Plane Washing-Caloundra

[Sean_Smith11]

Hello all,

 

To pay for my ongoing flight training I am offering to wash and polish planes, For 20-30 dollars depending on what size Aircraft. I will be only be able to do this on weekends or the odd weekday(Because of extra-Curicular sports) Pm me if you would be interested!

 

Thanks,

 

Sean

 

 

[Robbo]

First off let me commend you on what you are planning to do and I hope you reach your aviation dreams.

 

Now I hope you do not take this the wrong way but you must be aware that you have to use "specialised aviation cleaning chemicals" and they do not come cheap. Using the wrong chemical could cause corrosion in the airframe and even strip paint or damage/scratch the windows.

 

I remember a young bloke around your age (14 as per your profile) who really loved planes and he used to hang around the airport offering his help to anyone who needed it, one day he had this idea he would wash some planes for the owners (without them knowing) I am not sure on what he used but there were two planes that had paint peeling off them after the next days rain.

 

So please don't let me put you off the idea completely but I would hate to see you damage a plane and have to pay for it to be repaired.

 

Here is a sample cost of a cleaning chemical http://www.tensens.com.au/TBSKYLIGHT25/Aircraft-Cleaner-Chemical-Skylight-25LT/pd.php

 

This is a few things not to use http://www.universalweather.com/blog/2013/07/top-5-cleaning-chemicals-you-should-never-use-on-an-aircraft/

 

Good Luck :)

 

 

[dazza 38]

We used to use the Fast Wing brand of products, one was a cleaner and the other was a paint sealer. We used the products on our Piper Archer. We were even able to source it locally on the Gold Coast at a automotive joint. Aircraft spruce sells it as well.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Also avoid cleaners and polishes containing silicon, as they make it very difficult to clean the surface for repainting. But all the best with your venture, it is a good idea.

 

 

[Mriya]

Robbo expressed my thoughts upon reading this post well.

 

I hate dampening enthusiasm, but if done incorrectly, aircraft washing can do heaps of damage. I'd hate to see you owing someone lots of money, when the aim was to earn some.

 

All too easy to even break off something like an antenna, which say it is a transponder, could easily cost a few hundred by the time it is replaced and a new AD/RAD/47 inspection is done to confirm ops.

 

Scratch someone's windscreen and it could be $$$thousands to replace.

 

Do your homework, I'd also think insurance is wise if you were offering commercial cleaning services.

 

 

[Admin]

Give Corrine a call, from later today, on 03 94448025 and Clear Prop will donate a bottle of composiclean wash and a bottle of polish to help get you started.

 

Composiclean is completely pH neutral and the best cleaner and polish for every type of aircraft...in fact it is the only cleaner and polish approved by Flight Design for their carbon fibre CT aircraft.

 

http://www.clearprop.com.au/for-aircraft/cleaning/composiclean-wash-pack/

 

Good luck with your dream and hope this helps to get you started

 

 

[rhysmcc]

Id be asking the aircraft owners to provide the cleaning products (of their choice) and they would be paying you just for the labour.

 

Best of luck

 

 

[Sean_Smith11]

First off let me commend you on what you are planning to do and I hope you reach your aviation dreams.Now I hope you do not take this the wrong way but you must be aware that you have to use "specialised aviation cleaning chemicals" and they do not come cheap. Using the wrong chemical could cause corrosion in the airframe and even strip paint or damage/scratch the windows.

 

I remember a young bloke around your age (14 as per your profile) who really loved planes and he used to hang around the airport offering his help to anyone who needed it, one day he had this idea he would wash some planes for the owners (without them knowing) I am not sure on what he used but there were two planes that had paint peeling off them after the next days rain.

 

So please don't let me put you off the idea completely but I would hate to see you damage a plane and have to pay for it to be repaired.

 

Here is a sample cost of a cleaning chemical http://www.tensens.com.au/TBSKYLIGHT25/Aircraft-Cleaner-Chemical-Skylight-25LT/pd.php

 

This is a few things not to use http://www.universalweather.com/blog/2013/07/top-5-cleaning-chemicals-you-should-never-use-on-an-aircraft/

 

Good Luck :)

Hey Robbo

Thanks for providing me with that info. I'm now thinking it will all be to expensive. But just a quick question, Is there anything else I could do to help Aircraft owners...Etc? I don't mind if I'm not getting payed as this would be a great experience!

 

Thanks Sean,

 

 

[Sean_Smith11]

Robbo expressed my thoughts upon reading this post well.I hate dampening enthusiasm, but if done incorrectly, aircraft washing can do heaps of damage. I'd hate to see you owing someone lots of money, when the aim was to earn some.

