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Savvy Maintenance for maintenance management?


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I'm wondering if anyone has used Savvy Maintenance for managing maintenance on their Mooney?  I recently heard of them and I'm trying to decide if it's a good fit for me.  I believe they charge $750 per year to give advice on maintenance procedures.  I own a Mooney 231 and there seem to be very few shops with specific knowledge about my airplane.


Thanks!

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Rick - I take my plane to Top Gun at Stockton (a Mooney Service Center).  I've found that Tom Rouch has been very helpful for troubleshooting problems when my plane is not visiting once a year for its annual.  The year round advice is part of doing my annual there of course but Top Gun is not the cheapest shop...OTOH, my plane runs very well (knock on wood). 


I have talked with Mike Busch and he is quite knowledgeable about piston airplanes and their maintenance....but I think most of the work he does is for the Cirrus community. That said, I don't find that there are many "Mooney specific" problems with the plane - most are the usual humdrum issues (although many AMUs) with typical stuff that ages or breaks.


As you know, there is an MSC in Chandler....

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Ken - thanks for the quick response!  I have spoken with the shop at Chandler but I'm leary of their experience level.  I understand that most of the guys who actually went throught the Mooney classes are no longer working there.  One guy I met who previously owned a Mooney had them do his work and then when he sold the airplane and a prebuy was done, the corrosion inside was so bad the airplane was totaled and sold for parts!  Hmmm ...


I considered Top Gun but I haven't spoken with them yet.

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Savvy is very good at helping you manage your mechanic (especially a larger shop) and uneeded MX.  Mike is a master mechanic and he is very effective in helping you and your mechanic come to agreement on what actually needs to be fixed and what can either be postponed or ignored.  I find most mechanics are honest and simply trying to get the a/c as safe as possible. Somethimes that means replacing or overhauling marginal items rather than a strict interpretation of "on condition". Ofcourse there are dishonest mechanics looking to nick you for everything and you just need to be aware -- ask around.  Reputations do spread and as always "caveat emptor".  


For your specific issues with the 231 you really need a Mooney shop.  Savvy is a generalist with a large share of Cirrus under management.  If you are a doc and a new Cirrus owner without a lot of airplane expereince, Savvy makes a lot of sense (cirrus annuals can run around $9000). 


I found the following MSCs near you (I understand your experience at Chandler was less than acceptable);


Arizona 


Chandler Aviation, Inc.
Frank Setzler
2375 S. Stinson Way
Chandler, AZ 85249
Phone: 480.732.9118
frank@chandleraviation.com
www.chandleraviation.com


California


FOOTHILL AIRCRAFT SALES & SERVICE, INC
Curtis Cable
1749 W. 13th St.
Upland, CA 91786
Phone: 909.985.1977
curtis@foothillaircraft.com
www.foothillaircraft.com

CROWNAIR AVIATION
Dave Gill
3753 John J, Montgomery Dr.
San Diego, CA 92123
Phone: 858.277.1453
daveg@crownairaviation.com
www.crownairaviation.com

LAKE AERO STYLING AND REPAIR
Robert Brown
900 F Sky Park Drive
Lakeport, CA 95453
Phone: 707.263.0412
maint@lasar.com
www.lasar.com

MONTEREY BAY AVIATION
Larry Davis
514 Airport Way
Monterey, CA 93940
Phone: 831.373.3201
larry@montereybayaviation.com
www.montereybayaviation.com

TOP GUN AVIATION, INC.
Mandi Soulier
6100 S. Lindbergh St.
Stockton, CA 95206
Phone: 209.983.8082
msoulier@topgunaviation.net
www.topgunaviation.net


 

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Quote: 231flyer

For your specific issues with the 231 you really need a Mooney shop.  Savvy is a generalist with a large share of Cirrus under management.  If you are a doc and a new Cirrus owner without a lot of airplane expereince, Savvy makes a lot of sense (cirrus annuals can run around $9000). 

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I think if you dont have a super relationship with your A&P or IA, and are both totally on the same wavelength as far as airworthiness philosophy then Savvy will be invaluable. Lotsa of work gets done needlessly "because they said so".   Certainly if the aircraft has a mechanical on the road, you are likely  going to get raped to the tune of seveal thousand dollars for what might be a minor repair.  Maybe several if they misdiagnose the problem. These boards are full of these horror stories. Savvy can act as a firewall to prevent this.  

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Specifically, "Savvy reserves the right to decline to manage the maintenance of any aircraft manufactured prior to 1970. We do evaluate these on a case-by-case basis, with strong emphasis on determining whether or not the aircraft still has factory support and parts availability. For example, we will sometimes accept a late-60s-vintage Bonanza or Cessna because those aircraft are still well-supported by the manufacturer and most parts are still readily available."  See https://www.savvymx.com/index.php/faq/qualify.

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I've never spoken with Mike personally but I have enjoyed his seminars. I considered the Savvy MX program for myself but decided that what others have said here is true. His team specializes in Cirrus foremost, and maybe Bo's and Cessna's secondarily. The real value they bring is helping less-sophisticated owners manage their maintenance personnel so they don't get taken to the cleaners, but the simple steps that Mike describes in his various webinars are not rocket science, and a reasonably-involved owner working with a mechanic or shop that he trusts can probably accomplish much the same thing.


I do see one real benefit anyone could get, which was highlighted in Mike's latest EAA magazine article. This is the support they can provide when you breakdown away from home. Their knowledge of shops around the country and ability to step in and deal with your airplane while you deal with whatever else you have to being away from home seems like it would be a good benefit...but hopefully not one you have to use very often.

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Jerry Mantheny is holding his last seminar a week from Sunday in Little Rock for the turbo crowd. At the very least, call MAPA and order the book. It isn't all emcompassing, but it's a great place to start.


I would do this, have a great relationship with a good IA, light years before ever considering Savvy.

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