From: RWolf99@aol.com
Message-ID: <39.15748dcd.284454f5@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 21:27:17 EDT
Subject: Re: Lancair Builders Camp
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
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Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com

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          <<  Lancair Builders' Mail List  >>
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In a message dated 5/27/2001 9:39:43 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
lancair.list@olsusa.com writes:

<< What are they charging you for the assistance, the tools, and the space?>>

Aircrafters is charging me their standard shop rate of $50 per hour.  There 
are no additional charges for use of tools, hangar fees, reasonable 
consumption of materials, reasonable use of the telephone, etc.  That's all 
factored into the shop rate.  

Having said that, I'm providing my own adhesives and fiberglass.  The 
fiberglass is penny ante stuff but I'll be using a lot of Hysol.  (Also, they 
have loaned me some really neat tools that I've not used before and which I 
simply MUST have, so there will be some deferred costs as I buy more toys.  
It's all part of the education process, I suppose....)

Occasionally I ask them to get odd jobs done by subcontractors.  This can be 
having hydraulic lines custom made, parts anodized, and the like.  I don't 
know if they apply a markup to this but if they do it's a nominal amount.  
The prices for these services are essentially what I'd pay by contracting it 
myself, and I save myself the hassle of driving around and getting it done.

There's an expectation that I buy $2000 worth of their services per month.  
Since I expect to be there for about 6 weeks, that's $3000 worth, or 60 
man-hours.  I consider that pretty cheap for their help in getting my stub 
wings skinned, wings closed, horinontal tail closed, and both tails 
installed.  It is, in fact, about what Lancair charges for their workshops, 
which I think are $4000 for the week.  (Please correct this figure if I'm 
wrong.)

I want to get this done in about six weeks and I don't want to spend much 
more than $3000 -- though this work may stretch to eight weeks and total 
$4000 (don't tell my wife!).  Therefore the 40 hours per month at $50 per 
hour dovetails well with my requirements.  However, they will structure a 
package to meet your requirements, whether it be a fixed price for a fixed 
task, pay by the hour, or something different.  They are very easy to deal 
with.  However, they have a limited amount of space so each project in their 
hangar needs to be bringing in revenue.  That's just a fact of business life.

Feel free to shop around.  I know there are several shops out there.  It 
would be good to have comments from customers of other centers.  You may find 
one closer to your home, you may find one cheaper per hour, and I hope you 
find that they all do good work.  (I haven't done an exhaustive survey so I 
don't know.)  I do know that you won't find a group that's easier to deal 
with, and I'd be amazed if you found one that was more competent than 
Aircrafters.  Plus, the Monterey Bay area is really nice.

No, I don't get kickbacks, though they do buy me lunch now and then.  Yes, I 
can be bought, but my price is much higher than that!

- Rob Wolf
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LML website:   http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
LML Builders' Bookstore:   http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair

Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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