Owners of high-performance GA aircraft who want their airplanes perfectly maintained but don’t want to spend the time to oversee every detail now have another option — they can hire a professional to manage their airplane, for a modest annual fee. Mike Busch, a general aviation maintenance expert, announced on Monday the launch of Savvy Aircraft Maintenance Management (SAMM), a new company providing professionally managed maintenance for owner-flown aircraft. The service will cover high-performance single-engine airplanes to cabin-class twins and very light jets. “Professional maintenance management has long been the norm for corporate jets, but has never been available for owner-flown aircraft until now,” Busch said. Annual fees range from $500 to $1,000 for most piston aircraft. SAMM assigns an account manager to act as the owner’s advocate and ensure that the aircraft receives the best possible maintenance at the lowest possible cost.
More than 1,000 owners have completed Busch’s “Savvy Owner Seminar.” However, the approach Busch teaches requires significant time, effort and involvement by the aircraft owner. “It became clear to me that many owners are simply too busy running their business or raising their family to manage their own maintenance properly, and would benefit from hiring a professional to manage it for them,” Busch said. Busch was recently named “Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year” for 2008 by the FAA. He is also the founder of AVweb and contributes the “Savvy Aviator” column. For more information, go to the company Web site.
