It sounds to me like you should engage a licenced engineer as a tech rep ,with a trade insider on your team you will soon get beter maintenance or find out if your expectations are unrealistic.
As i pointed out above i have saved owners a lot of problems and money by overseeing the maintenance of aircraft ,sometimes this advice will be that it is time to spend more money to save in the long term and this comes as a bit of a shock to some who think that all i should do is reduce the first bill i see.
As to taking the aircraft maintenance into your own hands and employing an unlicenced "expert" i,v seen this on a number of times the most interesting was when a tractor mechanic changed a cylinder on a lycoming and did not follow the corect practices the owner was happy with the cost saving untill after 20 min in the air the rocker shaft exited the engine wrecking the cylinder ,fortunatly the aircraft was within gliding distance of an airfield but what chance of redress from the tractor mechanic ?
[ 27 September 2001: Message edited by: A and C ]
[ 28 September 2001: Message edited by: A and C ]