"Don Hammer" wrote in message
news:1118517137.02e998fe27851901b8e26c46364fa35d@t eranews...



snip

My suggestion -

If I were to buy a light aircraft, I would find the most expensive
factory shop I could find and pay them for a complete Annual
Inspection and supervise them well. There is no FAA definition for a
pre-buy, but there is for an Annual. I would set the ground rules and
make sure they understand my expectations. At a minimum, ask to
review their checklist and make sure you are happy with it. If they
don't have a checklist, go elsewhere as an Annual requires one.

I don't think any of you would take your Lexus to the local gas
station for repairs, so why do owners of $75,000 airplanes insist on
going to Bob's? I don't have a clue, but it's something to think
about.

It's amazing, isn't it? The dealership where I take my Honda charges about
$60/hr, and you pay by "book" time. Generally, a good mechanic can beat the
book by 25% or more, so you're really paying something like $80/hr.

My AI charges $45/hr, and charges for the actual time a job takes. Sure,
his overhead is less than the Honda dealer's, but his exposure to liability
is certainly higher, and he's spent a whole lot more time on his training
than most of the guys turning wrenches for the auto dealer. Beyond that, if
the auto shop messes up a repair or inspection on my car, it isn't likely to
be catastrophic, whereas there the AI or A&P needs to get it right the first
time, or it may cause a seriously bad situation.

Maybe the difference in the shop rates between auto repair and aircraft
repair shops has something to do with the fact that a well maintained,
reliabile automobile is a necessity in today's society, so we can
psycologically justify paying a premium price, as long as the service and
quality of work are good. On the other hand, many GA aircraft are lifestyle
accessories. As such, if they became too expensive, we'll just sell the
airplane and find another hobby. Sad to say, but maybe the AI's are
commanding all the market will bear...