Northern Virginia-DC Area Mooney CFI and A&P?

[jhelleberg]

Hello all,

I am a Private with ~160 hours mostly in Cessna 172s.  I have been interested in Mooneys for several years and the stars have aligned such that I am finally ready to purchase my first aircraft (shopping for M20F or M20J).  I found an M20F for rent several years ago and managed to get 2 hours of time behind the yoke (the grin lasted for days), but about 2 weeks after I found it, the owner elected to sell the aircraft.  Knowing that it would look better to the underwriters if I had some retract time, I have recently completed my complex endorsement in a 172RG (total of 10.5 hours retract, 2 of them in an M20F).  I would love to get a couple more hours in a Mooney before going off to find my dream aircraft, but haven't been able to find any for rent in the Northern Virginia or Washington DC area (I am closest to KHEF).  I don't think that additional Mooney flight time before a purchase is critical to my plan, but what I really would like to ask the group is if you all know of or have recommendations for any Mooney experienced CFIIs in the Northern virginia area. 

In addition, as I begin trying to narrow down the field of prospective aircraft to purchase, I would also like to find a Mooney experienced mechanic both to help with a pre-buy and also to perform maintance once a purchase is made.  There is a Mooney Service Center at Freeway Airport just over the river in Maryland that is very close to me.  I would like to be involved in as much of the maintenance as possible (I worked as an automotive technician in a previous life). 

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions you all can provide.  I just ran across this forum about 2 weeks ago and have been reading ever since. The information has been very helpful and I keep staying up too late reading more and more posts.  :-)

John

[Ned Gravel]

John:

A good MSC is your best investment in knowledge and protection when looking for a Mooney.  You will learn from them.  But if the local one does not like you participating in the maintenance of our own aircraft, you may have to find another shop.

 

[jhelleberg]

Quote: edgargravel

John:

A good MSC is your best investment in knowledge and protection when looking for a Mooney.  You will learn from them.  But if the local one does not like you participating in the maintenance of our own aircraft, you may have to find another shop.

 

[GeorgePerry]

Quote: jhelleberg

 would like to ask the group is if you all know of or have recommendations for any Mooney experienced CFIIs in the Northern virginia area. 

[rvaart]

I'm in a similar boat as John H -- about 140 hours total time, a shiny new instrument rating, and a complex endorsement with about 11 hours in a Piper Arrow.  My wife is also a pilot, with an instrument and commercial rating, and a few thousand hours of USAF flight time.  We're also in NoVA, and believe that a Mooney is likely the right answer for our mission profile (regular trips to west Texas) -- as a result, I'd very much like to find a NoVA Mooney and CFII with which we could gain some time and comfort with the aircraft before a purchase.  If there's anyone out there, I'd love to hear from you as well...

[Ned Gravel]

Quote: jhelleberg

I plan to contact the local MSC and see what their policy is for owner assistance.  Are MSC typically open to this kind of thing?  I want to discuss the candidate aircraft I am looking at with a Mooney mechanic to help me to judge which things are more or less expensive to repair/add to an aircraft to create the aircraft I am looking for. 

Thanks for the reply!

John

[jhelleberg]

Thanks for relaying your experience with your MSC.  I am eager to learn, but also understand a shop's hesitation to let "customers" into the shop.  I used to work as a mechanic at a Chevrolet/Mazda dealiership and we let customers observe while we worked on their vehicles, but in general observation was all that was allowed.  Some customers made it somewhat uncomfortable as they appeared to be there just to be sure the "dishonest mechanics" didn't mess up their cars.  It was a small town in Nebraska, so we couldn't afford unhappy customers and went out of our way to keep the customers happy.  I imagine that even in metropolitan areas the pool of potential customers is small and an A&P cannot afford to have a reputation of dissatisfied customers. 

I think your advice is right on and I plan to seek out a shop where I can learn about my aircraft.  This will no doubt help me to be a safer pilot and also help me to understand what to look/listen for as early warnings of impending failure.  There are 2 MSCs within about 1 - 2 hours flight time, so hopefully one of them is open to the idea.  I know my way around a shop and understand that I shouldn't touch anything unless told to do so. 

John

[Ned Gravel]

John:

I think you have the advantage on me in this regard.  You are used to the maintenance environment and you will probably find that you speak the same language as the folks working on your aircraft.   Good luck finding a good one and keep us posted on how that works out for you. Success stories are nice to read.

My own MSC is 90 Mooney minutes away from my home drome.

[HC]

jhelleberg or rvaart, have you found good MSC or CFII in NoVA?  I would appreciate if you could share such information with me.

Thank you so much in advance.

