating could occur.  But in general yes, I agree with you, LOP should only be attempted with a fully instrumented engine.  With 6$ avgas, the payback time for that monitor is coming pretty quick. The real beauty of the new style engine monitors is the ability to download data and spot trends that identify valve failure, which is even more valuable than saving fuel.

[AmigOne]

From Stockton, Ca to Culpeper, VA in a M20C.  In two days in February last year with fuel stops in Casa Grande, Az, Winston Fld, TX (overnight) and Everett, TN.  Great tail winds all the way but specially from Winston onwards when I got an average tail wind of about 50 kts, departed just before sun up and landed at Culpeper well before sundown with just one fuel stop.  Got ramped checked the previous night by the Customs Patrol Border Enforcement (or something like that) in a King Air that had landed before us at Winston Fld.  Aparently the fact that I was squaking 1200 and not talking to anybody gave me the profile of a "drug runner".  It was such a beautiful winter sunny day over the dessert that you really didn't want to be listening to the non stop talk over the radio.  Big waste of money for the government, some training I suppose, but next time I  guess I'll talk to somebody, specially when flying north of El Paso.  Although they welcomed us out of the airplane with automatic guns, after they went though our luggage and documentation and found everything in order the mood changed and I took a picture with them to preserve "the moment".  Although I understand the job they do I find ironic that I should get ramp checked when the crooks who are really in the drug business I'm sure do talk to ATC precisely not to arise any suspicion.

[jlunseth]

After reading through this thread, we are all lucky to be alive - or to have Mooneys - or both.

 

[jetdriven]

deleted

 

[Oscar Avalle]

Quote: mrjones30

I saw this you tube video of a couple that flew over the North Atlantic in a Mooney. 

What is the furthest you have ever flown in a Mooney, (With or without multiple stops).

[AmigOne]

Hi Oscar,

Didn't know that you were back in DC, send me an email, I want to learn about your trip to Guatemala since I was planning a trip there where I have many friends.  Went through several planes since we last met but as can see, I always come back to a Mooney.

 

AmigoOne  (Jose)