washing the plane

[Gulfstream 200]

Any pilot that thinks he's above washing the airplane is certainly beneath contempt. What a pathetic, arrogant attitude. Some of you have your noses so high in the air, it's snowing on your overvalued brains.

Your company employs someone to do it, fine. Are you better than that person? Is that person lowering themself by washing the airplane? Don't say yes...that person is doing the job you won't step from your lofty position to do. Someone has to do it, right?

With that in mind, don't look so far down on others who DO wash their airplanes. You're not as high up as you think.

Avbug,

Its the internet...nobody washes a plane, nobody carries bags to the car, nobody works for under 250k/yr.

and if one really has to post here screaming about how horrfic the thought of doing so is...Im guessing their job isn't nearly as good as they want us to believe.

I no longer could care less is someone washes a plane, wipes struts, gets paid half what he can elsewhere...whatever.

Are they happy doing it?

 

[fob727]

He's on a rant...go to USA jet 4 sale in cargo. What a piece!

 

[avbug]

Its the internet...nobody washes a plane, nobody carries bags to the car, nobody works for under 250k/yr.

and if one really has to post here screaming about how horrfic the thought of doing so is...Im guessing their job isn't nearly as good as they want us to believe.

Good point.

 

[moonlight]

I've done it dozens of times...King Airs have a real knack for giving plenty of opportunities for wipe downs.

Best way to do an external pre-flight I can think of. I've caught several things, from inspection panels coming loose to dings in the engine access doors from lazy mechanics.

Wax on, wax off; Daniel-son.

 

[NCherches]

Best way to do an external pre-flight I can think of. I've caught several things...

I agree.. When I am really bored (ie: the hotel kicks me out at noon and the departure is at 7pm) I like to give the airplane a bath if the weather is nice and I am in the mood... For me it's all about doing it because I want to. Not sure how i'd feel if my boss were to say "You need to wash the plane once a week"...

Wash Wax All does a sweet job for simple cleanings on the road.

 

[G100driver]

When the hotel kicks me out at noon and I have 7pm departure ... I extend my stay.

 

[Man-Ditch]

I started a Detailing company 10yrs ago to get flying gigs and to meet CP's who might hire me. I had 150hrs and a fresh ME/Inst ticket and was sitting Right seat in Turbo props and getting fair pay every time. The Flight instructors who had been trying to get those jobs were flaming pissed off! But the CP's said they admired my imagination and work ethic.
When they ask me to clean the plane after a flight, I did so and sent them an invoice for it.
6 hrs flying- $300
2 1/2 hrs Cleaning- $600

Didn't take long to figure out something was wrong.

Some years later, I had that company up to cleaning several 100 A/C a year and I was making over $130k but it was hard work. I was turning down flights at $400/day to do a detail job for $1100/day.

I was fast and good and people trusted my work and had no problem paying for it. Some pilots who did it themselves as part of their job I thought were crazy! and worked for someone who couldn't afford to properly operate the A/C. Guess what- those planes were mostly sold in the last year or two.

The down side is I don't/can't do this anymore. Insurance costs went through the roof! $15k/a year for a 2 million in coverage with an increase of 15-20% every year. Most big companies were up-ing their detailer requirements to $20-40 million. Not to mention the slowing economy. Solo Mechanics only have to pay around $8k/yr. And I am sorry but, there were also too many flight departments starting to hire illegals to do the work and some were even billing the companies my rates, and pocketing the difference.

Underwriters and illegals have ruined another business. Guess I'll have to go back to flying full-time.

 

[brvopilot]

I just spent the ENTIRE week washing and polishing the airplane. I am the only pilot at my company and fly a Premier1.

It took me 1 day to wash, 2 days to silver polish the leading edges, and 2 more to wax / polish and that was with the help of our mechanic.

To be honest, I never thought it outside my "job". The airplane was dirty...we washed it. What's the big deal?

 

[SansPlane]

To be honest, I never thought it outside my "job". The airplane was dirty...we washed it. What's the big deal?

Bravo brvopilot - You sound like “people” I grew up, work, socialize and drink with. Bravo to pilots who don’t have or don’t want to absorb other duties, but for my money, I want to work with the guy/gal that gets the job done. Of course, I don’t condone someone being taken advantage of either.

 

[Fly91]

I just spent the ENTIRE week washing and polishing the airplane. I am the only pilot at my company and fly a Premier1.

It took me 1 day to wash, 2 days to silver polish the leading edges, and 2 more to wax / polish and that was with the help of our mechanic.

To be honest, I never thought it outside my "job". The airplane was dirty...we washed it. What's the big deal?

