WOW!! Very Bad interaction with Don Maxwell

[Dean Showalter]

I know this post is old now, but I just had to jump in here.  In fact, I signed up mainly so I could give a good word for Don Maxwell.  I work in a G.A. shop in Virginia, and I've spoken with Don a few times.  He's been super helpful to me, and I respect him a lot.  I don't own a Mooney, but I've worked on enough of them to be decently familiar.  Thanks Don, and keep up the good work.  In fact, as I am writing this, I'm thinking Don would make a great guest to have on the Airplane Owner Maintenance podcast... I'll have to consider contacting him about that.

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard, Dean.

Best regards,

-a-

[Cody Stallings]

[tony]

  On 3/19/2017 at 6:04 AM, Cody Stallings said:

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That is cool!!!!

[FlyingVAce]

I met with Don Maxwell about 2 weeks ago. ( today is Oct. 13th, 2018 ). He went out of his way to come in on a Sunday to discuss Mooneys. I'm in the process of educating myself pre-purchase. I couldn't have found Don more helpful if I'd paid him 1000.00 bucks. ( by the way it was on his own time and didn't charge me a dime ). 

Ever had a really bad day? I thought so. We all have. Enough said about judging one person on one day. I'm not a Don Maxwell apologiest but if it's bothering you that bad you that you have to take time to rant, maybe you should see someone. You don't need to put "your 2 cents worth in" to "protect otherw". Seriously? That's laughable. THE MARKET PLACE SORTS OUT ALL THE BAD WEEDS OVER TIME. Been that way since some dude named Adam met Eve. Not your negative thoughts. In fact, it highlights some of Don't greatest assets which are too many to count. 

Sincerly submitted. 

Dr. Buck Austin VanTrease

 

[INA201]

This thread has 11,213 views as I write this. 

Don has done many many prebuys, annuals, Mooneymax, phone calls, PERSONAL interactions with customers all while this thread has been running.  Heck, I’ve never met him but hope to make the next MooneyMax in person vs just reading about it on the internet.

Time for new drama this one has run its course. 

[81X]

I’ve only spoken with Don once where I had a fuel system issue several months ago. He has worked on my airplane several years before I owned it but despite me not being a current customer, he looked through his records and helped me through the fuel issue and referred me to some great people who resolved my issue completely on the first try.  Thank you Don for sharing your knowledge.  I asked him to send me an invoice for the consult but he wouldn’t.  That’s the kind of (recent) experience I have with Don and I’m very appreciative of him. 

 

 

[carusoam]

Thoughts for the OP...

What happened?

1) Signed up on MS to not ever log in another day...

2) Complained about Somebody else not behaving professionally.

3) Never mentioned his own identity.

4) Behaved unprofessionally himself, in a world that thrives on professionalism...

5) in general... Complaints aren’t usually well received.

6) Complaints about a well known resource... not going to be really well received, unless it is really serious... then help everyone, and bring some facts and details...

7) What can you expect from a hit and run?

Everyone has a bad day...

As a professional, try not to let it show...

 

When your MSC actually does something wrong on your plane, like remove your carb heat system and replace with something else... (yes it happened...)

Submit pics, provide info, and try to work through the problem with your MSC... they caused the problem, they want to fix it...

The objective of going to the expert is to get solutions to your challenges...

The cost of those solutions is usually some form of business... somebody has to feed the expert...

Let this wonderful thread continue on showing how wonderful DMax and company really are...

and act as a reminder to what happens when you are having a bad day, posting what comes to mind...

Not any effort wasted... We were going to discuss Mooney maintenance topics with or without the OP...

Hard to do that without DMax and Company...

Full disclosure... my O visited DMax’s shop for its PPI... flown by DMax... and I discussed the findings with Don at length by telephone...

Memorable discussion from eight years ago...

One of these days...

Somebody I know will go through the Right Seat Ready Class that JMax helps with...

There are those nice airbag seat belts that are gaining interest around my house... PMax may be the guy to help make that happen...

From this thread it has become extra clear, complaining still doesn’t earn anything... Something Mom would say...

PP thoughts only, no complaints...  

Best regards,

-a-

[thinwing]

Anthony I think he did answer your #3 comment...I also looked him up ...veteran,has his own shop and is an IA.Legal issues on two occasions,1 a misguided stolen lawn equipment  recovery involving a fire arm.2 ,domestic violence assault and battery after an argument with wife ...charges later dropped on that count.Thats the problem with the internet..so easy to dig up public information,court records etc.My point here...is Mr Maycock reconsidered his actions and decided to drop the entire matter.That is why he never came back to us in any other post.Mr Maycocks wife apparently also decided to let the matter of a couple punchs also drop ,as she wisely decided maybe counseling and anger management was better than his going to jail in the long run.

