Mission: Time building / Solo business flights / Small family wife and kid flights (rarely)
Ownership duration: 3years <
Distances: 1000nm40% 400-600nm 50% around the patch 10%
Budget 90-110k
240tt inst, comm soon, hp complex endorsement
Goals: build time, get the a flying lifestyle built, get into high alt flying (out west)
equipment: strike finder, garmin something waas, engine monitor, and no vacuum gyros
Questions

Would a M20k 231 with tiso 360 be a good place to start aircraft ownership? Never owned an aircraft before.
M20k 231 seemed to be air aircraft to discover new realms (fls) efficiently money wise?
Checked insurance for a 182rg and it wasn't cost prohibitive would M20k 231 be different for a low time pilot?
These didn't seem like a bonanza mission. To little budget to get the high alt performance for Beech.
Is this reasonable or am I setting the bar to high for the budget?

You say out West, how much high altitude and how high? A 201 is as fast as the 231 up to around 7000 feet and the engine is much easier to manage. It can reasonably climb to 14000 with light loads. If you need to operate routinely above 12,500 then the 231 is probably better.

Making the transition to a Mooney at your level is easily done, make sure you get a good type specific checkout.

Also a Mooney shop is essential for the pre-buy. The original 231s did have some cooling issues and I believe there are different engine versions out there. Make sure you talk to someone knowledgeable in the type.

Out west specifically Tucson and New Mexico.

I think you would appreciate a turbocharged engine around those parts. Some of the Victor airways there are pretty high altitude.

If you're interested in a very nice 231 with a low time engine, new paint, and interior I have a good friend selling his. PM me for more info...

Dave

Try one on before you buy. They're great planes but make sure you fit comfortably. The first trip, in a K model actually, it seemed small compared to a 172. As soon as we took off I forgot about the cabin size. That said, they're compact compared to other brands.

Many people say the 252 (k model 1986+) is the best Mooney ever built, but that would run $135k+. There's a lot of 86's on the market right now so there may be an opportunity if you wanted to stretch a bit. There are some STCs available that improve the 231 performance to closer to a 252, but candidly I don't know a lot about them. Plenty of information at MooneySpace.com. Let me know if I can help.

Being a beech forum you might want to look at a v35 TC as well for a 4 seat turbo of a similar vintage, but I suspect the price for a good example would be closer to the 252 Mooney price.

If you want a screamer, look at a Mooney Rocket. 305 horsepower on the front of the same airframe. Out if your budget (~$180-$200?), but crazy fast. You probably won't find a faster certified airplane. Some reports say that the Rocket is faster than the Acclaim type S but I don't have any first hand knowledge.

There is a handful of good mooney shops out there

9/10 : 231/252 all have bad or worn baffle seals
nature of the owners not to spend money

Iam working on a new cabin and baggage door seal for the 20 series

Get a good pre-buy froom a Mooney shop...

GB

I was longing for a 231 for years, until I realized it was a shoebox and the engine/turbo combo was one of the worst in the industry. There are countless threads on Mooneyspace and elsewhere about the turbo issues in that type.

The Mooney is a good bird, but you'll want a better performing engine and the hauling capes of the Bo. Don't forget the egress windows on the Bo. In the Mooney, if there is an issue, everyone has to go out one door.

Hi John-
The insurance cost between a 182RG and Mooney 231 shouldn't be much different provided the hull insurance component is similar (ie same purchase price). They are both considered 4 place high perf. retractables so the rates tables should be close with the insurance underwriters. I'm not aware of any insurance related issues with the Mooney specific to lower time pilots. We bought an M20R (Ovation) new in 2000 and flew it for over 1500 hrs before moving into a Turbo Saratoga. The Mooney was a fine, fast and economical airplane albeit a tight cabin in my opinion for someone 6'2" or over.

The later model -LB engines, plus an intercooler and automatic wastegate go a long way to having a good engine. The 252 engine came with these things from the factory, and the Encore got a bump in useful load plus an extra 10 or 15 HP. The Rocket conversion also solves the issue.

You can open the baggage door from inside on all Mooneys built after 1978

The nice thing about the 231 series , is most of them are overequipped from the factory , The majority have KFC200 A/Ps , radar altimeters , stormscopes etc... also , Mooney made the engine upgrade available without STC , meaning that most 231s that had the GB series engine were upgraded to the LB series when overhauled........Also the gear actuation systems on the Mooneys are pretty bulletproof , similar to the Beech.... No hydraulics like the Pipers and Cessnas.... A Mooney specific shop for a prebuy is not an option , it is essential......These are put together different than any other aircraft.......Good luck....

Here's the one my friend is selling...

http://www.trade-a-plane.com/detail/air ... 44608.html

Dave

I think a 231 would be an excellent choice for your mission. Before you get too far into the shopping process, try to get a ride in one and see how well you fit and if you like it. There are lots of old wives tales about Mooneys, and I guess you haven't heard them or don't believe them since you're considering one.

Finding a nice one in your budget shouldn't be difficult, although I wouldn't necessarily hope or expect to find one with a glass PFD and no vacuum gyros at that price. You might get lucky, though. As previously mentioned, the aftermarket intercooler and Merlyn controller are nice add-ons to the 231 setup. The 252 already came with these, and of course commands a higher price in addition to being a newer airframe.

Another option you might see in the market is the "262" which is an aftermarket conversion of a 231 with the firewall-forward stuff from a 252. It will effectively be a 252, except that it retains the 14V electrical system of a 231 instead of the 24V system found in the 252 (and other later Mooneys). These conversions are a good value in the market, and use factory parts so you don't need to rely on a 3rd party supplier for anything special.

Getting a pre-buy with a Mooney specialist is essential as previously mentioned. You have some good choices in CA to do this, and there are others scattered about the country as well.

I hate to be the nay sayer with this thread but, I shall.

A 240 hour pilot with a $110,000 budget proposes to buy a single engine airplane and use it for 400-1000 nm trips for 90% of the usage? Unless every trip can be made with a window of +/- five days, forgive me while I stop the convulsive laughter.

I'm not saying impossible, but I am saying highly improbable. 1000 nm will take you across at least one weather system 90% of the time.

My advice is "Delta Is Ready When You Are."

Jgreen

Without piling on, I think John is right about 1000nm legs. I had a malibu for 2 years and the longest flight I made was 993 nm (STL-SLC). It was perfect weather and stands out in my mind as a LONG flight. 1000nm is really a long way for anything less than 250 kts. I would suggest dropping the 1000nm trips, going commercial and limiting your mission to the 400-600nm trips which are still not trivial.

A turbo mooney is a perfectly reasonable plane for a 250 hour pilot. Find a mentor to help you with flight planning. Long XC's with time sensitive missions are an easy place to screw up.