Let's buy Mooney - Crowdsourced Version - Straw dog.

[Tom F]

The reality is, Lasar is raising money in the assurance program, they are lining up investors, and the crowd source is probably the best option for the masses.  If half of the airframe owners pitch in on average $1,000 that would raise $3.5mm.  That gets them up and running, eliminates current ownership, and to think about starting out without debt, they could  build inventory then get a bank loan for improvements.  As I have said before this is similar to buying a EAA Lifetime membership.  You feel good supporting an organization and if you own a Mooney, the success of the company that built the plane you fly around in has factory support.  That support is in the form of parts, engineering, upgrades........  We have a company to save, I challenge each and every one of you to contribute to what I believe is a worthy cause.  The alternative is, well there really isn't a viable alternative.   If you so desire, click the link and contribute whatever you can so we be part of the next chapter of Mooney. Thanks for your consideration. https://www.lasaraviation.com/contribute

On 10/23/2025 at 4:02 PM, Vance Harral said:

I'm in for $5K as shareholder #2, provided I can be a silent investor with no actual responsibilities such as decision making, attending meetings, or really doing any kind of work at all.  Basically I want the same responsibility as when I buy a share of any other company on the open stock market.  I delegate all "authority" my ownership buys me to @Yetti

I am 100% serious about this.  If Mooney owners were actually able to purchase the assets of Mooney, I'd contribute $5K just for the amusement value.

 

[Marc_B]

Engine: TCM/Lycoming

Prop: Hartzell/McCauley/MT

Lights: Whelen

Avionics: Garmin/King/Avidyne/etc.

 

Big ticket items are taken already.  If not building complete aircraft, then it's probably mostly corrosion related issues, replacement skins, cowls, hangar rash, belly ups.  That and taking all the aftermarket parts from other vendors used on our aircraft and "certifying them Mooney."  Between McFarland, Univair, and Spruce many common parts don't come from Mooney.  Lots of parts are purchased salvage from companies like BAS/Beegles.  Even within Mooney owners, the parts aren't purchased with much/enough volume from Mooney itself.

 

I think it's problematic to expect the Mooney fleet left to support a company all by themself...Mooney, LASAR, or otherwise...just on parts alone.  The more prices become over inflated, the more inventive the owners will be to avoid purchasing those parts.  LASAR established themselves with upgrade kits and direct to consumer sales in addition to a Mooney maintenance facility.  By being able to use the Mooney name to act as the middle man for all the outside manufacturers that don't sell direct to consumer they can help themselves as well as all of us.  But it's a delicate balance of pricing so that parts actually get sold with enough volume to make it worth while...at a certain price this becomes a one off vs volumes that support profit from volume rather than solely on individual items.  i.e. how many people would buy a no back spring at $2500-3000 unless absolutely unavoidable...vs how many would they sell if they sold them for $300 and lots would buy them to have one just in case??? 

 

Mooney has production capacity for an older way of manufacturing parts, for aircraft that are no longer being made.  But it's a lot of overhead to run the shop even bare bones.  At some point the old Mooney has to be retired to give birth to the new Mooney of the future.

 

For those saying if everyone just gave "X" amount...what are you wanting that to "build"??  It's unlikely to bring back manufacturing of Mooney Aircraft as they were.  There's too much overhead to support Mooney as they have existed lately...

 

My suggestion to LASAR is to bolster upgrade kit availability, bolster common wear items on our Mooneys, develop cooperative ways for fellow MSC's to coordinate orders, see backlogs, and coordinate "group-buys" between shops, and continue to offer parts to consumers and other shops that aren't MCSs.  But the idea of an owner/investor NEEDS to have a return on investment other that just a "hope" that this might bring better support to a shrinking field.

[LANCECASPER]

On 10/23/2025 at 3:59 PM, 1980Mooney said:

 

They are effectively doing that.  If you do into the Kerrville County Central Appraisal District page that you copied above you will see that Mooney has not paid their property taxes for 2025 which were due in January, 2025.

And half of the items above, totaling $3.37 million are "leasehold improvements" (on Mooney's Balance Sheet as an "asset") which Mooney loses if they move out of the facility to save money.  Ironically, they have to pay property taxes every year on those improvements.

In Texas property taxes are paid in arrears. 2025 taxes are due January 31, 2026. 

[1980Mooney]

24 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

In Texas property taxes are paid in arrears. 2025 taxes are due January 31, 2026. 

