Catch the Mooney Enthusiasm at Coast to Coast Aircraft

Your Source FOR EVERYTHING and MORE!

LET ME HELP YOU

go from THIS:                                    

to THIS!

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

EVER SINCE the Dawn of Man,   MAN  has marveled at the birds of the sky and no doubt wondered what it would be like to ............ FLYING  is a passion for most of us pilots out there, but to Mankind  in general, flying is not  a natural thing. We were obviously designed to be more or less attached to Terra Firma, yet the Creator saw fit to equip us with Tools of Ingenuity, thus MAN eventually took to flight  himself.

MODERN  Aircraft Operators aka (pilots)  are a very elite few (relatively) a highly privileged group of individuals that for what ever reason in life have decided to defy the laws of gravity to pursue what is for most of us a PASSION of the HEART.  

Sooooo, the important thing to remember is that not EVERYONE savors the thought of flying as we pilots do.

I try not to show gender favorites, but we will assume in this instance that it is the husband or Significant Other  who is the pilot, and the wife or S.O. is the white knuckler. That will make writing this article easier for me without having to say "his or her"  etc.

 We pilot types love flying so much that it is more than a passion; it is a way of life, and those dyed in the wool pilots as myself suffer withdrawals when we don’t get to fly enough.

While it is not unheard of that I have sold aircraft to women pilots, it is usually the wife who is sweet enough to go along with her husband’s passion and WE PILOTS HAVE TO UNDERSTAND that it is out of love for us they go along with the aircraft purchase or flying in general. Many S.O’s are very apprehensive about leaving terra firma in "ONE OF THOSE LITTLE PLANES!!!" I personally don’t like it when private aircraft are referred to as "little planes" I prefer "small planes" but se la vi. When I introduce someone new to aviation I get the question a lot that "don’t those planes crash a lot?" My normal retort is "don’t cars crash a lot?" Then I go on to explain that most private flying is as  safe as the pilot operating the aircraft and if there is real concern, at first only go with your pilot on nice windless and clear days when the odds of a fun flight are more likely, and to be sure her partner has enough fuel on board! :o)

I sell many aircraft to first time buyers and about 50% or more of the time the S.O. is skeptical herself and in-laws and the like ask her why her husband has such a death wish, or "does he know he’s going to kill himself?", etc. When I experience that vibe from the S.O. who often accompanies her husband to pick up their new airplane; I encourage them so that I can spend some quality time with the not so gung ho one. I will sit the man down with some magazines or manuals to study up on and then ask the woman to spend an hour with me. The first thing I do is answer any burning questions she may have about the plane or just about flying in general. Most of my answers are that we will cover all of that in what I am about to show her. Because I deal mainly in Mooney Aircraft, I take her around "her new airplane" and show her how the Mooney is put together and why it won’t fail her.  Single piece unbreakable wing and steel tubular structure. (Does her car have that???)

This wonderful "x-ray" illustration will show her the workings of the single piece wing and its structure along with all the other Mooney attributes and really, how simple and uncomplicated but stout the design actually is.

 We examine how the control surfaces are held on by bearings, how the wing is a single one piece affair in which the fuselage is bolted to it and that no matter what, the airframe will not fail. I demonstrate how all of the control surfaces are linked by fail safe steel push-pull tubes instead of the cable and pulley system as found in most other brands. I even ask her to get upside down and look under the instrument panel while I actuate the controls so that she can see exactly how everything is tied together. I explain about how the airplane will not quit flying and fall out of the sky if they are going at least freeway speeds or greater and what would happen if speeds were allowed to sink below those numbers and how easy the plane would be to recover from the stall. Speaking of stalls, I go in to detail to explain that a stall is not an engine failure, and point out how easy it is to maintain flying speed even if the engine were  to quit which is not very likely and I explain that. I ask her how often her car engine has quit assuming there was gas in it. For most people, that has never happened, especially if their car is well maintained. Then I go on to explain how the aircraft engine has so many redundant systems not found in her automobile. She is also reminded that her automobile doesn’t get a thorough annual inspection of all major systems, but the airplane does, and that the airplane doesn’t get used near as much as the family car! That alone helps significantly in easing their apprehension.

