Can someone recommend a good paintshop within reasonable driving distance from Atlanta?

[kommers]

I want to put fresh paint on my M20J, but the only good shop that was recommended to me was in Tampa, Fl. I don't want to buy airline ticket from and then to Tampa so I am hoping to find something in Georgia, or possibly Tenn, SC, AL or NC as long as it is less than 4 hrs drive time from Atlanta. Thank you all in advance!

Edited April 15, 2023 by kommers

[Pinecone]

One round trip ticket from FL to ATL and back is probably cheaper than a 4 hour drive done 4 times (out to pick you up, bring you back, out to drop you off, drive home).  Or a one way rental 2 times.

Frontier can do it for $100. ROUND TRIP.

Gov reimbursement rate for driving is 65.5 cents per mile.  4 hours at 50 MPH average is 200 miles.  One way is $131.

[Culver LFA]

Most important thing is to find the shop you want to work with, see their work and get on the schedule.  The logistics of getting the airplane there and back home is the easy part.
I know from experience ferrying Mooneys around the country, sometimes it’s worth going to places like Atlanta to Tampa because it’s a lot easier to catch an airline back home than to go some place closer to Atlanta (but out in the middle of nowhere).  I could fly a Mooney down to Tampa area in the morning, catch an Uber to TPA, eat lunch and airline home in time for dinner that same day. If you went to somewhere like Selma AL to get your airplane painted, it’s hard to get a rental car or airline back to Atlanta because there just isn’t much around.  I took one airplane to Selma for paint and I ended up asking one of my neighbors fly out to pick me up to get me back home, it was the only way to do the trip in a day. 

Edited April 16, 2023 by Culver LFA

[RoundTwo]

Hawk is where you want to go.

I’m in the hangars right behind the fuel farm at Calhoun. Next time you’re in for fuel, come by and visit if the doors are open, #202.

[Pinecone]

Hawk did my plane in 2014 (previous owner) and at the same time, they did @jetdriven J.  Both jobs are very good.

[M20F]

These days $20K plus for a paint job.  If there is somebody great in ATL all ears as I am in KLZU and headed towards paint.  That being said $200 plane ticket to the perfect shop would be better to me then a cheap 4hr car ride to a place that isn’t right. 

[WilliamR]

Advanced Aircraft Refinishers in Griffin, GA is very good. My plane was painted by them almost 20 years ago and has held up very, very well (still can't believe I haven't abraded the paint off the leading edges flying through rain over the years). Yes, that was along time ago, but Tony has been painting aircraft for a much longer time. There were some small touches they did that I thought was nice. He's not as cheap as what you would get in Carrolton, GA, but the product is way better. I think there are some recent pics of my plane in my profile. 

I know some RVs have been recently painted there and they show very well. I've never heard a bad word about him.

I don't mind paying a premium for a premium product. 

William

[67 m20F chump]

I think Tony sold that shop to a long term employee.  I have had work done with them and been happy with it.  Not inexpensive but good quality.  I wouldn’t mind taking my plane to a shop farther from my home but they would need to have a stellar reputation.

[kommers]

  On 4/16/2023 at 10:43 AM, RoundTwo said:

Hawk is where you want to go.

I’m in the hangars right behind the fuel farm at Calhoun. Next time you’re in for fuel, come by and visit if the doors are open, #202.

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thank you!

[kommers]

  On 4/17/2023 at 6:46 PM, WilliamR said:

Advanced Aircraft Refinishers in Griffin, GA is very good. My plane was painted by them almost 20 years ago and has held up very, very well (still can't believe I haven't abraded the paint off the leading edges flying through rain over the years). Yes, that was along time ago, but Tony has been painting aircraft for a much longer time. There were some small touches they did that I thought was nice. He's not as cheap as what you would get in Carrolton, GA, but the product is way better. I think there are some recent pics of my plane in my profile. 

I know some RVs have been recently painted there and they show very well. I've never heard a bad word about him.

I don't mind paying a premium for a premium product. 

William

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thank you! I will visit them next week.

[kommers]

  On 4/16/2023 at 2:56 PM, M20F said:

These days $20K plus for a paint job.  If there is somebody great in ATL all ears as I am in KLZU and headed towards paint.  That being said $200 plane ticket to the perfect shop would be better to me then a cheap 4hr car ride to a place that isn’t right. 

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I am based in LZU as well. Since a few members mentioned Calhoun, I am flying there next week to discuss painiting. As to the airplane tickets, all domestic tickets cost me less than $6 one way  because I have tons of miles so it is not a an airfare that bothers me, but the fact that I don't have IFR certification which makes planning long distance harder, especially if you have a fixed date airplane ticket and it is pouring outside 

Edited April 30, 2023 by kommers

[kommers]

  On 4/16/2023 at 2:15 AM, Pinecone said:

One round trip ticket from FL to ATL and back is probably cheaper than a 4 hour drive done 4 times (out to pick you up, bring you back, out to drop you off, drive home).  Or a one way rental 2 times.

