I just paid $700 for a tire change

Maybe you should have discussed prices before giving him the OK to spend your money.
 
$543 for a 182 nosewheel last December. And this included a after hours call-out on New Years weekend.
 
At first I though this was a Tesla thread. I think my sister in-law Tesla tire incident was about that much plus about another $1.5k for a cracked wheel.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
It's a Comanche....what else would ya expect? ;)
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The FBO where I parked had refused to change the 182 nose wheel because their shop only works on low wings (Piper/Cirrus) and had to call around for someone else.
 
Gary Ward said:
lol I understand where they are coming from.
I learned to fly on a 6000' long runway and we were barely allowed to use the brakes on the school planes. Geez if you ever locked up the tires you probably get kicked out of the school.
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Yeah, I used to enjoy watching those that learned in 6000 feet, land on our 2000 feet. :D

I did my Private out of 2000 feet in a Tiger. And did not have to heavily brake.
 
Pinecone said:
Yeah, I used to enjoy watching those that learned in 6000 feet, land on our 2000 feet. :D

I did my Private out of 2000 feet in a Tiger. And did not have to heavily brake.
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2000 with 50 ft trees or 2000 in a corn field? There's a huge difference.
 
asicer said:
The FBO where I parked had refused to change the 182 nose wheel because their shop only works on low wings (Piper/Cirrus) and had to call around for someone else.
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What they probably mean is that theyre the kind of Fbo that only does a full jacking (pun very much intended) as opposed to the half-cocked one wheeler business most FG owners do. Probably didn't have the confidence to jack a high wing (they fall off stands with relative regularity compared to low wings, especially the high wing RGs). The whole thing is ludicrous of course, given it's the nosewheel we're talking about, but that's our litigious society for ya. FBO in oke city refused to assist me in jumping my plane once (in fairness wouldn't have worked, it was the starting magneto that crapped the bed). Wouldn't even allow their employees extending me his personal jumper cables.

Ime, the farther out from corporate entities you get, the more willing and "common sensible" interactions get, good bad or indifferent.
 
I'm pretty sure I got socked with a $700 tire change bill in an AOG scenario (fat-footed the landing, sigh) -- bummer was I supplied the tire and tube from my own stocks since the shop didn't have them.

I wrote it off as "twin tax", plus, they were helpful in wrangling the thing off of a taxiway so I didn't balk. :D
 
Pinecone said:
Yeah, I used to enjoy watching those that learned in 6000 feet, land on our 2000 feet. :D

I did my Private out of 2000 feet in a Tiger. And did not have to heavily brake.
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"I won't attempt a landing on anything less than 5000', it just ain't safe."

^^^^^ Just joking.
My home airport is 2800' which is twice what I need in my 172. I was told by my instructor that a 2800" strip was too small to train at. So I was a little intimidated by a short strip when I first got my PLL. After a couple thousand landings in my own plane I can land very short at approx 40 some kts right before touch down.
I regularly visit 8I1 which is 1600 grass. I went there last week and the grass was 18-24" high. Highest I have ever seen it or landed on. Stopping was no problem. Taking off on a warm summer night had me a little concerned but it was no problem. I have put my wheel pants back on the plane as it keeps junks of grass out of my wheels. I had a darn near a bushel in each wheel when I left there. Looked like a Hawaiian airplane.
 