 I go on to explain that when she is driving her car, she doesn’t usually get outside help, but while privately flying, all kinds of help and aid are available for the asking such as; help spotting other aircraft, help in avoiding or finding out about weather, help for new pilots who get lost, help in finding difficult to spot airports, etc. and that this help is from trained professionals who’s main directive is to help insure a successful flight. I further explain to her that the weakest link in the operation of any aircraft would be the pilot and that she should help encourage "her pilot"  to continue learning and improving with time............

 NOW THE GOOD STUFF!

We get inside her new Mooney so she can see all the "dials and gizmo’s"  to demonstrate what it all does and how it all works.        

This gets the confusion out of the equation. I try to keep it honest, but simple! Let her see your competence for herself with time and don’t load her up with unnecessary technical stuff just to showoff.

 WE ARE ABOUT TO FLY!........ I explain that we are going to take a short flight in "HER" new Mooney so that I can explain a few things to her and to demonstrate just how safe the plane is...

(Smart pilots stay earth-bound in bad weather)

Once running, I show her how the radio works and later even say to the controller "ready for take off". (she’ll like that). Explain as you taxi how the yoke is not a steering wheel at least while on the ground and take her to the run-up area. Before you do the run-up, explain what you are about to do and why, that you are checking out ALL of the systems unlike a car where you just start it up and go, that you want to be CERTAIN that everything is a go, and if not, it becomes a NO-GO and you taxi back. Explain about the prop cycle, the mag check and how much reduction in RPM is allowed, point to the fuel and oil pressure and explain what a no-go on those indicators would be. Once the run-up is completed, I would tell her that I won’t go until she’s ready. In other words, give her some feeling of control. While she’s deciding, explain that you are going to go no faster than freeway speed and the plane will be ready to fly at that point. Explain at what airspeed you’re going to climb out at and where she can verify that. I would tell her what low altitude I planned on climbing to and once reaching that altitude, how I am going to make a power adjustment. (If the air is at all rough down low, I would climb a bit higher to try to escape thermals, etc if at all possible), but I do explain that in case there is a ripple or two in the sky, that is normal and to be expected and in no way does it affect the safety of the flight. I liken the air to riding in a boat, that if the water is like a duck pond that day, there will be little or no ripple effect, but if the water is a bit wavy, so might the ride be, but explain that it is absolutely normal not to have silky smooth air every day on every flight, but again, it’s no biggie so not to worry.

 Based in San Antonio as I am, there is a lake not far to the north and I normally head for that. I have already encouraged her to bring her camera in that the view is so much better than in any old car and she may want to snap a few pix. Once over the lake, the air is likely to be smoother, especially when summer thermals are in place. That’s the time to re-state that “these planes are so stable, they fly themselves!” Show her a shallow bank and how to do that. Once in the SHALLOW bank, tell her you’re going to let go of the controls to demonstrate what you mean about stability. I had one customer’s wife I was flying with ask me while over the lake if this plane can land on water! I said sure........ONCE! :o) She laughed thank goodness.

Now explain that flying is much like driving, only in three dimensions because you control the altitude as well, then let her try a shallow bank explaining that once she has enough bank, neutralize the controls and the plane will do the rest. Then have her do another bank to the opposite direction and let her get the feel for the plane, demonstrating how little control input is necessary to accomplish what she wants the plane to do. I will then explain that I am going to descend so she can get a better view of the water skiers or what ever below and let her snap some photos.

In an airplane with a full autopilot (or not really) I demonstrate how she can fly the airplane herself while on auto pilot with just the touch of a button or two. Once she knows that control of an airplane is simplified by an auto pilot, she will gain a bunch of confidence about flight in a small plane. She may never mention this, but in the back of her mind, one of her worries are that you will pass out for some reason, leaving her to control the plane! She may be on the edge of PANIC  over the thought of that, so it is up to us pilots to insure and assure her confidence level. At air shows and other fly-ins, there is often pitch hitter courses offered, and who knows, some day that may save her life AND YOURS! I would highly suggest and recommend that that is something to get accomplished as soon as possible, if for nothing else, for her confidence in knowing that when the chips are down, she will know how to operate the radio to ask for help, and she will know what airplane model she is in and how it is equipped at least auto pilot wise.

