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Dear EMPOA Mooniacs,

Summer has largely given way to constant gray skies. For many of us, this is the time to either escape the gray with our speed machines or hide away in the hangar and tackle maintenance and long-delayed improvements to our Mooneys. No matter who is doing this work, there's no getting around the current Mooney development: In the partnership between LASAR Aviation and Mooney Aircraft Corporation, LASAR is taking over the logistics, management (prioritization, warehousing, etc.) and distribution of Mooney parts, thus becoming the main point of contact for us Mooney owners (and for the shops). Mooney itself remains responsible for the type certificate and certified parts manufacturing. LASAR, on the other hand, will also be active in PMA spare parts production. The good news is that our fleet will hopefully continue to be supplied with spare parts from the source – even if this comes with a significant price increase. Interested parties are advised to read the statements on the LASAR homepage and the discussions on Mooneyspace.com.

If new parts are not absolutely necessary, our EMPOA community (e.g., on Telegram) is a great source of mutual assistance when it comes to exchanging and trading Mooney parts. Almost everyone has a few treasures in stock.

Looking back on 2025, we can see a wonderful range of events: The Mooney trip to Stockerau and Lake Balaton (Link to trip report) was a highlight, with an enjoyable wine tasting, a VFR flight through the Vienna CTR along the Danube to Lake Balaton, a boat tour, and a convivial evening in the vineyards – a real community experience. In the spring, the Bratwurst Fly-In in Gunzenhausen took place – organized by Claus Knopf – a superbly organized event and, for us participants, completely relaxed, delicious, with an absolutely warm welcome from him, his family, and the entire flying club.
Finally, in September, we had the AGM weekend in Lubin/Wrocław (link to trip report) – the weather was perfect and, in addition to a successful annual general meeting, we had a great weekend in the beautiful city of Wrocław. The discussions announced at the AGM regarding our insurance options are also progressing. I am convinced that we will be able to put together a very good offer for (almost) all EMPOA members (all European countries). I will inform you about this in a separate newsletter.

Let's look ahead again and focus on just one of the upcoming events in 2026: Our Pilot Proficiency Program (PPP) training weekend is scheduled for June 2026 (June 12–14, 2026). We are currently considering holding it at a German airfield such as EDDE, EDRZ, or EDVK. The program is specifically aimed at Mooney pilots who want to refresh and deepen their skills: topics such as weight & balance, GPS/navigation, emergency and engine management, etc. The participation fee is expected to be approximately EUR 1,800 per person (plus hotel, airport, ATC). We can only hold this event if enough participants confirm their attendance. Please send your expression of interest to Markus Wagner (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by November 26, 2025, so that we can plan accordingly.

Much more tangible: the 2025 Christmas party is just around the corner. From November 28 to 30, 2025, we will meet in Würzburg – with a night watchman tour and Franconian cuisine at the Backöfele restaurant on Friday, a visit to the Würzburg Residence on Saturday, and dinner at the traditional Juliusspital. A few places are still available at short notice – if you are interested and have time, please contact Ines Haselmann (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) at short notice. We are very much looking forward to this weekend, when we will look back on the season together with you and make new plans for 2026.

For all those I won't be seeing in Würzburg: I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all active members of our community—especially those in the Telegram chat who contribute to our club every day with technical and travel tips, support, and sharing their experiences.
I would also like to thank my colleagues on the EMPOA board for their excellent cooperation and support – especially our treasurer Ines Haselmann, who, together with Tina Haug, has ensured clarity and order in the membership database and will continue to keep us in good financial health in 2026 and beyond.

I wish you all a wonderful autumn, a joyful pre-Christmas season, enjoyable winter flights, and always happy landings!

Warm regards, 

Markus Wagner

(EMPOA President)