Been there done it……. topping up a Tristar #2 engine oil in a 30kt wind in the middle of the night when it was raining was no fun.
Paid 5k/annum in average for my 2 cirruses maintenance: cannot complain about maintenance shops availabilities in Europe and UK, but a general lack of competition sometimes pushed the price of some items very high (eg fiberglass repairs). I always had the impression that most shops lived of something else than pure ga maintenance, despite the high prices charged. Now I pay 200/annum for my rv7 (including professional engine inspections, magnetos timings, cylinders pressures, etcc, and oil changes), thanks to the experimental rules, and I get to know my plane much better doing part of the inspections myself with my father, but you need to invest a bit of time to educate yourself.
