Another pirep on Lasar

[helitim]

Flight,

The steering horn was showing more play than I was comfortable with so, today was the day to fly up to Lasar for a consult and parts. The plan was to purchase whatever was needed and do the work back at my home hangar. Upon landing at Lakeport, Kyle met me before I could shutdown and waived me right up to the door. Within 10 minutes of arrival, the plane was up on jacks and the nose gear was being assessed very thoroughly. Kyle suggested replacing the horn, which I had expected. He also showed me some additional play on the nose gear assembly. I asked how much a complete nose gear assembly would be to just replace it and get on my way. Kyle said, "you don't need another one, just some bushings and new bolts". This really surprised me to find someone that honest.

Another employee, Lonnie, walked over and volunteered to help me take the gear apart and replace it right now. Kyle suggested it usually takes 4-5 hours for this procedure. After thinking about it for a monent, I decided to just go ahead and get it done on the spot. Lonnie brought a handful of tools out and we went to work. We completely removed the nose gear assembly and took it into the shop for cleanup and break down. Lonnie talked to me the whole time giving me commentary on things we were looking at and how they should be on a Mooney. After a lunch in town, we completed the rebuild of the gear assembly and addition of the steering horn. The factory bushings were replaced with Lasar's oversized ones. Additionally, I needed a new CHT probe, which they had in stock, and we installed as well. At exactly 3pm, the cowling was replaced. 2:45 minutes of actual labor for each of us. My labor saved at least an hour plus for the normal minimum time spent on this job. Saved me enough money to pay my gas bill for today.

This is one of those types of repairs that you cannot see and don't really feel but, it's great to know it is done and the plane is better off for it. The previous intermittent CHT was solid all the way home.

Paul, the owner, came out and checked on us several times during the job. When the work was complete, Paul had all my paperwork completed in less than 10 minutes. I was paid and ready to depart in less than 20 minutes from the time we finished.

I don't know what kind of service other shops offer comparatively but, these gentleman did an absolutely first rate job in a very organized manner and had me in the air fast. That is the kind of service every shop should aspire to provide. When the time comes, I would have no hesitation using them again if needed.

Tim

[pirate]

What a great review on actual service. I've only ordered parts from them many times and felt they are a true class act.

[ShermAv8tor]

I feel like I have let Kyle down by not doing the same PIREP here as you just did!!! Yes LASAR is awesome! I cannot express how much customer service and attention to deatil goes into even the smallest jobs there. Kyle is a straight shooter, he knows my background and I know his. He appreciates I know what hes talking about and not BSing me, Guys they are a factory authorized Service Center and they are factory trained.....you get what you pay for out there...Mooney just doesnt hand out Authorized Service center signs....he wishes other owners felt the same way as I do and obviously HELITIM does too as noted from this post. Back in Feb they replaced my nose truss, steering horn, all bushings and bolts in all the gears, and ensured the tensions were all correct....this was part of my pre-purchase inspection as the IA who had been maintaining this aircraft the last 12 years told me he doesnt own the tools to do the tension checks......WOW!!!

I too a couple of weeeks ago flew in, Kyle marshalled me right up and we went to work on my leaking MAG compass. Him & I did the work, Pual was there to meet me as well and I met the crew on hand, all great guys! I mention to Kyle "Hey I notice on takeoff my tach exceeds redline and I pull it back immediately to 2700" I ask Kyle "prop governor or tach?" he says one way to find out, he hand me an optical reading tach, pushes my plane back out, says get in and take her to power and see what the optical tach reads....I discovered my A/C tach is reading 150 RPM high! Need a new tach! 3hrs later I was outta there and all compass gaskets and diaphram replaced plus new fluid, cleaned lens....and the bill was absolutely reasonable!! Yes LASAR is awesome and the new servive Manager Kyle is awesome! Need to order new tach soon...but I know it reads high, so all good actually

[DaV8or]

This is why I go to LASAR every year for annual. Good people and good knowledge. However I don't know Kyle yet, he's new and been there less than a year. I will meet him in July. As much as I like my time in Clearlake every year (and the Clearlake Club with Dan and Chad ) I do try to avoid them for financial reasons during the year for minor repairs. I don't know what happened to Michael, guess I'll find out in July.

 

On the other hand, it is kind of cool to check into the Skylark, work on the plane all day and relax over at the Clearlake Club at night. Kind of a geeky aviation vacation. Good folks and a pleasant time. Just don't expect them to pull punches and find nothing wrong with your Mooney. They will find things wrong and prove why they are wrong. They will also give you every option to save money on the repair.

 

Again, good people.

[bonal]

Yep they are first rate and I'm lucky enough to hangar right across the runway from them. Even before I bought my Mooney and was flying my 150 they treated me great even though I was just looking in on the Mooneys that were there at the time. Lake Aero is the main reason I ended up buying a Mooney. When my Cessna had a failed airspeed indicator they brought it in removed it got it serviced and installed in a few days.

