Plane Washing Question

[rpadula]

Everything in aviation is special, right?

So, is there some kind of special aviation dirt that sticks to airplanes?

*#^@*@!!

I got my two bottles of Wash Wax All yesterday, based on the group's recommendations here, and went over to the airport in the evening. Thank God I got one bottle of the heavy duty solution. For some reason, the stuff on the top of the fuselage was hardest to get off! Baked on from the sun maybe? What the heck is up there? Letting the heavy duty solution soak on it for a little while was the best way to go. Dirt came off the wing top pretty well with the normal strength bottle.

All I know is that 1.5 hours later, only the pilot's side (the important side) of the fuselage and wing top were done. I put the cover on the plane to hopefully preserve some of my work until I go out and finish the other side.

Is it legal to paint the top half of my plane the same metallic blue as the bottom half? Dirt didn't show up nearly so bad on that color

*#^@*@!!


-Rich

P.S. We need an smily icon for swearing!

 

[The Old Man]

Rich,
After the washing is complete, liberally coat the nose, wing and stabilizer leading edges with lemon pledge. Then the bugs won't stick. Spray them with the hose and they will wipe right off.

As for grease and oil and exhaust, the orange cleaners work well.

Get one of those mitts with pile on one side and nylon mesh on the other. They work great!

 

[bbchien]

Rich, you need a wash rack. Go to Farm N Fleet and buy a 65 galoon poly tank; Menards or some such for a shallow well pump and an accumulator tank. Put the whole shebang on a $129. Menard's 4x4 foot trailer and fill with softened water from your sill cock (I put in a pair of bypass valves so I can do this as I need).

Then spray the bottom of your a/c with a commercial degreasers- you know, the 14 oz aerosol can. Then hose it off. Takes about 15 minutes. You time is more valuable than all that.

 

[SJP]

Rich,
After the washing is complete, liberally coat the nose, wing and stabilizer leading edges with lemon pledge. Then the bugs won't stick. Spray them with the hose and they will wipe right off.

Of course, the FAA will insist that Lemon Pledge hasn't been approved for that use, so you'll need to use "Citrus Scented Resolution" instead, as it has all the necessary approvals.

Of course, it costs $35 a can....

 

[wsuffa]

Our airport prohibits wet-washing....
It's in the lease and the airport regs....

 

[SJP]

Our airport prohibits wet-washing....
It's in the lease and the airport regs....

Of course, Mother Nature has also been instructed not to use rain to wash any oil, grease, fuel or other contaminants off any of the surfaces in the area too...

 

[Carol]

Of course, Mother Nature has also been instructed not to use rain to wash any oil, grease, fuel or other contaminants off any of the surfaces in the area too...

That's priceless. I need to remember that when the subject comes up again at our airport.

 

[Len Lanetti]

After the washing is complete, liberally coat the nose, wing and stabilizer leading edges with lemon pledge.

Note that someone posted on the old board that pledge penetraits the paint and must be removed from the underlying aluminum when the plane is taken in for painting.

Len

 

[Len Lanetti]

Dr B.,

Note that I think in more and more areas a catch basin is required so that water and degresser run off can be collected and disposed of in an EPA approved manner.

Len

 

[Anthony]

Keep using the Wash Wax All. Once you get the baked-on grime off with the Heavy Duty, use the Regular to maintain the finish. Water hasn't touched my plane in years, but its hangared, so never gets that dirty.

 

[gkainz]

Of course, Mother Nature has also been instructed not to use rain to wash any oil, grease, fuel or other contaminants off any of the surfaces in the area too...

One of the government sites I supported a number of years ago spent $$$$ millions every year cleaning rainwater, because rainwater did not meet the EPA requirements for run off... not after it ran thru all the "oh my god" stuff on its way to becoming contaminated runoff, mind you... this was "as it falls from the sky, does not meet the standards" ...

 

[SJP]

That's priceless. I need to remember that when the subject comes up again at our airport.

The stupid thing is, the only thing they can point to that wouldn't get into the ground anyway, is the detergent. Most of the available detergents are bio-degradable anyway. So, the detergent will decay and leave no lasting damage, the oil/grease would have gotten there anyway, so what exactly is it that is being prevented ?

