Plane wash

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MichaelRuiz

Filing Flight Plan
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Marietta, GA
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MichaelRuiz
So, at my home base, they don't allow wet wash. They only allow spray-on/wipe-off type washing on the ramps. When visiting a nearby airport for fuel, I noticed a water hose on their field and I'm pretty sure washing is allowed.

What is the protocol (if at all) for showing up and washing the plane? Ask permission or beg forgiveness?

I've asked at another field to use the hose and the response was sure you can spray it down which didn't even budge the grime. I'm talking a bit of time for a full proper wash and wax.
 
I just ask my FBO and they set me up with a hose, I bring the rest.

When the weather is cold I also use this spray on/wipe off product:
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/washwax.php?clickkey=5275
Also I keep a spray bottle of it in the plane to clean off the leading edges/any bird droppings periodically so stuff doesn't get built-up/baked on.
 
I would:

bring a plastic bin with wet bath towels
Bring some water to rinse said towels
Repeat as necessary
Take all home for laundry

no drops/not many on ground
 
I’ve used a gallon pump sprayer with diluted cleaner to spray off heavy dust, followup with Wash N Wax spray and micro towels. I don’t really want to force a bunch of water hose water on my baby girl.
 
My former home field got a new manager and he banned washing planes, too. But, and you may find this to be the case at your field, I noticed that there wasn’t any staff in the evenings. Sunday evenings were an especially good time to not be seen doing something that the manager unilaterally banned.
 
I like Budha Belly but the Wash n Wax is a better product than Plane Perfect which stains your hands yellow and smells like Pina Coladas
 
MichaelRuiz said:
So, at my home base, they don't allow wet wash.
Click to expand...


I can’t seem to find the reference in the FAR at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that per the regs those types of restrictions are not applicable at night after the FBO is closed and the airport manager has gone home.

Alternatively, wait until rain is forecast and soap down your bird immediately prior.
 
Last edited:
MichaelRuiz said:
So, at my home base, they don't allow wet wash. They only allow spray-on/wipe-off type washing on the ramps. When visiting a nearby airport for fuel, I noticed a water hose on their field and I'm pretty sure washing is allowed.

What is the protocol (if at all) for showing up and washing the plane? Ask permission or beg forgiveness?

I've asked at another field to use the hose and the response was sure you can spray it down which didn't even budge the grime. I'm talking a bit of time for a full proper wash and wax.
Click to expand...
I think it will help your request since you buy fuel there. I would ask or call the FBO first see what they say. Even if there was a small fee? Since you want to take your time and do it best you can.

Our small airport has a hose that pilots use to wash their planes. It used to be connected to a well pump with low pressure and flow so I didn't think it was much help.
Then the pump broke for a few months and finally we got city water and more water pressure!
I have only used it once. I do mine with a glaze and old bath towels to get the bugs and dirt off. When it gets really bad from off field landings I use minerial spirits and scrub brush. Not fun and think about a water spray sometimes. But like said hate to use too much water on it. I would go fly it after using water if you used a lot for total bath. Airplanes are big too, so I try to do a little at a time with the glaze.
 
CarbonX works very nice too. Their dilutions are not enough tho so you go through product a lot faster than anticipated.
 
Gary Ward said:
Why do they ban washing? The water use or runoff or what?
Click to expand...

[FWIW] ONZ (Grosse Ile Municipal) used to be Naval Air Station Grosse Ile from the '20s to late 60's or so. The drains on the ramps ran into a canal west of the airport and as kids, we used to play around there a lot - but it was an oily mucky mess. You didn't want to fall in. There was a big cleanup and the canal got dredged. Much nicer now.

So, now the airport has a wash rack area with a valve for the drain that can send the water to a sanitary sewer (for washing) or to the storm drain (to the canal) when not washing. [/FWIW]
 
Same deal at my home airport. They have a wash rack with a separator of some sort so the runoff doesn't go into the Chesapeake Bay.
 
CJR put in a wash rack separate from the FBO area because people were abusing the hose bib on the side of the maintenance shop.
 
Rgbeard said:
I would:

bring a plastic bin with wet bath towels
Bring some water to rinse said towels
Repeat as necessary
Take all home for laundry

no drops/not many on ground
Click to expand...

I've done the BYOW. It works. It's just that it is really getting dirty and I wanted the convenience of not having to worry about the rinse off.
 
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