Maule Mods in ID.

[n1234]

[quote="MauleWacko"]I am still on the side line. It is all here say to me. It does not look like a good deal though. Everyone has times in life to deal with. :[/quote]

I know a little about the situation. Johan is a good guy, a wealth of Maule knowledge, and an excellent craftsman and inventor, who is not a good businessman. He also suffered a rash of extremely bad luck that pushed him over the edge, I'm afraid.

I would absolutely go to him again for a single Maule restoration project, as long as I kept on top of things.

He moved up to Idaho after a flood at Corona completely destroyed his business there. He is still recovering from that event - battling insurance companies and such, trying to recover blueprints and logbooks, etc.

Then almost immediately after he moved to Idaho, he got flooded again in a freak rainstorm, the likes of which Idaho has rarely seen before or since.

Then, a customer named Greg Lonza conspired with a local mechanic to fly away with a custom Maule M-6 when he still owed Johan $80,000. If you see Greg flying around, be sure to say 'Hi' and ask him how the inexpensive airplane is treating him. Johan unfortunately kept very poor records and trusted his customers more than he should, so he has very little to work with in terms of pursuing legal action on this front.

That just about pushed him over the edge. He also tried to expand his building in Caldwell, and spent considerable money out of his own pocket to do so, but could never get an occupancy permit from the city. He told me about some of those dealings and they border on the unreal.

He tried to pursue legal action against the City of Caldwell, but eventually ran out of money paying legal bills. I have no idea where he is now. Maybe he is reading this.

I also don't know about the particular situation that started this thread.

[N783SP]

I have talked to Greg and he sure has a different view of how things went. I would be careful calling Greg a crook based on what you heard from Johan. From personal experience I have found Johan has problems telling truth from fiction.

[n1234]

[quote="N783SP"]I have talked to Greg and he sure has a different view of how things went. I would be careful calling Greg a crook based on what you heard from Johan. From personal experience I have found Johan has problems telling truth from fiction.[/quote]

Could be. I really haven't had that happen to me though, in my dealings with him.

I know that the person in question unlocked a hangar over a weekend (with assistance) and flew a plane away - never to return - without any final paperwork being exchanged or a final true up of a statement of work, or settling of accounts.

You decide what that means. Personally, I would warn a repair shop of taking on a customer like that as much as we are warning readers of this board about Maule Mods.

[N5648D]

Google lists Maule Pilots as “a website for the Maule Owner and Friend”
I do not think it is the proper place to personally discuss a particular business or persons especially when we hide behind phony names and so called handles.

My name is Greg Lonza and I am not hiding from anyone. My M6 235C is based in Bishop California (KBIH).

First, I did not conspire with anyone to fly my plane away from Caldwell, Id. It was completely paid for a year and one half prior to leaving(Johan had 90% of my money three years before any work was done on my plane). Oh and I flew in on a Monday to Boise finished up my biennial and flew out on a Wednesday and the hangar belonged to a friend who had been storing it for me. It was not a Maule Mod hangar. As this is not the place to discuss Johan Pieterse or me for that matter anyone wishing to contact me may do so. I would love to have the person that is accusing me of being dishonest contact me so that he may have the correct information before passing judgment on me or anyone for that matter.
Thank you,
Greg Lonza
P.O. Box 1653
Mammoth Lakes, Ca 93546
760 920-2414
5648delta@earthlink.net

[aero101]

Well stated Greg, at least we all know where you live if any questions... There's got to be other topics more in line with what this forum is about instead of continuing to whip the dead horse, as I think all those interested have made up their minds already?

[N5648D]

Thanks Jim, I do love my plane. I am still learning how to fly it properly. It gets pretty exciting sometimes. like the other day I am trying to taxi in 35 mph winds so I can fly to Las Vegas to pick up my duaghter flying home from college. thank god Bishop has lots of runways so I made a take off in the middle of an intersection which I don't like doing and I was off in the width of the runway.

[TomD]

One more lash to the deceased equine.

Not sure what the deal is here but if there were false accusations, then the accuser needs to man up and apologize.

TD

[pilotphillip]

Hello, I know Greg Lonza. You know how a glass can only hold so much water and cannot hold anymore.... Well, Greg Lonza is someone I know. I don't always agree with what he thinks or the decisions he makes. But I can tell you this, he is a man that every other person on the planet can look up to. He could not have any more integrity just like the glass can only hold so much. When it's full, it's full. He is the most honest person I know. I know others who are just as honest, not a lot, but I do know them. And NO ONE could even be more honest because pure honesty is just that - 100% pure honesty. I consider him a friend, but really know him as my boss (past). I worked for him and he was the best boss anyone could ever have. I look up to him and there's not many people I look up to. I consider almost everyone an equal and very few do I consider better than me. But he is just that - a man to look up to and I use him as a role model for what I want to be.

For whoever posted the slander about Greg I hope you were just misinformed. If you ever met Greg you would know that his honor is beyond reproach.

Phillip Peterson