'Good' Annual This Year

I'd still do it. For me, cost savings is only one, fairly minor factor.
In 11+ years, I've rarely allowed my plane to be dissasembled or
assembled, in any way, unless I've been there helping. I want to know
that things are being done correctly, with my own eyes.

Exactly. After the first three annuals (on a Cherokee anyway) you've pretty
much learned everything there is to learn.

Now, under the guise of "learning", we are really "supervising" in a quiet
way. It's surprising the stuff I catch -- and fix on the spot -- that
would end up buried under the floor boards.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Bob Noel" wrote in message ...
In article , "Ron
Natalie" wrote:

it wasnt 35 to install tires, it was 35$ to put air in them.
.5 hours labor is what I was charged.

Your shop gets $70/hour? Crikes....

not to mention taking .5 to put air in.

It takes me about that to put air in my tires. I have to get a
screwdriver, guage, and air tank. Unscrew the screws holding
the hubcap on, chase away the earwigs that nest in my wheels,
pump up the tires, put the hubcap back on and then go around
and do the other side and then put all the stuff away. .5 ends
up not being too far off.

Actually, my shop would never charge me, because they wouldn't
do it. They'd hand me the tire guage and tell me to go get the tank
and do it myself. My mechanic divides her customers into two
groups: Aircraft owners (i.e., those who are willing to turn a
wrench on their plane under her supervision) and those who are "just pilots."

One day a guy based on the field came in and said he thought his
battery needed checking. Bobbi told him to go bring it in. She got
a blank stare for a minute and then said, "Right, You're just a pilot."

When is your annual due, Jay? I **am** coming to town on Sunday, y'know {;-)


Jim



-
-Now, under the guise of "learning", we are really "supervising" in a quiet
-way. It's surprising the stuff I catch -- and fix on the spot -- that
-would end up buried under the floor boards.


Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

In article ,
Jim Weir wrote:
When is your annual due, Jay? I **am** coming to town on Sunday, y'know {;-)

I remember your pitch to supervise several owners doing annuals all
at once. You and Jay should arrange it as a fly-in to Jay's hotel.
The week before OSH is probably a bad time. Shame to ground someone
and leave them behind!

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

Ditto. The times I've dropped off the keys, I nearly always found something
either not done or done incorrectly. That, and there is always some detail work
the A&P just doesn't like to do that I'll do...for example repainting engine
baffles.

Jay Masino wrote:

Rosspilot wrote:
I got billed for MY own labor, and the cost was just as if I had dropped the
plane off and gone fishing for 3 days.

I'd still do it. For me, cost savings is only one, fairly minor factor.
In 11+ years, I've rarely allowed my plane to be dissasembled or
assembled, in any way, unless I've been there helping. I want to know
that things are being done correctly, with my own eyes.

-- Jay

__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino/ ! ! !

Checkout http://www.oc-adolfos.com/
for the best Italian food in Ocean City, MD and...
Checkout http://www.brolow.com/ for authentic Blues music on Delmarva

--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1759

Ron Natalie wrote:

not to mention taking .5 to put air in.

It takes me about that to put air in my tires.

It takes me less than half that, even counting the time to carry the air
compressor from the truck and back.

George Patterson
The optimist feels that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The
pessimist is afraid that he's correct.
James Branch Cavel

When is your annual due, Jay? I **am** coming to town on Sunday, y'know
{;-)

Cripes, Jim, I just had it done in April/May...

But thanks anyway!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I remember your pitch to supervise several owners doing annuals all
at once. You and Jay should arrange it as a fly-in to Jay's hotel.
The week before OSH is probably a bad time. Shame to ground someone
and leave them behind!

Wow -- a "group" annual?

What would the neighbors say?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

ospam (Rosspilot) writes:

Owner assisted annuals rule. It boils down to sweat equity
vs. checkbook hara-kiri. I did all the prep work over a few evenings,
then Jim came over and did the inspection thing, and I reassembled the
plane over a few more evenings.

Highly recommended.


Great in theory. I did it two years in a row, spending 3 full days from 7 AM
till 4:30 PM in the shop doing EVERYTHIUNG the FARs allow me to do (under the
auspices of the IA).

I got billed for MY own labor, and the cost was just as if I had dropped the
plane off and gone fishing for 3 days.

My Skyhawk is in a different shop right now for my 6th annual. I'll let you
know how it goes when I get it back . . .

Hey Jim... did you bill me for my labor? I must work dirt cheap. Man,
I gotta give myself a raise!

Anyway... picking the IA to work with you is no different from picking
a shop if you're not into the owner assisted thing.

-jav