Time to Step Up to a Faster Plane?

Good luck with the Mooney Doc, its a wonderful plane. My friend had a M20 which lost the engine at 3-400 feet on climb out. I am convinced that 2 things saved his life.

1) The steel cage in the mooney that surrounds the pax compartment; and

2) The shoulder belts that I pestered him to put in.

Its a great safe plane. Please get the shoulder belts!
 
Way to go! Hope you enjoy your C as much as I enjoy mine! (nah, that can't happen. ;) )
 
Ted,

Great to hear from you! I was mentioning you only yesterday (as IFlyTwins) to Spike. We had a dinner when you and your lovely wife were in Dallas about five years ago. I met quite a number of POA folks at that get together. I haven't seen Wayne or David post here in a long time. Last I heard, Young David was flying in Alaska. Wayne seemed to be taking a break from the forum. That was a really good group of folks at that gathering.

eman,

I am getting a very nice M20C.

Adam,

The Mooney does have the shoulder belts among a long list of other extras.
 
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MBDiagMan said:
Great to hear from you! I was mentioning you only yesterday (as IFlyTwins) to Spike. We had a dinner when you and your lovely wife were in Dallas about five years ago. I met quite a number of POA folks at that get together. I haven't seen Wayne or David post here in a long time. Last I heard, Young David was flying in Alaska. Wayne seemed to be taking a break from the forum. That was a really good group of folks at that gathering.
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I recall that dinner well, it was a good time. That was a lifetime ago for us (well, 2-3 lifetimes since now we have 3 kids and at that dinner she was pregnant with kid #1). We've talked about coming back down for a visit, although getting away is harder with the kids in tow. The airplane is also different - a 414 now vs. a 310 then. So iStillFlyTwins. ;)

Wayne has been taking a break from the forums. I've corresponded with him via eMail a bit since. He remains one of my favorite people.
 
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MBDiagMan said:
Just to follow up, I think have now beaten most if not all the rust off my flying. I am now spending most of my time in Mount Pleasant, officially live in Lamar county, both in Texas, and the Piggy is in Hugo, Ok. Makes flying difficult. I am pretty sure I will get one of the new hangars in Paris. That will help.

Prebuy is in progress on the Mooney and going well. I expect to get her home in a week or two.

Thanks for all the support in this thread. Mike I might get down there and get some hood time in the Piggy. I appreciate the offer.
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I'm late to the thread. My heartfelt condolences on the loss of your wife. I can appreciate having a second plane and not be able to keep it nearby. About a year ago, the airport where I based was unexpectedly closed (privately owned), displacing many of us. I was able to secure a nearby hangar for my RV-4, but ended up moving my J-3 slightly more than an hour's drive away, but the rent is cheap at $75/month. Unless I'm planning on working on the J-3, I typically don't drive there. Instead, I spend the first 45 minutes driving to nearby airport, getting my RV-4 out, preflighting/fueling/etc and then fly down, which takes 15-20 minutes. Pretty much same time investment, but I get to fly both airplanes.
 
I think it is fair to say that the rust is now beaten off of my flying. I have been flying a good bit and came to Mount Pleasant tonight to be ready to take my girlfriend from here to Austin tomorrow. The air was a little rough this afternoon, but I made it. My flight in the morning is 209NM. Sure would be a good Mooney flight instead of getting the 140 in the air and waiting for the Earth to rotate underneath it.

I might be able to get the Mooney Monday. I am like a ten year old waiting for Christmas.

I was in the hangar putting a new tailwheel tire on the 140 today. Several friends stopped in and they all said I shouldn't get rid of the 140. All of them also said that both planes will fit in the hangar. Hope they are right.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I think it is fair to say that the rust is now beaten off of my flying. I have been flying a good bit and came to Mount Pleasant tonight to be ready to take my girlfriend from here to Austin tomorrow. The air was a little rough this afternoon, but I made it. My flight in the morning is 209NM. Sure would be a good Mooney flight instead of getting the 140 in the air and waiting for the Earth to rotate underneath it.

I might be able to get the Mooney Monday. I am like a ten year old waiting for Christmas.

I was in the hangar putting a new tailwheel tire on the 140 today. Several friends stopped in and they all said I shouldn't get rid of the 140. All of them also said that both planes will fit in the hangar. Hope they are right.
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They are two very different planes for very different kinds of flying. If you can swing it I think you'd like it.

John
 
jsstevens said:
They are two very different planes for very different kinds of flying. If you can swing it I think you'd like it.

John
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No joke! Given the beautiful weather here the last two days, Ive been wishing I had access to a J3 or Miss Piggy type plane just for tooling around the lake!!
 