[Danb]

William.wobbe@gmail.com.  A MAPA instructor found in the back of the Mooney flyer...may go as diamondan

[HC]

On ‎1‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 8:44 AM, Danb said:

William.wobbe@gmail.com.  A MAPA instructor found in the back of the Mooney flyer...may go as diamondan

Thanks so much, Sir.

[Will W]

On January 30, 2016 at 11:30 PM, HC said:

jhelleberg or rvaart, have you found good MSC or CFII in NoVA?  I would appreciate if you could share such information with me.

Thank you so much in advance.

HC & jhelleberg & rvaart

I'd be happy to help.  I'm in the DC area closest to JYO but definitely close enough to HEF.  How can I help?  I've got time and experience in Mooneys from B-TN.  Most of my time is in the R with trips to Texas and St. Louis with the FIKI system on it but started in a D model converted C.  I don't have an aircraft to give flight training in and build complex time but I'd be happy to help in any of your aircraft.

If anyone would like to get together, I'm going out of town 10-17 but I'd love to help for sure.

As far as maintenance... Is it crazy that I flew an Ovation to GGG from Northern Virginia to go to Don Maxwell?  He really impressed me.  The MSC in Freeway is better at the older Mooney's though, not the long bodies like the Bravos, Ovations, Acclaims from what I have heard.

Sorry for the delayed reply.

[carl]

Dimondan

don't you teach aerobatic too?

carl

[Will W]

1 hour ago, carl said:

Dimondan

don't you teach aerobatic too?

carl

Yes sir. In the super decathlon. It's down right now however due to the owner propstriking on landing. Not sure of a return to service date.

[carl]

Just now, dimondan said:

Yes sir. In the super decathlon. It's down right now however due to the owner propstriking on landing. Not sure of a return to service date.

great , shoot me an email  when it is back in service ,

 

carlkenyon@yahoo.com

[Will W]

2 hours ago, carl said:

great , shoot me an email  when it is back in service ,

 

carlkenyon@yahoo.com

Will do

[whiskytango]

If you don't mind going around the Beltway, Freeway Airport (W00) in Bowie MD is very Mooney friendly.  I got the additional training my insurance company required for my E model from a CFI at Freeway. They used to rent a J model (I think they still do)  Another benefit is that you will learn to land on a relatively short and narrow runway (2420 x 40).

[charlesual]

John,

Have you found a mechanic and or CFII in the nova area yet? I have a mobile AI I use in the area that's familiar with Mooney's. He lives near Winchester but will travel. Also, while I've let my CFII lapse many moons ago, I'm very proficient at teaching the nuances of Mooney's and Boeing if you are headed that direction as well.

Charlie

303-246-0644

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[carusoam]

Thought for a minute that was Mobile, Al... Not a mobile ai....  I must be font challenged.

Best regards,

-a-

[carl]

17 hours ago, charlesual said:

Charlie

Charlie ,

 what is your daughter up too with her flying?

 

carl

[charlesual]

Hi Carl,

Thanks for asking. She's presently finishing her last semester of her aviation degree and flight instructing in Denver. She just finished an internship at United and made some great connections for later. Guessing she's get hired by a regional carrier by year end. How are things going with you?

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[mooney17n]

Good evening!  Am in DC area (have hangar at 2w5) 1/2 the month.  Have a 1968 C model and always looking for someone to fly with!  Have had plane since 1971 and would live to talk to you about maintenance and flying it!  Let me know if interested!  

Art

[Marauder]

Good evening!  Am in DC area (have hangar at 2w5) 1/2 the month.  Have a 1968 C model and always looking for someone to fly with!  Have had plane since 1971 and would live to talk to you about maintenance and flying it!  Let me know if interested!  

Art

Wow! I thought I was a long owner at 25 years. Nice to see another long time owner. If you ever get out to the Delaware area, drop me a PM. Always interested in meeting another long time owner.

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[carl]

 

17 hours ago, charlesual said:

Hi Carl,

Thanks for asking. She's presently finishing her last semester of her aviation degree and flight instructing in Denver. She just finished an internship at United and made some great connections for later. Guessing she's get hired by a regional carrier by year end. How are things going with you?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Charlie,

Doing great ,plane is in annual now doing some restoration, preservative work. 

I am studying for the written IR, and can't wait to fly. My A&P,IA has a grass strip and I am stuck there till the snow melts.

I am sure you noticed my picture is "the Mooney over the Rockies" you took . 

Carl

 

 

[cwaters]

I know this is likely a dead thread by now but I got my J in jan and have its first annual with me due in october. I've been truing to find a good MSC to give it the proper TLC it needs and have reached out to AGL a few times with no luck getting a reply. I'd like to stay out of the SFRA for a shop.

 

Any recommendations on a MSC or good Mooney shop?