Good point

[Yetti]

Other than the TX-1 platform to drones, I don't think building airplanes should be the focus.    I would take the existing fleet and make it better in quick turn items.    Clearly we know that shops can make money on Annuals.    I would have the Annual Plus program.   Spec out your fabrics before you come for your annual and get an annual and a new interior  in  a couple of weeks.     OR annual and overhauled brake system.   Or annual and overhauled trim system.   or annual and new panel.  Or annual and new engine or annual and replacement Moritz gauges.  This would fund the parts inventory process, because you would be selling parts with the annual.  The factory has the patterns and capabilities to swap out seats by just building a few more. Most seat frames need some sort of repair anyways.   New tail jack screws could just be swapped in and the others sent to rebuild. 

Other than color of fabric everything needs to be standardized and comoditized.   Yes you can have a new panel but it is going to be a Garmin Txi and Auto pilot.    No you cannot suggest how it is going to be laid out.   Since the software configuration is standard it would save lots of programming hours.  Just load it and test.  If you look at Cirrus they have a upgrade panel program.

Kerrville is a pretty good vacation spot.   So set up some package deals with local vendors.   Where people could stay the week then fly their annual and upgraded Mooney home. 

Then as cash is coming in, the standardized items panels, interiors, and such could be pushed out through the MSC network for local install.

This is a proven approach that has served me many time in the IT world.     If your IT world is struggling, it is because it is not standardized.

I would reach out to JOBY and Archer aviation and see if they want to rent factory space to build their air taxis

 

 

[MikeOH]

16 hours ago, Tom F said:

We have a company to save, I challenge each and every one of you to contribute to what I believe is a worthy cause

NO, WE do not have a company to save; that’s Mooney/LASAR’s job!

There are plenty of worthy CHARITIES to DONATE to. Mooney is NOT a one of them.

[Yetti]

OH and Factory training program.     When I flew over a couple of weeks ago there were 3-4 trainers in the pattern at Kerrville.    While your bird is getting an annual, how about getting some brush up on the your Mooney skills.   Or maybe run through the Mooney Safety program.  Also Transition training(I would have paid for this since my two Mooney guys were busy when I needed them).   It's all about developing an eco system for the Mooney Vroom. 

[Ragsf15e]

58 minutes ago, Yetti said:

Other than the TX-1 platform to drones, I don't think building airplanes should be the focus.    I would take the existing fleet and make it better in quick turn items.    Clearly we know that shops can make money on Annuals.    I would have the Annual Plus program.   Spec out your fabrics before you come for your annual and get an annual and a new interior  in  a couple of weeks.     OR annual and overhauled brake system.   Or annual and overhauled trim system.   or annual and new panel.  Or annual and new engine or annual and replacement Moritz gauges.  This would fund the parts inventory process, because you would be selling parts with the annual.  The factory has the patterns and capabilities to swap out seats by just building a few more. Most seat frames need some sort of repair anyways.   New tail jack screws could just be swapped in and the others sent to rebuild. 

Other than color of fabric everything needs to be standardized and comoditized.   Yes you can have a new panel but it is going to be a Garmin Txi and Auto pilot.    No you cannot suggest how it is going to be laid out.   Since the software configuration is standard it would save lots of programming hours.  Just load it and test.  If you look at Cirrus they have a upgrade panel program.

Kerrville is a pretty good vacation spot.   So set up some package deals with local vendors.   Where people could stay the week then fly their annual and upgraded Mooney home. 

Then as cash is coming in, the standardized items panels, interiors, and such could be pushed out through the MSC network for local install.

This is a proven approach that has served me many time in the IT world.     If your IT world is struggling, it is because it is not standardized.

I would reach out to JOBY and Archer aviation and see if they want to rent factory space to build their air taxis

 

 

There are a few other “upgrades” I think mooney could do easily that would be popular.  I also think they could be done right now without too much “stc, pma, faa” turmoil.  Haven’t some vintage owners put on a J cowling?  The factory could offer them done right there.  That’s probably expensive, but it’s a great speed mod and eliminates the rubber boot.  What about one piece belly?  People would likely pay for that.  If they were doing the kind of upgrades you mentioned, people would likely do more maintenance there and help the whole operation.

[hammdo]

If I recall, the factory prefers to do ‘modern’ Mooneys and let Vintage go to the MSCs like Maxwell’s- due to the overall knowledge MSCs have on Vintage aircraft. 

I believe a lot of the vintage tooling is no longer at the factory also. I guess a call to the factory would be a good idea to see what support it has for Vintage Mooneys…

I’ve gone to Maxwell’s and SWTA for my Vintage Mooneys and my experience has been excellent. Edge Aviation near me also has experience with Mooneys and I go there a lot for most other work. I wish David ( @Sabremech ) was closer :o) I’d go to him for sure…

-Don

[Sabremech]

4 hours ago, hammdo said:

If I recall, the factory prefers to do ‘modern’ Mooneys and let Vintage go to the MSCs like Maxwell’s- due to the overall knowledge MSCs have on Vintage aircraft. 

