Costs for Annual inspection

[FlyboyKC]

So I just completed my first annual with my 1968 M20G. Got out with about 42 hours worth of work, with a new tire, new windshield install and a few other little odds and ends.

Since this is the first time the IA has seen the plane I expected costs to be a little more than normal. What I would like to inquire, what is the normal amounts paid for an Annual inspection on a Mooney? I realize different shops in different areas charge different rates. So price is one point, but how much time is your AP/IA spending on your annual? I would think if all went well, that should be somewhat stabilized.

 

Thanks
Neal

 

[jetdriven]

To do a straight annual per the MAC checklist, no repairs, it's around 26-29 hours of labor from what I've seen. Any repairs will be extra.  6-8 hours for a windshield install would be normal.  Some are more since they have a lot of rivets to drill out.  

[Bob_Belville]

There's at least one longish thread on this subject within the last year. Our A&P/IA @ KMRN publishes his flat rates: (M20B-G with manual gear are 22 hours, 24 hrs for electric gear including Js. Long bodies are more.)  

http://content.sitezoogle.com.s3.amazonaws.com/u/162433/463199fe19d0e7185f3d6003cde4e48b43bd7ed2/original/flat-rate-prices.pdf?response-content-type=application/pdf&AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJUKM2ICUMTYS6ISA&Signature=YOq%2B4sTRjeeKFtZKaOCf1Ni6x8A%3D&Expires=1461367629

[1524J]

7 minutes ago, Bob_Belville said:

There's at least one longish thread on this subject within the last year. Our A&P/IA @ KMRN publishes his flat rates: (M20B-G with manual gear are 22 hours, 24 hrs for electric gear including Js. Long bodies are more.)  

http://content.sitezoogle.com.s3.amazonaws.com/u/162433/463199fe19d0e7185f3d6003cde4e48b43bd7ed2/original/flat-rate-prices.pdf?response-content-type=application/pdf&AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJUKM2ICUMTYS6ISA&Signature=YOq%2B4sTRjeeKFtZKaOCf1Ni6x8A%3D&Expires=1461367629

I like the fact your IA publishes his rates (and they're reasonable) I haven't seen many that do. At least you know where your base line will start. Not sure I'd take my plane to him if I owned a 177/182 RG though....  

[Bob_Belville]

38 minutes ago, 1524J said:

I like the fact your IA publishes his rates (and they're reasonable) I haven't seen many that do. At least you know where your base line will start. Not sure I'd take my plane to him if I owned a 177/182 RG though....  

 Lynn's a more careful mechanic than his wife (or daughter?) is a proofreader!  What's a decimal among friends?

[jclemens]

Our flat rate for a Mooney is $1850.00.  That will get you 3 factory trained technicians for about three days, which equates to over 50 man hours of labor.  If one guy is performing your annual in 24 hours, he's not doing it right.  He may being coving the basics, but couldn't possibly be doing everything Mooney wants done.  

[Bob_Belville]

13 minutes ago, jclemens said:

Our flat rate for a Mooney is $1850.00.  That will get you 3 factory trained technicians for about three days, which equates to over 50 man hours of labor.  If one guy is performing your annual in 24 hours, he's not doing it right.  He may being coving the basics, but couldn't possibly be doing everything Mooney wants done.  

You make no distinction between a manual gear C model and a long body, turbo, built in O2, Acclaim?

50 hours for $1850? That's a $37 hourly shop rate?

[FlyboyKC]

Thanks.

$37 an hour is a pretty good shop rate! I was at 42 hours billable, with a new windshield and new alternator belt. I knew my shop was going to be high, but at least they had years of Mooney service experience and they were geographically close so I felt comfortable. Next year I may shop around a bit more knowing now what I have in the plane.

[ArtVandelay]

Thanks.

$37 an hour is a pretty good shop rate! I was at 42 hours billable, with a new windshield and new alternator belt. I knew my shop was going to be high, but at least they had years of Mooney service experience and they were geographically close so I felt comfortable. Next year I may shop around a bit more knowing now what I have in the plane.

Is this the first time your windshield was changed out?

If not the first time, did they use cherry rivets, I heard they are time consuming to remove?

