Crossing Half The Country In One Flight

In 1984, I sold the 1975 Cessna 172 I had operated for nine years and acquired a 1978 Mooney 201. I immediately put the airplane to work on a multi-stop trip around the country, quickly discovering how efficient it was. On the last leg of that trip, from St. Petersburg, Fla. (KSPG) to Mansfield, Mass. (1B9), I flew the 1029 nm nonstop in 6.7 hours using 52.4 gallons of fuel. That’s an average of 154…

Editorial Staff

Thursday, October 30, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The author acquired a Mooney 201 in 1984, quickly appreciating its efficiency through multiple long-distance, nonstop flights (over 6 hours, often >1000 nm) at high altitudes.
A 1987 flight at 12,000-12,500 feet without supplemental oxygen led to a severe post-landing headache, prompting the author to realize he had exceeded his physiological limits and increased risk.
This experience caused the author to subsequently limit flight duration and altitude, and later acquire supplemental oxygen for high-altitude operations.

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As I recall (I wish my short-term memory was as good), I flew that trip IFR at 11,000 feet, even though the weather was good VMC, and my logbook says “slight tailwind.” I didn’t have any supplemental oxygen, and I don’t remember any adverse effects from that first-ever flight I made that was over six hours long.