Plan your descent to respect the airspeed limitations as you arrive. Turbocharged Mooneys should be equipped with speed-brakes to allow descending without shock cooling the cylinders. Plan to level off to slow to gear speed as you approach the traffic pattern, adding flaps and trim to stabilize during the arrival. The older small-cabin Mooneys need to be slowed to no more than 80 mph on short final before entering ground effect. The nautical-indicating airplanes will be flown in at 70 knots or less, and the larger big-engine Mooneys require about 80 knots. Don’t expect whipped-cream smooth touchdowns from the stiff gear but do respect the nosegear by holding the yoke back.
Flying a Mooney of any vintage is a pleasurable endeavor. Just do your homework to understand the aircraft’s systems and find a good Mooney-experienced instructor to show you the best way to fly the airplane. The ownership experience will be enhanced by joining the Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association and finding a good shop that is familiar with working on Mooneys.
Senior Editor Jeremy King shares stories about his Mooney M20 here.