[jclemens]

No, my shop rate is $90/hr. Inspections are flat rated.  I make no distinction between any model Mooney for the purpose of a flat rate inspection.  While an acclaim may be a little more complicated than an C model, it is a lot newer.  The old C model warrants a much closer inspection than the 50 year newer Acclaim.  An aircraft is usually assigned 2 technicians and an inspector during an annual.  A Mooney of any flavor takes 2-3 days from start to finish if it doesn't have any issues that need to be resolved.  That's  16 man hours between the two techs working on it and probably about 4 hours from the inspector each day.  Adds up to about 50 hours of labor.  

[FlyboyKC]

Teejayevans, I believe the windshield was out before as there was no rivets just screws. I went with the thicker glass for the replacement windshield and it seem to fit in okay. The APs were worried that it wouldn't fit right and that it would crack going in. However, they were surprised on how easy it was to get back in so they were happy. If they are happy I am happy.

The bad thing, there is such a night and day difference between the new glass and the remaining old glass, I might want to change out the pilot and door windows.

 

Neal

 

[Godfather]

I would plan for every annual to cost that much.  It looks like you are concerned about the extra 12-13 hr extra billed out this year...  IMO if you plan for that extra 1 amu per year you will be a happier aircraft owner.  Who knows your Mooney might actually give you a "gift" of a cheap annual every few years

[FlyboyKC]

I am not all that concerned because these things vary from year to year. I am happy with the work and the IA, and wouldn't have any reservations about using/recommending him again. However, moving from a Piper to a Mooney, I hadn't had any baselines for whats normal or abnormal. With the valuable responses people have given me, the amount I am putting away towards annuals seems to be in the ballpark. Like you said if I actually get a gift, then great! another toy or future improvement for the bird. I would just hate to be the other way in the rears...

 

[nels]

I paid $900 three years ago, $1400 with the rebuild of one cyl last year and $2700 this year which included two tires and brakes. I thought that was way high. Seems like the typical base Mooney annual starts at $800 to $900 using a small shop. Bigger shop on our field has a base of $1850 for ANY Mooney.

[Guest]

You need to ask what portion of the invoice is for the annual inspection and what portion is for extras. Around 25 hours should cover the 100/ annual inspection using the Mooney check list.  A new windshield is not part of an "annual"

My invoices break down inspection charges versus repair charges.

Clarence

[Bob_Belville]

2 hours ago, M20Doc said:

You need to ask what portion of the invoice is for the annual inspection and what portion is for extras. Around 25 hours should cover the 100/ annual inspection using the Mooney check list.  A new windshield is not part of an "annual"

My invoices break down inspection charges versus repair charges.

Clarence

+1 on the time for the inspection. Perhaps a little more if it is the first time the IA is seeing the plane and the logs, AD records are not well done. 

I am able to do at least 1/2 those hours in my hangar. I can remove cowl, access panels, seats, carpet, side panels, change the oil, filter, lube Heim bearings, hinges and more, e.g. jack up the plane. And I put it all back together. My IA has a lot better things to do than to r&r access panels. As I do my thing I can note stuff to ask the real mechanic about.

And since I am not flying 250 hours per year I have plenty of opportunity to do maintenance work through the year rather than holding off until annual time.

[ryoder]

I paid $700 for an owner assist.

[Bob_Belville]

Specifically, my 2015 annual was $528. (Not counting oil, repairs. upgrades.)

[Marauder]

Specifically, my 2015 annual was $528. (Not counting oil, repairs. upgrades.)

But I want pictures of you rolling around on the floor creeper!

[RonM2OC]

Just finishing ours up

$1600 for base and $300 for instrument

took 3 months....

Plus Add-on fixes were very expensive..

$80 plus per hour

[Immelman]

Finished my owner assist annual yesterday. It took a full 33% longer than usual (4 days vs 3). I was working slowly this past weekend. I'd say for the inspection and routine service I owe the shop about 1/2 day of their labor rate. The rest was me over those 4 days. Now there were a couple of things they and I found requiring repairs and between those two I am probably in for another 6-7 hours of labor... but those were repairs not the annual....there were also a couple of other non airworthiness discrepancies found that I'll address sometime over the coming months.

But I have a really good and now fairly long term relationship with my shop and IA. There is a lot of mutual trust there.

And a new windshield is not the annual either.... and its a sizable job.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Immelman

[Bob_Belville]

On 4/24/2016 at 9:05 AM, Marauder said:

But I want pictures of you rolling around on the floor creeper!

I spend many years in a suit and tie but I'm a hands on engineer/mechanic/farmer at heart and I kinda like getting my hands (and clothes) dirty. I usually abandon the creeper and lie on the hangar floor to r&r all those panels.