A buddy and I were having a discussion the other night about the flying monkey as a familiar... because "What's more scary than a flying monkey?" Honestly?
I simply said "That's what improved familiar is for, all you have to do is figure out the effective level hit"
Of course this got us looking at the monkey stats beside a celestial hawk (the 'lowest' improved familiar) and saw the monkey vastly inferior.
Which begs the question... could the flying monkey be... just a normal familiar? Fez and all? And should he give the Wizard (or Sorcerer) a +2 intimidation bonus... because flying monkeys are scary.