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  1. #1

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    Airplane pricing?

    I did some searching and found some old info but not much recent. So l`ll give some background.
    A guy I know is a pilot for a very wealthy family, his job is to strictly fly them wherever they want to go, and to make sure the aircraft is ready to go. He approached me knowing I what I do with cars. He wants just a basic interior cleaning and exterior wipe down.

    1. The interior has been Scotch guarded, so no real fabric scrubbing, just vacuum, clean bathroom, make sure woodwork is shiny, etc.

    2. The exterior has a ceramic coating, just wants it wiped down, remove bugs, clean windows, shine brightwork, etc.

    3. I`m not sure how big it is, it is a newer jet. We`re going Saturday to take a look at it, it`s about 45 minutes from my shop. I`m not setup for mobile, so that`s another obstacle to consider.

    It`s in a private hanger, they aren`t worried about insurance. I have a business policy, but not what most airports require.
    I`m not real excited about doing it, but it could lead to some good money. He claims there is a need for it in this area, his current detailer isn`t getting the job done. It would be on a monthly schedule.
    Here`s where it get`s interesting, the wealthy family he works for has several Rolls Royce`s, a Bentley, and some other exotics that he wants me do detail as well. That`s what I really want to do!
    I need to price it to make some profit, but I don`t want to be so high I lose the account.
    Any and all advice and criticism is welcome. Thanks in advance.
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  2. #2
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Scrapyard -
    What I have learned about Detailing airplanes --
    The windows are plexiglass, try NOT to touch them and if you have to, be so careful that you do NOT scratch them..

    The last airplanes I Detailed, the Owner said he would take care of all the windows, so I carefully, taped them off with brown paper on a roll with a roll of masking tape hand held machine, and it turned out great.. I just did not want to get anything on the windows that would have to be taken off..

    You will have to see for yourself how "dirty" the exterior is; is it painted, aluminum, or what, and go from there..

    Airplane Detailers, I mean real Airplane Detailers go through huge amounts of wool pads, etc,. to get the harder than rocks urethane paintwork nice, and I did just that..
    If you do not have to do any paint correction, then that is all the better..
    When you go see it in the Hangar, you can see if there is access to water, or what, and then decide how you are going to clean the paint up.

    You will need access to ladders to get all of the fuselage and the tops of the wings.. You can stand on certain parts of some wings, and have to be careful, and then figure out how you are going to wipe down the top of the cockpit..
    Check all this out when you go see it.. Ask the guy if there are ladders in the hangar already for this, or I guess you will need to supply your own method of getting all round the aircraft..

    Please be really careful you do not ding or hit any of the pitot tubes , etc., sticking out of the wings, etc... If you break one or knock it out of alignment, it causes all kinds of headaches when they go fly it again..

    Depending on how it`s powered, some airplanes are very oily, greasy, etc., under the engines, the trailing underside of the wings, and around the wheels and the parts that raise and lower the wheels, so be on the look out for that when you go see it..

    If you need to, take pics of the areas, you need to refer to later when you are gathering up your stuff to go out there..

    I have only seen mobile aircraft detailers, never seen one there all the time, but that does not mean they are not there permanently for the airport, etc...

    There is A LOT of area to clean on any airplane, so think about that, and then remember after all the work you have to do on the Top Side of the wings, you will have to duplicate that on the Underside of the wings.. Yeah, it`s a lot of real estate and a real triceps burner if there is a lot of work to do underneath those wings..

    And again, do NOT hit anything or wet anything with cleaners that is not supposed to be touched ! Yes, airplanes get wet in the sky and all, I know, but they don`t get hit with strong cleaners on sensitive parts in the sky ever..

    You may want to consider charging by the hour. It should take a lot of hours, but it WILL be a lot of work..

    Nothing I can tell you will be as good as standing in the hangar with that Jet, walking all around it, seeing all the real estate that is needing to be touched by your hands, and then, the tops of the wings, the bottom of the wings, the top of the front cockpit, etc., and we have not even talked about the inside yet..

    If you do get this job, last thing you have to do is clean up after yourself before you leave the hangar, which means a way to blow out all the dirt you may have knocked off of it, etc., so the people who might walk into the hangar to look at it and take it out, will not step on dirt, and then track it into their newly cleaned aircraft.. They hate that part and will let you know if it happens..

    Good luck with this !

    https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/...raft-detailing

    https://www.meridian.aero/sites/defa...riorPrices.pdf

    Dan F
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  3. #3

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Good advice from Dan about the windows (and pilot tubes). They are very expensive to replace and owners really seem to be very anal about them.

    For price, I charge the same hourly rate no matter what I am working on. Having said that I did my last airplane a couple of years ago. I don`t find it enjoyable at all. Especially the belly & wings.
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  4. #4

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Oh, and you screw up something you might kill the whole family.

    Enjoy the detail lol
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  5. #5

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    “Be extremely careful with power buffers and avoid automotive orbital buffers”

    Interesting point, anyone have any further information on how and why it was made?
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  6. #6

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Great advice everyone, it is greatly appreciated.

    Dan, this is a great resource! Thanks.
    https://www.meridian.aero/sites/defa...riorPrices.pdf

    Ladders - the pilot tells me there are lifts in the hanger for me to use, that will save me some time and labor.

    Buffers - it has a ceramic coating, they don`t need me to do a paint correction (yet). They only want the brightwork polished, it is an aluminum alloy. I was going to do a test spot with some Zephyr Pro40, I use it on for all bare metal polishing, chrome, stainless, aluminum, etc.