[Guest]

  On 5/9/2015 at 4:10 AM, ShermAv8tor said:

I feel like I have let Kyle down by not doing the same PIREP here as you just did!!! Yes LASAR is awesome! I cannot express how much customer service and attention to deatil goes into even the smallest jobs there. Kyle is a straight shooter, he knows my background and I know his. He appreciates I know what hes talking about and not BSing me, Guys they are a factory authorized Service Center and they are factory trained.....you get what you pay for out there...Mooney just doesnt hand out Authorized Service center signs....he wishes other owners felt the same way as I do and obviously HELITIM does too as noted from this post. Back in Feb they replaced my nose truss, steering horn, all bushings and bolts in all the gears, and ensured the tensions were all correct....this was part of my pre-purchase inspection as the IA who had been maintaining this aircraft the last 12 years told me he doesnt own the tools to do the tension checks......WOW!!!I too a couple of weeeks ago flew in, Kyle marshalled me right up and we went to work on my leaking MAG compass. Him & I did the work, Pual was there to meet me as well and I met the crew on hand, all great guys! I mention to Kyle "Hey I notice on takeoff my tach exceeds redline and I pull it back immediately to 2700" I ask Kyle "prop governor or tach?" he says one way to find out, he hand me an optical reading tach, pushes my plane back out, says get in and take her to power and see what the optical tach reads....I discovered my A/C tach is reading 150 RPM high! Need a new tach! 3hrs later I was outta there and all compass gaskets and diaphram replaced plus new fluid, cleaned lens....and the bill was absolutely reasonable!! Yes LASAR is awesome and the new servive Manager Kyle is awesome! Need to order new tach soon...but I know it reads high, so all good actually

Why not replace the tachometer right away? Certain engine and propeller combinations have restricted operation ranges. Off by 150rpm is huge, imagine if your VOR or Nav radio were off by 10 pr 15 degrees would fix it or keep flying IFR?

Clarence

[ryoder]

The tach should be placarded as being off by a certain amount at a certain range.

[rbridges]

You're fortunate to be close enough to visit them.  I had a worn steering horn, and I could definitely feel it.  I posted threads about the wobbling front tire.  Jim (bluehighwayflyer) recommended LASAR and told me what to do.  My IA replaced my horn with a rebuilt one, and it has made a HUGE difference.  Smooth transaction and great experience.

[mike_elliott]

  On 5/9/2015 at 11:02 AM, M20Doc said:

Why not replace the tachometer right away? Certain engine and propeller combinations have restricted operation ranges. Off by 150rpm is huge, imagine if your VOR or Nav radio were off by 10 pr 15 degrees would fix it or keep flying IFR?

Clarence

FWIW, a new horizon tach is a thing of beauty, adds diagnostic capabilities, and isn't too terribly expensive. 

[MyNameIsNobody]

Great thread! Awesome testimonials. Lasar should print and frame on wall for employees to see. This kind of a reputation is difficult to obtain and even harder to maintain. Great to read. Congratulations to LASAR! Keep up the outstanding work.

[wishboneash]

Tim, thanks for the write up on LASAR. Very impressive work.

[ShermAv8tor]

  On 5/9/2015 at 11:02 AM, M20Doc said:

Why not replace the tachometer right away? Certain engine and propeller combinations have restricted operation ranges. Off by 150rpm is huge, imagine if your VOR or Nav radio were off by 10 pr 15 degrees would fix it or keep flying IFR?

Clarence

Clarence - its on order.....

[ShermAv8tor]

  On 5/9/2015 at 11:47 AM, mike_elliott said:

FWIW, a new horizon tach is a thing of beauty, adds diagnostic capabilities, and isn't too terribly expensive.

Thanks Mike, I already ordered the Mitchell with custom markings and my hours programmed - the Horizon is very nice but twice the cost, and I already have an engine analyzer installed as well. Thanks for the suggestion...

[ShermAv8tor]

FWIW....I shared the link to this thread with Kyle so he could share with the guys in the shop as well

[Bennett]

The best testimonial to LASAR . I've been bringing my Mooneys to them for over 30 years. Paul knows Mooneys from end to end, and his mods are well engineered. Over the years I have had other facilities do some mods and minor services for my Mooneys. (261 conversion, and M20J), but LASAR is simply the best in my opinion. Kyle, their new Service Manager, is a gem, as have been the great Service Managers in the past. Good to read about Lonnie in the post. Hard to find anyone more knowledgeable and genuinely helpful than he is. In fact the the whole staff is. I haven't met a grumbler yet over all these years, which is a real tribute to Paul. The only thing I would wish for at LASAR would be a full fledged avionics division. Lonnie is a avionics wizard, but they need more specialized equipment, and an assistant for Lonnie to work on the newest magic boxes. And no pirep about LASAR should fail to mention the legendary Dan of parts fame. I am in awe of his knowledge of Mooney parts. Wandering around the parts bins is a real treat. I've done that once or twice "looking for Dan." I understand that Paul and Kyle will be at the Mooney Summit (Paso Robles, CA) in June. Great opportunity to meet these Mooney gurus.

