First Aircraft purchase... Mooney?

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deftone

Pre-takeoff checklist
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deftone
Hi Folks,

Im just about to take my PPL checkride, and assuming I pass I plan to buy my first aircraft.

To give a bit of background...I started out in a Piper Warrior, before changing schools to follow my CFI to his new job. At this new school they are all 172.

I much prefered the warrior, and as such have been tailoring my search to the PA28 series of aircraft. However recently I have been questioning if it fits my mission..or if I just feel a sense of attachment to them as it was the first aircraft I had flown.

My mission is as follows... As someone who works a 28day on, 28day off schedule, I have plenty of time to fly. I want something that will allow me to travel long distances, without leaving me homeless and broke:rofl:. Payload is going to be myself or myself plus one, along with bags.

My mission within a mission is to visit all the MLB ballparks within one season:D

I put some thought into one of the smaller twins, with the idea of going straight for my ME before Instrument to allow me to build up the ME hours...I still have the dream of flying for a living, however I am unsure if this is unrealistic right from gaining my PPL.

I have budgeted $50k, although I would like to stay nearer $40k to allow for anything that pops up on first inspection to be covered.

I love the Bellanca Super Viking, however finding a nice one within budget is a little tricky. This led me to the world of Mooney!

There are some nicely priced mooneys out there, now I have never flown one, or even sat in one, although I have had a good look at a few in person. What concerns me is the thought that this might be too much airplane for a low time pilot. I understand it is fast and slick, and through reading various forums I have heard tales of it being tricky to land for a noob pilot. Is this something that I should worry about? Should I forget about the Mooney and stick with the PA28 series aircraft? Or is there another aircraft that meets my mission that I am overlooking?

http://www.trade-a-plane.com/detail/aircraft/Single+Engine+Piston/1963/Mooney/M20C/1758599.html
 
I used to fly an M20F. If you work 28 on and 28 off that should give you plenty of time for owner-assisted maintenance, which will help keep costs down. The plane gets good economy, and I think is a good first plane. I loved flying the thing. If you're doing long trips, I would look at an F.

If you're on a budget, I don't recommend a twin. A $40k twin will likely require a decent sum of parts. I know of a good deal on a '55 310 in good condition with a 530 if you're interested, though, and you could get it for under $35k.
 
Get a Bo. :)

But seriously. Get a Bonanza. Easy to fly, easiest airplane to land I've ever flown. Nice and spacious inside. Good for long trips.
 
deftone said:
What concerns me is the thought that this might be too much airplane for a low time pilot. I understand it is fast and slick, and through reading various forums I have heard tales of it being tricky to land for a noob pilot. Is this something that I should worry about?
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Can you fly and stay on your numbers? If you can, landing a Mooney is not hard at all. Yeah, you'll have to learn the complex part of operations, but it really is that simple. Fly the numbers and landing is easy.

My partner and I each had maybe 100hrs TT when we bought the Mooney, no problems.

I like it, quick and economical, and annuals have not been horrific.
 
The Mooneys are a good choice. Do your homework on the various models and find one that works for you. The Mooney guys can direct you towards the Mooney forums.

Good luck.
 
Don't overlook the short-body Mooneys....C & E models. For one-two people they're a great traveling machine. Heck, we covered the country in ours with our son when he was young and had plenty of room...often with the dog along! I think they're one of the best values in the used GA market.
 
LDJones said:
Don't overlook the short-body Mooneys....C & E models. For one-two people they're a great traveling machine.
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Concur, for only two, a short body would be great, and when I was looking they were a good deal less money than a mid-body.
 
www.mooneyspace.com. You will learn all about them there. We love our C model. 140 knots at a bit under 10 gph. Easy to fly so long as you plan ahead for descents and have good airspeed control on final.
 
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Bill Jennings said:
Can you fly and stay on your numbers? If you can, landing a Mooney is not hard at all. Yeah, you'll have to learn the complex part of operations, but it really is that simple. Fly the numbers and landing is easy.

My partner and I each had maybe 100hrs TT when we bought the Mooney, no problems.

I like it, quick and economical, and annuals have not been horrific.
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Said it for me.

A C Model would fit your mission and budget nicely.
 
Instrument rating for sure if you're going to travel that far and wide. And I'm not sure even in the current market how nice a Mooney or Bonanza one can get for $40K -- you're likely looking at old, ill-equipped, and in need of significant maintenance. For that money, you can get a lot nicer and better equipped (you're going to need good avionics for your travels since that usually means instrument flying) plane if you step down a class to something more like what you're flying now. If you're looking for more speed than that Warrior but at the same purchase and operating price point, the Grumman Cheetah/Tiger suggest themselves.

OTOH, with your 28-on/28-off schedule, you might want to consider what a month on the ground at a time is going to do to your plane. Sitting that long unflown is bad for engines and systems. Finding a partner on the opposite schedule who can fly the plane while you're on the job would solve that problem and double the funds available for purchase, making a nice high performance/complex plane affordable.
 
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I wouldn't worry about sitting a month at a time like that.
 
Lots of good Arrows out there as well...easier to support for the most part..I was in the same place a year ago looking for an affordable 2-3 place mover that would not break the bank...my 68 with speed mods keeps up within 3-5 knots the Mooney's of the same vintage...
 
