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After spending my formative years flying model airplanes, I went to the Air Force Academy and then through pilot training at Williams AFB near Phoenix. After a year at Caltech getting an M.S. in aeronautics, I returned to Air Training Command as an instructor pilot. Civilian flying began during my second stint at Caltech flying the aero club 150. A few years of renting convinced me I needed an airplane of my own so, not knowing about Mooneys, I bought an Arrow and learned the joys and pitfalls of ownership.

Mooney 5262A joined our family in 1988. This was during the factory direct sales promotion which provided a reasonably well equipped 201 for an affordable (barely) price. My wife, Julie, and I flew 62A for 12 years in something close to its original state, adding only speed brakes, back-up vacuum, GAMI injectors, Rosen visors, and Bose headsets. By then, our bank account had returned to solvency (barely), so it was time for upgrades. We started with avionics, adding a Garmin 530 GPS, Stormscope 500, KAP150 autopilot, KCS 55 HSI, PS 3000 four-place intercom, Avionics Innovations AM/FM/CD, and a JPI EDM-700 engine monitor.

The interior came next. Aviation Design in Camarillo used Ultraleather to clad the yellowed Royalite, then remade the seats, yokes and side panels, covering them with two-tone-blue leather. The final touch was new carpet.

Undaunted by impending bankruptcy, I flew 62A to Vero Beach and had LoPresti Speed Merchants install their new cowl. It came covered with gray primer so on the way back to California I stopped at Aerosmith Aviation in Longview, Texas and had the plane repainted.




The remodeled airplane is a joy to fly. Long trips are almost effortless, even IFR. We've taken it to Montana, Seattle, Virginia, Dayton, Kerville, Wichita, and New York twice. Of course, most trips are shorter but we look forward to many more years of happy flying with our favorite Mooney.


Bob Davey
June 2004