Frontier can do it for $100. ROUND TRIP.

Gov reimbursement rate for driving is 65.5 cents per mile.  4 hours at 50 MPH average is 200 miles.  One way is $131.

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I would never fly Frontier    Besides, a round trip to Tampa in my case is $11.20 since I am usually flying on award tickets. However, because I cannot offcially fly IFR due to lack of certification, I won't be able to guess a VFR day in advance to buy my tickets

Edited April 30, 2023 by kommers

[goalstop]

  On 4/30/2023 at 12:57 AM, kommers said:

I am based in LZU as well. Since a few members mentioned Calhoun, I am flying there next week to discuss painiting. As to the airplane tickets, all domestic tickets cost me less than $6 one way  because I have tons of miles so it is not a an airfare that bothers me, but the fact that I don't have IFR certification which makes planning long distance harder, especially if you have a fixed date airplane ticket and it is pouring outside 

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Also repping the LZU Mooney crew! Good to see others around

[glbtrottr]

Come to California - summer by the beach is nice.

[Fly Boomer]

  On 5/7/2023 at 3:41 AM, glbtrottr said:

Come to California - summer by the beach is nice.

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Isn't Hawthorne the home of the Beach Boys?

[glbtrottr]

Sure - but there isn’t much at Hawthorne anymore. Ever since Levi / Main Street aviation / advanced air rented the whole airport for $478k a year, rents skyrocketed and it stopped being a community airport.

There’s a Eureka restaurant that caters mostly to the SpaceX crowd next door, the museum was evicted to make room for security aviation, Elon parks his Gulfstream right next to them, Harrison Ford is after that, no Beach Boys and no paint shop. You gotta go next door for the paint shop

[Fly Boomer]

  On 5/7/2023 at 2:49 PM, glbtrottr said:

Sure - but there isn’t much at Hawthorne anymore. Ever since Levi / Main Street aviation / advanced air rented the whole airport for $478k a year, rents skyrocketed and it stopped being a community airport.

There’s a Eureka restaurant that caters mostly to the SpaceX crowd next door, the museum was evicted to make room for security aviation, Elon parks his Gulfstream right next to them, Harrison Ford is after that, no Beach Boys and no paint shop. You gotta go next door for the paint shop

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Entropy.

[ilovecornfields]

  On 5/7/2023 at 2:49 PM, glbtrottr said:

Sure - but there isn’t much at Hawthorne anymore. Ever since Levi / Main Street aviation / advanced air rented the whole airport for $478k a year, rents skyrocketed and it stopped being a community airport.

There’s a Eureka restaurant that caters mostly to the SpaceX crowd next door, the museum was evicted to make room for security aviation, Elon parks his Gulfstream right next to them, Harrison Ford is after that, no Beach Boys and no paint shop. You gotta go next door for the paint shop

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Still a good place to go when dropping someone off at LAX and HHO often waives the ramp fee. My wife hates it because it always looks like we’re going to land on the roof of Target on short final.

[N201MKTurbo]

  On 5/7/2023 at 3:40 PM, ilovecornfields said:

Still a good place to go when dropping someone off at LAX and HHO often waives the ramp fee. My wife hates it because it always looks like we’re going to land on the roof of Target on short final.

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I go to Torrance to park the Mooney when catching an international flight out of LAX. The parking is a lot cheaper. The UBER is about twice as much, but still not bad.

[laytonl]

  On 4/17/2023 at 6:46 PM, WilliamR said:

Advanced Aircraft Refinishers in Griffin, GA is very good. My plane was painted by them almost 20 years ago and has held up very, very well (still can't believe I haven't abraded the paint off the leading edges flying through rain over the years). Yes, that was along time ago, but Tony has been painting aircraft for a much longer time. There were some small touches they did that I thought was nice. He's not as cheap as what you would get in Carrolton, GA, but the product is way better. I think there are some recent pics of my plane in my profile. 

I know some RVs have been recently painted there and they show very well. I've never heard a bad word about him.

I don't mind paying a premium for a premium product. 

William

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I’ve seen some good work by the Carrollton shop.  Recently, a friend had his Pilatus PC-7 done by them.  Workmanship looks excellent.  Lee

 

[ilovecornfields]

  On 5/7/2023 at 5:00 PM, N201MKTurbo said:

I go to Torrance to park the Mooney when catching an international flight out of LAX. The parking is a lot cheaper. The UBER is about twice as much, but still not bad.

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I almost never fly out of LAX but I’ve dropped off and picked people up before. HHO is close and they’ll often just give you the crew car to drop someone off and bring it back. Torrance would work too.