A true story of smart maintenance management.
When aircraft owner “David” brought his Cirrus SR22 in for its annual inspection at a large maintenance facility, he braced himself for a hefty bill. The shop’s initial estimate totaled over $54,000, citing numerous discrepancies that supposedly required immediate correction—including items like nose gear puck replacement, avionics softwareupdates, and component reseals.
Fortunately, David was enrolled in SavvyMx, Savvy Aviation’s managed maintenance service. His Savvy account manager, Tony Barrel, quickly stepped in to review the estimate line by line.
Tony immediately spotted several items that were either misclassified, unnecessary, or not due for service. For instance, the shop claimed that the power lever assembly required removal and nondestructive testing (NDT) due to an airworthiness directive. Tony verified that this AD did not apply to David’s aircraft model, eliminating nearly $1,000 in unneeded labor right away.
Several other line items raised red flags:
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The shop had included a “mandatory” avionics software update and a built-in oxygen system inspection that were, in reality, optional or already current. Savvy confirmed these as non-applicable, saving more than $1,500.
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Even more significant were proposed gasket and seal replacements throughout the aircraft—from the anti-ice tank to the fuel transducers—that the shop claimed were “cracked” or “deteriorating.” Upon Savvy’s guidance, these were visually reinspected and found to be serviceable.
Through Savvy’s oversight, David approved only the work that truly affected airworthiness and deferred the rest. The updated estimate dropped from $54,155 to just $25,692, a savings of roughly $33,000—without compromising safety or regulatory compliance.
By the time the final work order was issued, the annual inspection had been completed efficiently and affordably, leaving David with renewed confidence in both his aircraft and his maintenance management partner.
“Without SavvyMx, I probably would have signed off on everything,” David said. “Tony’s attention to detail and experience saved me thousands and gave me peace of mind.”
This case highlights what SavvyMx does best—applying expert, independent judgment to protect aircraft owners from unnecessary maintenance and inflated invoices.
Total savings: $33,000
Peace of mind: Priceless
Learn more about how SavvyMx can help manage your maintenance smarter