Mooney private jets

Two versions of one aircraft

The M20 line has run through many versions, and these two are among the last of them. Both have a Garmin G1000 NXi cockpit and a door on each side, which earlier M20s did not have. The difference is the engine. Mooney no longer builds either version, and most aircraft belong to private pilots who fly them themselves.

The book ranges assume long-range tanks. In a narrow cabin without a toilet, legs of one to two hours are the sensible use, and the route table keeps close to that.

Inside the cabin

The cabin is about 1.10 m wide and 1.11 m high, smaller than in a Cirrus SR22. You sit low with your legs stretched forward, and the rear seats become tight for tall adults on a longer leg. The engine is loud, so everyone wears a headset to talk and hear the pilot. There is no toilet, no galley and no cabin attendant; bring water and snacks.

• Baggage: soft bags in the 0.7 m³ hold behind the rear seats, no large suitcases
• No pressurisation: above about 3,000 m everyone needs oxygen, so with passengers the aircraft flies lower
• Weight: tell us everyone's approximate weight, as it decides how much fuel the aircraft can carry
• No parachute for the whole airframe, unlike a Cirrus

Rules for a single piston engine

EU air operations rules allow passenger flights in a single-engine aircraft at night or in cloud only with a SET-IMC approval, and that approval is open to turbine aircraft alone. A Mooney therefore flies paying passengers by day and in good visibility. The route must also allow a safe forced landing if the engine fails, so long stretches over open sea and the high Alps are left out.

What a Mooney charter costs

The model table gives EUR 1,000 per flight hour for the M20U and EUR 1,100 for the M20V, for the whole aircraft with pilot. That is about half the turboprop floor of EUR 2,000 in the block below.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

The price of a trip is more than rate times flight time, because the minimum charge, positioning and airport fees stay the same. Frankfurt - Luxembourg takes 1:02 h in an M20U and costs from EUR 4,000; Amsterdam - Berlin takes 2:04 h in an M20V and costs from EUR 5,500.

The table leaves out the islands, Larnaca and crossings of the main Alpine ridge for the reasons above. London - Manchester and London - Edinburgh need a UK operator, and Madrid - Valencia or Madrid - Seville an EU one.

Weight, baggage and paying less

Fuel and people share one weight limit. With the long-range tanks filled, the M20U keeps about 200 kg for pilot, passengers and bags and the M20V about 170 kg. With more people on board the operator takes less fuel and shortens the leg or plans a stop.

The hold is loaded through a hatch in the side of the fuselage. Soft bags and one or two small cabin cases fit, while skis or a golf bag need the operator's agreement in advance.

Ways to keep the price down:

• A same-day return, such as Vienna - Budapest and back in daylight, saves the pilot's hotel and a second positioning leg
• A reserve date avoids a costly last-minute switch to another aircraft when the weather turns
• One or two passengers with light bags keep the M20V non-stop on the longer rows of the table

Alternatives, Empty Legs and booking

When the weather or the group does not fit, we quote a Cirrus SR22 with a wider and higher cabin and a parachute for the whole aircraft, a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 58 that may fly in cloud, or a pressurised Daher Socata TBM 940 or Pilatus PC-12 turboprop. Empty Legs on a Mooney are very rare, as so few aircraft fly charter; when one fits, it can cost 40-65 % less than a normal charter, with the date and route set by the operator.

For a quote we need:

• route, date and a reserve date
• number of passengers and their approximate weight
• baggage, as soft bags
• a small dog in a carrier, if the operator agrees; it counts towards the weight

Each offer names the version, the operator and the reserve plan. You sign a contract with the price, the payment terms and the operator's cancellation rules.

A small aircraft with honest advice

A Mooney is the right answer for a narrow set of trips, and we say so before you book. We check that the operator holds an AOC, plan the route over land and agree in advance what happens if the weather closes in.

European Private Jets has worked in business aviation for 14 years, with 11 people in offices in Cyprus, Nice, Hamburg and Geneva and access to about 6,500 aircraft through operators. Requests are accepted 24/7 on +357 96407410 and at private@jets.flights.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about Mooney charter

• • How much does a Mooney charter cost?

  • EUR 1,000 per flight hour for the M20U and EUR 1,100 for the M20V, for the whole aircraft with pilot. Frankfurt - Luxembourg costs from EUR 4,000 one way.

• • Is a Mooney a private jet?

  • No. Both versions are four-seat aircraft with one piston engine, much smaller and slower than any jet, and best for one or two passengers on short legs.

• • Which version should I choose?

  • The M20V is faster and climbs higher, the M20U carries more with full tanks. For two passengers the M20U is the better choice, for one person in a hurry the M20V.

• • Why is it hard to charter a Mooney?

  • Only an operator with an Air Operator Certificate may carry paying passengers, and most owners fly privately. We look for an aircraft and send an alternative at the same time.

• • What happens if the weather is bad?

  • With low cloud or storms on the route the flight moves to the reserve date, or we offer a turboprop that may fly in cloud with an approved operator.

• • Can a Mooney fly to Corsica or across the Alps?

  • Not with paying passengers. The route must allow a safe forced landing, so long sea crossings and the main Alpine ridge are left out.