Mooney ride for beer -- Sacramento area

Irish_Armada

Irish_Armada

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Irish Armada
Anyone near Sacramento own a Mooney that you've been dying to show off to someone? I've never had the chance to sit in one, let alone fly in one, to see how I like them. On paper, I want one as my next airplane but am unsure about cabin size (I'm 6'5"). My wife just told me the other day that she wants us to have something faster than the current Cherokee 180 we co-own, which was music to my ears. :D Anyways, if you are a nearby Mooney owner and wouldn't mind demo'ing it, please PM me. There's a 12 pack of beer in it for you... :cheers:
 
Now THATS one way to get a ride in an airplane.

Interested in old Bonanzas out in the mid west?
 
Don't have a mooney,don't live near you,but if you want a demo in my airplane,a good bottle of bourbon would get you more than one ride.
 
Post over at Mooneyspace.com and you might find someone.
 
Seems to me the M20 is rather cramped. I sat in one after stepping out of my Archer and thought, man, this feels like I'm in a 152. Just seemed cramped to me. I have not flown in one though .Belanca Viking felt the same to me as well
 
Mooneys fit like a Corvette or other similar sports car. You sit lower to the floor with your legs extended, not upright with bent knees like an SUV. The panel is a bit closer than other planes, which is why people think they are cramped. They actually measure wider than a Bo or 182 inside FWIW. There is a ton of legroom and headroom.
 
Not to start a model war, but you might want to look at a Comanche as well. Kristin that handles the Airworthy Comanche Forum is on here as well and lives relatively close to you. Technically she has a twin Comanche but she will know most of the single Comanche guys in the area.
 
I transitioned from a 110 knot cherokee to a 150 knot mooney. smaller feeling cabin, but many tall pilots own them. Also, since you fly faster, you don't have to worry about cabin space as long. :D
 
I think Al Mooney was at least 6' 4". Mooney's are fine for tall people.
 
Anthony said:
I think Al Mooney was at least 6' 4". Mooney's are fine for tall people.
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6'2", the Mooney is great. And once at altitude and George on the job, I release the seat and let it slide all the way back. It's like riding in a limo.
 
6'4" and have been as heavy as 290 lbs. No problems fitting.
 
Oh yeah, I flew with Eric Jensen in his M20F, and he is 6' 4" if memory serves, and I am 6', and neither of us had issues.
 
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6'1" and I have wide shoulders. My only problem is the area where the door should have been is too close to me. I either have to sit offset or have the side panel right into to me, it's a close fit.

I've heard that there are small variations that can address this and I may try a different airplane if given the chance. Loosing a few pounds won't hurt either.
 
Irish_Armada said:
What model is yours?
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He has an M20F, but pretty much any Mooney model "fits" the same in the front seats. The B/C/E (short bodies) have little legroom for the back seats. The F/G/J/K (mid bodies) have 5" more back seat legroom and 5" more length in the baggage bay. The L/M/R/S/TN (long bodies) have additional length in the baggage bay.
 
As most have already covered this but, I'm 6'2", 170lbs and fit just fine.

M20C.
 
KSMooniac said:
Mooneys fit like a Corvette or other similar sports car. You sit lower to the floor with your legs extended, not upright with bent knees like an SUV. The panel is a bit closer than other planes, which is why people think they are cramped. They actually measure wider than a Bo or 182 inside FWIW. There is a ton of legroom and headroom.
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This.

Al Mooney was 6'5" and he built himself an airplane. I am 6'4" and over 300# and fly a Mooney Ovation, and it's the most comfortable single I've flown.

The panel placement mentioned above is GREAT for us tall guys. If I'm in a PA28, to keep my knees out of the yoke I have to have the seat far enough back that I end up having to lean forward slightly to reach the panel. No such problem in the Mooneys.

IIRC, the Bo is 42" wide, Mooney is 43.5", and 182 is 46".

The Comanche is definitely worth considering as well, especially if you're looking at older airplanes. Newer Mooneys have a lot more legroom and luggage room than the old ones that were built around the time the Comanche was being built (1954-1972). The Comanche is slightly wider, and the panel will be farther away from you, but they're also great airplanes.
 
