What is your A&P relationship like?

[JamesMooney]

Is your Mooney one of the best 'customer service' experiences you have? Or have you resigned yourself to the pros of owning an airplane being balanced with lackluster engagement with the people who keep your plane flying? What separates amazing customer experience from terrible experiences in maintaining your aircraft?

[gsxrpilot]

JD and Laura (and Jeremiah) at SWTA have become close personal friends over the course of the five or so years they've been maintaining my Mooneys. It doesn't happen immediately, and it's definitely a two way street. But it is by far, the single most important and confidence inspiring part of airplane ownership. I don't think I could own an airplane without this level of support.

[MooneyMitch]

Next to my optometrist, my A&P is my very best friend!

[JimB]

I am my A&P/IA/Avionics guy/oil changer/aircraft cleaner/fueler.  So yes...me, myself and I have a pretty amazing relationship. Not sure how good of advice I give myself though. There was this one time back in the 80s when I told myself "That girl is beautiful", you should go buy her a drink! Woke up the next morning and was pretty disappointed with that advice....

Edited May 19, 2021 by JimB

[MooneyMitch]

5 minutes ago, JimB said:

There was this one time back in the 80s when I told myself "That girl is beautiful", you should go buy her a drink! Woke up the next morning and was pretty disappointed with that advice....

Are you two still married?   

[RobertGary1]

I guess I don’t relate to any of them. My a&p will answer questions if I ask but I do the work and then he’ll provide the supervision. 

[Amelia]

I am fortunate to have an A&P, John Sanders, just a short stroll across the ramp, now. He is thorough, honorable, responsive, quiet, pleasant, knows what he is doing, has good staff, gratifyingly refrains from disparaging Mooneys— I am happy. He stays busy. And if things go mechanically really sideways in a way peculiar to Mooneys, the superb AGL Mooney Service Center people are just a few hundred miles west of here. 

[EricJ]

I'm my A&P.   I question my character.

 

[MooneyMitch]

24 minutes ago, EricJ said:

I'm my A&P.   I question my character.

 

You are not alone 

[Will.iam]

2 hours ago, JimB said:

I am my A&P/IA/Avionics guy/oil changer/aircraft cleaner/fueler.  So yes...me, myself and I have a pretty amazing relationship. Not sure how good of advice I give myself though. There was this one time back in the 80s when I told myself "That girl is beautiful", you should go buy her a drink! Woke up the next morning and was pretty disappointed with that advice....

I damn near fell out of my chair laughing.  Thanks, I needed that.

[Yetti]

It's like this.

Major Engine/ Wings fall off - better get the Experienced people involved.

Leaks and avionics / Engine accessories - supervision

The IA trusts that I can lube stuff.

We have a deal.  The airplane is considered airworthy till it crosses his hangar door.   Then it's probably something I broke.

[N201MKTurbo]

Just like @Will.iamhe is me....

He does amazing work. He is ignoring the Mooney lately, he keeps working on his Cessna.

[1980Mooney]

Times change. 15-20 years ago I would do a good portion of the “owner assisted” annual with an old timer A&P at another small airport. The last 15 years I have been using one particular A&P located at my home base. During that time his Cirrus business has grown including Vision Jets. He is currently short-handed of experienced mechanics which apparently are in short supply. The schedule for my annual has slipped and my plane is now out of annual. With a large and growing backlog of Cirrus on maintenance programs and Cirrus warranty work, he has told me that he can’t do my annual and I need to find someone else. 

[MatthiasArnold]

How to vote in between „good enough“ and „amazing“?

As a non-native speaker the gap between those options feels pretty wide..

Regards,

m

Edited May 19, 2021 by MatthiasArnold

[JamesMooney]

5 minutes ago, MatthiasArnold said:

How to vote in between „good enough“ and „amazing“?

As a non-native speaker the gap between those options feels pretty wide..

Regards,

m

Good point! I think you solved it with the comment here

[RobertGary1]

53 minutes ago, MatthiasArnold said:

How to vote in between „good enough“ and „amazing“?

As a non-native speaker the gap between those options feels pretty wide..

Regards,

m

Even among native speakers there can be confusion. I recently founded out that in British English “quite good” is not the high praise it is in American English.  

[AH-1 Cobra Pilot]

There are two people whom you should always treat with respect and dignity, your aircraft mechanic and anyone cooking or serving your food.

