Landing a Mooney

On Thu, 04 Nov 2004 01:42:19 GMT, Jon Kraus wrote:

I've got the speeds down good (100 on downwind,
90 on base and 80 on final) but getting it to the runway smoothly has
been a challange.

If these speeds are in KIAS (and not MPH), you are coming over the
threshold of the runway much too fast. But check your POH though as the
data I have may not apply to your aircraft.

My book shows that an M20J will stall with gear down and full flaps at 54
KIAS. 1.3*54 = 70 KIAS. While 80 KIAS may be OK when you first turn
final, if you cross the threshold at that speed, you will float a long
ways. You need to get slowed down before thinking about landing. For a
short field landing, even slower speeds work real well.

A Mooney landing is conventional, so long as you are at the right speed.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)