It really is no big deal. I did it quite often at the first co-pilot jet job I was at. We had 6 jets (2 Lear 25's, 2 Lear 35's, 2 Lear 55's). Not a big deal, and I kind of liked making a plane look good, but not if I'm on call to take a pop-up trip. When they started asking me to come in on the same day I was "up" to fly, I started telling them its going to begin my duty day. WHY??? Because they would ask us to come in at 10am and wash 3 planes. It would take all day until about 4pm-5pm in the hot Florida sun, then they would expect you to take a typical 10-12 hour duty day charter flight. FORGET THAT CRAP!!!!

After I said I'm starting my duty day when I come in, they never asked me again. They started asking the pilots who were 2nd or 3rd to go, which is the fair thing to do.

But I washed planes all the time as a co-pilot when I didn't have to fly. There's not many things worse than flying when you're tired.

 

[60Guy]

I want you all to think about this.

My father in law just retired from GM he was a union worker that had the most time in the plant. (48 yrs) He has his electrical certifications from night school and one of the local Votech schools offerd him 70K to teach that subject.

I am sorry but to me... all of this aircraft cleaning crap......

ALL OF US PILOTS
ARE GETTING SCREWED IN EVERY CATEGORY!!!!!!!

 

[STAL6]

Look at the state that GM is in now. The union is driving them into the history books.
I want to work with people that will do whatever it takes to get the job done and no one is too good for any task.

Stal6

 

[G100driver]

I do not think that union decided to only build bohemoths and cars that people that people do not buy. Not to say that make it easy, but there is a reason why execs make huge dollars ... it is because they make "decisions."

As for pilots washing airplanes, sure, so long as they are properly compensated and their schedule is such that it still allows them to have a life.

 

[siucavflight]

The choices were skewed. I would never be asked to wash the aircraft, however I wash my own car all of the time, I love washing my car as a matter of fact.

I do not know of any corporate pilot out there that has to wash the aircraft.

 

[JokerFuel]

What's the big deal if you wash the plane? Especially if you fly very little each year as most small departments do. There will always be odd duties in small flight departments. As long as you don't work for, or with an a$$hole, who cares.

 

[jaxpilot]

We fly less than 200 hours a year and someone else washes and details the airplane.

The captain I fly with enlightened me on this- its one thing if WE decide to go out to the airplane and do some light cleaning one day just because we like the airplane owner, but its another for our boss (management company DO) to TELL us to do it. I agree with others that have made the point that other professionals- accountants, lawyers, secretaries, etc.- dont wash the bosses car, cut his lawn, etc, why should pilots be made to do more than a light cleaning unless they were also being additionally compensated?

All I do is a light vacuuming and use an Armor-All leather wipe on the seats and tables. Maybe use some PRIST on the windshield. That is it.

 

[MDP727]

This is a funny post. Ironically two months ago I was looking to purchase an aircraft cleaning company for sale for 1.4M. I laughed to myself at the thought of some pilots being beyond cleaning aircraft so this aircraft cleaning company could NET OVER 500K a year with verified returns. Somebody got to the company before I did.

 

[K.V.]

This is a funny post. Ironically two months ago I was looking to purchase an aircraft cleaning company for sale for 1.4M. I laughed to myself at the thought of some pilots being beyond cleaning aircraft so this aircraft cleaning company could NET OVER 500K a year with verified returns. Somebody got to the company before I did.

#1. How is that ironic? #2. Do you laugh just as hard at the thought of janitorial companies netting MILLIONS a year because those lazy executives are "beyond cleaning" the toilets and the garbage cans that they use everyday? Companies that wash aircraft bring in decent coin because, well lets face it, washing an aircraft is no simple task. You can't just grab any high school drop-out from the car wash and cut him/her loose on an airplane. You have to know what you're doing, and in certain respects it should be regarded as a maintenance function. Those companies have to be license and bonded, and the insurance they hold is not cheap either.

Be careful with your cynicism.

 

[STAL6]

lazy executives are "beyond cleaning" the toilets and the garbage cans that they use everyday?


Substitute the word pilot for executive and aircraft for garbage cans and your right on. Also change every day to a couple times a month.

It's alot more fun sitting around doing very little and complaining about the next trip.

Stal 6

 

[K.V.]

It's alot more fun sitting around doing very little and complaining about the next trip.

You don't get it Stal. It's not that we're too good to wash airplanes. It's that it's not what we do! For some, maybe it is. Maybe that's part of they're job description and they are compensated accordingly. But for most of us it's not. It's also not part of our job description to cut the grass, paint the hanger or countless other mundane duties around the airport.

After I come back from being away on a trip, I want to spend time with my family. I periodically re-visit the office/hanger to update the jepps, but you see, that is part of my job description. And by the way, flying for you may consist of you sitting around diddiling yourself, but for most of us there is a little more involved to it.

So speak for yourself.