washing the plane

[NCherches]

I wash my car because it is MY car... I simply fly an airplane, not wash it

 

[lewis flyer]

First, I am not too good to wash an airplane assuming I am an airplane washer. If you take a job doing that and like it good for you. My post is directed at the previous comment.

Having spent countless years and 100's of thousand of dollars in becoming a professional pilot, I am not washing an airplane. While a low time guy who doesn't know when to use "to" or "too", is happy to do this, I am not. Were you too good to fly for a commuter at low pay and really work on your skills? Or were you just a SIC punk who got bagels on an aircraft that actually only required one pilot, but you logged it PIC anyway.

Have some self respect! If you want to be the piss boy go ahead and enjoy it, but do not take it out on professionals who have standards that they choose to live by.

 

[STAL6]

Having spent countless years and 100's of thousand of dollars in becoming a professional pilot,




You must be a slow learner.

Stal6

 

[RoyBoy]

Wax on Wax off, I went to the doctor the other day While I was waiting for him to look at my finger I asked him to wash my ass, I only see him maybe once a year but pay him handsomely for his 2 minutes of attention.Last time I checked I was still a professional. I ask the boss " would you have your lawyer wash your car? Your Doctor? Your Financial advisor?

 

[FlyingPieceOfSt]

Zep 50/50

My hands still have damage from Zep 50/50 degreaser from over 12 years ago when I had to wash and degrease the company piston aircraft. (I think it destroyed the moisture producing fatty part in my hands)Dry Hands..What I do appreciate is having those memories and knowing I worked hard to get where I am (more than just washing a/c) without ever having to wash our jets as well as any other type of non-aviation related 10 bucks an hour type work.

If it is a single plane,non Jet-A burning, single pilot type operation expect to pluck hairs from your boss's nose. Other than that, suck it up and keep those resumes flowing because if I got to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so can you!

http://webfiles.acuitysp.com/psr/psr_0859.PDF

 

[ksu_aviator]

As the Chief (and only) pilot for our "flight department" I take it upon myself to wipe down the nacelle after each flight. After that, I have a guy that I pay $200 to was the aircraft when I think it needs it.

I also tip the line guy $20 to vacuum the cabin, remove the trash and service the lav. It all gets reimbursed and the owner is happy because he wants his airplane to look (and run) like it is the best aircraft ever built.

 

[Kaman]

Hello,
We have a King Air F-90, and a Cessna Turbo 210. I fly both, and manage both. However, my boss was amazed that I balked at getting under the 210 on a creeper with degreaser to clean the bottom of the airplane, because the FBO guys don't do a thorough enough job. I am also required to polish the prop spinners and exhaust stacks. I have been here for four months, and don't see this position lasting beyond a year. I am NOT too good to wash airplanes. I've washed more airplane. helicopters than most. I was told that he was aware of pilot's egos. Well, does he expect the office manager to clean her office? NO...I think it's a crock to have a pilot that is considered a professional on the par of other educated professionals to be doing this kind of work. It is embarassing, humiliating and disrespectful of the amount of time, effort and training required to fly a turbine powered airplane single-pilot. I am not a whiner, I've done my time in the military, 20 years enlisted while most of these 50somethings I am hauling around dodged Viet Nam on a cheesy college draft deferment. Yeah, thats off-topic, but I am tired of this BS.

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[K.V.]

That's why I became a pilot...so that I don't have to work

 

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

Yep, I got tied into washing and waxing the airplane at my last job--- no thanks, no raise, no nothing......
Excuse me, but I used to wash airplanes on the side, and I got paid for it; but would I do it now? H- 2- the- N, fools!

 

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

Hello,
We have a King Air F-90, and a Cessna Turbo 210. I fly both, and manage both. However, my boss was amazed that I balked at getting under the 210 on a creeper with degreaser to clean the bottom of the airplane, because the FBO guys don't do a thorough enough job. I am also required to polish the prop spinners and exhaust stacks. I have been here for four months, and don't see this position lasting beyond a year. I am NOT too good to wash airplanes. I've washed more airplane. helicopters than most. I was told that he was aware of pilot's egos. Well, does he expect the office manager to clean her office? NO...I think it's a crock to have a pilot that is considered a professional on the par of other educated professionals to be doing this kind of work. It is embarassing, humiliating and disrespectful of the amount of time, effort and training required to fly a turbine powered airplane single-pilot. I am not a whiner, I've done my time in the military, 20 years enlisted while most of these 50somethings I am hauling around dodged Viet Nam on a cheesy college draft deferment. Yeah, thats off-topic, but I am tired of this BS.

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

Thanks for your service to the country, Man!

 

[grumman38]

Well put, cleaning aircraft is an entry level position. Being responsible for the safety of the CFO,CEO of a company is not.

If you don't understand this concept I have reservations about your judgment, this being said, I know several great pilots stuck in these bad positions(hope they get out soon)!

Cheers either way!

 

[BoilerUP]

We do light cleaning of our aircraft, such as vacuuming the interior, cleaning the windscreen, and wiping bugs from the leading edge and brightwork after every flight. Might even throw a little wash-and-wax on the nose to make the bugs come off easier next time. With both pilots working on the plane takes 5 minutes to accomplish all that.

We contract out a good cleaning of the plane every 4-6 weeks, having them wash, wax, and detail it.

 

[stratman560]

You worked there too!?!

I heard that washing airplanes is what they make co-pilots do at crappy companies that aren't worth working for...

But what do I know...

 

[Toolowflyer]

I´m plane washing and polshing too ! - my one...

 

[Captn]

I have the option to choose who cleans our A/C. I generally do it myself because (believe or not....) I kind of enjoy it. It also allows me to keep a pulse on issues that might be developing. It is a brand new A/C which makes the task much easier. I have a system down which doesn't involve being on a creeper. I bill company for my time in addition to regular salary. $$$ They're happy and so am I.
If I don't feel like doing it ... I hire it out.

 

[NCherches]

As the Chief (and only) pilot for our "flight department" I take it upon myself to wipe down the nacelle after each flight.

Nacelle as in singular = one engine airplane. I use to wash the plane too when I was flying single's dying for flight time... Still love ya though cause your a wildcat

 

[Fly91]

I worked for one of those cheezy, cheap companies when I got my first job as a copilot on a Learjet. When they asked me to wash planes I said my duty day will begin as soon as I come in to start washing it. They never asked me again to wash a plane...lol

If pilots keep letting companies have it both ways it'll never get better.

 

[jet2work]

Wash the plane???? We hire furloughed airline pilots to do that. imp:

 

[STAL6]

If you don't want to wash an airplane fine, but at least pick up the peanuts and donut crumbs you've dropped.

 

[avbug]

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.

 

[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.