Edited October 15, 2018 by thinwing

[gsxrpilot]

Those of us in this part of Texas know this shop and the owner. I also know some of the guys working there. I've taxied by the shop many times. I wouldn't think of stopping in.

[Stephen]

  On 10/14/2018 at 9:27 PM, carusoam said:

Thoughts for the OP...

What happened?

1) Signed up on MS to not ever log in another day...

2) Complained about Somebody else not behaving professionally.

3) Never mentioned his own identity.

4) Behaved unprofessionally himself, in a world that thrives on professionalism...

5) in general... Complaints aren’t usually well received.

6) Complaints about a well known resource... not going to be really well received, unless it is really serious... then help everyone, and bring some facts and details...

7) What can you expect from a hit and run?

Everyone has a bad day...

As a professional, try not to let it show...

 

When your MSC actually does something wrong on your plane, like remove your carb heat system and replace with something else... (yes it happened...)

Submit pics, provide info, and try to work through the problem with your MSC... they caused the problem, they want to fix it...

The objective of going to the expert is to get solutions to your challenges...

The cost of those solutions is usually some form of business... somebody has to feed the expert...

Let this wonderful thread continue on showing how wonderful DMax and company really are...

and act as a reminder to what happens when you are having a bad day, posting what comes to mind...

Not any effort wasted... We were going to discuss Mooney maintenance topics with or without the OP...

Hard to do that without DMax and Company...

Full disclosure... my O visited DMax’s shop for its PPI... flown by DMax... and I discussed the findings with Don at length by telephone...

Memorable discussion from eight years ago...

One of these days...

Somebody I know will go through the Right Seat Ready Class that JMax helps with...

There are those nice airbag seat belts that are gaining interest around my house... PMax may be the guy to help make that happen...

From this thread it has become extra clear, complaining still doesn’t earn anything... Something Mom would say...

PP thoughts only, no complaints...  

Best regards,

-a-

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@carusoam Well considered thoughts as always. One suggestion: have you considered creatively adding to the "PP thoughts only..<insert>." Where < insert > is replaced by the appropriate subject matter expert... maybe something like this (the good stuff starts at around 50s: 

 

[DXB]

  On 10/14/2018 at 9:27 PM, carusoam said:

Thoughts for the OP...

What happened?

1) Signed up on MS to not ever log in another day...

2) Complained about Somebody else not behaving professionally.

3) Never mentioned his own identity.

4) Behaved unprofessionally himself, in a world that thrives on professionalism...

5) in general... Complaints aren’t usually well received.

6) Complaints about a well known resource... not going to be really well received, unless it is really serious... then help everyone, and bring some facts and details...

7) What can you expect from a hit and run?

Everyone has a bad day...

As a professional, try not to let it show...

 

When your MSC actually does something wrong on your plane, like remove your carb heat system and replace with something else... (yes it happened...)

 

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 - Back somewhere in the thread he did reveal his identity - Shaune Maycock - Owner of Blue Skies Aviation in Austin - so he does meet that basic metric for integrity.  Of course the overwhelming consensus is still that DMax is an indispensable pillar of the Mooney community.  I really wish his shop were closer to me.  

- Speaking of wishing I had a really great MSC nearby, I wonder how that crazy dispute over the carb heat got resolved.  Granted I heard only one side, but it was pretty shocking - both in terms of the work that was done and the response of the shop to what sounded like a bizarre and serious error.  

 

[Ned Gravel]

  On 10/16/2018 at 1:53 AM, DXB said:

 - Back somewhere in the thread he did reveal his identity - Shaune Maycock - Owner of Blue Skies Aviation in Austin - so he does meet that basic metric for integrity.  Of course the overwhelming consensus is still that DMax is an indispensable pillar of the Mooney community.  I really wish his shop were closer to me.  

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I feel your pain, in terms of distance from a good mechanic. 

I really like Don and he and I have spent some time discussing maintenance issues in Oshkosh, but shops competent enough to work on my Mooney in Canada are very rare.  I am very lucky to have Clarence (@M20Doc) look after mine and he has maintained my E model for nearly 14 years.  Like Don, Clarence's shop is run by a competent and dedicated mechanic who is uncompromising when it comes to his work.  

Unfortunately, his shop is 236 nm from my home drome, so I try to coincide my annuals with either a family vacation (siblings living in that area) or business.  

