Why do we own a Mooney?
Everyone has the same amount of time in a day, the same number of days in a week, the same number of weeks in a month, and the same number of months in a year. Some of us are blessed with more years than others, and while none of us know how many years we have, we do get to decide what we do with those hours, days, weeks, months, and years.
In 2016, we had two grandkids on the way, one in Utah and one in Idaho. My wife suggested I fulfill a lifelong dream and obtain my pilot’s license, we buy a plane, and I fly her to see the grandkids. I didn’t need any more encouragement. After extensive research, I decided that a Mooney was the perfect plane for the mission. Having gone on a flight in a friend’s Mooney and loving every second of it might have factored into the decision.
My wife and I like to call our Mooney our “Time Machine.” We are constantly amazed at the trips we can take, and the amount of time spent with family and friends courtesy of our Mooney. I’m often asked, “How long does it take you to get to xxx?” I’ll give them a range followed by, “depending on the winds,” and then add that a rough estimate is usually about 1/3rd of the driving time.
Why is our Mooney a “Time Machine?” As of this writing, I am at 132.8 hours of flight time in 2024. Taking that 1/3 math, we would have spent 398 hours driving, which means we saved about 265 hours of travel. That’s over 11 more days we had this year to spend with family and friends than if we were stuck travelling on the ground.
Our Flight Won't Leave Without Us
For our typical trips to AZ, UT, and CO we’re faster than the airlines when you factor in the time you must arrive early when flying commercial, not to mention the convenience of setting your own schedule. On one of the many trips to see my parents in AZ this year we were waiting on their caregiver to return from some errands. She was running late and I called her boss to see if I could get an ETA for her return.
After apologizing for her tardiness, he asked if we were flying back and what time our flight was leaving. I said we were, but “I’m flying our plane, so it won’t be leaving without us.” That sentence encapsulates the greatest benefit of owning a plane.
Looking Back 2024 was Challenging
Here at the end of December I look back on 2024 and it was a challenging year. Never in my life have I known so many people going through so many struggles. One of those people was my mom who faced numerous serious health challenges this year. Our Mooney gave me time to create more memories with her. Priceless moments that could never be replaced.
In June I wrote about making the 760-mile round trip to Phoenix and back to see my mom on Mother’s Day. What I didn’t mention in that article was that mom had a stroke just before Mother’s Day so the chance to spend the day with her was then and is still a cherished memory. One week later I would jump in the Mooney again to return to Phoenix, this time to visit mom in the hospital.
In July she was back in the hospital again and I would fly out there and surprise her, spending the night in the hospital with her which gave my sisters a break and my time with mom that can’t be measured on any scale. This time I was still there when she got to come home from the hospital, but it wouldn’t be long before she was back.
Surprising Mom
In August she had another short stay in the hospital that I didn’t make it out there for, but in September I flew out yet again, this time thinking it was to say goodbye. My wife was up in Idaho, so it was a solo flight. After landing and grabbing a rental car, I drove to the hospital where I was able to completely surprise mom. Once again, I spent the night at the hospital with her and had many wonderful conversations. Mom decided that she was going to have all the family, 6 kids, 30 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren over for Thanksgiving.
A Thanksgiving Dream?
At the time looking at her in a hospital bed, that seemed like a fantasy. But mom’s will was stronger than her body and she once again recovered enough to return home from the hospital. We organized commercial flights for my son and his wife to get there from Idaho. We were going to fly to St George to pick up my youngest son but the forecast for Thanksgiving morning was fog, so we booked him a commercial flight too.
Sure enough, on Thanksgiving morning my wife and I found ourselves at the airport, ¼-½ mile visibility, waiting for the fog to lift so we could takeoff. Almost right on schedule the fog cleared, and we enjoyed a beautiful flight to AZ and a wonderful day with all but 3 of the grandchildren and 2 great-grandkids. Before flying home on Saturday I put up their Christmas tree and took a picture with mom and dad. It would be the last picture I would take with my mom.
"The plane isn't fast enough"
One week later she went into the hospital with pneumonia. At first, they thought she might be okay. She was receiving two antibiotics through her IV and her vitals looked okay, but then everything changed quickly. On a group chat with all us kids, my sister sent out a voice recording from the nurse explaining everything and that they were moving mom to the ICU.
Sitting in my office at work, I sent my wife a text with just two words, “Mom’s dying.” About an hour later my sister called and put mom on the phone so I could say goodbye. I got up and closed my office door.
“I love you,” I said, and then “I wish I had a faster plane.”
A little after that phone call my wife texted “Want to meet at the airport?”
“No,” I replied. “The plane isn’t fast enough.”
The doctors had said they thought she only had 1-2 hours left. The truth is that it wouldn’t matter how fast my plane was, I was in no condition to fly. It was all I could do at that moment to just sit at my desk. Defying the doctors with her strength, it wouldn’t be until the following morning, with my three younger sisters and dad at her side, when mom’s spirit would slip through the veil.
Once more the Mooney would prove her worth when two days later, we flew to Arizona on Friday afternoon to spend the evening and all-day Saturday with Dad. I had to be in California on Sunday to speak in church as well as sing a solo and in a quartet Sunday evening at our church Christmas concert. Without the Mooney we wouldn’t have been there with Dad, or at least for as long. Just one more set of priceless memories.
The “Time Machine” wasn’t quite done yet with 2024. We flew back to Arizona on December 20th for mom’s services on the 21st. They were very special, a fitting tribute to the most amazing woman I have ever known. On Sunday the 22nd we flew from Arizona up to Salt Lake to do an early Christmas with some of our grandkids and as a bonus got to spend more time with Dad who had flown commercial the same day to spend a couple weeks with one of my sisters up there. Then on the 23rd we flew back to SoCal ahead of a storm that was supposed to move in on the 24th.
Now you know why we own a Mooney. It’s been a busy year, but we have been incredibly blessed in so many ways, and courtesy of our Mooney have made more memories than I have room to write about.
