Did you settle for Mooney or dream come true?

[HopePilot]

Wanted an SR71, but couldn't find the crew to help support my $100 burger runs.  Also, tended to overshoot airport by 300 miles, so settled on a Mooney.

[Jerry 5TJ]

I tell my wife, "Honey, we can't get by with just one airplane..."

[1964-M20E]

I trained on and love high wing airplanes but I could not find one that had the speed and efficiency of the Mooney a C177RG with the 200HP comes close but no cigar. I specifically sought ought a manual gear Mooney once I discovered that they made them that way. I settled somewhat for my E model since it was in serious need of a paint job but I figured I'd tackle that in a few years and it was bought and paid for. Unfortunately Isaac got me to upgrade to a F model with much better paint and an autopilot. The Mooney fits my mission and flying style. Now if I won the power ball lottery then I'd start my own collection but I'd keep my Mooney. :-))

[fantom]

I neither settled for a Mooney, nor was it a dream come true.

 

Not unlike finding a rescue dog, Mooney adopted me  , and no, I not saying any Mooney is a dog!

[duke]

Strted with a new Warrior in 1975. Sold it in 86 and with starting a small ranch etc, kids, new wife etc, didn't fly for<br />25 years. Wife and I were discussing what to buy to visit kids all over western Canada. We decided to look at getting a<br />plane but which one? Stared looking as 2 place, then 4 seat--Warrior, archer etc, then I remembered my uncle flew a m20c.<br />I called him and found he loved that plane. After doing much research on mooney I was sold. I remembered saying when I owned the Warrior that my next plane was going to tuck its feet up and get its a** moving. I settled for a rebuilt 1967 F.<br />Great plane and good usefull load. We get along great, after all we both got our wings the same year. Howeaver one of my<br />goals is an IFR ticket and after pricing what I wanted in the panel it was back to shopping. Definatly would be a newer mooney with the right equipment. Turbo or normal? big decisions. As I get a sore throat on 02, decided on natural. Then I came across an ad in Calgary for a 2000 310 hp screaming eagle for sale priced way higher than what i wanted to pay. Found that it had signifigant damage history in USA. Got all the FAA records and lost interest. A couple of months later noticed it was still for sale and called broker. All prospects were shy of history. Brker said why not put in an offer. I did and it was accepted. Had a thorough prebuy done at MSC in calgary, re repairs of damage etc. Pretty much a clean bill of health. I know I will take a hit on resale, but as this is likely my last plane it doesn't matter. I get to fly this 310 hp monster that I probably wouldn't or couldn't buy otherwise. Weather has been terrible ever since I got it home so have'nt flown too much-about 10 hrs. Anyway this senior gets a big grin on his face when the tap is opened up on TO and when observing VSI in climb. (I don't like diminishing the grin so don't look at fuel flow too often at these times!!

[bnicolette]

Settled:

 

A TBM 850 would have been my first choice but come on, I'm a lowly corporate pilot.

 

I absolutely love the "J" model.  Originally purchased to commute between work and home (180nm run).  It was the best balance of speed/economy I could find.  I don't need it for commuting anymore, but can't seem to talk myself into getting rid of it as I just love having it around.  If it only had icing protection it would have been the perfect airplane for my "then" mission.  I still find that I keep threatening to either find one that has TKS or more likely, upgrade mine at some point.  I've already spent way too much money on the airplane than I ever should have so WTH might as well make it the way I want it little by little.

[jetdriven]

Anything less than a 747 is "settling". However, it is a pig, won't run LOP.

[bnicolette]

Anything less than a 747 is "settling". However, it is a pig, won't run LOP.

Hard to get a 747 into KMCD (our favorite get away) but it would be nice for those transatlantic flights. ;-)

[DaV8or]

Hard to get a 747 into KMCD (our favorite get away) but it would be nice for those transatlantic flights. ;-)

 

A C-17 would be better. That way, a special folding wing Mooney could be easily kept inside so that you could get to any of the local fields. When you're rich, you have plenty of time to think these things through... 

