Check to see that you are cruising at the right height to begin a landing. 6,000 feet is a good mark to prepare for your descent. Trim the Mooney downward and allow your speed to build up.
Make sure that your power and mixture settings are set to your desired levels. Try to plan on being at a pattern altitude (topography allowing) at 5 miles out. Enter this pattern at about 100 miles per hour, and keep it wide. Once in the pattern on the downwind, drop the gear and give the Mooney half flaps when within the white arc of the air speed.
Determine the direction of the wind. If you are facing a severe crosswind, plan on not using more than half flaps. Avoid banking greater than the standard rate, lest you risk a stall or spin situation. Once you begin your final descent, engage your full flaps. Slow the Mooney down to around 80 miles per hour and angle the nose of the plane downward.
Give yourself plenty of room to land on your runway. Don't risk landing on a shorter runway if this is your first time flying a Mooney. Continue to practice landing your plane on relatively open areas with few to no obstacles in your way. Because the Mooney is such a small vehicle, you should have little problem touching down and coming to a stop on a runway.
Remember where your plane touched down and whether or not it was a favorable landing. If you had trouble making the center line on the runway, your runway picture may be off. Fix this by making adjustments on your next flight and landing attempt by adding in the usage of your rudders to keep the nose of your plane in the correct positioning. The Mooney may not touch down at the exact point you are aiming for, so make a few adjustments during practice and aim a little bit shorter than your desired location. After some practice, you'll be able to land a Mooney with ease.
