Originally published in 1997
“The Ovation has been one of the most successful new aircraft introductions in our company’s history,” said Mooney President and CEO Bing Lantis. “It serves to define the upper end of the normally aspirated class, and provides its owners with serious airplane capabilities. Furthermore, by contributing well over $30 million in revenue to the local economy, it brings significant visibility to us regionally in attracting additional employees to our growing business.”
The four-place Ovation has a cruise of 190 knots indicated airspeed behind a 280 horsepower Continental engine. The aircraft was introduced in 1994.
Serial No. 100 Ovation was delivered with a dark blue base, graystone crown and titanium trim striping. “The 100th Ovation” in a large script decal was emblazoned on both sides of the fuselage, together with a similar custom logo on the headrests.
Mooney, based in Kerrville, Texas, also builds the 200-horsepower MSE and the 270 horse turbo-intercooled TLS Bravo. A fourth model, the 220-horsepower turbo-intercooled Encore, is slated for production in the second quarter of this year.
By the way, the aircraft pictured on the front fold of TxDOT’s multi modal Texas Highway Map is a Mooney “Ovation” with a Texas flag paint job—- and, so is the aircraft pictured with Dave Fulton, TxDOT’s Aviation Division Director, on the September 1996, cover of Texas Flyer Magazine!