[Hector]

Like most folks here I grew up flying Cessna's and Pipers. Read a lot about Mooneys but could only dream of owning one. I was a renter for a long time but grew tired of all the compromises required. I had a friend and business associate that owned an M20C and we would often take the Mooney on business trips. He is an aeronautical engineer and an A&P and had completely refurbished his Mooney with all new wiring, interior, instrument panel, etc. he was meticulous about maintenance and kept the Mooney in top shape. I helped him do his last annual and got to see every detail on this aircraft and was quite surprised to see absolutely no corrosion (always hangered) and was impressed with the structural design and manufacturing quality of the Mooney wing as compared to other GA aircraft I had seen. Last year my associate decided he needed a twin as his mission had changed requiring more extended over- water flights. He decided to put the Mooney up for sale. I was already tired of the renting and had been thinking about what to get. I was actually considering an older Mooney but was a bit concerned about all the work that might be required to bring an older Mooney to current standards. When this opportunity came up I did not give it a second thought. I knew the aircraft well, had a clear understanding of the condition, it was as clean an M20C as I could ever hope to find. I made her mine and have been flying her every week since. LOVE IT!!!! Mi kids will be gone to college soon and it will be just me and the wife. The C is probably all we need here in flat Florida, but I would be lying if I did not mention a J could be in my future. But not anytime soon.

[duke]

sounds like a sweet C. A few speed mods and it will be almost as fast as a J

[Jeff_S]

The J was always going to be my second airplane. Right after getting my license I started shopping for planes, and I sought advice from my boss's brother who flies for Delta (Northwest at the time) and has always been very active in GA as well. He was the one who introduced me to the magic of the J, but supported my desire to start with something a little easier to build time and experience. So I bought and flew a Warrior for three years, got my Instrument ticket and 500 hours under my belt before trading up to my current J. It was the right path for me.

 

Now, I have to admit I scan the want ads and dream about a shiny newer Ovation, or possibly an Encore, but the fact is for the flying that I do a J fits my mission perfectly. Nice blend of speed, efficiency and lower cost of ownership. If I had a reason to fly on business then I would probably move up to something a bit more all-weather capable.

[Parker_Woodruff]

If I wasn't flying this, I'd be flying a Cessna 180/2/5 on amphibs...

[Joe Zuffoletto]

When I was a student, and then a renter for years, I tried probably 50 types of singles. Then I found a sweet rental deal on a Trinidad and flew that for about 8 years. I memory serves I think it cruised at about 160KTAS burning 16GPH or so.

 

During the prebuy on my 1998 Encore back in 2000, we clocked 170KTAS at 11.5GPH. Wow! Not to mention it was better looking and better equipped than the Trinidad. I bought that plane and thought I was set for life.

 

12 years later I found myself back home in Denver, wanting more speed and range because we're so far from where we go the most, which is Northern and Southern CA. I didn't hesitate to stick with Mooney, and I only "settled" on the Acclaim Type S because I was about $3 million short of what I needed for a TBM 850.

[marks]

My '83 Beech Sierra was a far more "quality aircraft" than my '89J turned out to be. Though the Mooney was six years newer, within a year I was dealing with a gas-smelling cockpit and a few fuel leaks outside too. The Mooney is famous for fuel leaks. The plastic interior panels crack here and there but the Beech had soft vinyl infused cloth that wasn't under tension and never cracked. The Sierra had a wing load 20% higher than the Mooney and was much less susceptible to turbulence. Those long flat wings of the Mooney are highly efficient and low drag, but are also efficient of putting turbulence up your butt. The roll-rate of the Mooney is noticeably slower than the Sierra. The visibility is worse with a tube right down the middle of the windshield and a higher panel. The interior dimensions of the Mooney are smaller in every direction. I had the six seat option in the Sierra which was great for me and my wife, two teenagers and my daughter (can you imagine a J with an extra row of seats?). I hate having only one door in the Mooney, we had three in the Beech. I often fly from eastern MA to central PA. On average the flight was 2.5 hrs in the Sierra but only 2:05 in the Mooney. So you might say each hour in a two or three hour flight took one hour 8 minutes in the Sierra, but my wife claimed we saved 5 to 10 minutes packing the Beech compared to the one door Mooney. - Now I bought the Mooney to save gas and go faster. I've owned it since 2005 and have put over 800 hours on it. It's a fast, bumpy, tight and fuel efficient airplane. I've been flying for 27 years and our baby girl is now 22 yrs old, so I don't need five seats anymore. I'll keep the Mooney because now it fits my mission and saves fuel, but sometimes I get sick of reading "I Love My Mooney" on this website all the time. There's a reason Mooney was and is a nitche airplane. Hopefully I won't be attacked for sharing my observations with everyone.

[marks]

OH BTW, I forgot to say that the demonstrated and real world crosswind capability of the Sierra was also better than the J.

[marks]

Jim, didn't know about the Stinson connection. I understand and agree with most everything you said. When skies are smooth and my J is high and fast and LOP and I'm alone she's a great airplane. But I spent plenty of money to make her that way. New interior, paint, new gear (jack screw with a burr) and a full tank reseal at Weep No More.