I'm not sure the Comanche is any wider. I've flown in a single and a twin and think it was about on par with the Mooney, at least in width. I had problems with my legs and the bottom of the panel. I much prefer the Mooney's seating position (I'm 6'1" with long legs and arms, fairly wide shoulders, and a growing gut)
 
KSMooniac said:
I'm not sure the Comanche is any wider. I've flown in a single and a twin and think it was about on par with the Mooney, at least in width. I had problems with my legs and the bottom of the panel. I much prefer the Mooney's seating position (I'm 6'1" with long legs and arms, fairly wide shoulders, and a growing gut)
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Comanche cabin is 45" wide, Mooney is 43.5" wide.

I was wrong before, the Bo and 182 are both 42" wide.

I must admit, the Mooney doesn't *seem* as wide as the 182... I have a lot of time in both.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
This.

Al Mooney was 6'5" and he built himself an airplane. I am 6'4" and over 300# and fly a Mooney Ovation, and it's the most comfortable single I've flown.

The panel placement mentioned above is GREAT for us tall guys. If I'm in a PA28, to keep my knees out of the yoke I have to have the seat far enough back that I end up having to lean forward slightly to reach the panel. No such problem in the Mooneys.

IIRC, the Bo is 42" wide, Mooney is 43.5", and 182 is 46".

The Comanche is definitely worth considering as well, especially if you're looking at older airplanes. Newer Mooneys have a lot more legroom and luggage room than the old ones that were built around the time the Comanche was being built (1954-1972). The Comanche is slightly wider, and the panel will be farther away from you, but they're also great airplanes.
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No disrespect, but I'm guessing there isn't a bucket seat in the Ovation.
 
can we request beer from our pax?
Assuming we have a common purpose I mean.

What if it is just the amount of beer equal or less than the cost of our pro rata share of the expenses for the flight?
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
can we request beer from our pax?
Assuming we have a common purpose I mean.

What if it is just the amount of beer equal or less than the cost of our pro rata share of the expenses for the flight?
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Gallon for gallon sounds fair. Another reason to seek out a Mooney for this :)
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Actually, there's four bucket seats in the Ovation... What's your point? (Or what was it supposed to be?)
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You gave a description of your body dimensions and said that you were comfortable. I find that tough to imagine, especially now knowing the Ovation has bucket seats. Maybe I should try one on for size. But at the same time, I'm thinking the Ovation may be too much airplane for me.
 
I think all of the Ovations have the nicer composite interior panels, and I believe they give a little extra shoulder/elbow room compared to the older plastic versions. Regardless, all Mooneys are more comfy than 172's IMO as a guy with fairly wide shoulders as well.

Only way to tell for sure is to go try one on!
 
Jaybird180 said:
You gave a description of your body dimensions and said that you were comfortable. I find that tough to imagine, especially now knowing the Ovation has bucket seats.
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Well, I guarantee it's true. ;)

Why would bench seats be more comfortable? :dunno:

Maybe I should try one on for size.
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Definitely! Would be happy to meet up and give you a ride next time you're in the Milwaukee area.

Let me tell you, the crap you hear about Mooneys being small inside is just that - Crap. The only time it could be considered true is if you're sitting in the back seat of an M20A through M20E model. There is plenty of room for the pilot.

But at the same time, I'm thinking the Ovation may be too much airplane for me.
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What do you fly now? How much time do you have? IR?
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Well, I guarantee it's true. ;)

Why would bench seats be more comfortable? :dunno:



Definitely! Would be happy to meet up and give you a ride next time you're in the Milwaukee area.

Let me tell you, the crap you hear about Mooneys being small inside is just that - Crap. The only time it could be considered true is if you're sitting in the back seat of an M20A through M20E model. There is plenty of room for the pilot.



What do you fly now? How much time do you have? IR?
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I've flown L, R and L-rear in an M-20J-201, two different airplanes mind you. I didn't have enough time in the left seat to really see how it would be long term. No problem in the rear, I was by myself though. I've also flown right seat in M-20C.

No IR, yet. Current wings are in my signature. I think that Darn C-182P I flew a couple months ago has been messing with my head though (thanks Brad), that one smooth airplane. I think my appreciation for different types has improved. I got 10+hrs and a HP in a C-182N a few years ago. Totally different experience.
 
