Mooney At Oshkosh

[fantom]

If you don't understand, Dave, I can't help you, but I'll be glad to assist the factory if they ask.

"The plane...the plane"

[ChrisH]

Look at pipers last report on what they are selling. I like the barebone idea, marry it with a modernized m22 airframe and i'd be excited.

[N9201A]

 

Here is a nice and detailed post from one of the 'other'  Mooney lists:

 

"Wednesday, July 31, saw an expanded Mooney Owners' Forum at EAA's Airventure. Organized and hosted by Dave Marten, Operations Director and board member of the Mooney Caravan, this informative question and answer session once again afforded Mooney pilots an opportunity to discuss all things Mooney.

Representing Mooney Aircraft was CFO Barry Hodkin, who thanked Mooney owners and pilots for their strong support of the brand during these years without production. Mr. Hodkin afforded some needed insight into the realities facing any manufacturer re-entering the market, as well as some thoughts Mooney pilots had shared with him during AirVenture about products they's like to see Mooney produce. Mr. Hodkin also discussed Mooney's 96% delivery rate on parts support, something echoed by others as well.

Two medical experts in flying and maintaining Mooney pilots also spoke: Drs. Bob Achtel and Chuck Crinnian (AME) opined on issues about keeping one's medical and maintaining fitness to fly.

In addition to MAJ Marten, an Air Force test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, other experienced Mooney pilots shared their insights about Mooney-specific flying. Experienced Mooney CFIs Don Kaye and Jerry Johnson discussed type-specific handling traits. Two global circumnavigators, three-time earth-rounder and world record holder CarolAnn Garrett and 20-year old youngest solo circumnavigator Jack Wiegand, each shared their perspectives on solo flight around the world in Mooney aircraft. And Chris Shopperly, President of the Mooney Caravan, excited the pilots in the crowd by previewing a short film of the 2013 Caravan arrival that was shot, arranged, and edited by his eleven-year old son, Mason, who received a rousing Mooney welcome.

Whether it was due to the exciting footage in the short film is unknown, but Ms. Garrett announced she intended to participate in the 2014 Caravan to Oshkosh. Besides Marten, pilots Crinnian, Shopperly and Kaye also participated in this year's Caravan. The Caravan will be holding clinics and practice sessions around the country for Mooney pilots to fly their aircraft over the next twelve months until AirVenture 2014.

Vintage Mooney Group discussed their opportunities promoting Mooney fellowship and creation of new chapters, Mooney Ambassador shirts and thumb drives were offered for sale, and ArtCraft Paint, a Santa Maria, California-based facility, described their expertise in having completed over 50 Mooney paint jobs.

The Mooney Caravan to Oshkosh Education and Safety Foundation is a nonprofit Wisconsin corporation dedicated to active and safe flying of Mooney aircraft, and to organizing and promoting Mooney-related educational and social opportunities. Please watch our website mooneycaravan.com for upcoming events near you, and contact us at mooneycaravan@gmail.com. Share your Mooney pictures and see what other Mooney pilots are doing on mooneycaravan.shutterfly.com.

Larry Brennan"

 

 

...and here is a post of mine from 5 years ago that I still believe strongly in:

 

 

Posted by fantom on 23 October 2008 - 08:38 AM in General Mooney Talk

 

Hi All. I sure hope this site takes off. As a long time Mooney list and MAPA list participant, it would be great to have an updated and consolidated place for Moony discussions, without all the wasted time those two take. Hopefully all three can merge.

 

It's interesting to read the arguments of "senior" aviators on those two lists describe their relative merits. And they wonder why there have been few airframe or engine improvements in decades. ;-)

 

Anyway, good to be here

 

Hey fantom, thanks for the kind words...

[jetdriven]

 

Excellent report Bennett, and I'm sooooo glad someone from CA realizes that profit isn't a bad word.

 

I'd like to believe potential Mooney investors have looked at all these scenarios, and I'm fairly certain they have. I have an Industrial Engineering degree, and a Production Engineering PE licence. As such, I was very interested in the factory manufacturing of my new J back in late '93 and early '94. About 4,300 production hours. Given overhead, avionics, interior, lousy paint job, engine and other equipment costs, management expense, sales commissions, debt retirement and whatever else....I was amazed they could even break even at a bit over 200 grand, and in fact, they didn't. I'm glad to hear they have reduced those production hours significantly.

 

Let's face facts, new Mooney production, they way it used to be, will not happen, buying up old J's for 50 grand (if they could be found) redoing them and marketing them for under 200 grand isn't realistic. For MAC to be resurrected something dramatically different needs to occur, and I won't even get into the economic, regulatory and political disincentives and roadblocks keeping that from happening.

 

As most of us know there are a handful of elaborately redone J's and in at least once case, a pre J on this board. None of them could sell for anything close to what the owners lovingly put into them. The owners knew this ahead of the investment, as do most of us every time we put big money into or onto our birds. That's just the way it is.

 

From my perspective, Mooney might do well by producing totally bare bone J airframes with minimal instrumentation, hopefully with a new and better cowl, drippless fuel tanks, and the latest/best/new Lycoming engine. It's what Mooney knows and does best. Then either contract with a dozen paint, interior and avionics shops around the country and let the typical 'frugal' (CB) Mooney buyer do his/her own thing. These shops, under the new owner's guidance can do what they know and do best. An option, of course, would be to let the owner contract out, or do the work him/her self....even if it's not what they do best. Isn't this kinda like model of what some Mooneyspace folks, like Bennett, Bob and Craig have already done?

 

Maybe, just maybe, MAC could reinvest itself and sell stripped 'new' birds for no more than 150 grand, and find new life, while at the same time keeping reasonably priced spare parts production flowing.

 

 

I got your improved cowl right here buddy, Carbon Fiber.