Requiem for an A&P

My friend is closing his aircraft repair shop at the end of the month,
after trying to make a go of it as an independent in Iowa City for the
last six years. With 40 years of wrench experience, over 100 engine
rebuilds, a Grand Champion trophy for his homebuilt(s), and a raft of
loyal friends and followers at airports across the Midwest, he has
finally run up against a problem that he simply can't fix.

His is just a part-time shop, for sure -- his day job is working on
cargo jets -- but he and his best friend opened in 2000 to fulfill
their dreams, and they were soon rewarded with as much work as they
wanted. Everyone on the field -- with the exception of the FBO's
managers, of course -- thought his shop was the best thing that had
happened to Iowa City Municipal for a very long time.

After his buddy was forced to retire earlier this year, due to
deteriorating health, my friend soldiered on, but business was slow
after gas prices soared, and it was getting hard to do a lot of the
work without a second set of hands. And his 62 year old body just
wasn't able to contort into Spam Cans as well anymore.

Nevertheless, he loved his work, and he loved his customers, and he
kept at it. He'd owned and operated shops at other airports, and he'd
seen tough times before. This sort of thing just happened, and he was
used to it.

Over the years Mary and I became close to him, and -- although I'm
hopelessly clumsy, next to him -- he always took the time to show me
the proper way to use the tool, and the best way to accomplish a job.
His patience with me was remarkable, and he never billed excessively or
unfairly, even when I deserved it.

His generosity is legend. He designed and welded brackets to hold
display propellers for our hotel, he welded chairs that humongous
guests had crushed, and he did more for us personally and
professionally than we can ever hope to repay. Many times he refused
payment for what he considered "little stuff" -- and he personally
built the engine I fly my kids with. There's just not much higher
praise than *that*.

But times change. When he opened that liability insurance bill last
month, and it read "$15,000.00", he knew it was time to go. If he did
one annual a month, all year long, that would barely pay for the
insurance the airport required of him, and that simply didn't make any
sense anymore.

He's told me if he was 40, he'd keep fighting, but with only a few good
years left, he simply can't see the point in working for the lawyers.
At the end of October, he'll be shutting his hangar door...for good.

It's all so damned sad. With GA slowly withering, and frivolous court
settlements soaring, there will continue to be fewer and fewer aviation
businesses to spread the increasing risk over -- and we will all pay
the price for it. When guys like my friend can no longer make a buck
wrenching on our planes, we all lose.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"