The leap to a Mooney is pretty straight-forward if you get a Mooney-savvy instructor vs. any ol' CFI that doesn't have any/much experience with them. The Ovation is just heavier and faster than the others, but there is nothing preventing you from reducing the power and flying it slower until your brain catches up when things get busy (especially during the IR training).
 
Jaybird180 said:
I've flown L, R and L-rear in an M-20J-201, two different airplanes mind you. I didn't have enough time in the left seat to really see how it would be long term. No problem in the rear, I was by myself though. I've also flown right seat in M-20C.

No IR, yet. Current wings are in my signature. I think that Darn C-182P I flew a couple months ago has been messing with my head though (thanks Brad), that one smooth airplane. I think my appreciation for different types has improved. I got 10+hrs and a HP in a C-182N a few years ago. Totally different experience.
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KSMooniac said:
The leap to a Mooney is pretty straight-forward if you get a Mooney-savvy instructor vs. any ol' CFI that doesn't have any/much experience with them. The Ovation is just heavier and faster than the others, but there is nothing preventing you from reducing the power and flying it slower until your brain catches up when things get busy (especially during the IR training).
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What Scott said. The main thing is learning how to stay ahead of the plane, and plan your descents. A 50-nm flight happens quite quickly.

For example, I frequently fly to Madison, a hair over 50nm from my home base. I take off, clean up, speed up, and climb to altitude while monitoring the engine and keeping EGTs in the climb range. I generally hit 6500 over Pewaukee Lake, configure for cruise, tune in the ATIS, call Madison Approach over Watertown and start my descent by the time they say "Radar Contact". No wind, I need 6 miles per 1000 feet to get down, so that's about 33 miles out from 6500. Power starts coming back 20 miles out, get set up, get configured, land. There's not a lot of time to sit back and relax, always something to do.

That said, the plane is not physically difficult to fly, it's similar to the 182 in that the pitch forces are fairly high in the flare. The other peculiarity is that extending flaps causes it to want to pitch DOWN instead of up like most planes do. Other than that... Well, it's an airplane.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
What Scott said. The main thing is learning how to stay ahead of the plane, and plan your descents. A 50-nm flight happens quite quickly.

For example, I frequently fly to Madison, a hair over 50nm from my home base. I take off, clean up, speed up, and climb to altitude while monitoring the engine and keeping EGTs in the climb range. I generally hit 6500 over Pewaukee Lake, configure for cruise, tune in the ATIS, call Madison Approach over Watertown and start my descent by the time they say "Radar Contact". No wind, I need 6 miles per 1000 feet to get down, so that's about 33 miles out from 6500. Power starts coming back 20 miles out, get set up, get configured, land. There's not a lot of time to sit back and relax, always something to do.

That said, the plane is not physically difficult to fly, it's similar to the 182 in that the pitch forces are fairly high in the flare. The other peculiarity is that extending flaps causes it to want to pitch DOWN instead of up like most planes do. Other than that... Well, it's an airplane.
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This weekend, I had another flight in the same M20C I mentioned in this post. While I had an opportunity to flight test my new headsets, I got to watch the pilot plan descents so early, that if didn't spy the altimeter trending downward, I wouldn't have noticed. He gets things done very early and doesn't seem much in a hurry to do anything. Comparatively, I'm a raving lunatic.:goofy:
 
Jaybird180 said:
I've flown L, R and L-rear in an M-20J-201, two different airplanes mind you. I didn't have enough time in the left seat to really see how it would be long term. No problem in the rear, I was by myself though. I've also flown right seat in M-20C.

No IR, yet. Current wings are in my signature. I think that Darn C-182P I flew a couple months ago has been messing with my head though (thanks Brad), that one smooth airplane. I think my appreciation for different types has improved. I got 10+hrs and a HP in a C-182N a few years ago. Totally different experience.
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I flew in a 182 after having my mooney. I was surprised at how smoothly the 182 idled. Probably the 6 cylinder engine among other things.
 
I'm 6'4" with long legs and love my Mooney M20J. I bought it in part because of the roominess. You sit lower to the floor but I can stretch my legs out completely in cruise.
 
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