I was AOG away from home early this year with a bad mechanical fuel pump on our PA32. The local shop on that field took it on. I ended up googling/searching/etc for the replacement pump and only found 1 available. Needless to say, I ordered it and had it dropped shipped. Originally I told him - I would look around for a pump and let him know what I found. He was going to do the same. I found the pump before he was able to and told him I ordered it and it would be there the next day. This was a Monday... I guess he didn't like Mondays... He was PI$$ED! Pi$$ed that I purchased the part and hence he wasn't getting the markup which is part of his business model I guess. I profusely apologized explaining I was trying to expedite the process, not screw him out of anything. He ranted for quite some time. I told him flat out - look, I'm not here to diminish your profits or business model. If there is a certain amount of markup you were banking on, please add it to my bill (I provided him the exact amount paid), after all he's helping me get the plane back home. He still raised more hell - I again told him, whatever it is you feel you're missing out on, please add it to my bill. Finally we got off the phone. He fixed the plane, I drove back over there (3hr drive) at the end of the week to pick it up. Walked in, and his tune had changed. I again apologized. He said he had a rough Monday and chalked it up to that. He did a good repair and got me back running that week and I appreciated that. I didn't care for his antics (given my offer to pay for whatever markup he felt he missed), but I respected his desire to get paid a markup on parts that he spends his time looking for, ordering, etc. Hopefully it was just a bad Monday for him. After offering to pay his markup on the part I ordered, I didn't know what else he could want. Live and learn I guess?!
 
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Most owners are not capable of ordering the correct parts and only complicate the process.....I'd bet his crankiness was with regards to an over zealous owner than the convenience of having the right part.
 
EdFred said:
2000 with 50 ft trees or 2000 in a corn field? There's a huge difference.
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Trees, road, power lines on the normal approach end. Corn field off the departure end. It did have a bit of a slope uphill the normal direction.

But had a few people come in that were NOT used to that short of a runway, and they did visit the corn field.
 
1000RR said:
I was AOG away from home early this year with a bad mechanical fuel pump on our PA32. The local shop on that field took it on. I ended up googling/searching/etc for the replacement pump and only found 1 available. Needless to say, I ordered it and had it dropped shipped. Originally I told him - I would look around for a pump and let him know what I found. He was going to do the same. I found the pump before he was able to and told him I ordered it and it would be there the next day. This was a Monday... I guess he didn't like Mondays... He was ****ED! ****ed that I purchased the part and hence he wasn't getting the markup which is part of his business model I guess. I profusely apologized explaining I was trying to expedite the process, not screw him out of anything. He ranted for quite some time. I told him flat out - look, I'm not here to diminish your profits or business model. If there is a certain amount of markup you were banking on, please add it to my bill (I provided him the exact amount paid), after all he's helping me get the plane back home. He still raised more hell - I again told him, whatever it is you feel you're missing out on, please add it to my bill. Finally we got off the phone. He fixed the plane, I drove back over there (3hr drive) at the end of the week to pick it up. Walked in, and his tune had changed. I again apologized. He said he had a rough Monday and chalked it up to that. He did a good repair and got me back running that week and I appreciated that. I didn't care for his antics (given my offer to pay for whatever markup he felt he missed), but I respected his desire to get paid a markup on parts that he spends his time looking for, ordering, etc. Hopefully it was just a bad Monday for him. After offering to pay his markup on the part I ordered, I didn't know what else he could want. Live and learn I guess?!
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I think you were the bigger person in this. People have "days like that" and I think offering to make him whole (repeatedly) sounds like a very fair offer.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
Most owners are not capable of ordering the correct parts and only complicate the process.....I'd bet his crankiness was with regards to an over zealous owner than the convenience of having the right part.
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That could very well be. Oddly enough, I had him pull the part number from the existing pump and that was in part what I went from. But I'm sure he's probably had way too many instances where the owner got the wrong part and then it prolonged things that much more. In my defense, I kept him apprised of everything I was doing, intended to do, etc. and he didn't express any concerns. Even when I got the part ordered, I provided the invoice w/part number etc. I really think he was having a bad Monday and felt cheated out of some money/profit and just quit listening when I explained I'd pay him his missed profit on the parts he didn't get to order.
 
This thread has me really feeling bad for that time many years ago when I was DQ'd from the landing contest during field's Open House Day. I swear I was trying really hard to not lock up the brakes + I really did have NO IDEA that they locked up....ouch

(p.s I redeemed myself the following year by winning my division! - cessna 150, 74ft from spot/ >400 feet no flap/ 200 obstacle. I have no idea why I noted >400ft....maybe nobody had written down the exact number so it was just "a little more than"??)
 
