Cessna 172 vs. Mooney vs. ?

"pjbphd" wrote:

Although I'm a way off, I'm beginning to consider planes for my
commute. I' ll be flying from around 3500 ft up to 7000 ft. I was
given a good suggestion that I fly into Sedona which is about 1500 ft.
Lower than Flagstaff. I may also do some recreational trips to the
Reno-Tahoe area. The bottom line is I need a plane that can handle
mountains.


It's true that Sedona is somewhat lower than Flagstaff, but if you're
really going to be commuting every day, I think you'll get tired of the
drive from Sedona up to Flagstaff. It's a very scenic drive up Oak Creek
Canyon, but it's not quick by any means, and is subject to weather delays,
and also traffic in the busy tourist season. Sedona is also high enough
that it can be challenging for an underpowered airplane in warm weather.
Sedona or Cottonwood would be a good alternate when Flagstaff weather is
down, however.

Will your commuting flights be solo? If so, a 172 should not be a problem
in all but the hottest weather. If you can find a 180 hp 172 or
Cherokee/Archer, that would be ideal, but maybe difficult in your price
range.

Good luck,
Mike