The lead
guy in the partnership says that the four members of the partnership get
together and do all the "owner assist" parts of the annual, so the annual
only takes a day or two and only costs about $600 plus any squawks.

Having a group of guys that are willing to get their hands dirty to save
money -- as long as you've got a good A&P keeping everyone in line -- is a
very good thing. I've seen too many partnerships where one guy does all the
work, and the others coast.

They kick in $35 a month to the general fund, and $35 per hour flown, and
that
covers maintenance and upgrades and everything else.

How much is the "buy in" to become a partner? That per-hour amount is
awfully low, especially given the miniscule monthly fee. Shoot, one new
propeller and you've wiped out three years of your $35 x 5 guys monthly
fees. What happens when you want to add upgrades? Or an overhaul?

The lead guy in the partnership instructs in the plane as well

That would kill it for me right there. (a) Your insurance company is NOT
going to smile on any plane being used as a trainer, and (b) do you really
want to own a plane that's doing "smash and goes" all day long?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"