Think IO-540 hit the nail on the head here:
My experience is that the happiest owners who keep their planes in the best condition are ones who have the freedom to pick and choose who does what (and yes a disproportionate % of those are N-reg because doing exactly that is easier on the N-reg). I am one of these but it took a while to suss things out.
Large chunks of the maintenance scene are nothing short of a disaster, but if you are not careful you will end up over the barrel belonging to one of these companies.
I just visited a Sub Part F/G firm who I wanted to talk to about keeping my C180 G-Reg machine on the G-Reg post EASA rules in Sept. They showed me a C150 they had taken in for an Annual - so far they spent 900 HOURS on it... I know it was in bad order, but thats twice what the AC is worth. I see the N reg being the lesser of two evils - come what may in Sept..... The only thing thats certain about the pending EASA rules is that maintenance organisations will ride you Ten Stone Eight!
