@ San Carlos, CA
October 2023
A Mooney M20C departs from San Carlos Airport. First flown in 1953, the M20 was the 20th design from Al Mooney, and his most successful with over 11,000 produced. One unique design feature of Mooneys is the forward slanted vertical stabilizer. This characteristic forward tilt becomes approximately vertical when in low-speed high angle of attack attitude, when rudder authority is important. The M20C variant was produced from 1962–1978 with 2,422 delivered. The low profile cross-section and laminar flow wings reduce drag to enable higher performance than other airplanes with similar horsepower. A tubular steel frame, along with the wingtip-to-wingtip wing spar, gave Mooneys a reputation for being the strongest and safest among GA airplanes.
