By John Keating, EAA Lifetime 765326
This piece originally ran in the January 2025 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
In March 2006, it was time to buy my first airplane. Five years earlier, I had started flying and obtained my commercial and flight instructor certificates. I was actively instructing on the side, but I longed for an airplane that would allow me to embark on adventures.
That longing led me to board a 1966 Mooney M20F for a demo flight with the then-owner. The airplane had its original interior, dated avionics, and chipped paint, but I was drawn to its speed and efficiency, and I knew I wanted this model with the manual gear.
After a short flight, the owner lined up to land. As we touched down, the gear collapsed, and we slid down the runway with smoke filling the cabin. Fortunately, neither wing dipped as we scraped down the centerline. We came to a halt, scrambled out, and waited for emergency vehicles, concerned that the situation might worsen. The owner then leaned over and asked, “Are you still interested?”
Fast-forward to the summer of 2024. That same Mooney was awarded “Outstanding Mooney” at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in the Vintage Contemporary category. After the initial mechanical repairs, I finally took the plunge five years ago and began a full restoration.
Luckily, one of the best interior shops in the country is located nearby at Clermont County Airport (I69). Dennis Wolter, EAA 290125, who specializes in complete restorations, looked over the Mooney’s stained carpet, cracked plastic parts, and threadbare seats. He asked me if this was going to be my “forever airplane.” His advice was clear: “You won’t get back what you put into it, so this has to be something you are willing to keep and enjoy.”
During the interior install, Dennis also worked on the Lasar 201 windshield retrofit STC, replacing the original two-piece windshield. The airplane already had several Lasar modifications, including the cowl enclosure, wing root leading edge fairing, dorsal fin vertical seal, and aileron and flap gap seals. Across the field, Cincinnati Avionics upgraded the panel with a Garmin GNC 750 and the GFC 500 autopilot.
After a full year of work, the new interior was complete. Kurt at Select Aircraft Service (I69) performed an annual inspection and installed the Power Flow tuned exhaust kit. I then flew the airplane to Dial Eastern States Aircraft Painting (8G6) for a complete paint job. Like Air Mod, Dial Eastern doesn’t cut corners — it removes all control surfaces, strips and pressure washes the exterior, and then cleans, sands, and repairs before priming. All hardware was replaced with new stainless steel.
The entire restoration process took 16 months, resulting in a Mooney that now trues out at 173 mph at 7,000 feet, burning less than 9 gallons an hour with a 1,000-pound useful load — enough for three to Oshkosh with camping gear.
Attention — Aircraft Builders and Restorers
We would love to share your story with your fellow EAA members in the pages of EAA Sport Aviation magazine, even if it’s a project that’s been completed for a while. Readers consistently rate the “What Our Members are Building/Restoring” section of the magazine as one of their favorites, so don’t miss the chance to show off your handiwork and inspire your peers to start or complete projects of their own. Learn more ->