On Apr 14, 11:49 am, "Denny" wrote:
You ABSOLUTELY do have an option...
First you order the mechanic to button up the plane and sign off on
his performed work in the logbook and his list of discrepancies, and
you pay the bill...

**Remember, the Annual Inspection is only that - an inspection... It
is not graven in stone that the first mechanic is the only one who can
correct the discrepancies...**

Then you move your plane out of his shop and secure it...
Then you call the FSDO for your area and ask for a ferry permit for
this plane because of a dispute with the A&I... You read him/her the
list of discrepancies, such as the small dent in the exhaust that has
been there for a decade, etc. and ask for the ferry permit to move the
plane to another shop for a fresh inspection...
The odds are 99 & 44/100% that you will get the ferry permit...
The odds are also good that the FSDO inspector will stop at the new
mechanics shop to have a look so be sure your VOR checks are logged
and your ARROW is straight and shiny... Once the new mechanic and the
inspector agree on what is an actual discrepancy you get the work
done, and your plane is now airworthy again..

denny

You didn't read my original carefully. I didn't say you had NO
options, but rather your options are limited. You can either A) "suck
it up" and let the shop do the work, OR B) go thru the process that we
both described with ferry permits, etc. But if you choose B, in
addition to the hassles of permits, signatures, reviews, etc., you
have to ask yourself whether taking it someplace else will really make
enough of a difference to make all those time-consuming hassles
worthwhile? In the end, will you save $50 or 50%?? No way to know
what the 2nd shop will insist on fixing or let pass. In my case,
since my partners and I have normal day jobs with limited time to
spend calling and driving somewhere to sign forms, we decided to go
with option A...especially since the 2nd shop was booked solid for 6
weeks which would have kept us grounded waiting.

My major point is that once items are flagged as unairworthy during an
inspection, the comparison between cars and planes no longer applies
and the hassle-factor goes up considerably. A flagged item cannot be
ignored by the owner (like a recommendation from your car shop to
replace a fan belt.) A logbook entry is required...either after
repair by the original shop, or by an explanation from a 2nd shop why
its not necessary.

--Jeff