What's your height/weight? I know, the Mooney's are planes for giants, heard it before, but for some reason, they have a reputation as being a bit tight fit for the larger folk. I fit fine, so a short Mooney would be a good choice, but some of the larger people or two large people might not like a long distance Mooney.
 
docmirror said:
What's your height/weight? I know, the Mooney's are planes for giants, heard it before, but for some reason, they have a reputation as being a bit tight fit for the larger folk. I fit fine, so a short Mooney would be a good choice, but some of the larger people or two large people might not like a long distance Mooney.
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His mission is 2 plus bags. He can always move the seat back in a C model. I think I read about a guy 6'5" who owned one.
 
jordane93 said:
For your mission, I would also suggest an instrument rating.
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+1 on this.

Also look for a plane with a Garmin 430 or 530 already in it. It is cheaper to buy a plane with it than add it later.
 
He can work on the instrument rating with time. Buy the Mooney, do the IR in it.

Also, don't discount looking at Comanche 250s. Great values and in your price range. O-540 is basically bulletproof. Ed's still trying to sell his with a 430, etc.
 
Ron Levy said:
And I'm not sure even in the current market how nice a Mooney or Bonanza one can get for $40K -- you're likely looking at old, ill-equipped, and in need of significant maintenance.
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It's still a buyer's market, and there are plenty of decently-equipped and maintained Mooneys available in that range, especially if you're looking at a C model.
 
I concur that a Mooney would suit you just fine for your goals. Just plan on 5-10 hours of transition instruction, and a good portion of that can be a start on the instrument rating as well. It is the most economical XC plane out there by whatever metric you want to use for measurement.
 
If one has access to mogas, the early Bonanza and Debonair will also be very economical to run. They are also in your price range.
 
The Mooney is about perfect for your mission. The Tiger/Cheetah option is pretty good too. An RV8 also comes to mind.
 
Rwsavory said:
It's still a buyer's market, and there are plenty of decently-equipped and maintained Mooneys available in that range, especially if you're looking at a C model.
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Got some examples of "decently-equipped and maintained Mooneys" for $40K? I found about 10 Mooneys under $40K on Controller.com, and they're all either very high-time engines or skimpy avionics.
 
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Advertised price vs sale are two different things. When the M20F I flew sold a few years ago, it went for $25k, although listing was higher. Timed out engine, Apollo GPS, King DME, etc.
 
bartmc said:
Get a Bo. :)

But seriously. Get a Bonanza. Easy to fly, easiest airplane to land I've ever flown. Nice and spacious inside. Good for long trips.
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For $40k? For 1-2 persons?
Bad recommendation...C-F models fill the bill, and the fuel efficiency will save you $
 
mooneys are great planes. Check to see if the tanks leak or have a history of being patched. A reseal can cost 7K+, 10K if you get bladders. I love my C model, and I consider it a decent XC plane. IMO, I would want a plane that does 150ish knots, but that 's after flying for a few years in a 110 knot cherokee. Have you considered experimentals? You could get some pretty quick RVs or Glasairs in your price range.
 
My Bonanza burns < 9GPH, and I use mogas. sounds pretty efficient to me. I would bet my actual fuel costs are ~same as the C-F models for the same speed.
 
I used to fly to a 28/14 hitch, didn't seem to bother the plane a bit.
 
Well, I'm slightly partial, but the Grumman Tiger has been great for this 2-pilots and a small dog family...

We burn about 8 gallons/hr in typical x-c operations, and the Grummans are very responsive in the controls and fun to fly.

I initially thought about a Mooney as a 1st plane, but decided that there was enough to worry about without adding retractable gear in the picture.

A lot of them out there in your price range.
 
...re-mortgage the house (hell, just sell it and move into an efficiency apartment...), sink yourself into debt and pull the trigger on an Ovation 3...and then come pick me up. :)

Good luck!
 
Did my training in a 172; six weeks later bought my M20-C. All that's required is a good instructor and attention to detail. Get a 69 or later for higher flap speed, it will make instrument training nicer.

Visit www.mooneyspace.com for more information, and a small For Sale section.

I run 140 knots on 9 gph at the gas pump, as I don't have fuel flow.
 
teejayevans said:
For $40k? For 1-2 persons?
Bad recommendation...C-F models fill the bill, and the fuel efficiency will save you $
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I've had more tha 2 people in my Bo on 2 occasions. The space comes in handy.

Oh well, I'll tell all my buddies to take their 40k Bo's back and get a mooney, they probably won't listen though. I'm gonna hang on to mine too.

http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_859371_H35+Bonanza.html

http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_900352_Bonanza+V35.html

http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_910041_1958+35J+Bonanza+4000TTAF+.html
 
FormerHangie said:
1. A Tiger is almost as fast without the added complexity.
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It ain't cut and dried either way.

I think equivalent AA-5B's and C, E, F Mooneys (with similar avionics, engines, paint, etc) will sell for comparable prices. The Mooney will be faster, the Grumman less expensive to maintain.

Choose your poison.
 
bartmc said:
I've had more tha 2 people in my Bo on 2 occasions. The space comes in handy.

Oh well, I'll tell all my buddies to take their 40k Bo's back and get a mooney, they probably won't listen though. I'm gonna hang on to mine too.

http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_859371_H35+Bonanza.html

http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_900352_Bonanza+V35.html

http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_910041_1958+35J+Bonanza+4000TTAF+.html
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I always thought I would buy a Mooney. Then I took a ride in a 35 ..

You can get some nice early 35s for less that $40K. But you might ask around to see what your local mechanic says. I have several options for local help and I've found the BeechTalk folks amazing. They fly SWWEEETTT, get good MPG, trues out around 140KTS+ and the list goes on. But the parts might be getting harder to find...

Although I wouldn't turn down a Mooney, but I'm not ready to give up my Bo :)
 
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