By the time I get the bird back on the ground, I actually have her helping with the controls as follow-through, let her put the gear and flaps down, check engine instruments, etc. More often than not, they are eating out of my hand by the time the flight is over, and have a fresh enthusiasm for “HER” new airplane! IT IS NOW UP TO YOU THE PILOT TO INSURE THAT YOU DO NOT SCARE HER IN ANY WAY, especially at first, or this is what you may end up with:

When we first moved out of California to Virginia, we were geographically closer to Western PA where Tricie's mother lives, so we used our "trusty" Mooney to fly and visit her. My ex mother-in-law; Vivian was as chicken a flier as there is, mostly due to a severe storm encounter in a 747 over the Atlantic where everything was flying around the cabin and even a flight attendant was on the floor "Crossing" herself with pudding (even Atheist's can get religious in a hurry), so Vivian would get nervous even if she was NEAR an airport even if she wasn't going to fly that day! Well, I'm here to tell you that on occasion I would fly Vivian to or fro our home in Virginia and she was Cockpit Calm! Why? Because I explained things to her and gave her a job to do by checking that all gages were in the GREEN. She was so cute, that about every 3-5 minutes she would shout out: "ALL GREEN"! She was amazed as to how quickly the flight went as compared to the Rail or trains she would take which was her choice of travel, even across the U.S! She just hated airliners, but she flew with the "zef"! :o)

What ever your endeavor in life, if you have your significant other feel (he or she) is involved, your own experience will be heightened, thus more rewarding. Don’t let yourself get in to what one of my customers did in that he flies his airplane everywhere including vacations, and his wife takes an airliner to go to the SAME PLACES! Whatta waste!

With time, understanding, and patience, she will begin to realize that an AIRPLANE makes the world a much smaller place, and that the occasional weekend trips to Vegas or other destinations you wouldn’t normally be able to do if you had to drive due to time constraints, will be a welcome tool and a source of pride for her. It is VERY IMPORTANT that initially, flights with her be kept short and sweet, and only on calm days such as early mornings or evenings. Flying to another airport where there is a decent restaurant is a great way to begin to show her the world from above. After all when all is said and done, it is life’s good memories that dictate one has or is having a good life. She just doesn’t want it to end soon, so it is up to you to fly to the best of your ability at all times, but MOST ESPECIALLY when you have anyone on board with you. It is a great responsibility and a compliment that others put enough faith in our abilities to allow you to defy the laws of nature with them on board. Think this point through and act accordingly; and then once he or she becomes acclimated to flying, that "white knuckle" flier just may become a proponent of personal aircraft travel. Don’t forget to reward the bravery that comes with over-coming the apprehension and fear of flying in small aircraft.

REWARD HER PROGRESS!

When the times comes to re-do the lipstick of the "FAMILY AIRPLANE", be certain to involve her so she feels a part of the ownership of her own PERSONAL AIRLINER.

You’ll know that they’re hooked when they show interest in the fact that your family owns an airplane!

Note: there may be times when the S.O. may feel left out, or second fiddle to the airplane, so don’t forget to remind him or her always of how much you appreciate them, especially for being the great sport she is in agreeing to the purchase of your airplane to begin with. For the guy owners, a trip to the local "Pilot’s Shop" or on line will yield some cute "flying" related clothing and other items, a pair of hats with a picture of your plane on them, cute nightshirts available that say: "Remove Before Flight", etc. can go a long way toward making them feel involved and a part of your PASSION. I remember getting Tricie (my first wife) a really cute jumpsuit complete with patches she enjoyed flying in. She eventually felt part of the flying deal!

 Some good reasons to own and operate your own personal aircraft:

1.    Freedom! (the finest expression of freedom existing).

2.    Investment! (most personal aircraft of average years actually appreciate in value with time. (Not many autos, RV’s, or boats will do that).

3.    Arrive at destination 3-4 times quicker than a car, fly straight lines, and average 18-20 MPG.

4.    Fly and arrive at a 1,000 mile destination usually much quicker than an airliner when check in, search, and advance airport arrival at taken in to consideration.

