Owners/ Maintenance / Education.

How much should I charge when my A&P comes by and wants to see if I have an AN fitting / bolt he can take because he was one short for some job?
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
How much should I charge when my A&P comes by and wants to see if I have an AN fitting / bolt he can take because he was one short for some job?
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Anything you can get away with.

It's called " in a Bind" you can get away about anything. they'll just pass it to the customer. :)
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
you charge by the hour.....right? :rolleyes:

you're such a drama queen pal....:D
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No lots of times it is a contract. set price. as per an annual at $350.00 that should take a certain amount of time, until I get interrupted.

Is your nose bent about the discussion here? I'm just checking how many cheap owners are paying attention.
 
Tom-D said:
You avoided the question, "would you pay more for the owner assisted annuals and the ability to work under the supervision of your A&P or A&P-IA" ? that was the question prior to the thread creep.
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I might have a different angle on this, but if I am going to do some of the work, I expect to pay LESS for the annual, as I am doing some work.

Taking 2 days off work, plus paying extra, would turn my $850 annual into a $3000 annual.

The economics don't make sense. Maybe once for the education, but the extra $2000 will pay for my annual hangar bill


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I do an owner assisted annual for the last several years, the price goes down as I do more of the grunt work. The first year was high ,do to the IA explaining what needed to be done and overseeing what I was doing. Now I know about my airplane ,and can do the owner approved maintenance. I also feel more comfortable when I discuss my maintenance needs.
 
Tom-D said:
Anything you can get away with.

It's called " in a Bind" you can get away about anything. they'll just pass it to the customer. :)
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Wow....just....wow.


I have a good relationship with my A&P and I'd like to keep it that way.
 
At a $200 per hour shop rate they will not have to worry about me being in the way. I'll never cast a shadow in their door. Thats a usurious rate. No mechanic is worth that rate on a GA aircraft.
 
Neither would I unless he finishes a 4 hour job in 1 hour. As long as there are people stupid enough to pay that rate, he'll continue to be in business.

Isn't capitalism great?
 
Tarheelpilot said:
At a $200 per hour shop rate they will not have to worry about me being in the way. I'll never cast a shadow in their door. Thats a usurious rate. No mechanic is worth that rate on a GA aircraft.
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Have ever researched the insurance rates for the FBO's coverage? Who do you believe pays that?

The Garage I take my Motorhome charges $180 per hour, plus parts and shop rags, and if you leave it over night they charge storage.

Believe me, when your A&P-IA takes their time to teach as they inspect, you are getting one hell of a good deal, nd when they allow you to buy the parts better yet. Plus when they allow you to do the wrenching which takes away their billed time, more better yet.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Neither would I unless he finishes a 4 hour job in 1 hour. As long as there are people stupid enough to pay that rate, he'll continue to be in business.

Isn't capitalism great?
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Free market works :yes:


For $200hr even the biggest sucker is going to expect a high degree of customer service, if you can't even answer a few questions about the proposed work and why it's needed, you'll never get paid anywhere near $200 hr.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Neither would I unless he finishes a 4 hour job in 1 hour. As long as there are people stupid enough to pay that rate, he'll continue to be in business.

Isn't capitalism great?
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You can't believe how many here believe they get better work from them. Yes Capitalism is great. :)
 
James331 said:
Free market works :yes:


For $200hr even the biggest sucker is going to expect a high degree of customer service, if you can't even answer a few questions about the proposed work and why it's needed, you'll never get paid anywhere near $200 hr.
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Oh Dear! just drop it off and hand them the keys. :) They know what they are doing, I'm safe in their hands.
 
Tom-D said:
Have ever researched the insurance rates for the FBO's coverage? Who do you believe pays that?

The Garage I take my Motorhome charges $180 per hour, plus parts and shop rags, and if you leave it over night they charge storage.

Believe me, when your A&P-IA takes their time to teach as they inspect, you are getting one hell of a good deal, nd when they allow you to buy the parts better yet. Plus when they allow you to do the wrenching which takes away their billed time, more better yet.
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All mechanic shops are not full service FBO's. Yes I have seen insurance rates. At 180 an hour the RV shop is ****ing you too.
 
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Tom-D said:
Anything you can get away with.

It's called " in a Bind" you can get away about anything. they'll just pass it to the customer. :)
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yup....and the next time you bill 5 hrs for an oil change, we'll know why. :goofy::D
 
If I'm in there taking the guy's time because I am trying to learn by shadowing him or something, I expect to pay his shop rate. If it's discussion of findings during annual, no, I do not expect to pay extra. Communication with and getting decisions from the owner should be factored in as part of the annual.
 
First annual. The IA was a bit hesitant based on work load. I told him that I would do all the dirty work. He told me what covers to pull. He found the front seal moving. Told me to pull the prop. Popped in a new seal. Replaced a brake line. Buttoned it all up. Spent several hours doing the paperwork. He told me the price. I decided it was not enough so added some to the check. IAs have to eat too.
 
I used to have guys come to the hangar to annual the Cherokee, we'd do it all in a day. I'm hoping to do likewise in the Mooney, but I suspect its going to take a mite longer, and that I'm going to have to do it remotely. Too bad, but it is an experience I recommend to anyone. The annuals on the Cherokee were really easy, and if they find stuff wrong they have to get it by you. All of a sudden my costs came way down.
 
Mooney is about a day to take inspection plates off. A day to lube and inspect. A day to button up. A couple more days to do all the other stuff. I was tired at the end of the week. A&Ps work hard.
 
yetti said:
Mooney is about a day to take inspection plates off. A day to lube and inspect. A day to button up. A couple more days to do all the other stuff. I was tired at the end of the week. A&Ps work hard.
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A day for inspection plates :hairraise:
 
14 small panels 10 screws each. 3 large panels for another 120 screws. I was lucky and only needed to dremel slots in a couple. Stainless screws and a fair amount of new clips went back in.
 
I was taught to let oil drain/drip till it didn't drip anymore, (because you want to remove as much dirty oil as possible) you might be surprised how long that takes.
 
There is still a quart in the oil cooler
 
As long as the hourly rate is in the same solar system, the rate doesn't influence my choice too much. My mechanic is one of the more expensive guys around, but he IS good, and he listens to questions and answers them honestly. He always allows me to wander the shop and look at my plane, or any other in there. I have a decent A&P at my home-drome, but I take it about 20 miles away to this guy for annuals or anything major.

But I have never asked him to allow me to help. I know for a fact that would slow him down considerably. And I trust him more that I trust myself when working on a platform that my life depends on.
 
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Talk to Al. Given that the cooler lines run from from the front cowl, lower than the oil pan, then up to the top of the rear of the engine, not sure how running it will get all the oil out.
 
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