Cessna 172 vs. Mooney vs. ?

A good 172 should be able to handle Flagstaff just fine. Yes the density
altitude is high, but not it is not beyond a 172's performance. The
flight from Sedona to Flag is very short, but driving could take a long
time due to the windy roads through the mountains, and is really not
necessary.




"pjbphd" wrote in
news:CATWc.132424$sh.9312@fed1read06:

I'm in the process of taking lessons for my Private Pilot Certificate.
I'll be eventually using my certificate to commute from Tucson to
Flagstaff and will purchase a plane. My training is in a Cessna 172.



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.



My budget is $40K - $50K. Looking at www.aso.com I see that puts me
in the late 70s to early 80s Cessna 172. Alternatively I could go
with a 1960 era Mooney M20. I'm sure there are options with Cherokees
as well. I'd like to stay away from kits and experimentals, at least
until I get more experience.



Soooo. what's the deal? Go with a later model 172 or the earlier
Mooney? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? What other
airplanes I should consider?



Thanks in advance



pjbphd