The Mooney M20A is quite a bit older than our Cessna 172. The Mooney was built in the late 1950s and our Cessna was built in 1975. The Mooney was built for speed - it's about 40-50 MPH faster than our Cessna. The cockpit is kind of snug, but Cessna 172s aren't exactly widebody aircraft. Both are best treated as 2-3 seaters at my altitude but the Mooney has 30 more horsepower and a constant speed prop. That means it should climb a lot better than the Cessna - an important factor when your home airfield is over 6800 feet above sea level. The Mooney has a lot longer range than the Cessna, too. I figure that at a reasonable cruise setting, you could cover about 800 miles and still have a good reserve. Plus, let's face it, a plane with retractable landing gear and low wings just looks more like a "real" airplane than a 172. Yeah, you might compare the two to a early 60s Corvette and a Camry. Both will get you there, but one is a lot more fun.

I discussed it with my wife this evening. She didn't call a divorce lawyer so perhaps there's hope. Of course, it is a Sunday evening and most offices are closed. I'll discuss this with my partners tomorrow and see what happens. The whole deal is contingent on our being able to sell the Cessna for a good price. With the economy slowing down, that might not be easy.