5.    No airline delays.

6.    Fly in to smaller airports nearer to your destination than airliners

7.    No fear of terrorists on board (unless severe PMS becomes a factor)  :o)

8.    No baggage check-in and out.

9.    No crowds and rude travelers to fight

10.                  No traffic jams

11.                  Status

12.                  Convenient, Easy and Fun weekend outings

 ONCE you get past the apprehension and prove that there should be little if any more concern about flying than driving. If for nothing else, it is good to reason to note that if you are in the car driving some 500 miles, you are exposed to the possibility of an accident for much longer periods of time than when in the airplane for the same distance. The convenience of flying for 2-1/2 or 3 hours in the airplane vs. 8-9 hours in the car is a fact that hold merit in anyone’s thinking. Granted that some folks think more with emotion at times than reason, it is a fact that if they plastered car accidents and deaths all over the news as they do the sensationalism of an unfortunate air crash, the same apprehension would exist about driving as it does flying!

 Some stats to consider:

 2006 equaled 303 fatal accidents during 22,800,000 flight hours equates to 6.64 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours. ************

Or 2/3 of one fatal accident per 10,000 hours flown. If the average general aviation pilot flies 4,000 hours in his flying career. 150 hrs per year average times 30 years of flying equals 4500 hours. Statistically he would have to fly 30,000 hours on average in order to expect a fatal accident.

• GA: 7.46 fatal accidents per 100 million miles

We can make statistics say about anything we wish. Mile per mile shows that cars are safer than airplanes, but that number is much closer when compared to hour per hour of driving vs flying.

There were 15 general aviation accidents involving fatalities in February 2007 according to the NTSB. Assuming that is an average, that makes about 180 accidents per year involving fatalities. At the rate of 43,000 deaths each year in cars, the rate averages 3583 deaths per month in the automobile. It is very unfortunate to report that "Stupidity"  plays a heavy role in aviation accidents just as in cars. If just that factor alone would be removed from the quotient, I would venture to say that general aviation is  safer than driving. Don’t forget that while driving, nearly each second of time that passes is used defensively while airplanes usually only require that kind of attention during take off and landing operations. The sky is really a much, much less crowded environment than the roads are. Unlike driving in which a single "stupid"  mistake or non attention (i.e. cell phone use) can cause an accident, while there are several factors that have to come together in aviation that creates an accident. By far the majority of any kind of moving vehicle accidents were errors made by the operator whether driving or flying. That means that cars as well as airplanes are inherently safe,  so it is more than safe to say that some pilots like some drivers are much safer than others! Knowledge and experience are the key.

One point that I would like to make is that during the past 18+ years of selling aircraft, I have not lost a single pilot to an aviation accident. I know, (Famous Last Words;) but it happens to be true. Part of that is luck I suppose, but part is because I take a personal interest in my customers and provide them with technical support and advise, as well as fly with as many of them as I possibly can and I critique the heck out of the best of them! For those I don’t get to fly with, I’m still there providing hints and tips of how to best operate the aircraft in a cockpit safe environment. The other part is that among most general aviation aircraft, the MOONEY   has among the best safety record in all of general aviation!

There were 190.7 fatal car accidents per 10,000 registered autos, or about 1907 fatalities per 100,000 auto vehicles registered in 2001.

Number of Accidents and Fatalities (Source NTSB)

Although the number of general aviation accidents fluctuated

slightly year to year, the number of accidents that occurred annually

between 1993 and 2002 declined overall from 2,064 in 1993 to

a 10-year low of 1,715 in 2002. The number of fatal accidents

also decreased overall, from 401 in 1993 to 345 in 2002, but was

up slightly from the 10-year low of 325 reached in 2001

An average 267 fatal accidents per year were associated with

personal/business flying, In 2002, the per-aircraft accident rate for all aircraft types was 6.72

accidents and 1.34 fatal accidents pilots in this group had 200 hours or less of total flight time. When

compared to all accident pilots with available data, about 16% of

accident pilots had 200 hours of flight experience or less.

  2006 equalled 303 fatal accidents during 22,800,000 (nearly 23 million) flight hours equates to 6.64 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours. ************

Or 2/3 of one fatal accident per 10,000 hours flown. If the average gen av pilot flies 4,000 hours in his flying career. 150 hrs per year average times 30 years of flying equals 4500 hours. Statistically he would have to fly 30,000 hours on average in order to expect a fatal accident.      (source: compiled by zephro)

431 accidents occurred under instrument conditions, we found that the MOONEY pilots seem to do a significantly better job. The IMC accident rate per 100,000 hours for the Mooney is just a little over half the accident rate of the other retractables.”
-- Bruce Landsberg, AOPA “Mooney Safety Review.” October, 1995.

