MOONEY B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N 'HIBERNATION' ENDS Texas factory is humming A YEAR AFTER AWAKENING from a self-imposed, multiyear "hibernation," the Mooney factory in rural Kerrville, Texas, is once again cranking out some of the world's fastest FAA-certificated piston singles. The sprawling, maze-like facility with 230,000 square feet of indoor space has a new coat of paint, modern equipment, and the parking lot is brimming with employees' full-size pickups. Red and black Mooney crests look down from the peaks of the buildings, and a huge American flag is draped from the factory ceiling. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE SHORE 68 | AOPA PILOT May 2015