[337 Junkie]

It definitely has it's place, primarily amongst people who have busy lives and may or may not have an interest in digging through old log books with faded cursive from last century. It's cheaper for you and much better for you if you find a mechanic you trust, sit down and really go through all the logs and do it yourself. It might not be cheaper the first time but it's cheaper than paying every stinking year!!! Frequently your mechanic will take some time and sit down with you no charge and review your mx schedule. You probably won't get dirty and if you want to help, dirt does NOT have cooties so don't be afraid! They should already have a good handle on it. The first advantage is you know the aircraft better, the second is that you don't give up your logbooks to somebody you've never met. I do the same thing as an IA, have the customer help with the annual, have them help with the AD list, have them help with the physical servicing of the aircraft (oh the stories of newbies) and they really appreciate/know/fly better at the end of the day. They then know exactly when everything is due, know the systems better and feel better at the end of the day. Don't mail off your log books if you don't have to. If you are overwhelmed in life, maybe it's better if you do... but don't forget that the mail service loses packages too.... If you can't afford the time to sit down with a mechanic, maybe you should ask yourself about your priorities in life. I speak from both the viewpoint of an owner/operator and a mechanic. If you need a good mechanic, ask around. It's not too hard to sniff out the good and the bad. If you research AD's with your mechanic, you can read what's driving the maintenance issues on your type aircraft and maybe it will influence how you use the aircraft. The more I know, the more I know I don't know... and it's a learning process every day. Best of luck!