Did you settle for Mooney or dream come true?

[1964-M20E]

First owned aircraft: Mooney. Current owned aircraft: Mooney Enough said.

Ditto :-))

[fantom]

Well, to tell the truth I really wanted a P-51

[Hank]

First owned aircraft:  a nice used Mooney

Current owned aircraft:  the same Mooney

   

Over 500 hours together and going strong!

[chrisk]

First owned aircraft:  Cessna 172

Second and current aircraft:  Mooney M20K 231.  I love it!

[Ned Gravel]

I was one of 11 owners in an Arrow and when that came to an end (whole story in itself), I decided to find an RG where the gear was some sort of manual arrangement (also part of the other story).  What kind of aircraft has a manually retractable gear, huh?  

 

Found it!

 

Never thought I would be lucky enough to own a Mooney.  It gives a pilot bragging rights.  So here are some of the mysteries of a Mooney one can play up:

 

 - Hard to land (myth)

 - They don't like to go down or slow down (partly true until you learn how)

 - You gotta really stay ahead of the airplane or bad things will happen (I like this one cause it is true = our aircraft demand competence)

 - 150 kts on 10 gph (bragging rights associated with this one)

 - rock steady through conditions that will make a Cessna bounce up and down (only serious aircraft are stable IFR platforms)

 - 2 hours and 30 minutes between our national capitals (except for the stop for CBP of course)

 

I had already "settled" for less once.   Not so now.