FORANE said:
He did you a favor. That tire will be more expensive the next time you go to buy one.
Inflation....
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Well, it was deflation that caused the problem to begin with.
 
Initial Fix said:
Ouch

Mark that as how to not gain future business
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Assuming he does good work, I expect he will remain in business, make as much money as nearby A&Ps and not have to work as hard. And as more and more A&Ps go OUT of business because they don't charge enough, he will get busier and raise his prices even more.
 
Initial Fix said:
Ouch

Mark that as how to not gain future business
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That's how our Signature FBO went out of business doing GA....the avionics shop closed first....then the maintenance shop. One too many $500 oil changes. Everyone gave at least once on field.....then it stopped. Now the shop is just a hangar. ;D
 
JOhnH said:
Assuming he does good work, I expect he will remain in business, make as much money as nearby A&Ps and not have to work as hard. And as more and more A&Ps go OUT of business because they don't charge enough, he will get busier and raise his prices even more.
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Ah, yes, the shrink to profitability model. Must have been an airline management graduate lol. Good luck with that. :D

cdc.jpg
 
hindsight2020 said:
Ah, yes, the shrink to profitability model. Must have been an airline management graduate lol. Good luck with that. :D
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Naw. No airline experience whatsoever. Just a Ga. Tech Graduate and former successful small business owner. And I did have good luck with that strategy. But as I said, the strategy only works if you deserve the higher prices.
 
asicer said:
:yawn:A million doesn't go as far as it used to these days.
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Ain’t what you make, it’s what you spend that does that.

$50k/yr for 20 years is a million; six figures is a mil/decade at the worst. What one does with those earnings on the other hand…..
 
I just rescued a not so mechanically inclined friend who flatted while going to get pancakes at Ellie's last Sunday.

New 5.00X5 AirHawk 4-ply $96
New 5.00X5 tube $65
An afternoon spent on the ramp at the "other end" of the airport with borrowed tools and a saw-horse with some old carpet stapled to it - Free!
 
wilkersk said:
I just rescued a not so mechanically inclined friend who flatted while going to get pancakes at Ellie's last Sunday.

New 5.00X5 AirHawk 4-ply $96
New 5.00X5 tube $65
An afternoon spent on the ramp at the "other end" of the airport with borrowed tools and a saw-horse with some old carpet stapled to it - Free!
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I'm reporting you to the FAA. The goodwill you built with your friend is compensation, therefore you did mechanical work on an aircraft for compensation without an A&P!
 
TCABM said:
Ain’t what you make, it’s what you spend that does that.

$50k/yr for 20 years is a million; six figures is a mil/decade at the worst. What one does with those earnings on the other hand…..
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And there's Washington math. Start penniless, work three years at $179,000 per year, and then be worth $29,000,000.00!
 
Salty said:
I'm reporting you to the FAA. The goodwill you built with your friend is compensation, therefore you did mechanical work on an aircraft for compensation without an A&P!
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Its is an "experimental amatuer-built aircraft". So, no A&P required.
 
wilkersk said:
Its is an "experimental amatuer-built aircraft". So, no A&P required.
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Don't try to use logic to get out of it, logic has nothing to do with it. Did you get an LOA?
 
TCABM said:
Ain’t what you make, it’s what you spend that does that.

$50k/yr for 20 years is a million; six figures is a mil/decade at the worst. What one does with those earnings on the other hand…..
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Annual earnings are not counted in net worth. When you say someone is a millionaire, it typically means current net worth.

But what I had not realized, the value of life insurance is part of your net worth. So you could buy a million dollar life insurance policy and be an instant millionaire. :D
 
Pinecone said:
Annual earnings are not counted in net worth. When you say someone is a millionaire, it typically means current net worth.

But what I had not realized, the value of life insurance is part of your net worth. So you could buy a million dollar life insurance policy and be an instant millionaire. :D
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I'd think carefully about being worth more dead than alive... :)
 
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