Q: My IA only charges $400 for an Annual! Why are you so expensive?
A: My rates are intentionally higher than other mobile mechanics out there. The price is justified.
I cater to a clientele that is as passionate about their aircraft maintenance as I am. I also provide a personal service that you can't find at an FBO at a price they can't match.
I only work on one plane at a time. Yours.
I know there's a thriving industry of "tailgating" mechanics performing inspections *cough* and repairs for dirt cheap prices. In my experience you're getting what you pay for, if not less.
"But my guy does it so cheap! How does any of that benefit me? A logbook entry is a logbook entry."
Sorry, but I've been around long enough and seen more than my fair share of pencil-whipped annuals. Owners always end up paying the price for saving a few bucks.
A signature is not an inspection. Pulling some panels and looking inside the wings is not an inspection.
There's simply no way to perform a legitimate annual inspection in less than a day. Going through the logbooks and confirming the applicable AD's have been properly complied with often takes upwards of five hours alone! (I know a lot of owners are convinced their paperwork is complete, but the reality is the overwhelming amount of records I see aren't up to par.) Just completing the maintenance aspect of an Annual should take a minimum of a full work day.
While I'm more thorough than most folks out there, that doesn't mean I'm unreasonable and ground a lot of aircraft for silly squawks. Out of hundreds of annuals I've only declined to sign off a single plane. I'm picky and will point things out, but my judgement leans heavily in favor of keeping you flying. I'll never approve a plane that is unsafe, but if we can safely defer an item until next year I will make that happen.
When I schedule your annual I block off 5 consecutive days and focus on your aircraft. I'm not distracted by other jobs when I'm working for you. Typically I complete the inspection in 3 to 4 days, and if I don't, good! We're not in a rush because we scheduled the extra time.
My one-plane-at-a-time approach let's me focus on the work at hand and provides you a personal service any shop or FBO simply can't deliver.
What I don't do is let your plane sit or leave you hanging. I get you in and out as fast as possible. I've heard horror stories of pilots waiting months to get their aircraft out of annual. That's not how I roll.
I open up your plane, inspect it, fix what's wrong and get you back in the air.
Obviously there are exceptions! Maybe we're waiting on a part or your pitot stat test goes bad and we need to address that. Things happen! Note that no money is due and I don't even send you an invoice until your annual is complete and there is a sticker in your logbook. I'm motivated to get you airworthy!
While I'm performing your inspection feel free to call me every day for updates, though this isn't usually necessary as I will keep you posted on any noteworthy events.
You can call and ask me "dumb" questions that I will be happy to answer. You're paying for my knowledge and opinion about what is going on with your plane so you should take advantage of that.
While your airplane's condition is my priority, I want to build a relationship with clients so they feel comfortable and confident when they head down the runway.
For more info on what items are included in my annual inspections click here.