I'm late to this and by now hopefully you have closed the deal. First, condolences on your loss. As far as being rusty, going out on a day with 20-25 gusts will certainly shake one's confidence. I'm guessing your insurance company will want about 10 hours of dual to transition into a complex retract. That 10 hours will be well spent in knowing the Mooney and also knocking off the rust. Good luck and post a picture of the plane when you get it.
 
Well........ I flew my girlfriend to Austin today. On the way back I was seemingly having some issues with the piggy. She would pitch up, I would correct down, or she would pitch down and I would correct up. It was as if there was a sudden down draft or updraft. To make things worse it was beginning to get dark and I did not want to continue to Mount Pleasant in the dark. I landed in Athens and the local mechanic is picking us up in the morning and check out the plane. My girlfriend is now a bit gunshy about the piggy. The Mooney will be a better traveler anyway.

I will report on the outcome.
 
Hm, that is odd. Assuming it was aircraft related, that seems like a trim issue.

I may have missed it, but have you decided what you're going to do with Miss Piggy once the Mooney is in the stable?
 
Haven't decided yet, but I think my Tailwheel chapter is coming to a close. Maybe I will keep her for nice days in the pattern and short flights, but for traveling, gusty winds tend to keep me on the ground. I am in Athens Texas waiting to go see if there is anything wrong with the plane and then I have to land in probably will be 10 gusting to 22. Not a good situation in a taildragger.

At this point I think she will probably go, especially if both planes won't fit in the hangar.
 
Glad you are alright, hope the plane is too.

Keep us updated on the Mooney, too.
 
Everyone is fine and the plane is airworthy. It was just a crazy combination of events and circumstances that made me just find a place to get on the ground.

The annual should be finished tomorrow, or early next week on the Mooney. I need to transfer funds and bind the insurance. I then will have to work out transition training and getting it home.
 
MBDiagMan said:
The annual should be finished tomorrow, or early next week on the Mooney. I need to transfer funds and bind the insurance. I then will have to work out transition training and getting it home.
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I remember that phase buying my Mooney. But it was local, and I helped with the annual to learn how everything went together. Enjoy your transition training, and spend time landing at as many different fields as possible to get a feel for varying winds and runway geometries. It's about to get a whole lot more fun!
 
N7889P is as good as mine. Annual complete on Wednesday, then time to get herto her new home. I hope it doesn't surprise anyone when the picture of The Piggy in my signature changes to the Mooney. Sorry Pig.:(

Now, I suppose I will be posting pilot training questions about flying complex. I would like to think I can get my hands on the yoke Thursday, but it will probably take longer than that to go to Kerrville or get her brought here.

The complex training begins.
 
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MBDiagMan said:
Now, I suppose I will be posting pilot training questions about flying complex.
The complex training begins.
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We certain hope you post those questions. I love doing Mooney transition training.
 
Wish it weren't so far from Georgia Lance!

I have a local instructor that solo'd me in his Aeronca Champ ca. 1991. He is also a Mooney guy who has owned several and done transitions. Many folks on a Mooney forum insist that I need a Mooney specialist rather than my instructor with Mooney experience.

My local Mooney guy says that once I get used to the prop it will go quickly. I rode with a friend Saturday while getting his high performance training. I got a good primer on the prop and understand its operation. One of the other things the instructor said was that I would have to learn how to slow it down.

At this point I am thinking the best thing to do is to get the plane ferried here and fly with my local guy. Annual will be complete Wednesday. I just need weather and a ferry pilot.
 
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Getting used to the blue knob won't take as long as you think.

One tip that will help is to create a table that shows you for a particular segment of flight, configure the aircraft with this Manifold Pressure (throttle), this RPM (Blue knob), this pitch, this flap setting, and this VSI indication. You will find that when you fly your aircraft "by the numbers" that you have developed, it really settles down and flies just like you want it to.
 
MBDiagMan said:
Wish it weren't so far from Georgia Lance!

I have a local instructor that solo'd me in his Aeronca Champ ca. 1991. He is also a Mooney guy who has owned several and done transitions. Many folks on a Mooney forum insist that I need a Mooney specialist rather than my instructor with Mooney experience.

My local Mooney guy says that once I get used to the prop it will go quickly. I rode with a friend Saturday while getting his high performance training. I got a good primer on the peop and understand its operation. One of the other things the instructor said was that I would have to learn how to slow it down.

At this point I am thinking the best thing to do is to get the plane ferried here and fly with my local guy. Annual will be complete Wednesday. I just need weather and a ferry pilot.
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So when do we get to see pictures of this Mooney of your's Doc?

But I can vouch for learning to slow down. I've been flying my 20C since Christmas and I'm still getting use to slowing it down.
 
blurceo said:
But I can vouch for learning to slow down. I've been flying my 20C since Christmas and I'm still getting use to slowing it down.
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My friend Zack in the DTO tower tells me he can tell by looking at the radar scope that the plane is a Mooney before the data tag shows the data... There will be two targets... One showing the airplane, the other will be the pilot 2 miles behind the airplane.
 
blurceo said:
So when do we get to see pictures of this Mooney of your's Doc?

