To those watching Mooney’s sales numbers over the first half of this year, the shutdown is probably not a huge surprise. According to GAMA sales records, Mooney sold two Acclaim Ultras in each of the first two quarters, after selling 14 aircraft at a value of $10.7 million in 2018. For context, Cirrus sold 203 aircraft in the first half of 2019, while Mooney’s output trailed Extra, Pipistrel and Quest.
https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/moo ... 13%2C+2019

I’ve always had a soft spot for one of these.

How long until Bo & Baron go the same way? I understand that they are within a larger company, but unit sales are still anemic. 3 and 4 respectively for first 6 mos of 2019.

Meanwhile Cirrus marches on .... 172 single engine piston units, 36% of worldwide piston single sales. Also Piper outsold Cessna/Beech. Piper 77 units, Textron 73 units.

In the twin market, Diamond outsold Beech 15:1; 60 units vs 4.

This is the problem. That means each plane has to carry 40+ salaries. A jet couldn’t do that. How many people would it take to produce 7 RVs a year if it was their full time job? Maybe 10. That’s really poor management there.

Yes, the Mooney Mite is the most fun looking toy airplane. It's not aerobatic, though... if you do a loop you'd better have a parachute handy as you will be in the center of a debris cloud of nails and plywood

I spent some time on the Mite site a few years ago, since it's a wooden plane they are getting long in the tooth and many need a type of restoration that is prohibitively expensive. Good, turnkey Mites are tough to find based on what I saw on the site.

Here is a great pirep from Budd Davisson on the Mite:
http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepMooneyMite.html

Realistically, the pilot who wants to strap on a small, responsive airplane today will buy an RV that someone else already built. It will be newer and easier to fix than a Mite, and aerobatic.

Yes, the Mooney Mite is the most fun looking toy airplane. It's not aerobatic, though... if you do a loop you'd better have a parachute handy as you will be in the center of a debris cloud of nails and plywood

Had not thought of that angle, interesting.

Didnt it make up 1/4 of the Mooney fleet built in 2019?

All you need to know

I have owned a lot of planes but the Mooney was one of my favorites. For those of you that need a parachute to buy an airplane don't fly in the Staggerwing, the Aerostar or the Bonanza because nothing in my fleet is going to save those that can't figure out how to glide an airplane. Pull the parachute and you are totaled. Glide to a landing maybe not. I hope Mooney figures it out.

Chinese owned Mooney is done. Continental is also Chinese owned. Its really a shame. There are people that could have made it work that were ignored on the Continental side that would/could have flowed to the Mooney side of things. CEO of Continental has now "retired"??? There is much more to the story that I will not air out here.....
Here is what I can put out there:
https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/bu ... etirement/
MFer Got lost and things went bad:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct- ... story.html

The Chinese are shrewd business people. More heads will roll as directed from the motherland....

Eric I am sorry and do not mean to offend but the argument for or against the chute is over. It's not a matter of who can fly and who can't, or if you "need" a chute you are not a real pilot etc. The facts are in, the market has spoken. If you are going to build a single engine airplane in the world today it better have a chute. If not you are at a disadvantage in the marketplace the day you enter it. Its not who "needs" a chute and who doesn't anymore. At this point it just is what it is. Cirrus changed the market, they fundamentally changed it forever. Those who keep refusing to understand this will never compete with those who do. Those companies that refuse to recognize this extremely obvious fact will probably not survive as a company either.

Honest question. What were 300 people DOING every day in Kerrville? Surely a small portion were actually building the bespoke airplanes, but if you're going to work every day with no tasks or duties and you're not in a government job, you should have seen this coming.

The Chinese planned on leveraging the brand and facilities to build a bunch of new trainers. For whatever reason, they failed to execute on that, leaving only the "regular" business model that has taken down many former investor groups.

I thought I read somewhere that there were only 50 people on the payroll at this time.

It's not about need. Clear day over hospitable terrain? Sure, I'll glide the plane into a field. Probably put it down level and upright. Night? Low ceiling undercast? Mountains, rocks, forest? Less confidence in my chances if I can't see the flat, clear bit or if there isn't one. Who cares if it totals the airplane? As soon as the big fan stops, the insurance company owns the plane, your only duty is to the people inside.

I love my Bonanza but I'm looking really hard at twins for the same reason some people want a 'chute.

It's not about need. Clear day over hospitable terrain? Sure, I'll glide the plane into a field. Probably put it down level and upright. Night? Low ceiling undercast? Mountains, rocks, forest? Less confidence in my chances if I can't see the flat, clear bit or if there isn't one. Who cares if it totals the airplane? As soon as the big fan stops, the insurance company owns the plane, your only duty is to the people inside.

I love my Bonanza but I'm looking really hard at twins for the same reason some people want a 'chute.