hansel

Very useful information Michael. Thanks! This will certainly avoid store returns and the ensuing awkward conversation: "So why do you want to return this stroller, sir" "It doesn't fit in our Mooney" "Your what?" "Our airplane" "ah-ha" [said with a glare that reads: you're a bad parent and have way too much money]

This is like a "tastes great" v. "less filling" debate! Let's not forget looks. It's not always what's on the inside that counts. Therefore, Bose is solidly in the lead.

Quote: JimR My BlackBerry wouldn't allow me to open the original Craigslist advertisement. I didn't think about it being an hourly rate. I was thinking more in terms of a Craigslist scam. Hopefully your instincts are right and mine are wrong. . Thanks!

I'm sure that's an hourly rate, which is still low, especially for California.

Thanks. We've had a lot of communication, been through the itemized list, even been down on creepers checking out every last detail. I've been given a lot of promises on timelines that keep getting pushed back. The prop gov overhaul should have been the rate limiting step, but that turn around was only about 1.5 wks. The work is solid, so I'm trying to be patient and not become frustrated, but when I checked in last week, i found out the mechanic went on vacation and didn't put anyone else on the plane in his absence. Anyways, apologies for the whining... i just find life difficult without a Mooney. Michael- who do you usually use in your neck of the woods? I usually fly down to Palo Alto 2-3 times a week (before my annual, of course).

It's not the money I that bothers me, it's the excessive time for a standard annual that was the focus of my original post. A 36-hour job (plus fixing squawks) shouldn't take 2 calendar months. I only mention non-MSC because I'm aware of those closest to me (LASAR/Top Gun) and do use them, but I'm interested finding other relatively local shops that can provide good service. My approach (as with many on this forum) is to deal with squawks immediately and I don't think one always needs to take the journey to an MSC every time a minor squawk surfaces if the MSC is out of the way and unnecessarily more expensive. There are good shops (both MSC and non-MSC) that can provide service done correctly at a reasonable price and in a reasonable amount of time. I don't buy that we have to sacrifice one of these, but do agree that anyone looking for work done fast and cheap is also looking for trouble.

It’s not that I’m opposed to using an MSC- both LASAR and Top Gun are within an hour flight from here- but you pay a premium for work that I think a good non-MSC mechanic should be able to handle. At the very least I’m not sure it’s worth always using an MSC. I’ve used LASAR on a couple of occasions in the last year for more Mooney-specific issues (e.g., nose-gear assembly; fuel tank leak) and haven’t been disappointed aside from the inflated price. Although, they did get the plane flying again in a reasonable amount of time, which it more than I can say now. Never thought down-time would be an issue for an annual. Another Mooney-less weekend…

I dropped off my J off for its annual inspection in mid September. The shop found several standard minor squawks and a few significant ones (prop governor overhaul, mag overhaul, new brakes). I’ve been patient- the mag overhaul was off-site and took slightly more than a week- but were now pushing two months and I’ve been told to expect another week or two. I feel like I’m getting hosed and becoming frustrated about the process in general (e.g., it’s annoying that I’m paying two months of insurance on a plane that sits in the back of a hanger). I don't feel like I should need to be a dick in order get good service. How long are your annuals normally taking? Follow-up: Can anyone recommend a good, honest, non-MSC shop for Mooneys in NorCal (Sacramento area)? Thanks in advance.

Bodie- I think you’ve started a movement. This really was a cheap and easy way to improve the look of my 201. The plane is in for it's annual, so I snagged the spinner from my mechanic (who was too busy counting how much money I owed him to care), stripped the paint and dropped it off at a local shop to have it polished. Certainly surprising that aluminum can shine up this well.

Any recommendations for a reputable shop on the west coast? I have about 400 hrs till TBO on my J. It's time to seriously think about the inevitable.