But I can vouch for learning to slow down. I've been flying my 20C since Christmas and I'm still getting use to slowing it down.
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Well, I have started the picture process by changing my Avatar this morning. Once I get her home, I will post a photo spread, or use a few of the trade a plane pictures.
 

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AggieMike88 said:
Getting used to the blue knob won't take as long as you think.

One tip that will help is to create a table that shows you for a particular segment of flight, configure the aircraft with this Manifold Pressure (throttle), this RPM (Blue knob), this pitch, this flap setting, and this VSI indication. You will find that when you fly your aircraft "by the numbers" that you have developed, it really settles down and flies just like you want it to.
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Great tip Mike! I will work for on that.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I spoke with my Mooney flight instructor. He said that once I get used to the prop controls it is going to be much easier to fly than my 140.
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STOP! Not one message here said it, so I will.

Get that Mooney CFI and 2 commercial tickets and go get it yourself. You need transition time for insurance, might as well get some XC time while you're at it. I went and picked up my plane sight unseen (deal was FletchAIR Tiger specialists had to do the annual - which was due at the time of purchase). Got to get at least 4 hours in it for the flight home, if it had been farther I still would've done it and recommend you do as well. Why pay a ferry pilot when you need the time? Pay the CFI ...
 
MBDiagMan said:
My local Mooney guy says that once I get used to the prop it will go quickly. I rode with a friend Saturday while getting his high performance training. I got a good primer on the prop and understand its operation. One of the other things the instructor said was that I would have to learn how to slow it down.
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Just descend to pattern altitude 3-5 nm out, and you'll have plenty of time to slow down.

You'll figure out what that extra knob is for pretty quickly. I'd suggest attending a MAPA PPP (www.mooneypilots.com), they are experts in flying and maintaining Mooneys, and you'll leave with a fat notebook, a great help since you'll never remember it all. The flight time with their instructor in your plane is invaluable! My first was just a month after I completed my transition training.

I wrote my own checklists, a great introduction to the plane, and copied much of the performance charts into it. When setting power, I always flip through this and double check, but I keep MAPA'S key number for quick reference (MP + RPM <= 47); when I started IFR training, I ended up picking three frequently-used settings as my standards (based on altitude; below 4000, 4000-6500/7000, and cruise above that).

Go out, fly your new plane, have fun and fly safe!
 
It appears that my Mooney and a Mooney specialist CFI will be here Thursday and fly with me for two days. I plan on flying my butt off. I am hoping to be ready for gusty wind soloing on Saturday.
 
A little delay, but he and the plane should be here mid to late afternoon. This particular instructor talks like it will take a week or two of flying to sign me off. He sounds picky and thorough and that is a good thing. Sounds like Galveston for Spring Break won't be in the Mooney if it takes as long as he thinks. If his prediction is any indication, doesn't sound as if I will solo Saturday.
 
Well to get this thread back to training, I have had a good bit in the last two days. I flew the Mooney with a transition instructor 8.4 hours and 44 landings. I now have a complex endorsement although I am going to fly some more with an instructor when I get back from Spring Break since there will have been ten days of beach for me to rust up with.

I think it's fair to say, that right now the rust is gone.
 
How are you liking the manual gear for your mooney? Have you busted a knuckle yet?
 
The joke back when there were more Mooneys around with the handle was you could tell Mooney drivers by the bandaid on their fingers, and Cessna drivers by the little diamond shaped cuts in their forehead, and Piper drivers by the bruises on their shins if they wore shorts.

Congrats on the endorsement and all that flying.
 
Mike, you were right. The prop control is just no big deal.

I do have a sore Palm from 44 gear extensions, some before I got the hang of it. The key is forgetting about usable runway and extending the gear as soon as you have a positive rate of climb.

The talk about it being difficult to slow down I find puzzling. Yes, you have to decrease power gradually to prevent shock cooling, but it doesn't eem to be a big deal.

I am looking forward to flying it in smooth air, but I have flown it in nothing but rough air and it handles it great. The control rods instead of cables seems to make the controls more precise.
 
When this thread was active, one of the most discussed issues was whether or not I would/should keep the Cessna 140 after buying the Mooney. I got the Mooney home a week ago tomorrow and both planes did NOT fit into my box hangar. It was looking as if she would see the auction block. Today, however, I got a hangar 42 NM away. I took her over there and tucked her away.

It was a rough air flight and afterwards I came back home and flew the Mooney in the same rough air. I expect that a passenger would have thought that one plane was as rough as the other, but flying the Mooney is a more confident experience. It has control rods rather than cables and just has a much more precise feel which makes you think you are more in control.

SO..... The Piggy stays with me, at least for now.
 
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