I believe a lot of the vintage tooling is no longer at the factory also. I guess a call to the factory would be a good idea to see what support it has for Vintage Mooneys…

I’ve gone to Maxwell’s and SWTA for my Vintage Mooneys and my experience has been excellent. Edge Aviation near me also has experience with Mooneys and I go there a lot for most other work. I wish David ( @Sabremech ) was closer :o) I’d go to him for sure…

-Don

Now that you have that cool auto-pilot, come North! I’ll be retiring from the full time work in January and have 2 Mooney’s that I regularly work on and do their annuals. I have an E model in for annual right now! 
David

[varlajo]

I see putting $5K into Mooney as an insurance policy to (hopefully) ascertain the availability of esoteric parts, not an investment. Premium annuals should be the cash cow, and all profits should go into the manufacturing of two dozen key parts and nothing else. 

[Tom F]

8 hours ago, MikeOH said:

NO, WE do not have a company to save; that’s Mooney/LASAR’s job!

There are plenty of worthy CHARITIES to DONATE to. Mooney is NOT a one of them.

Mikeoh opinions are certainly like belly buttons, everyone has one.  You appear to have a hard on for anything related to the Mooney operation. Or maybe, comprehension is an issue for you. Do you have anything constructive to add or do you like making pointless statements.  Is Lasar supposed to shit the money to buy Mooney?  Chances are someday you’ll need something, good luck.  Or maybe, you’re just happy polishing your hangar queen.

 

[MikeOH]

17 minutes ago, Tom F said:

Mikeoh opinions are certainly like belly buttons, everyone has one.  You appear to have a hard on for anything related to the Mooney operation. Or maybe, comprehension is an issue for you. Do you have anything constructive to add or do you like making pointless statements.  Is Lasar supposed to shit the money to buy Mooney?  Chances are someday you’ll need something, good luck.  Or maybe, you’re just happy polishing your hangar queen.

 

WOW!  An ad hom as a rebuttal to my opinion disagreeing with yours!

It's LASAR's choice how best to spend THEIR money on whatever they wish and in whatever manner THEY see fit to better their business.

Being skeptical is hardly pointless and questioning paying a fee for an undefined return on your 'investment' is certainly fair game in a forum.

[McMooney]

thinking mooney could make cash offering upgrade cheaper than others, no reason they couldn't offer avionics upgrades or speed mods as said earlier., annuals, of course,  extended range tanks 8)?????  and of course refurb landing gear, engines etc... , painting???  

but i think ultimately, the goal should be to make airplanes and drones, other wise you're just a msc waiting to go out of business.  do whatever you need to automate production to drive down cost.  

[toto]

27 minutes ago, McMooney said:

thinking mooney could make cash offering upgrade cheaper than others, no reason they couldn't offer avionics upgrades or speed mods as said earlier., annuals, of course,  extended range tanks 8)?????  and of course refurb landing gear, engines etc... , painting???  

but i think ultimately, the goal should be to make airplanes and drones, other wise you're just a msc waiting to go out of business.  do whatever you need to automate production to drive down cost.  

Mooney was actively marketing the factory service center for a while as a place to get annuals and regular maintenance done. Is the factory service center still operating?

[1980Mooney]

7 hours ago, toto said:

Mooney was actively marketing the factory service center for a while as a place to get annuals and regular maintenance done. Is the factory service center still operating?

Correct. Jonny announced in April 2022 that they opened the service center. @kortopates Reported they shut if down earlier this year while a friends Acclaim was being serviced.  
 

Obviously, they were not making any profit. This notion that services are a huge money maker that can turn around the finances at the factoryis just complete fantasy.

 

[Justin Schmidt]

Has anyone asked the question, has LASAR or Mooney, for that matter, gone to venture capitalist,  banks ect for cash infusion. If not why not. If so what was the result and why.

I can guarantee that most loans or requests of money from investors is rejected because of a lack of management ability to turn the company around,  lack of business plans.

So if a bank or other investors won't poney up, the next last gasp of air is to make an emotional plea to those with an emotional attachment and little business sense.  Others are correct,  the money is most likely like the alimony to an ex...gone as will be both companies. 

Money is rarely the root problem, management is almost always the problem. This is why buyouts get rid of management. 

[hazek]

29 minutes ago, Justin Schmidt said:

the next last gasp of air is to make an emotional plea

I actually feel extorted. "Give us money or your plane will potentially be grounded because we wont sell you a part because others will be in line before you but trust us, without showing you any company information, it's all just a problem of money, so if you do make a donation, you'll be sure to get that part!"

I don't react well to stuff like this.

