Watch out for Advanced Aircraft Service at MYF

Thanks for sharing your experience.
Jen

Sadly I had a similar situation with delays, and marginal communication.

The 210 in question was there for 2-3 months instead of the original 2-3 weeks, and they did numerous unnecessary repairs because 5hey interpreted a "wish list" of mine of things to inspect as things to replace without question.

Parts costs were also listed with extremely high markup.

The work they perform is excellent, but I'd advise against using the shop unless you are local and can get there regularly in person, and are open to working directly with them.

This is a shame because they're very nice people, and extremely knowledgeable about the 210 airframe.

In the end you'll probably end up with quality work, some of which you didn't expect, and will have overpaid by 2x, especially on parts, and have waited for months before your airplane is returned.

Hi Andy,
Thanks for sharing more of the story.

It sheds much more light on the situation.

I got the wrong impression after talking to Mr. Eddo.

I don't know how I can help but I understand your frustration.

Verbal comms were not used in the last shop where I worked.

These days, it's very easy to keep in touch using email which makes the trail very easy to track.

Please let me know if I there's anything I can do to help.

Steve

Hi Andy,
Thanks for the additional information. Please feel free to send those emails to me, if you'd like to.
[email protected].


Best,
Jennifer Dellenbusch

Steve, Advanced Aircraft Service performed all of the annual inspections on the airplane from the time I purchased the airplane in 2017. If you were surprised that "one of the shops during the past annual inspections hadn't dealt with the corrected elevator and trim tab", then that is a failure of Advanced Aircraft Service.
I had no objection to compliance with that service bulletin as part of the 2020 annual, and approved an estimate of 9 hours for that work. I NEVER received any telephone calls from Dave Eddo about any cost overruns. If you provide me with an email address, I will send you a copy of the emails that he and I exchanged, most of which concerned the extraordinary delay in the completion of the work. None of them address any cost overruns because of corrosion that was discovered after work was begun.
The only email that I ever received from Dave Eddo concerning the installation of the windows was on September 28, 2020, in which he said "We are in the process of installing windows, waiting on exhaust system to be returned and waiting on some elevator skins and trim tab from Cessna."
I was NEVER informed that the labor estimate on the replacement of the side and rear windows would be exceeded by over 400%, to 37 hours.
Your statement, that Advanced Aircraft Service "had no choice but to address the problems", is very disappointing. Any repair facility always has the choice to identify problems, estimate the cost of correcting the problems, and then obtain the airplane owner's authorization to proceed with the work. The choice of whether to proceed with the work at that repair facility, based upon the estimate provided by that repair facility, always rests with the airplane owner.
I was "looking for" a reputable shop, with ethical business practices, that would prepare an accurate estimate of the cost of repairing the deficiencies it noted during the "inspection" portion of an annual inspection, and would obtain the airplane owner's authorization for the work to be performed. That was not my experience with Advanced Aircraft Service.
I would think that you, as a person in the airplane repair business, would be appalled by the conduct of Advanced Aircraft Service in this situation because of the damage is does to the airplane repair business and aviation in general.
My comment stands. Watch out for Advanced Aircraft Services. It feels no obligation to prepare accurate estimates upon which airplane owners can rely, it feels no obligation to inform airplane owners of any unforeseen work, and no obligation to obtain the airplane owner's authorization before proceeding with any extra work.


then proceed with the work after obtaining the airplane owner's authorization to proceed with the repairs

, 2018,

unfortunately, the statements made to you by Dave Eddo are false.

Hi,
I can understand your frustration. No one wants to get a final bill that's much bigger than the initial estimate.

I spoke with Dave Edo at Advanced Aircraft Service to gain some insight into why there was such a difference.

Many of the additional hours on the final bill are due to Advanced finding corrosion during some of the upgrades (new windows, replacing the foam filled and corroded trim tab and elevator parts) that they hadn't known about nor could foresee during the initial inspection.

I'm surprised that one of the shops during past annuals hadn't dealt with the corroded elevator and trim tab. Cessna originally issued Service Bulletin 85-7 in 1985. It served to notify maintenance shops that there was a serious problem with these surfaces. According to Advanced, both the tab and the outer portion of the elevator were corroded to the point that holes were visible in the surface.

During out conversation, Advanced also said that you were advised by phone when it ran into problems.

Lastly, it seems that Advanced did knock 15 man hours (($1500) off the bill and was able to knock an additional $1700 off the cost of the exhaust system.

My impression is that Advanced found problems that needed attention to prevent further deterioration of your 210, and wanting to release your airplane in good airworthy condition had no choice but to address these problems

I doubt you were looking for anything less.

If I were you I would consider taking my airplane back to Advanced next annual. I think they did a good-though unexpectedly costly--job for you.

Thanks for asking me to take a look and to try to get to the bottom of the cost differential.

Since you posted the initial estimate and the final invoice and work order, my job was much easier and I thank you for that.

Steve