    Water - he only wants the exterior wiped down, probably use a ceramic booster to give it a little more shine.

    Hourly rate - that`s not a bad idea, I could probably get my daughter to help me, she`s helps me on large trucks, and has a pretty good eye for swirl marks and such. I could have her working on the interior while I`m on the exterior. I will definitely take some pictures and try to throw them on here when I see it.
    facebook.com/Angermayers-Auto-Detail-Wash
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  7. #7

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Your hourly rate should reflect on your experience. Having said that even if you have little experience your rate should be no less then $40 per hour minimum (per person). Don`t go in there charging $15-$20 per hour thinking your doing something.

    I`m definitely up for pics!
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  8. #8
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Quote Originally Posted by wristymanchego View Post
    “Be extremely careful with power buffers and avoid automotive orbital buffers”

    Interesting point, anyone have any further information on how and why it was made?
    Wristymanchego-

    I don`t get the orbital buffers reference; there is no orbital buffer that will ever live long enough or have the pad rotation that I would ever consider to try to correct aircraft urethane paint..

    It has to be a big Rotary and you better have a couple of back up Rotary machines And Brushes for all of them, when you wear them out, and have to change them..

    Perhaps they dont know how hard, really hard, aircraft paint is, or something.. The other side of that is the rivets will really tear up the wool pads quickly if you are not careful, so you have to mind that all the time, and plan on taking 30-40+ wool pads to a paint correction job..

    For bigger aircraft, you take twice that number or more, if it needs paint correction.. You will destroy all the pads used for paint correction, wearing them down to nothing, so you have to plan for the cost of that..

    And then, you need about an equal amount of Foam pads, etc., to refine the correction as you do on automotive paint..

    The other thing that comes to mind, is that with any powered machine, (Rotary, etc.,) that you might lose control of it for a second and hit something on the wings like those really critical, expensive, pitot tubes, and destroy them or change them so they now calibrate airspeed, altitude, etc., Wrong- to the instruments inside the cockpit, and the Pilot might not notice until it is too late and something bad can happen..

    In one of those links, I supplied, these 4 guys said they took 2 days to complete the process, so that should help one understand how long it takes to do 1 airplane.
    For example, if 4 guys took 80 hours total, Each guy worked 80 hours, so the number of total hours is 320 hours..

    Now, you know why I don`t want to ever do an airplane again!
    Happy New Year !!
    Dan F
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  9. #9

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Quote Originally Posted by bad penny View Post
    Your hourly rate should reflect on your experience. Having said that even if you have little experience your rate should be no less then $40 per hour minimum (per person). Don`t go in there charging $15-$20 per hour thinking your doing something.

    I`m definitely up for pics!
    I`ll post some up as soon as I get them.
    That`s good to know about the hourly rate. I clean and detail campers for a rental store, I`m thinking the interior will be somewhat similar to cleaning those.

    I definitely know I don`t want to do any kind of paint correction.

  10. #10

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scrapyard View Post
    I`ll post some up as soon as I get them.
    That`s good to know about the hourly rate. I clean and detail campers for a rental store, I`m thinking the interior will be somewhat similar to cleaning those.

    I definitely know I don`t want to do any kind of paint correction.
    If you detail rental campers then youll be fine. This ranks in the same category as far as I`m concerned.
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  11. #11

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Quote Originally Posted by bad penny View Post
    If you detail rental campers then youll be fine. This ranks in the same category as far as I`m concerned.
    That’s kinda what I was thinking, just nervous about the exterior, even though camper exteriors are a hassle. Always a lot of scrubbing.

  12. #12
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scrapyard View Post
    That’s kinda what I was thinking, just nervous about the exterior, even though camper exteriors are a hassle. Always a lot of scrubbing.
    You know, things that travel on the road always get more dirty than things that travel in the air.. And you say it stays in a hangar which is even better for not getting all that dirt that blows from the ground..
    Go look at it, touch it, see what comes off, and you will know what you need to do..
    Good luck with this..
    Dan F
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  13. #13

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Stokdgs View Post
    You know, things that travel on the road always get more dirty than things that travel in the air.. And you say it stays in a hangar which is even better for not getting all that dirt that blows from the ground..
    Go look at it, touch it, see what comes off, and you will know what you need to do..
    Good luck with this..
    Dan F
    Thanks Dan,
    If I can get this account I have a real good shot at his personal car collection, that`s what I really want.
    facebook.com/Angermayers-Auto-Detail-Wash
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  14. #14

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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    As much as I love detailing. I detailed my Neighbors super jacked up F150 FX4 raised like a foot with damn near monster truck tires. I wanted to kill myself I hated it so much lol. I couldn`t imagine doing an airplane. And after his truck I pretty much decided I wouldn`t even take on RV jobs.
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  15. #15
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    Re: Airplane pricing?

    I have one customer with a 60`s puddle jumper, sounds like the one you are doing is MUCH bigger than his. I think its a piper? MAYBE? Anyway as someone else said I do NOT enjoy doing that plane anywhere near as much as I do cleaning cars. Keep that in mind. It is going to take you 1.5 - 2x longer than you estimate (even if it isnt bad dirty). I have one step polished it, waterless washed it etc over the last 3-4 years and it still takes me longer than I plan every time. I ll get it down someday maybe. As for pricing like we tell everyone figure out how much your time is worth and how long it will take and charge accordingly. There is no way someone else can tell you how to price something.
    Don

    1989 Formula 350
    2004 Saturn Ion Quadcoupe
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