N4049N, a 1968 Mooney M20F Executive, became part of our family in June, 2000. We acquired it from a gentleman who was retiring from the FAA in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The exterior had been painted in November of 1998 and the grey leather interior was completed shortly after the paint job. The avionics are all digital King Silver Crown through RNAV.

Shortly after we made the purchase, we installed a new Hartzell three-blade prop and a JPI-EDM 800 engine data management system. The engine only had about 80 hours since major overhaul at that time and it still runs like a clock about 600 hours later. We recently had the fuel tanks stripped and resealed by D and T Aircraft and will have some paint touchup done by Richard Todd of Wing Waxers fame.

The first airplane ride that I experienced was from Fresno Sierra Sky Park to Sacramento Capitol Sky Park in a Mooney Mark 20 in 1957. I'm really not sure of the exact model designation. I never flew in another Mooney until about the year 1999 or 2000.

In 1962, I earned my FAA Powerplant Mechanic License and in 1963, my Airframe License. I started as an airplane mechanic working for a crop-dusting company in Central California. Shortly thereafter, I determined that it would be highly beneficial to both me and the company if I learned to fly. During my early flying years, most of the airplanes I flew were tail-draggers including J-3 Cub, Cessna 140, Cessna 170, Cessna 180, Luscombe 8A and 8E, Stearman 220 hp and Stearman 450hp.

I was in training to become an Ag Pilot when I learned that I needed glasses. At that time, our working airplanes were 450 hp open-cockpit Stearmans with no windscreens and much of the flying was done at night. I decided that perhaps flying with glasses behind goggles at night wasn't very healthy, so I quit my job and moved to San Diego.

In San Diego, I continued working on airplanes for a few years, got my Commercial Rating in 1969 and then became involved in other ventures until I retired. My flying time suffered for a few years, as it seemed that either lack of time or money kept getting in the way. In about 1989, I bought into a couple of Cherokee 235s that I flew until we bought 49N. When it became evident that retirement was near, I decided to buy a more economical airplane. Greg Boehm gave me a ride in his M20C, and I was hooked.

Gordon Bristol
November 2004