Exterior Aircraft Cleaning

Every aircraft is assessed before work begins: paint condition, brightwork, transparencies, de-icing equipment and any areas needing special care. Pitot probes, static ports, stall vanes and other sensors are protected and flagged, and a cover-on / cover-off check is completed at both ends of the job — nothing is left in place when we hand the aircraft back.

Depending on condition and location, cleaning is carried out as a wet wash with aviation-approved detergent and a controlled rinse, or as a dry wash using purpose-made waterless products applied and buffed by hand. Heavily soiled areas — the exhaust track along the belly, breather streaks, landing gear and flap tracks — receive targeted degreasing. We never use pressure washers: driven water strips paint edges and forces moisture into lap joints, hinges and sealed areas.

Leading edges, cowlings and struts are cleared of insect residue, which etches paint if left, and transparencies are cleaned with acrylic-safe products and straight-stroke technique as standard.

The right method depends on contamination and the airfield. A wet wash deep-cleans a heavily soiled airframe; a dry wash maintains a regularly cleaned aircraft and suits airside locations where water and drainage are unavailable or environmental rules restrict run-off. Many operators combine both: a periodic wet wash with dry-wash cycles between. We advise honestly on which your aircraft needs — see the dedicated dry washing and wet washing pages for detail.

Corrosion control guidance is unambiguous: how often an aircraft should be washed depends on how long contaminants sit on the metal. Aircraft parked outside, based near the coast or exposed to winter de-icing benefit from noticeably more frequent washing. The UK's maritime climate makes this relevant to almost every operator.

A clean airframe is also easier to inspect — grime hides seep marks, cracked fairings and lifting paint that a pilot or engineer would otherwise spot during a walk-around.