I'll share with you what I know........... The website has a terrific write-up on the development of the Mooney.
The plant is in Kerrville, Texas. The people who work there are like a big family - most have been there for many years.
Jack Jansen has come back out of retirement, at the staff's persistent request, to make it all happen again. The parts lines are up and going to meet back orders, and new birds are moving thorugh the assembly process. They plan to take a brand new fully-loaded Mooney Ovation to Oshkosh 2002 (..the big EAA fly-in airventure.org ..) in Wisconsin this summer.
Ever since I was in flying school back in the '60's, when you walked down the flight line people would point out a Mooney as a "..really great bird..". Just like someone would point out a James Dean Porsche 550 Spyder at a import lot or a car show, and oooo-aaaah over it.
I owned an M20E Chapparal for several years, and it would cruise 175+ at 75% power settings, run about 190+ at max, and handle like a J3 Piper Cub on landing. With the built-in wing-leveler system, you could trim it up and fly hands-off, just as though you had autopilot.
My first daughter at age 2+/- would sit up and look out the window or watch me fly for about the first 20 minutes, then she'd snuggle up in her lambskin and nod off until we touched dwon. The interior noise level was quite low for a light single.
With a touchdown speed around 70-80, tire wear was a non issue. And, Mooneys nomally got the equivalent of about 15MPG (8-9 galons per hour+/-).
There are only three aircraft I'd really be interested in owning. A low-time Lear 23 with all the Lear 24 mods for personal business travel, a Cessna 337 Skymaster twin for intermediate 6 person business travel, and a Mooney for some kick-ass "...$50 hamburger..." go-see-do horsing around. Owning a Mooney is like owning a Porsche 911 Carrera, you can carry 4 people quickly for quite a ways, it's fast and fun to fly, and nothing but pure quality.
Go out to your local airfield and have someone on the flightline show you a Mooney or two. You'll be impressed. They are compact, no nonsense flying machines; "...you don't fly a Mooney - you wear it..", aye.
investorshub.com
John :-)
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