Mooney for Business or Pleasure

[201er]

I'm curious if any of you use your Mooney for business? Does the plane make you seek the remote business or did your business make you seek the plane? What kind of balance between business/pleasure flying do you have?

 

And before one of your smart alecks asks if mile high club is business or pleasure... you be the judge of that!

 

[Bob_Belville]

I've been retired for 12 years so this '66E is personal which might be a better word than "pleasure". 

 

But I used to own TomN's '66E which I averaged about 225 hours per year in for 11 years. That was probably 90% business though the plane was owned personally. (FWIW, I charged the company $100/hour wet which well covered all expenses - avgas was $2. A factory new IO360 through Norm Bender was $10,000, complete, installed.) 

[dcrogers11]

I commute in my plane so about 90% of my flying is business related.  I lease it back to myself at a flat rate per month. 

Don

[rbridges]

I use it to hit a few meetings, but the majority is personal.

[aaronk25]

Last couple years I flew 300 hours a year for sales activities, but lately I find I just fly every 3 days to keep the cam oiled. Weekend boating activities compete for time this time of year.

[201er]

 I lease it back to myself at a flat rate per month. 

Interesting. Work around for 61.113? Do the feds buy it?

[N201MKTurbo]

I have almost 5000 hours in Mooneys, 90% was paid for by somebody else.

[Marauder]

And before one of your smart alecks asks if mile high club is business or pleasure... you be the judge of that!

Sorry Mike, you left yourself open for this... For most of us the mile high club is pleasure, in your case, since you are paying, it is considered business! Sorry, couldn't resist

[Ned Gravel]

Mike:

 

I am like Don Rogers.  in 2011, 87% of the cost of the use and upkeep of the plane was a business expense.  Last year that number went to 93%.  This year will not be so much (I had a great summer with the Caravan and all....).  Fortunately, our Transport Canada rules regarding the "business use of personal aircraft" allows such travel to be supported so long as I am alone (no one else or my company is benefitting because we are saving travel expenses).  As for our version of Revenue Canada (like the IRS), the Journey log is a legal document and it points exactly to where the aircraft was used to transport me.

 

My business takes me to many places across the continent.  Anything within range (4.5 hours or so) I try to do with the Mooney.  Beyond that, it is normally cheaper to buy a commercial ticket.  

 

Unfortunately, too much of my business is in places where I will not take the Mooney (south Asia) but I am working to spend less time there and more time in North America.  

 

I publish the normal operating range of the aircraft for business on my website at http://www.motiva-training.com/index.php/about-us/42.  Lots of clients like that and there is always the possibility of igniting the spark of flying passion in someone during the afternoons when the work is done.

[BorealOne]

I'm like Ned. Last year, 97% of my use was business. Most flights are within 600 nm, but occasionally longer depending on the economics.

[1964-M20E]

I use mine to go to conventions family visits and fun activities usually 3 to 5 each per year.  I do on occasion have the opportunity to fly to a destination and take care of business while there.  This varies depending on what project I’m working on

[Dkmiata]

I am commuting to my job in Farmington, NM from Mesa, AZ. I consider it business flying, but its just more for fun. It just stinks I cannot write it off, but it sure beats the heck out of the 7 hour drive.

David

[Mooneymite]

I have no way to use my Mooney in business and I am not sure if I did, I would.

 

As much as I like my Mooney for personal travel, I'd hate the pressure of "business" in my go/no go decisions.

 

If I have to "absolutely, positively" be somewhere, general aviation does not rate very high on my list of conveyances at least located here in the land of thunderstorms and winter-time icing.

 

Leaving my plane in a strange city while I rent a car to get home, or make a business appointment would definitely peg out my irritation meter.

 

My salute to you gents who made it to work....for years!

[Bob_Belville]

I have no way to use my Mooney in business and I am not sure if I did, I would.

 

As much as I like my Mooney for personal travel, I'd hate the pressure of "business" in my go/no go decisions.

 

If I have to "absolutely, positively" be somewhere, general aviation does not rate very high on my list of conveyances at least located here in the land of thunderstorms and winter-time icing.

 

Leaving my plane in a strange city while I rent a car to get home, or make a business appointment would definitely peg out my irritation meter.

 

My salute to you gents who made it to work....for years!

As mentioned above I flew a Mooney while running a manufacturing company for 11 years. I do not remember ever having to change any plans because of weather. I had an autopilot, a stormscope, DME/RNAV and ADF (this was as good as it got in the early '80s) and I stayed current and was comfortable shooting approaches to minimums at night and cinching up the seat belt and dodging weather. I did take off from Oshkosh once at zero zero. Just sayin'.

[jnisley]

5% business

5% pleasure

90% Angel Flight

[PMcClure]

I use my Mooney for business all the time and about 100 hours last six months. We use a small machine in some of our trials and it is great to tell a customer we will load up and be there in 2 hours. I can do more in a week than I could in a month without the Mooney. I usually fly in the morning and avoid the worst weather. I don't feel the pressure too much and always leave an out, including telling the client it won't work today. Most clients appreciate the use of the plane. While I can't put a number on how valuable the plane is to the business, it is like having a good employee and returns more than it costs. Attached is a picture of my Ovation, the freighter. 

[DaV8or]

Well, somebody has tp speak up for the majority (according to the poll) that use their Mooney for pleasure. I just bore holes in the sky and take in the scenery. I like to go places for fun and practice. Huge waste of money, I know.

[PMcClure]

I would add that most of my flying hours are business but also fun. I enjoy my business and I enjoy using my Mooney to accomplish a mission. It makes it more fun that I can write off some of the expenses! 

[Earl]

My Mooney use is almost entirely for business and I bought the plane to meet my business travel needs and not to expand my reach.  We have lots of offices in the southeast, midwest and Texas which are easily reachable for the Mooney.  I simply got sick of all the wasted time on Delta....primarily getting into the airport, on the plane, off the plane, to the rental car, driving and then repeat to get home.  I am willing to suffer fools for a trip to the west coast but not from Atlanta to Memphis.

 

My pleasure travel is primarily an occasional flight with my wife for personal reasons and occasional ferrying of one of my kids to a college visit.  I would say my use is 99% business.

[Earl]

I have no way to use my Mooney in business and I am not sure if I did, I would.

 

As much as I like my Mooney for personal travel, I'd hate the pressure of "business" in my go/no go decisions.

 

If I have to "absolutely, positively" be somewhere, general aviation does not rate very high on my list of conveyances at least located here in the land of thunderstorms and winter-time icing.

 

Leaving my plane in a strange city while I rent a car to get home, or make a business appointment would definitely peg out my irritation meter.

 

My salute to you gents who made it to work....for years!

This is a very valid point and one that is not lost on me and others that fly GA for business.  If I absolutely must be there I will buy a commercial ticket just in case so I have an option if the weather or mechanical issues get in the way.  I will say this, in the last 5 years I have had more delays or changed plans due to small mechanical issues rather than weather.  Thunderstorms and icing are no go's for me.  Can't say that I have ever been anything more than delayed by low minimums and usually that on departure as I don't leave an airport below approach minimums.  I usually know in advance when thunderstorms will be an issue and can plan around them by leaving early or delaying my return.  I think you would be surprised that if you have an instrument rating you get pretty decent utility out of GA for business.