Of course, the environmental impact of taxiing the plane across the airport to the Airport Manager's wash franchise isn't the subject of discussion

 

[Ghery]

One of the government sites I supported a number of years ago spent $$$$ millions every year cleaning rainwater, because rainwater did not meet the EPA requirements for run off... not after it ran thru all the "oh my god" stuff on its way to becoming contaminated runoff, mind you... this was "as it falls from the sky, does not meet the standards" ...

When I worked for the Navy back in the 1970s we ran coolant taken from submarine power plants through a treatment plant to purify it. We stored it and used it to re-fill the plant after re-fueling. The excess had to be mixed with concrete and shipped to Nevada. What's wrong with this picture? The treated stuff was cleaner than the water flowing by the yard in the Napa River. We would have been improving the local water quality by diluting it if we had simply dumped the exess in the river. Go figure...

 

[Len Lanetti]

but its hangared, so never gets that dirty.

Anthony,

That's the trick. It sounds like the referenced aircraft is outside.

Len

 

[Anthony]

Anthony,

That's the trick. It sounds like the referenced aircraft is outside.

Len

Yeah, its a lot easier without the elements, but the red Wash Wax All and a little determination should do it.

 

[gkainz]

Dr B.,

Note that I think in more and more areas a catch basin is required so that water and degresser run off can be collected and disposed of in an EPA approved manner.

Len

Ive been thinking about this...my brother works for an oil spill response team and they corral the oil on the water with some floating booms, then suck up the oil from the captured pool. If one could have a big tarp with raised sides to park on while washing with the above portable wash rack Dr. B described, but add another tank and pump affair to the trailer, you could carry your catch basin with you and have a complete portable wash rack. Suck up the used gunk to the catch tank...have to find some EPA approved vendor to accept the dirty stuff, tho...

 

[gkainz]

I think I'll write my congressman and ask for resin bed demineralizers and oil separators to be required in all storm drains... airports, parking lots, city streets, interstate highways... anywhere a hydrocarbon could get loose.

Then I'll write and ask for incinerators to dispose of the resin and waste oil.

Then emission rules for the incinerators.

Then a separate independent agency to monitor compliance.

Then a Senate investigation into the agency for corruption.

Then a House investigation of the Senate for corruption.

See what you've started by washing your plane!!

and then...once the above is all approved, present yourself as an EPA-approved vendor to provide all the above services now required by law... free enterprise, augmented by legislators in the pocket...

 

[Richard]

I think I'll write my congressman and ask for resin bed demineralizers and oil separators to be required in all storm drains... airports, parking lots, city streets, interstate highways... anywhere a hydrocarbon could get loose.

Then I'll write and ask for incinerators to dispose of the resin and waste oil.

Then emission rules for the incinerators.

Then a separate independent agency to monitor compliance.

Then a Senate investigation into the agency for corruption.

Then a House investigation of the Senate for corruption.

See what you've started by washing your plane!!

Just so long as you incorporate in Delaware.

 

[bbchien]

Dr B.,Note that I think in more and more areas a catch basin is required so that water and degresser run off can be collected and disposed of in an EPA approved manner.Len

You're right, Len, for commercial operations and public facilities this is true. But you're not performing a commercial operation and the public facility is not facilitating your wash (unless you use their hose).

Thus, you can wash your auto on the airport if they don't abet you, or on your private drive, without a catch basin.

One pilot when asked about this on the airport, said, well, "If an EPA inspector asks me if I can show that my annual certification is up to date (on my oil-water sep) he might just get stuffed into the separator". This is the same guy that has the FAA cap which he doffed when he noted the 12 guage pointed in his direction....

 

[Tom-D]

I am sure glad I live/operate near 76S.

 

[rpadula]

Yeah, its a lot easier without the elements, but the red Wash Wax All and a little determination should do it.

Well, I went back out there tonight to do the other side, and hey! there's a door over there, too

Oddly enough, that side seemed easier, except for the part directly above the front seats. I guess the topmost part of the plane gets the most direct sunlight

It's looking pretty nice. Yes, Len, she does have to stay outside all the time unfortunately. Keeping the nice cabin cover on should make those hard parts easier next time.

Thanks everyone for the input. Even though I was swearing last night, it was theraputic -- just me and my machine. Sometimes doing repetitive motions over and over frees the mind.


-Rich