Broadie’s Aircraft

[Matt Lindeman]

Does anyone have experience with Broadie’s Aircraft at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (KFTW), good, bad, or otherwise? Savvy Aviation recommended them for a pre-buy examination for a 1964 M20C. Apparently they used to be a MSC but aren’t any longer? I’d be interested to find out why they are no longer an MSC. 

[nfonville]

You are going to mixed answers regarding Broadie's. They were a top shop when Mr Broadie was alive and running the shop.  I can't speak to their current state of business.  Take the plane to Don Maxwell. It's only an 1.5 hour flight from FTW.

[201Steve]

It is odd to me that Savvy is suggesting anyone but Maxwell, seeing that they promote type specific shops for each application. I believe it might be farther than their “1 hour flight time” rule but still odd they wouldn’t mention that. Sorry I have no useful response. 

[ArtVandelay]

Savvy prefer shops that work well with them. Probably 1 requirement would be the shop has to have a borescope and be able to send them video/pictures. I think a lot of shops don’t have a borescope or the internet ability so Savvy can not work with them.

[Matt Lindeman]

The plane has already been worked on by Don in previous years, I believe an annual or two. They recommend an impartial shop for a pre-buy, one that has never worked on the aircraft before.

[Matt Lindeman]

For a pre-buy, do you think it’s more important to go to a shop that has never worked on the aircraft, or to a shop that has worked on it but also has a good reputation like Don Maxwell?

[Sabremech]

54 minutes ago, Matt Lindeman said:

For a pre-buy, do you think it’s more important to go to a shop that has never worked on the aircraft, or to a shop that has worked on it but also has a good reputation like Don Maxwell?

I’d go with the shop that has worked on lots of Mooney’s like Maxwells. You’ll get a much better prebuy. 

[Matt Lindeman]

3 minutes ago, Sabremech said:

I’d go with the shop that has worked on lots of Mooney’s like Maxwells. You’ll get a much better prebuy. 

Even if they have already worked on the airplane recently? Especially if it was for an annual, they’d have a vested interest to find it airworthy in order to protect their reputation. I don’t think they’d necessarily take a purely unbiased position.

[kmyfm20s]

3 hours ago, Matt Lindeman said:

For a pre-buy, do you think it’s more important to go to a shop that has never worked on the aircraft, or to a shop that has worked on it but also has a good reputation like Don Maxwell?

I would go to an impartial person.

[Matt Lindeman]

Just now, kmyfm20s said:

I would go to an impartial person.

This is what I’m thinking as well. I’m hoping for Lubbock Aero. They’ve worked with Savvy before, never worked on the plane, and it’s easy for the seller to travel back after the ferry flight.

[kmyfm20s]

13 minutes ago, Matt Lindeman said:

This is what I’m thinking as well. I’m hoping for Lubbock Aero. They’ve worked with Savvy before, never worked on the plane, and it’s easy for the seller to travel back after the ferry flight.

It’s like getting a second opinion from the same doctor that did the procedure in the first place, doesn’t make sense. Texas is full of Mooney knowledgeable people. You always want a second set of eyes to look over the plane. You can certainly call Don and get his opinion of the plane that he has been maintaining.

[Ragsf15e]

6 hours ago, Matt Lindeman said:

This is what I’m thinking as well. I’m hoping for Lubbock Aero. They’ve worked with Savvy before, never worked on the plane, and it’s easy for the seller to travel back after the ferry flight.

SWTA in San Antonio (might be in San Marcos) will work well too.  MSC with good rep here.

[Mcstealth]

44 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

SWTA in San Antonio (might be in San Marcos) will work well too.  MSC with good rep here.

@gsxrpilot can vouch for San Marcos I believe. 

[nfonville]

I've had work done at Lubbock Aero several times and my family has for many many years.  Very good shop but still not Mooney experts.  If you want a real prebuy goto to Maxwell or SWTA.  Both are real Mooney experts.  I would not care that Maxwell has touched the plane in the past.  Not too many in the fleet he has not seen over his many years of experience.  I bought a 201 in PA and had the best Mooney shop in that area prebuy it.  Bought the plane and had DMax do the work recommended.  Don looked at the plane, never seeing it before, and ask if I knew about the minor damage to one wing.  I told him I did but asked how he knew.  He showed me some rivet pattern that was not factory. Said the repair was nicely done but he noticed that level of detail.  I have owned 4 Moonies and he will be my prebuy guy anytime the plane can get there.

[Sabremech]

10 hours ago, Matt Lindeman said:

Even if they have already worked on the airplane recently? Especially if it was for an annual, they’d have a vested interest to find it airworthy in order to protect their reputation. I don’t think they’d necessarily take a purely unbiased position.

I don’t think you know Don Maxwell very well if you think he’d only be worried about his reputation. He’s top notch along with a few other Mooney shops out there. I’d much rather have top notch than an impartial shop that doesn’t know what to look for. 

[DonMuncy]

12 hours ago, Matt Lindeman said:

For a pre-buy, do you think it’s more important to go to a shop that has never worked on the aircraft, or to a shop that has worked on it but also has a good reputation like Don Maxwell?

Ordinarily I would say that is a good idea, but Don Maxwell has such a reputation, I would probably still go to him. As a disclaimer, I have been using him for years, and also consider him a good friend.

[ArtVandelay]

Ordinarily I would say that is a good idea, but Don Maxwell has such a reputation, I would probably still go to him. As a disclaimer, I have been using him for years, and also consider him a good friend.

I thought he retired?

[gsxrpilot]

If you're within a couple of hundred miles... you owe it to yourself to get either Maxwell or SWTA to go over that Mooney before you own it and all the problems you don't know about yet.

[Matt Lindeman]

Thanks for the lively discussion and opinions everyone! Don and SWTA have worked on the aircraft before. I can’t overlook the value of getting a second opinion from an unbiased MSC. I’m pursuing Lubbock Aero at KLBB for the pre-buy.

[Ragsf15e]

1 hour ago, ArtVandelay said:

I thought he retired?

I called his shop last week to ask about a gear issue and he got right on the phone and talked me through the troubleshooting process for my specific problem!

[BlueDun]

I don’t know what Dugosh reputation was prior to current ownership, but I had an excellent pre-buy and annual there in 2019.

Edited September 10, 2020 by BlueDun

[carusoam]

Congrats on your first post Blue.

Great input.

Best regards,

-a-

[carusoam]

As for An independent Set of eyes... doing the PPI...

Lets not lose sight of why this is done...

There has to be a reason for doing this...
 

If shop A did the annual last year...

Take it to shop B this year...

 

If shop B did an annual on it a few times in the past...

There isn’t much to be gained by avoiding shop B...

 

You will run out of good shops faster than you will avoid somebody dropping the ball during an annual...

 

First somebody has to have dropped a ball...

Top shops don’t do that very often...

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

[BlueDun]

On 9/7/2020 at 10:21 PM, carusoam said:

Congrats on your first post a Blue.

Great input.

Best regards,

-a-

Will contribute more. Reasonable lurker here.

 

[carusoam]

By the way...

Charlie Dugosh was a long standing icon in the Mooney service arena...

Nice to hear a good pirep for the second Act...

Best regards,

-a-