Do Mooneys Float?

IN CELEBRATION OF OUR 20TH YEAR SPECIALIZING IN MOONEY AIRCRAFT; Get your BRAND NEW PRE-PUBLISHED BOOK AVAILABLE FOR YOU NOW! "THOSE MOONEY AIRPLANES" by Richard Zephro; studying the Mooney since 1974; 38 year private pilot/owner of Mooneyland and author of the articles within this website. FLYING IS NOT CHEAP! Within this book we will discuss not only how to save money while owning your own airplane, we will discuss ways to save big bucks on purchase, ownership, maintenance, appearance (lipstick), and upgrades. Further; we will discuss matters of safely operating your prized BIRD, why Mooney is the safest (by far) in its class, and aid in the pure FUN of owning your own airplane. BOOK INCLUDES 25 CHAPTERS OF INFORMATION FOR MOONEY ENTHUSIASTS, OWNERS, AND ASPIRING OWNERS OF MOONEY AIRCRAFT IN PARTICULAR, APPLICABLE TO ALL AIRCRAFT OWNERS IN GENERAL AND INCLUDES 100 HOUR/ANNUAL INSPECTION GUIDE AND ALL ABOUT MOONEY AIRCRAFT; HOW TO KEEP THEM SAFELY FLYING (ON THE CHEAP) DO IT YOURSELF STUFF, WHAT TO WATCH FOR, AND INCLUDES 124 FULL SIZE PAGES OF INFORMATION AND PHOTOS. (Includes some reprints and references from Mooneyland and tons of NEW information at your fingertips) 2 NEW CHAPTERS JUST ADDED: "HOW MUCH DOES IS COST TO OWN AN AIRPLANE" and "MEMOIRS OF A MOONEY BUYER".

GET YOUR PDF COPY IN ADVANCE OF PUBLICATION EMAILED DIRECTLY TO YOU FOR $39.95; A TEN DOLLAR SAVINGS PRIOR TO PUBLICATION. CLICK ON THE "BUY NOW" PAYPAL LINK BELOW, PURCHASE THE BOOK AND I WILL PERSONALLY EMAIL IT TO YOU IMMEDIATELY. (2MB) in size. (this is the first of a series of must have eBooks to come by author; Richard Zephro and you will automatically receive any updates, revisions, & additions to this BOOK).

Enjoy & learn, learn, and LEARN! Richard "zef" Zephro

ACTUAL BOOK REVIEW FEEDBACK

"Zef, Almost done with your book! I'm reading slower so it won't be done! It's a great read not only for Mooniacs, but for anyone who wants to be a plane owner. " Bill Custer

"Dear Mr. Zephro, Your new book is the most informative that I have read not just about Mooneys but about the ownership process for any brand of airplane. I look forward to reading the rest of the series once you write those." Ed Harris

"Wow, what an interesting and informative book! You've made me rethink the buying process and I am grateful not just for that, but for all of the articles you have written about Mooney's and flying in general. You have a way to help make people think. Please keep writing!" Art Mingle

"Mr. Z, This is the best 40 bucks that I have ever spent! There are so many outlined ways to save money while learning so much about airplanes in general and I believe that I'll be a better pilot for it. Keep up the great work and good luck with your new book" Jim Dougherty

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Parachute

Where do these rumors come from? Are they true? Do Mooneys float on flare? They'll float like an airbiscuit if you don't mind your pattern speeds.

If you come in fast enough in a Mooney and begin to flair, I like to kid people that you will not only pass the airport, but you'll pass the city. Does that mean that Mooneys cannot be easily handled when you're low and slow? Landing is probably the most challenging thing about flying a Mooney. In my mind, Mooneys are easy to fly, so the most difficult part of the "easy to fly" Mooney would probably be nailing landings on the spot you'd like to aim for. Some other brands have most difficult parts of operation that are worse than this.

But let's talk about how I managed to "nail" landings in a Mooney with relatively low Mooney time. The year was 1988. I had decided to sell out in California and move east to Virginia. I didn't mind leaving Los Angeles, my birthplace, but Virginia? I wasn't sure. Personally, I favored San Antonio, which we had visited. However, one of the coolest airports I've ever operated out of was Chesterfield County Airport in Chesterfield Virginia, a suburb of Richmond.

The thing that was really cool there was the Chesterfield Pilots Association. I joined them. These guys took a regular hanger and double decked it themselves. The upper floor was made in to the coolest bachelor loft you've ever seen. It had everything from beer kegs to frozen Snickers to a whole array of videos on flying. There was also a shower, a bedroom, full kitchen, and great furnishings. These guys hung around there more than they were at home.

Zef, what does Chesterfield airport have to do with landing a Mooney? Glad you asked! We got together and planned a spot-landing contest. There must have been around 30 planes there to compete. I was there with my then new 1965 M20E, N79823. "823" was my very own first Mooney. She had only 1600 hours total time. Of course I didn't realize that this engine only had a 1400-hour TBO. The previous owner used "823" to run he and his dog from their home in New Jersey, where he had his physician practice, to Florida where he yearned to live. His wife would fly down to meet him on an airliner. You know the deal. Anyway, he kept this plane well maintained, but didn't care about esthetics. In fact, he had some neighborhood kids paint it and they used LATEX! The interior was baby doodoo yellow Naugahyde
, but, the price was affordable at $16,800.00. Within 3 months, "823" became a beauty queen, but that's a story for another time.

SPOT LANDING DAY! We all eyeballed each other standing by our trusty steeds, panning each plane and pilot with a humph. A couple of guys were snickering at my new Mooney and me. They later admitted their “snickers” were due to the "impossibility" of a Mooney winning a spot-landing contest. The rule was that 3 guys were standing off the runway midfield downwind. You had to have your engine at idle before you passed them by. If any of the three heard power above idle, you were disqualified for that run.

I was last to fly. Once past them and with no power, my son and I sat up and leaned forward in our seats with a determined look on each of our faces. I figured I would come in a bit fast, but really low before the threshold. I kept the altitude as best as I could while speed bled off and was only a few feet off the ground from before the threshold. I had set the flaps at full, as there was little wind.

Soon came the numbers with the finish chalk line ahead about 50 feet. I dumped my flaps as I passed the numbers, and then really had to flare which I did. My tires chirped 6" past the chalk line. If anyone landed before the line, they were disqualified. The next closest guy was about 6' beyond the chalk. There were Bonanzas, Cherokees, Travelers, a Rallye, a Beagle, 2 twins, several homebuilt and one Mooney. But who wins???

The "Zef" (childhood nickname) ME! My son and I were giving each other high fives left and right. Mikey and I were really impressed with ourselves. We got a great trophy for that day. I'm pretty proud of it as you can tell.

Was it just luck?..........................................................You bet your ass it was! Of course I could never duplicate that one, but with practice, you can work to look pretty good in a Mooney. As far as landings are concerned, Greasers Rule! Besides, a Comanche floats worse, so the worst of the Mooneys ain't so bad.