[DaV8or]

  On 5/9/2015 at 4:49 PM, Bennett said:

The best testimonial to LASAR . I've been bringing my Mooneys to them for over 30 years. Paul knows Mooneys from end to end, and his mods are well engineered. Over the years I have had other facilities do some mods and minor services for my Mooneys. (261 conversion, and M20J), but LASAR is simply the best in my opinion. Kyle, their new Service Manager, is a gem, as have been the great Service Managers in the past. Good to read about Lonnie in the post. Hard to find anyone more knowledgeable and genuinely helpful than he is. In fact the the whole staff is. I haven't met a grumbler yet over all these years, which is a real tribute to Paul. The only thing I would wish for at LASAR would be a full fledged avionics division. Lonnie is a avionics wizard, but they need more specialized equipment, and an assistant for Lonnie to work on the newest magic boxes. And no pirep about LASAR should fail to mention the legendary Dan of parts fame. I am in awe of his knowledge of Mooney parts. Wandering around the parts bins is a real treat. I've done that once or twice "looking for Dan." I understand that Paul and Kyle will be at the Mooney Summit (Paso Robles, CA) in June. Great opportunity to meet these Mooney gurus.

 

They have been trying to get an avionics guy up there. Lonnie kind of wants to retire I think and is not interested in going back to school so to speak to learn all the new stuff. I think it's tough to lure someone up to live in Lakeport.

[helitim]

Dan brought us parts outside on the ramp but, I never really had a chance to talk with him other than a hello. Pascual did the reaming on the gear assembly to make room for the thicker, upgraded shaft. He seemed like a very personable guy but again we only chatted in passing. Someone brought homemade brownies by and people came out of the woodwork. They must have a building I didn't see. There was a really nice looking 1990 201 SE undergoing work after a prepurchase inspection. Looks like someone will have a beautiful new ride soon.

As we were getting ready to depart, Kyle was packing his plane and heading to Texas for the MAPA event. Sounds like a great job to have. Work on Mooney's all week and fly halfway across the country in one.

When I was originally on the phone with Kyle, he asked for my tail number. When I told him, there was a slight pause and he said something to the effect of "I know the plane well". When I asked how, he said he used to fly and maintain my plane in a previous job. Said he flew her to South America and back a couple of times. Small world we live in sometimes. It's nice to know my plane was at one time maintained by one of the best in the business.

Tim

[SheryLoewen]

I don't go on MooneySpace very often, but want to thank you for the positive comments about Lake Aero Styling & Repair/LASAR.  Paul and I are truly humbled!  Tim, I'm sorry I missed you yesterday, but so glad you enjoyed my brownies, made with "mocha chips" from Kyle's wife, Shelley!  

 

Someone in a previous posting mentioned Mike......he left us for "greener pastures" ....all on good terms.  God has to close one door to open another, and we feel so blessed that He brought Kyle Kennedy and his family into our lives and business.  We are very excited about the future of LASAR with Kyle here.

 

LASAR will be celebrating its 40th anniversary on Sunday, August 23.  Hopefully I attached the information correctly to this post.  We would love to see you all there!  Thank you for all the support you have given us over the years!  Shery Loewen

 

[jetdriven]

  On 5/9/2015 at 3:50 PM, ShermAv8tor said:

Thanks Mike, I already ordered the Mitchell with custom markings and my hours programmed - the Horizon is very nice but twice the cost, and I already have an engine analyzer installed as well. Thanks for the suggestion...

I bought a new Mitchell but it broke 3 times so I sent it back. The first time something inside broke and It showed 50% more RPM. The second time it would needle bounce 500 rpm when running. The third time it lasted 20 hours, but read 15% off. I sent it back and got an SLI

[mike_elliott]

Thanks for all you guys do Shery

[ShermAv8tor]

 

  On 5/9/2015 at 7:58 PM, jetdriven said:

I bought a new Mitchell but it broke 3 times so I sent it back. The first time something inside broke and It showed 50% more RPM. The second time it would needle bounce 500 rpm when running. The third time it lasted 20 hours, but read 15% off. I sent it back and got an SLI

Good to know........Thanks!

[charlesual]

Ditto!! Don in parts took care of a complete rebuild of my gascolator the same day it arrived and then called and tried to save me some money on shipping back! Took his advice on shipping ups ground for better insurance coverage. Rebuild came in less then $ then I expected even though missing screws and very rough shape. Wow!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest]

Not only do the folks at LASAR help owners out, they make us other MSC's look good as well.

Clarence