 

[M20F-1968]

  On 1/22/2015 at 4:36 PM, mooneybuilder said:

I use to hold Don Maxwell in high regards. Today I called to ask about some discrepancies he wrote up on a Mooney. The discrepancies made no sense to me. I use to work at the factory and I know these aircraft really well. As soon as I asked for clarification on a discrepancy Don went off, got rude and then hung up on me. Needless to say I was fuming. I am a professional as was completely caught off guard by such unprofessional behavior from one shop to another . There where also a few items that Don said where airworthy that according to Mooney and the FAA are not airworthy in nature. I called back and spoke to his wife. Of course she would defend him. The bottom line is I never got answers to my questions. I was very upset with how I was talked to. Those folks up there are just out of their minds. Dons wife threatened to call "Homeland Security" because I said I should fly up there and get the answers to my questions....? She said I was threatening her...? Crazy.. Sorry for the drama post, but folks need to know how Don Maxwell handles being questioned about what he finds on an aircraft.  Completely taken aback.  

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I have not read through this entire thread, but I did start from the beginning.  In my mind at least, I would want to know what specifically were you asking to be verified.  How I, and possibly others, would like to weigh in on your questions to Don and his reply.  Was someone making a mountain over nothing, was Don answer within reason, etc...

This will allow the Mooneyspace reader to give some credibility to the story.....

[ZuluZulu]

  On 6/17/2020 at 6:24 PM, M20F-1968 said:

I have not read through this entire thread, but I did start from the beginning.  In my mind at least, I would want to know what specifically were you asking to be verified.  How I, and possibly others, would like to weigh in on your questions to Don and his reply.  Was someone making a mountain over nothing, was Don answer within reason, etc...

This will allow the Mooneyspace reader to give some credibility to the story.....

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I wouldn't hold my breath for an answer if I were you...

[LANCECASPER]

  On 6/17/2020 at 6:24 PM, M20F-1968 said:

I have not read through this entire thread, but I did start from the beginning.  In my mind at least, I would want to know what specifically were you asking to be verified.  How I, and possibly others, would like to weigh in on your questions to Don and his reply.  Was someone making a mountain over nothing, was Don answer within reason, etc...

This will allow the Mooneyspace reader to give some credibility to the story.....

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The guy that wrote that post, Shaune Maycock, was written about here:

And then he came back for a couple posts as @Shaune

[pilot_jb]

  On 6/17/2020 at 6:24 PM, M20F-1968 said:

I have not read through this entire thread, but I did start from the beginning.  In my mind at least, I would want to know what specifically were you asking to be verified.  How I, and possibly others, would like to weigh in on your questions to Don and his reply.  Was someone making a mountain over nothing, was Don answer within reason, etc...

This will allow the Mooneyspace reader to give some credibility to the story.....

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The original post in more than 5 years old.  

[McMooney]

i'm sorry for the necro, just want to know the story behind Peter Garmin

[Andy95W]

  On 1/31/2024 at 11:18 PM, McMooney said:

i'm sorry for the necro, just want to know the story behind Peter Garmin

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“Peter Garmin” is/was ptk, a dentist from New Jersey who would badmouth any and all avionics that weren’t Garmin.  Odd because he had mostly Bendix/King stuff in his Mooney.  People who met him said that he was as unlikeable in person as he was on the internet.

[LANCECASPER]

By day in the office he constantly put his hands in other people's mouths.

By night on the forum he constantly put both of his feet in his own mouth.

[Jimmyred]

  On 1/22/2015 at 6:29 PM, mooneybuilder said:

You know I really do not care about your negative remarks.... your replies are biased because you have either heard or had good experience at that shop so you want to make statement about what I have to say...  By saying i have no facts and such is calling me a liar. I understand you're probably just being loyal. I also take time out of my schedule.. I have spoken at A&P Schools, EAA events and many other seminars. I also help owners with issues that I do not even charge them for. I am known to be the only shop on my field to come out a 2 a.m. to tow a plane from the other side of the field while on a Taxiway, fix his flat and only charge my normal shop rate. I don't "stick" it to people when they are in need as we all know there are shops out there that do and will. I am also a preferred shop for several aircraft management companies, one of them being Savvy Aircraft Maintenance Management (owned by Mike Busch).  I am a Veteran of the Marine Corps and work hard. Do I make mistakes.. you bet, but I don't lie about what I say, so please elude that I am lying. 

 

Me deciding to speak out about my experience has nothing to do about being polite. I normally do not have the time to post things like this. I am booked six months out all the time. But this morning I made an exception... that's how upset this interaction made me. It upset me so much because of the regard I had for Dons shop. If any other shop would have acted that way you wouldn't have been hearing about it. But when you are well known and you treat someone of the same profession that way.. well sure I am going to say something. So if my "rant" is not worth a replay... why have you replied several times.. must be the sense to try to defend or be loyal to someone you respect... Same, but opposite reason I am posting this... What if you had been talked to like that by Don? You would be taken back to wouldn't you? 

 

Anyway, I have a full shop. Take from this what you want. but I give my word as  a Freemason that I am telling the truth. Stay warm.