[Fix]

On 10/25/2025 at 3:59 AM, Tom F said:

If you so desire, click the link and contribute whatever you can so we be part of the next chapter of Mooney. Thanks for your consideration. https://www.lasaraviation.com/contribute

I would have no problems to donate/subscribe yearly $1000-2000 if it was directly to Mooney.
Now I'm financing a another company that would make profit from our donations/subscriptions.
 

[EricJ]

48 minutes ago, hazek said:

I actually feel extorted. "Give us money or your plane will potentially be grounded because we wont sell you a part because others will be in line before you but trust us, without showing you any company information, it's all just a problem of money, so if you do make a donation, you'll be sure to get that part!"

I don't react well to stuff like this.

That was basically my first reponse as well.   And they immediately moved to a tiered system, which seems a bit elitist when they're talking like they're trying to be a "community" effort.   I don't think it's playing like they think it is or like they intended.   
 

[Schllc]

I share all of the same suspicions, and have had nearly all the same reactions to lasar’s rollout. 
i also sent an email with some of my impressions and perceptions. Another member here had done the same and set up a conference call with Brett and John to get a better explanation.  
In that conversation the idea was floated for a town hall of sorts. 
They seem to have genuine good intentions, and while this is in no way a solely altruistic venture for these guys, their success would mean a more stable future for the fleet.

They are listening to our comments and grappling with how to package this in a way that accurately describes their needs and what they intend to provide. 
I would suggest anyone who genuinely wants to provide constructive input, to email them directly, and participate in the meeting if it comes about. 

Also, we aren’t talking the kinds of figures that brings in a marketing team and some huge structure. Even if the parts division was running like a Swiss clock, we aren’t talking about millions of dollars a year in profit. 
there is room in this deal for the owners to make money and for the fleet to get serviced fairly.  Finding that sweet spot isn’t going to be free, and to think it would be cheaper to go bankrupt, and restart from scratch is fantasy. 
I don’t know if what they are attempting will work, but I heard enough to believe if they can fix this packaging problem and better define how contributors can benefit, it may actually work. 
They are still finding out the mess that Mooney was, and know what needs to be done, and are sorting it out.  
Mooney did not even have a database that they could query for inventory management. 
This was shocking to me, something so basic and critical for any manufacturing supplier, was left in the 70’s tech. They appear to be very close to converting that, which is a huge step.  
I am stopping short of advocating for this assurance plan, but there is potential to make it work, and am much more supportive than I was since talking to them. 

[hazek]

43 minutes ago, Schllc said:

They are listening to our comments and grappling with how to package this in a way that accurately describes their needs and what they intend to provide. 

I don't know about anyone else but I don't need things "packaged" for me. I abhor PR.

Lasar, guys, if you're really listening, and you want to win people over, tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. Give it to us straight, shows the numbers, show the plan and then lets see what you got.

[Schllc]

2 hours ago, hazek said:

I don't know about anyone else but I don't need things "packaged" for me. I abhor PR.

Lasar, guys, if you're really listening, and you want to win people over, tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. Give it to us straight, shows the numbers, show the plan and then lets see what you got.

I don’t disagree.  My reference to packaging was about how they rolled out these ideas.  Being direct and honest will go a long way. but like I said, this isn’t like Facebook buying WhatsApp. 
There isn’t enough money in this to make people fight for position, or bring in reorganization consultants etc. we are talking about a relatively small business, with some giant overhead and regulatory obstacles and I don’t see anyone else but Lasar stepping up.  
Nothing doesn’t seem like a great option.
What I was trying to say is that I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt here, and I would prefer to offer a little optimism. 
Doing so doesn’t really come at any cost, but sinking that ship before they can leave the dock isn’t going to help the fleet either. 
After talking to them, I’m confident  these missteps are less vetted than they are obfuscation. I don’t believe the time frame was completely discretionary, and they are reacting to circumstances. 

[1980Mooney]

1 hour ago, Justin Schmidt said:

Has anyone asked the question, has LASAR or Mooney, for that matter, gone to venture capitalist,  banks ect for cash infusion. If not why not. If so what was the result and why. I can guarantee that most loans or requests of money from investors is rejected because of a lack of management ability to turn the company around,  lack of business plans.

So if a bank or other investors won't poney up, the next last gasp of air is to make an emotional plea to those with an emotional attachment and little business sense.  Others are correct,  the money is most likely like the alimony to an ex...gone as will be both companies. 

Money is rarely the root problem, management is almost always the problem. This is why buyouts get rid of management. 

"make an emotional plea to those with an emotional attachment and little business sense."

This is the best advice yet in this topic.     

[christaylor302]

Could the factory make a profit if it provided labor services? Repairs, tank reseals, painting, annuals? These are all things the factory did to release a new planes. It would compete with MSCs but would give us more options and could help fund the parts production.