Dealing with North Sound Aviation

[IWayman]

Hi'
I sent my 170b "lady legs" off to Jim at North Sound Aviation in Sedro Woolley, Washington. That was many months ago. He seems like a nice guy, but he never returns my phone calls and when I do get him, he keeps telling me they should be done this week (many weeks ago). They're still not done. Has anyone worked with North Sound Aviation before? Do you have any suggestions for getting my gear legs done soon? My project is waiting for these legs and it is frustrating not knowing if they ever will get done.
Any suggestions would be helpful
Thanks,
Ian

[hilltop170]

I have had several sets of gear reconditioned by Jim Hayton. It always takes months and he is almost impossible to contact personally. On the other hand, he knows exactly what he is doing and has all of the Cessna specs and can do or have done any process that needs to be done on your gear. Then one day your gear will show up in just like new condition with the paperwork.

Sometimes he has others working for him and sometimes he does all the work himself but it always takes a lot of time. I don't know if he just has that much backlog or just slow. Several years ago I sent him a set of C-195 gear legs. They are VERY scarce these days and I was worried I might lose them. He kept them so long I actually made a 2 day stop-over on a flight from Texas to Alaska and drove up to his shop to see if he was even still there. I talked to one of his neighbors who sometimes works for him. He had a big contract up in Canada to build a submersible robot to go down and salvage the engine from a wrecked Beaver in several hundred feet of water. He had been working on that instead of landing gear. Then one day the gear showed up and they are now on the plane. He had some relationship problems at another time. Who knows what is going on with him today but you can bet it's something. He has done so many sets I'm sure he is burned out but they are his bread and butter money.

The real problem is I don't know anyone else who can do the same work Jim can. If anyone else knows a shop that is approved do it all on spring gear I would like to know about it.

[BVRAIR]

Richard.
Ditto on getting Jim to complete a set of gear legs in a timely manner. I sent a pair of 180 legs to him last year and it took eight months. He is reasonable and does great work.

Ian,
All I can say is keep trying. After dealing with service people in the aviation business for 45 years I've learned patience is a aircraft owners greatest vitue.

Gary

[3993v]

I had the exact same problem very dificult to contact, and 7 months to complete a set of 180 legs. However when they did come back the were in great shape and the price was very reasonable compaired to XP Mods. nick

[futr_alaskaflyer]

More than once I have called him and fallen out of my chair when he answered on the second ring. I guess as with the rest of life timing is everything. Some messages at his place have dropped into a black hole too.

I also have my gear legs at his shop. I am nearing the end of a significant project to repair/overhaul/replace many things on 77C and I have learned a lesson for next time - send the gear out first, not near the end

[dgkirk]

Can anyone give me the phone number and address of Jim Hayton at North Sound Aviation? Need to send a bent lady leg to him to see if it is repairable.
Thanks, Dan

[GAHorn]

Can anyone give me the phone number and address of Jim Hayton at North Sound Aviation? Need to send a bent lady leg to him to see if it is repairable.
Thanks, Dan

Ya' know... there's this really neat little website called "Google.com" and if you go there and type in North Sound Aviation WA here's what you get:
North Sound Aviation. Address. 30578 Walberg Rd Sedro Woolley, WA 98284 [ Map ]. Contact Info. Contact Person: Hayton Jim. Phone: 360/826-3962

[futr_alaskaflyer]

For posterity's sake...

I received my gear legs back a little over four months from when they were shipped. 0.6 amu for stripping, testing, straightening, priming...

[GAHorn]

.... 0.6 amu ...

Huh?

[hilltop170]

George-
Where have you been?

1 amu = $1000

amu = aviation monetary unit

[GAHorn]

Aha! (I thought it was a union: aviation misfits united)

[hilltop170]

Aha! (I thought it was a union: aviation misfits united)

You are right but they are AMU, not amu.

[uh12b]

When you get your gear legs straightened or rebent, what certification do you get? Cessna does not have a procedure for doing this nor do they recommend it.

[hilltop170]

You get a yellow tag.

[uh12b]

Richard
Thank you for the reply.

I thought you could only get a Yellow Tag from a Certified Repair Station. The reason I am asking is because an associate had his gear straightened and all he got back with it was an NDT report.

uh12b