Mechanic side only—I’m not referring to their instructor side, and it’s not part of this review. I brought my Cessna 182 to Keystone Aviation Group LLC for an annual inspection in January 2025 and again in April 2026. After the first visit, I spoke with the owner and he asked for a second chance based on my bad experience the first time. I wanted to give them an opportunity to show they were a reliable shop, but the issues were very similar both times. January 2025 annual: I helped with part of the inspection by removing panels/interior and stripping the aircraft for inspection, then reassembling it afterward. I was told this would help with billing. I was charged a flat 20 hours at $90/hour for the inspection, but work I performed personally was credited at a much lower rate (about $12/hour). They recommended a 500-hour Mag inspection. While this wasn’t required by regulation (as far as I understood), I agreed because I thought it was a reasonable preventative step. The total cost ended up being higher than new magnetos, and it appeared they did not replace all internal components—so in my view, new units would have been better value than a partial rebuild parts plus labor. I also had concerns with brake rotor replacement. With dial calipers they showed suggested the rotors were still within spec, but I was later told they needed to be replaced when measured with a micrometer. I was told it was about .001" or so out of spec. Afterward, the new rotors squeaked, which I had not experienced before. There were also billing concerns throughout—tasks that felt minor (including small tightening/adjustment work) were billed as if they took substantially longer than expected. I felt the invoice did not reflect reasonable time spent. Additionally, they initially charged sales tax that I believed should have been exempt for aircraft parts/services in PA. I disputed it and the tax was removed. April 2026 annual: Prior to the annual, the aircraft had flown only 23 hours since the prior annual, and Keystone was the only shop to work on it. I asked if there were any issues, and other than carb heat temperature, I reported no other problems. Despite the short time since the last service, the shop performed additional work. The air filter was replaced (not required in my understanding). I asked about an oil change given the low hours and I brought my own oil/filter. When I received the aircraft, the oil still appeared darker than I expected for a fresh change, and I’m not confident the oil change quality matched what I anticipated. I was told my engine is full of carbon but nothing was done or offered to correct it. I was also told I needed a new ELT. They stated my older 121.5 model failed when tested by them. I provided a new in-box ELT that should have been close to a drop-in replacement. However, the ELT replacement was billed at 19 hours, which seemed far higher than typical for this type of component swap, and I wasn’t given a clear explanation for the time involved. I was additionally billed for miscellaneous bolt tightening, installing cotter pins, and adjusting rigging settings. I did not request these specific items, and I do not believe they were necessary for my reported issues. Overall, I was billed for an even 50 hours for the 2026 annual, and the bill was not broken down in a way that made it easy to verify how the labor hours were used. Compared to what I understood an annual should involve, I felt I was overcharged by at least ~20 hours of labor at $90 an hour. After requesting a second chance, I’m still very disappointed. Based on this experience, I do not recommend Keystone Aviation Group LLC and I will not be using them again for maintenance/repairs.
Elysburg, Pennsylvania · KN79
Keystone Aviation Group LLC
4.6 from 9 Google reviews
Keystone Aviation Group LLC is a flight school in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. A full write-up of this school has not been published yet; the contact details and Google reviews on this page are current as of the last sync.
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