Support Needed

[Sue Bon]

My panel upgrade is taking forever. I know I will get a great plane back, but I was on the ground for most of November due to weather, and then they took her in at the end of the month. For the new GFC500, they stripped the cockpit and interior. It's an old airplane, so unsurprisingly, they found a few things. There was also the two week holiday during Christmas/New Years, too much work and not enough workers (apparently I'm not the only plane in their shop), etc., etc. It's been going on five months since I've been able to fly her!

Two weeks ago they said that I would would be ready for check flights in two weeks, now there are parts ordered from the US that will take another ten days minimum to get here (using USPS, so who knows when they will actually arrive).

I'm so frustrated. I trust my mechanic and my avionics guy 100%. No one is to blame. I just need a "Hang in there, Sue." I'm so sad and frustrated....

[Guest]

My Comanche has been down since last winter when it ate its camshaft.  After many delays it’s getting closer or so I’m being told. I’m starting to doubt my maintainer, he keeps telling that he’s busy working on other more important customer airplanes.  Any advice on what I should do?

[Bolter]

11 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

My Comanche has been down since last winter when it ate its camshaft.  After many delays it’s getting closer or so I’m being told. I’m starting to doubt my maintainer, he keeps telling that he’s busy working on other more important customer airplanes.  Any advice on what I should do?

In your case, I recommend a good lecture on customer service...   You can use this: 

[Guest]

46 minutes ago, Bolter said:

In your case, I recommend a good lecture on customer service...   You can use this: 

I used that, the grumpy old man with grey hair and wrinkles I saw in there insists the other customers come first because they pay on time, never complain to him, unlike me.

[Schllc]

You aren’t alone. 
I dropped off my Aerostar in August for a new panel, with a promise of November delivery. I thought it was optimistic and press the shop to provide a date they could meet, not one they wanted me to hear. So we agreed on December which in my mind I prepared for right after New Years.

Welcome to March, with only a lukewarm vague suggestion that April would be very possible..

I like and trust the shop I picked as well, and I mentally prepared myself for this, and even then….

My suggestion/support/advice would be for you need to keep focusing on how nice your baby will be when you get her back with that sweet autopilot!

The unpleasant memory will go a way quicker than you think. 

[EricJ]

2 hours ago, Sue Bon said:

My panel upgrade is taking forever. I know I will get a great plane back, but I was on the ground for most of November due to weather, and then they took her in at the end of the month. For the new GFC500, they stripped the cockpit and interior. It's an old airplane, so unsurprisingly, they found a few things. There was also the two week holiday during Christmas/New Years, too much work and not enough workers (apparently I'm not the only plane in their shop), etc., etc. It's been going on five months since I've been able to fly her!

Two weeks ago they said that I would would be ready for check flights in two weeks, now there are parts ordered from the US that will take another ten days minimum to get here (using USPS, so who knows when they will actually arrive).

I'm so frustrated. I trust my mechanic and my avionics guy 100%. No one is to blame. I just need a "Hang in there, Sue." I'm so sad and frustrated....

Hang in there!

Sometimes these are opportunities to go do something else, like get some tailwheel training, or glider or aerobatic or something you haven't done yet but might be interested in.   I got my tailwheel endorsement while my airplane was getting avionics installed.

Even flying a good simulator can help sometimes. 

[Ragsf15e]

If the things Eric listed remind you too much of the baby you don’t have right now, I think I’d take advantage of the awesome hiking and beautiful mountains you have access to!  Nothing like the alps in spring.  I have a video of my wife dancing through a meadow singing “The Hills are Alive!”

You can get current and safe again in a couple flights whilst you’re learning your autopilot with an instructor.  Hang in there!  It will be ok!

[T. Peterson]

4 hours ago, M20Doc said:

My Comanche has been down since last winter when it ate its camshaft.  After many delays it’s getting closer or so I’m being told. I’m starting to doubt my maintainer, he keeps telling that he’s busy working on other more important customer airplanes.  Any advice on what I should do?

You need to read the riot act to your maintainer!! He is an obvious slacker. 

[T. Peterson]

4 hours ago, Sue Bon said:

My panel upgrade is taking forever. I know I will get a great plane back, but I was on the ground for most of November due to weather, and then they took her in at the end of the month. For the new GFC500, they stripped the cockpit and interior. It's an old airplane, so unsurprisingly, they found a few things. There was also the two week holiday during Christmas/New Years, too much work and not enough workers (apparently I'm not the only plane in their shop), etc., etc. It's been going on five months since I've been able to fly her!

Two weeks ago they said that I would would be ready for check flights in two weeks, now there are parts ordered from the US that will take another ten days minimum to get here (using USPS, so who knows when they will actually arrive).

I'm so frustrated. I trust my mechanic and my avionics guy 100%. No one is to blame. I just need a "Hang in there, Sue." I'm so sad and frustrated....

Hang in there Sue! This too shall pass!

[jetdriven]

4 hours ago, M20Doc said:

My Comanche has been down since last winter when it ate its camshaft.  After many delays it’s getting closer or so I’m being told. I’m starting to doubt my maintainer, he keeps telling that he’s busy working on other more important customer airplanes.  Any advice on what I should do?

fire him

[PT20J]

5 hours ago, M20Doc said:

My Comanche has been down since last winter when it ate its camshaft.  After many delays it’s getting closer or so I’m being told. I’m starting to doubt my maintainer, he keeps telling that he’s busy working on other more important customer airplanes.  Any advice on what I should do?

Trade it in on a Cirrus. I hear there's a good Cirrus maintainer in Ontario.

[RoundTwo]

13 hours ago, Sue Bon said:

I'm so frustrated. I trust my mechanic and my avionics guy 100%. No one is to blame. I just need a "Hang in there, Sue." I'm so sad and frustrated....

Hang in there Sue. I have no specific grand suggestions for you except maybe try to finish up some of those projects that need to be done because when you do get it back, there’s no way anything will get done. 

[N9405V]

I started the process for a panel upgrade in June. Fortunately I still have my plane, but we are waiting on a few boxes to show up from Garmin… hang in there.


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[neilpilot]

Delays are definitely problematic, and they are often accompanied by an increase in the final cost.  I'm literally betting that things will work out.

Let's hope you aren't singing the same tune, 2nd verse, come summer.  

[Utah20Gflyer]

My only suggestion is to keep expectations low because between logistics and labor issues it doesn’t seem like anything runs smoothly in aviation.  I’m currently waiting for my shop to get me in to do my annual that I scheduled with them a year ago.   I’m being told it will be two weeks but I’m assuming at least a month.   Apparently they are swamped with Cirrus AD work.  

[haymak3r]

Hang in there! It took 5 months to get my gtn750xi, g5's, and gi-275EIS installed... Of course I was told 3 weeks when dropping the plane off for everything except the gtn. But then the gtn came early.. So things changed.