Every owner has heard the story. The airplane goes in for its annual with a rough number in mind, and two weeks later the invoice is twice that. Sometimes the work really was needed. Often the owner just never heard about it until the bill showed up.
An annual doesn’t have to go that way. A little preparation on your end, and a mechanic who talks to you before opening anything up, take most of the surprise out of it. Here’s how to get ready for an aircraft annual inspection in North Texas, and what to expect when Honest Aviation Services does it.
What the FAA requires
Under FAA rules, a general aviation airplane needs an annual inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months to stay legal to fly. For most owners that means an A&P mechanic who holds Inspection Authorization (IA) does the inspection and signs it off. If the airplane carries people for hire, or you provide it for flight instruction for hire, it also needs a 100-hour inspection.
Honest Aviation is run by an FAA-certificated A&P mechanic with Inspection Authorization, so your annual is signed off in-house. No second shop is needed to close it out. 100-hour and pre-buy inspections are done here too.
Before you schedule
The more the mechanic knows up front, the tighter the quote. Before you call, pull together:
- Your tail number and where the airplane is based
- The date of the last annual, plus current tach and Hobbs times
- Airframe, engine and propeller logbooks
- A list of open squawks, including the small ones you’ve been living with
- Any ADs you know are coming due
- Anything you’ve been thinking about adding to the panel
That last one matters more than people think. If you’ve been putting off ADS-B Out, a new engine monitor or a glass panel, the annual is often the easiest time to do it, because the airplane is already open for inspection. Honest Aviation is an authorized dealer for brands including Dynon, GRT, J.P. Instruments, Aspen, Trig and uAvionix, and builds custom wiring harnesses in-house. Mention it when you schedule and the install can happen during the same visit.
Write down your squawks
Owners skip this all the time. The intermittent radio. The door that doesn’t quite seal. The oil temp that runs a little warm on climbout. If it isn’t written down, it probably won’t come up, and you’ll fly with it for another year.
A written list also helps the mechanic sort airworthiness items from the “might as well fix it while we’re in there” items. Both are fair to ask about. You should just know which is which before you approve anything.
Get your logbooks in order
Missing or messy logbooks slow an annual down more than most owners expect. The mechanic has to confirm AD compliance, check that past repairs and alterations are documented, and make sure required equipment paperwork is there. If you’ve got loose receipts, Form 337s or STC paperwork in a folder at home, bring them. Twenty minutes of sorting at your kitchen table saves billable time on the hangar floor.
How it works with Honest Aviation
Call or text 469-926-1617 with your aircraft, where it’s based and what’s due. Most quotes come back the same day.
After that, you talk directly to the A&P/IA working on your airplane. There are no service writers and no call center. You’ll know what the job costs before it starts. If the inspection turns up something new, you hear about it before anyone touches it, straight from the mechanic, with a price. You get the options laid out and you make the call. No pressure and no upselling.
While the airplane is in, you get updates as things come up. Parts are factory-authorized, and the work follows manufacturer specs and FAA standards.
One owner put it this way after two annuals and an avionics upgrade: Casey “listened to my needs, respected my budget without any upselling, and kept me informed and involved throughout the entire process.”
What you get back
The paperwork should be finished before you leave the ramp. With Honest Aviation that means:
- FAA-compliant return-to-service logbook entries
- Updated weight and balance data
- Warranty paperwork filed for any new equipment
- Flight manual supplements organized and ready for the cockpit
- A walkthrough of anything new before you fly it
Read the logbook entries before you go. You should be able to see what was inspected, what was found and what was done about it.
Don’t wait for the month it’s due
Annuals bunch up, and parts can take a while to arrive these days. If yours comes due in the next couple of months, get on the schedule now. That’s much easier to plan around than a squawk that turns into a grounding.
You can read more about aircraft annual inspections in North Texas, or request a quote online. Call or text 469-926-1617 any day of the week, or email info@honest-aviation.com.