Looking for feedback/reviews of Gustin Aviation. Considering them for some restoration/rebuild work. Anyone have any experience with them?

They specialize in Crop dusters but do a lot of everything. I have a great friend who worked for them for years. PM me if you want his number.

What are you rebuilding?

I tied down at LWS for a few years, and Gustin Aviation performed my annuals, a few repairs, etc. No complaints, in fact my experiences were always good. However, I was already on the field, and I was willing to let them work on my plane when it fit their schedule. Old man (Ron?) Gustin is now mostly retired, and his son Steve has taken over. I haven't seen any negatives due to that transition.

If you choose to have them do the work, make sure you schedule around their busy times. I remember that crop dusters from WA, OR, ID, and MT would all come in there to have their planes fixed up, and in the late winter through the early spring there might be a dozen or more of them lined up outside waiting to get into their hangar in preparation for the upcoming season. If a crop duster smacked a fence or a powerline and came in for repairs, they would drop anything else to get him back in service ASAP. Don't make time demands that will interfere with their bread and butter, and I would expect a good outcome.

Maule M5. No demands other than I want honest smart guys to do the job right the first time. I have all the time for the right outfit. Thanks for the feedback!

They have been around a loooong time. I remember them doing a lot of dusters and Beavers back in the mid 70's even...don't know how far back they go.

I remember once they installed a new engine on an AgCat and faced the vent tube forward...then wouldn't stand behind their work when it was blowing smoke.....I wasn't impressed. I know alot of other guys have had good luck with them though.
John

I collected a Maule from there.
Looked like a busy hard working shop.
Lots of crop duster work.
However, they could not fix a Maule fuel guage.

Not sure if Southern Idaho works for ya, but there's an excellent rebuild shop here in Caldwell Idaho, Performance Air Inc. They did a complete Maule rebuild last winter after Maule Mods here went T.U. and left a customer hanging.....
Their number is (208) 455-7400

Griz, Take your plane to someone who specializes in MAULES. Gustin is a great outfit. But there bread and butter is AG planes. Maules SUCK to work on.

Grizz wrote:Maule M5. No demands other than I want honest smart guys to do the job right the first time. I have all the time for the right outfit. Thanks for the feedback!

You are in luck. There is a fellow named Rhys in your neck of the woods who posts here and the Maule site as "Island Flyer". He just went thru a total rebuild of his M7 with a guy named Tim near Seattle. His (Tims) work was astonishing. Island Flyer had a killer blog that detailed the entire job/process here- http://web.me.com/rhysspoor/Site_2/Blog/Blog.html but it appears to be closed right now. Send him a PM and I'm sure he could talk your eyes crossed about Maule restorations. Good luck.