[jetdriven]

The Sierra is significantly slower than other 200 HP retracts, as is the Musketeer is to othr 160 HP fixed singles.  The Sierra I flew would do about 134 KTAS, which is aboue 15-20 knots slower than a J model. It is roomy, has 3 doors, and has that legendary Beech Quality. However, the parts are stamped "Rapeon" for a reason.

[marks]

I agree that my Sierra did 134 in cruise. It was also slower in climb, but the additional cost of parts (mostly a Bonanza problem) could never out-cost what I have paid for a tank reseal and interior plastic and the 15 to 20 knts difference didn't add up to very much difference over a two hour flight.

[DaV8or]

There's a reason Mooney was and is a nitche airplane. Hopefully I won't be attacked for sharing my observations with everyone.

 

No attacks from me. All airplanes are a set of compromises. Some designers are little more clever than others, but by and large they make weighted choices one way or another. You pointed out some very strong points that the Beech design has. Much like those that favor Commanders, or Navions, speed, or fuel efficiency isn't the only consideration when buying an airplane and some have different preferences. Sounds like you almost wish you had your Sierra back and there's nothing wrong with that. 

 

Trust me, even though this is a bit of a fan boy site and rightly so, I see the flaws as well as the advantages to the M20. I try not to bash other types because I know that most of them have strong points too.

[marks]

You're right. I really do miss the days when five of us could fly in the Sierra to visit colleges. However, those days are gone and one of the big reasons I bought the J is that I suffered a fire in the engine (see NTSB report 10/15/04) of my Sierra in hard IMC over the water while flying back to my home on Martha's Vineyard. I lost all vacuum and had plenty of smoke in the cabin. I was lucky to make it back to a golf course overlooking the sound. After that I thought that if I was going to fly IFR over the water, that I should have a tight plane with long wings that could glide a lot better than my Beech. There are hidden qualities in the Mooney beyond speed. The liability insurance for Air Cape Cod paid me more than I needed to buy the J.

[Jsavage3]

I started with a Maule M5-235 b/c I needed 4 seats and good STOL.  4-seat STOL, the Maule can't be beat.  Then I put 31-inch tundra tires and a big prop on her.  Oh she looked good and STOL performance was WOW!  But, cross country flying was not fun...either for the speed or the fuel burn.  She'd get 120k on a good day at about 13 gph and those 31-inch tundra tires caused me to need non-asphalt surfaces for landing...but she looked good!  Find a fuel stop on a regular basis that has grass, rental cars, fuel, etc.  With the STOL mission not really needed anymore, I started shopping...  My old USAF buddy was loving his J, so we had a talk.  Then I started really doing my homework.  I was hooked...the J it would be, as long as my better half would agree.  Found a nice 86' J with low time, new interior, reasonable panel and original paint that still looked good.  My wife is an aviator's dream, so it didn't take much from me to convince her.  We made the J ours, although we did find "metal in filter" issues during the pre-buy.  The gentleman adjusted the price accordingly and we happily tucked her into our hangar.  We've since had the O/H completed and we're now enjoying the efficiency of 158 ktas at 9.3-to-9.7 gph (#2 at peak as she peaks first) with nearly 1000# payload.  Yes, the payload is better that the Maule's was.  We've had her to Oshkosh, Niagara Falls, the Bahamas, Florida several times, Iowa each summer for the fair (yes, my wife is from there) and we love looking at our long list of future J destinations over a cup of coffee on a foggy morning!  If we ever decide to part with our bird, it would likely be for a 252/Encore or an Ovation.  We love our Mooney!!!

[The-sky-captain]

I lucked out on my J. Quick story... I didn't know much about Mooney's and originally had a 77 or 78 C Ranger with new paint, engine and good avionics picked out and being flown to a pre buy. The ferry pilot, for some reason, decided to only put enough fuel in it to taxi to my hanger door and not much more. As luck had it, that day was IFR and she ran out of gas on a 2 mile final after being sent up into S Missouri for an approach. Plane totaled, she walked away and I had time to do a little more research and ended up with a J model for only 5k more. I'm pushing close to 1000 hours in it and believe it was a good bit of luck/fate smiling on me that day. I'm sure I would have been happy with the C but I've crammed me and 3 buddies in the J for ski, MTB and climbing trips to the Rockies and that would have been impossible in the C. Great plane!

[The-sky-captain]

Jim R

"We had a minivan for a few years right after our twins were born. It was great. Leather. Sun roof. Automatic doors. The works. I used to love driving it right up to the point where I would catch a glimpse of a reflection of myself in a store window or the like and be slapped back into reality. "

Hilarious!

[Bennett]

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