 “Just After Ralph Harmon passed away, I spoke with Ed Penny who really admired him. Ed told me that Ralph was responsible for some early wing designs at Beech. There were in-flight break ups of a few Bonanza wings which totally devastated Ralph. He redesigned those Beech wings and that general design stands today. When Ralph came to Mooney, Ed told me that he vowed that there will never be another wing design of his that ever fails. Hence the spectacular integrity of our Mooney wings today.” (Source: MAPA member)

 I began my flying career in 1971. Married to my first wife (Patrice) in 1972. Tricie  was a "white knuckle flier"  back then when we had to rent Piper Cherokees to fly around in, but she was a trooper because she would overcome her fear and accompany me on many flights even though the main thing she would look forward to was ending the flight (successfully). True story: Tricie would go flying with me, but she always carried a pack of Juicy Fruit gum, a Bible, and a barf bag! She always enjoyed the destinations however. Then in 1988 when we moved out of California, we bought our first Mooney airplane. It was at that time we toured the Mooney Factory together and once she saw that stout, single piece Mooney wing standing up on end at the factory, her fear of flying in small aircraft immediately and completely disappeared! She would even catch sleep on many of our flights together (BO-RING!). She really seemed to enjoy owning our own personal aircraft. A major point I would like to make is that the average airplane I deal in is 40 years old! There are many near 100 year old planes flying around. Airplanes don't wear out like a car because first off, they're a much more simple machine than a car with a fraction of the moving parts, not to mention that at least each year they get a major disassembling and inspection. If there are ANY airworthy concerns, the plane is grounding until it meets safety specs. There are in fact so many planes in the sky from the sixties and seventies, that if small planes were as dangerous as the news and folk lore would lead  you to believe, there would hardly be any old planes left!

 My current S.O.; Liana, took her first small plane ride with me. Unfortunately on that flight there was a rare mechanical problem that developed necessitating a quick landing due to improper maintenance by the owner of the plane I had picked up to market for him, but that fazed her not. She looks forward to each time we get to fly together, so her transition to flight was a piece of cake.

 Pilots are for the most part SPECIAL PEOPLE. In fact if we were to group people together, by far the nicest group I have ever associated with are pilot types. I’m not sure what that means except to say that it is true. When I’m up flying, it seems all the cares in the world are gone. I’m very happy in that element as are most pilots I know, and flying is great therapy and cheaper than a psychiatrist! :o) In all fairness I do have to warn you that once bitten by the "flying bug", it’s all over! A bitee  HAS TO FLY and when he or she cannot, there are withdrawal symptoms present similar to those of a drug addict! :o)

 For those of you S.O’s who happen to be women, it may surprise you as to how many female pilots there are out there challenging the skies on a daily basis, in fact, the airliners have never had as many female pilots flying for them as they do today. One group of female type pilots worthy of mention are the 99’s. Check ‘em out here: http://www.ninety-nines.org/. Did you know that some of the most accomplished aerobatic pilots happen to be female? Hey, flying’s not just for guys anymore. If you give general aviation a chance, you just might be glad you did.

 While I get many questions from guy pilots constantly, I would actually welcome the change and I invite any and all women or S.O.’s in general to contact me direct to help answer questions and attempt to help you put any apprehensions about flying with your S.O. to rest. You can contact me at: mooneyland@satx.rr.com  if you’d like.

 Life is short. Don’t spend so much time driving. Fly a plane!!!! Remember that the more often you fly, the sooner you're liable to enjoy the EXPERIENCE!..

YOUR FLYING MATE THOUGH ENOUGH ABOUT REFERRING YOU TO THIS ARTICLE, WHY NOT GET HIM A GIFT HE CAN USE TO HELP REDUCE OPERATING COSTS AND ENHANCE SAFETY? CLICK BELOW:

You need THIS and THIS (Package price available) and THIS

Humbly,

Richard Zephro

Hey now, who's got your back? You know dats right!

FOR EASIER SITE NAVIGATION GO HERE:

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.mooneyland.com