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I have to say that I can not recommend Don Maxwell Aviation. I wanted them to look at many things on my Mooney M20J by, who I thought, was a premiere Mooney shop.   One of the things that I wanted them to look at was a fuel leak in my tank.  I would call to see what they found out but I wasn't allowed to talk to the mechanic on what they found or what they were doing to my plane.  It was only when they said that the plane was "finished" that I could ask Don what they had done to repair the leak.  He said he didn't know what they had done but that it was "fixed".  That is all I got for my $1500 of service!  I spent over $26,000 on so called repairs.

On my flight back from Texas I found that the leak had not been fixed.  It did exactly the same thing that it did before spending the $1500.  I also found that they didn't fix the sticky fuel selector valve.  It was so bad that I had to use two hands to switch tanks!  But the worse that they did was to my new panel!

I requested that they replace my throttle since the old one was sticky. To do this they grinded into my BRAND NEW panel!  I spent almost $100k on the avionics and the brand new panel now has been grinded so that above the throttle is says "ottle"!  Nobody called me to tell me that they were going to grind into my new panel! And since no one went over what was done, other than the bill, when I got the plane back I didn't find these things until the flight back to Oregon.    

So when I called today to talk to Don and told him of these things he said that the fuel tank repair wasn't guaranteed.  I said that I expected more from a premiere shop.  Then he said, "I am done with you" and hung up!"

So I can not recommend Don Maxwell Aviation for their service or communication.  They have many Mooney's so maybe my experience doesn't represent what others have experienced.  But I would say buyer beware because after the check clears they may be "done with you" too!    

[Ragsf15e]

  On 3/28/2025 at 5:00 PM, Jimmyred said:

I have to say that I can not recommend Don Maxwell Aviation. I wanted them to look at many things on my Mooney M20J by, who I thought, was a premiere Mooney shop.   One of the things that I wanted them to look at was a fuel leak in my tank.  I would call to see what they found out but I wasn't allowed to talk to the mechanic on what they found or what they were doing to my plane.  It was only when they said that the plane was "finished" that I could ask Don what they had done to repair the leak.  He said he didn't know what they had done but that it was "fixed".  That is all I got for my $1500 of service!  I spent over $26,000 on so called repairs.

On my flight back from Texas I found that the leak had not been fixed.  It did exactly the same thing that it did before spending the $1500.  I also found that they didn't fix the sticky fuel selector valve.  It was so bad that I had to use two hands to switch tanks!  But the worse that they did was to my new panel!

I requested that they replace my throttle since the old one was sticky. To do this they grinded into my BRAND NEW panel!  I spent almost $100k on the avionics and the brand new panel now has been grinded so that above the throttle is says "ottle"!  Nobody called me to tell me that they were going to grind into my new panel! And since no one went over what was done, other than the bill, when I got the plane back I didn't find these things until the flight back to Oregon.    

So when I called today to talk to Don and told him of these things he said that the fuel tank repair wasn't guaranteed.  I said that I expected more from a premiere shop.  Then he said, "I am done with you" and hung up!"

So I can not recommend Don Maxwell Aviation for their service or communication.  They have many Mooney's so maybe my experience doesn't represent what others have experienced.  But I would say buyer beware because after the check clears they may be "done with you" too!    

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Sorry for your experience.  I’ve started noticing similar types of workmanship, service and courtesy from highly recommended shops as well.  General aviation maintenance is a difficult place to have to work through these days.  Personal relationships seem better than recommendations and experience.

[gabez]

I only had 1 experience with Maxwell. they did a job on my plane when I first bought it, few months later the part failed and they gave me my money back. I thought that was pretty awesome. 

[Utah20Gflyer]

Personally I prefer to work WITH the mechanic to maintain my plane.  That way I always know what’s going on and get to be involved with the minutiae of what is happening.  There are lots of things that come up and decisions that are made.  I like having an experienced mechanic there to bounce questions off of and help make the right decision.

 I did the engine portion of my annual a week ago and there were literally dozens of things we talked about as we worked and that is something you can never get if you drop off the plane and pick it up when it’s done.  Even if the mechanic is the best communicator in the world you won’t get 1/10th of what happened when you weren’t around.  

Some might not have this arrangement available, some might not want it even if they could have it.  Personally I wouldn’t want anything else.  
 

As to Don and his shop, I have zero personal experience.  Seems like he does a lot for the community which I appreciate.  Sounds like most of the complaints revolve around communication about a conflict.  Maybe that isn’t Don’s strength?  That doesn’t make him a bad guy or his shop a bad shop, that means that could be one of the limitations if you use them.  Every shop is going to have its strengths and weaknesses.   

[Patrick Horan]

I purchased a plane from Paul Maxwell and Jimmy and it's been nothing but headaches and money pit. So many issues to list here and with little communication and help from Maxwell. 

Now I'm using Brian Kendrick and I can't recommend him enough. He has been a life saver!