Nippernaper Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Newbie here. I'm looking at an early J in the El Paso area, and am in need of suggestions regarding a local A&P for the pre buy. I'm in the northeast, and probably won't be able to see the plane till late in the process, so it needs to be someone who knows their mooneys, and I can trust. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yetti Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Fly it to Smithville TX http://www.swta.net/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippernaper Posted March 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 84R looks to be about 500 nm away; that's getting to the limit of what I would consider reasonable to ask. Anything closer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LANCECASPER Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 1 hour ago, Nippernaper said: Newbie here. I'm looking at an early J in the El Paso area, and am in need of suggestions regarding a local A&P for the pre buy. I'm in the northeast, and probably won't be able to see the plane till late in the process, so it needs to be someone who knows their mooneys, and I can trust. Any suggestions? Lubbock Aero is a Mooney Service Center, 255 nm from KELP to KLBB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw1024 Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 El Paso Aero is a Mooney factory authorized service center... http://www.elpasoaero.com/aircraft_maintenance/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw1024 Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 They list themselves as a Mooney service center on the website. Not sure how one becomes or stays a service center? I am new to the Mooney world... I did a pre-buy with them that has become an annual that is still going on. First time dealing with them--they have been knowledgeable and offered good suggestions...although it has been a very long process. Might be setting a world record for longest annual...although I did elect to do some upgrades which required parts being ordered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylw314 Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 If it's anywhere in the region, it's hard to argue for anything other than Don Maxwell Aviation, Southwest Texas Aviation, or Dugosh Aviation. They are all highly familiar with Mooney's. I had my pre-buy done at Dugosh. I'm based in Oregon, so I didn't see the plane myself until late in the game (I had my friend who's an IA take a look at it himself, although he's not familiar with Mooney's). Dugosh did a pretty good job, although their writeup could have been more detailed. I spoke with Dave Behrens over the phone for about 40 minutes, no major issues were missed, and enough minor ones were identified to know what I was getting into and help negotiate some. Dugosh in theory has the advantage of being based in Kerrville where the Mooney factory is, although I don't know if that practically makes a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippernaper Posted March 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 It's good to hear of positive experiences of others trying to do a remote purchase. I'll try for Dugosh, but if that is a bridge too far, explore El Paso Aero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMuncy Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Remember, El Paso is closer to California than it is to Maxwell's. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Nipper, when you say remote purchase... If you haven’t seen the plane in person... get the best PPI from the best resource possible. Be clear with what you want to have done. The order you want to proceed, and stop when it gets to be too much... remote purchases are expensive and have added risks. They make more sense when buying a high end plane than they do a lower cost plane. When buying machinery from a distance, it always help to see it in person first. To keep from spending money unnecessarily on a PPI.. Do you know the plane or the owner? Is it an MSer’s plane? PP experience only, not a pro plane buyer... Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylw314 Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Nippernaper said: It's good to hear of positive experiences of others trying to do a remote purchase. I'll try for Dugosh, but if that is a bridge too far, explore El Paso Aero. Yeah, now that I mapped it out, Kerrville is still just about 450 nm away, so a 3 hour flight... Texas is just too damned big a state Edited March 1, 2018 by jaylw314 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted March 1, 2018 Report Share Posted March 1, 2018 Don’s signature line also mapped out his statement... -a- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsxrpilot Posted March 2, 2018 Report Share Posted March 2, 2018 @Nippernaper Have you had someone you look at the plane for you? Other than the seller? I've got a good friend and Rocket owner who lives in El Paso who might be able to look at it for you. I would also get his recommendation on who should do the pre-buy as well. I know that he spares no expense on the maintenance of his Rocket and would know if any of the local shops have the expertise to do a proper evaluation for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippernaper Posted March 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 On 3/1/2018 at 7:34 PM, gsxrpilot said: @Nippernaper Have you had someone you look at the plane for you? Other than the seller? I've got a good friend and Rocket owner who lives in El Paso who might be able to look at it for you. I would also get his recommendation on who should do the pre-buy as well. I know that he spares no expense on the maintenance of his Rocket and would know if any of the local shops have the expertise to do a proper evaluation for you. gsxrpilot - thanks for the offer. Unfortunately I'm traveling unexpectedly for the next week; if the plane's still available when I get back, I'll take you up on that offer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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