I rate my mechanic high; he was a fellow ARNG member and does great work at a reasonable price.  One of his employees is also a former SGT of mine.  The only thing I do not always like is that he is popular, thus busy.  My dad needed an annual after his mechanic finally retired, only to find out my mechanic had 11 aircraft already on his schedule.  What do other people think?  Harry Barr of Duncan Aviation always took his P-51 there.

One thing I learned is to never use a mechanic on the same field as the local FSDO.  EVERY tiny thing is some how a major issue, including the multiple, redundant decals specifying tire pressures.

[alextstone]

I am closing on the purchase of the maintenance shop at me home field at KPIB June 1st.  So I guess I'll have myself to blame if I'm dissatisfied with the service I receive.

 

Alex

[A64Pilot]

5 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

Times change. 15-20 years ago I would do a good portion of the “owner assisted” annual with an old timer A&P at another small airport. The last 15 years I have been using one particular A&P located at my home base. During that time his Cirrus business has grown including Vision Jets. He is currently short-handed of experienced mechanics which apparently are in short supply. The schedule for my annual has slipped and my plane is now out of annual. With a large and growing backlog of Cirrus on maintenance programs and Cirrus warranty work, he has told me that he can’t do my annual and I need to find someone else. 

Some woud have just jacked your price to what the Cirrus guys are paying, way I see it he did you a favor by telling you he couldn’t take your work anymore.

[Nick Pilotte]

I answered slightly in jest.  I married his sister so I deserve the service I get.  Actually, I can blame him because 20+ years ago, he told me to call her. And I did. 

[Will.iam]

6 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

Times change. 15-20 years ago I would do a good portion of the “owner assisted” annual with an old timer A&P at another small airport. The last 15 years I have been using one particular A&P located at my home base. During that time his Cirrus business has grown including Vision Jets. He is currently short-handed of experienced mechanics which apparently are in short supply. The schedule for my annual has slipped and my plane is now out of annual. With a large and growing backlog of Cirrus on maintenance programs and Cirrus warranty work, he has told me that he can’t do my annual and I need to find someone else. 

^^^^^ this right here concerns me as well. My airplane annual is due in august and i already feel like the line to wait to get the annual done by august is now. 

[carusoam]

Looks more like a trick question...

Relationships are everything...

My eye doctor is finally retiring after 30+years of seeing me...

My plane’s doctor including the rentals before ownership have been the same family business since the mid 90s...

 

Trust but verify... always check the work before flying the plane.... somebody had a bad day once... and left a few things untied... 

Think... if you are not getting what you want... do you have the relationship that you want with that resource?

PP thoughts only, not a customer relationship manager...

Best regards,

-a-

[JamesMooney]

20 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Looks more like a trick question...

Relationships are everything...

My eye doctor is finally retiring after 30+years of seeing me...

My plane’s doctor including the rentals before ownership have been the same family business since the mid 90s...

 

Trust but verify... always check the work before flying the plane.... somebody had a bad day once... and left a few things untied... 

Think... if you are not getting what you want... do you have the relationship that you want with that resource?

PP thoughts only, not a customer relationship manager...

Best regards,

-a-

Fair points about bad days and untied hoses - it happens. We (should) do walk-arounds and test flights near the airport for that.

But my question was about the relationship and the treatment (after averaging out the good days and the bad days). 

Some A&Ps treat you like they value your business.

Others don't call you back for weeks. ... After they took your airplane.

I'm curious to know what most of us feel is 'normal' and 'to be expected.'

(And, maybe, in asking that question, some of us will be inspired to find A&Ps who value the relationship, as much as we value them.)

[carusoam]

I try to have a relationship where the mechanic calls me when he sees something gone amiss...

When my plane goes in for annual... the squawk list and phone numbers goes with it...

I tend to want to ask questions and see everything when it is opened up...

I know the further from the mechanic I am, the less of my message gets to where it needs to be...  

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... or pro-pilot...

Best regards,

-a-

[Ned Gravel]

Fellow Canuck:

Missed the one that characterises mine with Clarence.  He puts up with me.  He stays ahead of issues when he knows about them. He sometimes lets me help.  He is the single most competent aircraft mechanic I know.  He never, ever accepts second best.  

It is never about him making me feel good as a customer, it is always about him taking his responsibilities for our safety seriously.  Always.  Can’t buy that.  Such approaches are not normally for sale.

I could not ask for better.