Mooney M20U Ovation Ultra

The Mooney M20U Ovation Ultra is a four-seat single-engine piston aircraft, the last version of the Ovation family. It has a normally aspirated Continental IO-550-G of 310 hp, a composite forward fuselage, a Garmin G1000 NXi cockpit and a door on the pilot's side as well, which earlier M20 versions did not have. It seats the pilot and three passengers.

In charter the type is seldom seen. As a single-engine piston aircraft it may carry paying passengers only by day and in weather that allows flight with visual reference. That suits two people on legs such as Frankfurt - Luxembourg (1:02 h) or Madrid - Valencia (1:22 h) with a flexible date.

Cabin: four low seats and two doors

The cabin of the M20U 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, as in a sports car. The pilot and one passenger are in front, two seats behind them; doors on both sides make boarding easier, but tall adults find the rear seats tight.

Baggage and payload

The hold is loaded through a hatch in the side of the fuselage. Soft bags and one or two small cabin cases fit; large suitcases do not, and skis or a golf bag must be agreed with the operator in advance. With the long-range tanks filled, the load left for people and bags drops to about 200 kg, so with three passengers the operator takes less fuel and shortens the leg.

Performance and the single-engine rules

With long-range tanks and economy power the M20U can reach 2,685 km, but in a narrow cabin without a toilet legs of up to about two hours are the sensible use. The short take-off and landing open small paved airfields with AVGAS. For more speed and altitude the Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra has the same cabin with a turbocharged engine.

The rules decide when the aircraft may fly with passengers:

Why the routes stay on land

Because of the forced-landing rule, the route table leaves out the islands and Larnaca: Corsica, Sardinia, the Balearics or Cyprus mean long legs over open sea, which a piston single should not fly with paying passengers. Crossing the main Alpine ridge is left out too, as it needs altitudes where everyone would use oxygen.

M20U routes from European hubs

Twenty-eight one-way legs from twelve hubs, all over land or short stretches of water, from Amsterdam - Brussels to London - Edinburgh. Prices are for the whole aircraft with pilot, without airport fees and passenger taxes; flight time includes taxi, climb and approach.

Up to two hours: the normal range for a small piston single

Two to four hours: only with stable weather

• Neighbouring capitals and business cities, such as Vienna - Budapest or Frankfurt - Luxembourg, take about an hour
• Paris - Geneva and Munich - Berlin take under two hours and need good weather along the whole line
• London - Edinburgh is the longest row, at 2:09 h

Nice - Calvi, Geneva - Palma or any flight across the Alps to Italy belong in a twin or a turboprop, and we quote one of those instead.

The calculator gives an indicative price for the M20U or a similar small aircraft on your own route.

What an M20U flight costs

The indicative rate is EUR 1,000 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with pilot and fuel. Short legs cost more than rate times time: Amsterdam - Brussels takes 0:59 h and starts at EUR 4,000, because take-off, landing, the minimum charge and the flight from the aircraft's base are part of every quote.

Further away the gap narrows: Paris - Geneva (1:44 h) starts at EUR 4,500 and London - Edinburgh (2:09 h) at EUR 5,000. The price of an M20U does not change with the number of passengers.

The price is for the whole aircraft; split between passengers, Frankfurt - Luxembourg comes to:

Ways to keep the cost down

With three people and suitcases, or in winter with short days, a larger aircraft is often cheaper per person and more reliable on the date.

Empty Legs on the Ovation Ultra

On the M20U Empty Legs practically do not exist, because almost all aircraft are flown privately. On other small aircraft and turboprops they appear from time to time, at 30-60% below a normal charter as an example, with a fixed date and route and the risk of cancellation if the aircraft gets a full booking. Send the route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or see the Empty Legs page.

M20U or another small aircraft

Clients usually compare the M20U with these four:

What we need for a quote

Send us:

• route, date and a reserve date
• number of people and their rough weight
• bags, and whether skis, golf clubs or a dog travel
• whether a turboprop is an acceptable fallback

In an aircraft this small these figures decide whether the flight is possible without a stop. We always try to find the type you asked for, but each case depends on the operator's availability and contract.

Questions about the Mooney M20U

• • How much does an M20U flight cost?

  • Frankfurt to Luxembourg (1:02 h) starts at EUR 4,000 and Paris to Geneva (1:44 h) at EUR 4,500 for the whole aircraft one way. Airport fees, passenger taxes and positioning come on top.

• • What is included in the price?

  • The aircraft, the pilot and fuel. Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, the flight from the aircraft's base and a pilot hotel on a later return are listed separately.

• • Why does a one-hour leg cost more than the hourly rate?

  • Because the quote covers a minimum charge and positioning. Vienna to Budapest takes 1:09 h and starts at EUR 4,000, while on London to Edinburgh (2:09 h, from EUR 5,000) the difference is smaller.

• • How can I fly cheaper?

  • Return the same day, keep a reserve date, travel as two with light bags and start near the base of the M20U.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the M20U?

  • Practically never, as nearly all aircraft fly privately. On other small aircraft they come up now and then, at 30-60% below a normal charter, on a fixed date and route.

• • How many people can fly?

  • The pilot and three passengers. With full standard tanks about 250 kg remain for people and bags, so with three passengers the operator takes less fuel. Two people with light bags fly most comfortably.

• • Can the aircraft fly at night or in cloud?

  • Not with paying passengers. EU rules require a SET-IMC approval for that in a single-engine aircraft, and it applies to turbine aircraft only. With the M20U you fly by day in good weather.

• • How does the M20U differ from the M20R Ovation?

  • Engine and performance are similar. The M20U adds a door on the pilot's side, a composite forward fuselage and the Garmin G1000 NXi. For passengers the main gain is easier boarding.

• • Can we fly to Corsica or Majorca?

  • Not in this aircraft. The route must allow a safe forced landing, which rules out long legs over open sea for a piston single. We offer a twin or a turboprop for the islands.