All too easy to even break off something like an antenna, which say it is a transponder, could easily cost a few hundred by the time it is replaced and a new AD/RAD/47 inspection is done to confirm ops.

 

Scratch someone's windscreen and it could be $$$thousands to replace.

 

Do your homework, I'd also think insurance is wise if you were offering commercial cleaning services.

Hey Myria,

Thanks for that, Sorry if it came off Imature or not that well thought through. I will also not be doing this commercially, As I have school most of the day.

 

Thanks,

 

Sean

 

 

[dazza 38]

Give Corrine a call, from later today, on 03 94448025 and Clear Prop will donate a bottle of composiclean wash and a bottle of polish to help get you started.Composiclean is completely pH neutral and the best cleaner and polish for every type of aircraft...in fact it is the only cleaner and polish approved by Flight Design for their carbon fibre CT aircraft.

 

http://www.clearprop.com.au/for-aircraft/cleaning/composiclean-wash-pack/

 

Good luck with your dream and hope this helps to get you started

Wow great price, the Fast Wing stuff was as dear as poison.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hi Sean, I think what Myria is getting at is that even though you are not doing it commercially, you will still need insurance incase something is damaged. It is unfortunately the way the modern world is with litigation etc.

 

 

[Sean_Smith11]

Hi Sean, I think what Myria is getting at is that even though you are not doing it commercially, you will still need insurance incase something is damaged. It is unfortunately the way the modern world is with litigation etc.

Thanks Dazza,

Very True, If I End up Accidentally Breaking or damaging Something, It will nearly cost my whole flight training!

 

Thanks Sean,

 

 

[Robbo]

Hey Myria, Thanks for that, Sorry if it came off Imature or not that well thought through. I will also not be doing this commercially, As I have school most of the day.

Thanks,

 

Sean

Mate, nothing immature about the idea in fact its a very good one. We would just hate to see you damage an aircraft and have to pay thousands to fix the damage.

 

My suggestion to you is to avoid it unless you can work for a company where they provide all the chemicals and show you how its done, also by doing it for a company they would already be covered by insurance.

 

I did the exact same thing when I was around your age, washing planes and cars for the local aviation company after school and on weekends and they supplied all the chemicals.

 

This then turned into other work during school holidays and once I left school I then did a couple of years full time in aircraft maintenance before moving on to avionics, now twenty years later im still in the aerospace industry and have worked in many different roles.

 

This work washing aircraft after school and on weekend is what got me that first foot into the world of aerospace.

 

My advice to you:

 

Go around to all the aviation businesses at your local airport and ask them if you they need a helping hand after school or on weekends, this will not only show that you are enthusiastic but your willing to go and look for the work. You could be sweeping the hangar one day then helping do a 100 hourly the next. If you do get something make sure you work your but off and take note of all the advice you are given and remember you never stop learning. The aviation industry is small and everyone knows everyone so if you don't make a good impression the first time you could have problems in the future.

 

Good Luck.....

 

 

[pmccarthy]

I would not be put off by the insurance scare. The owners have the planes insured. If you did damage one (highly unlikely) are they going to sue you? Most unlikely. And if they did, what would they get?

 

It is a good idea and I would encourage you to pursue it.

 

 

[DGL Fox]

Id be asking the aircraft owners to provide the cleaning products (of their choice) and they would be paying you just for the labour.Best of luck

Hi Sean,

I think you have a great idea and it is good to see a young guy so keen, I have trained many apprentices over my career and I would be happy to help you out if I can, I agree that you get the owner of the aircraft to supply the cleaning gear, he would need to have it anyway and then work out between you and him when is the best afternoon after school to come and give it a clean, I would suggest that owner would stay with you to supervise you while you are doing your cleaning, in that way he can see what you are doing and if you have any questions he can answer them for you and everyone will be happy.

 

Yes we do have a lot of litigation these days for making mistakes that cost money to repair things but if I would have had that attitude when I was training young guys we wouldn't have some really good builders now...give it a go Sean but find someone that will help you learn about what you want to do and to work around the aircraft safely....good luck mate.

 

David

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

It's a shame you don't live a bit south of Brisbane Sean, I'd give you some paid work helping me build DooMaw, and teach you some valuable aviation-related skills at the same time, and you would get to fly the plane when it's done. Why would I do that? Because I don't think there are enough younger folk with get-up-and-go these days, and I'd love to encourage more of it.

 

The point is, if I would do that, so will many others, so do as Robbo suggested above. I know of a number of commercial pilots who started their careers with no money but by walking into an aviation maintenance facility and asking if they could sweep the floor for free - just so they could see some planes up close. In all cases the answer was 'no' funnily enough, so they went back the next day and asked the same question, and the same each day until inevitably the owner saw the determination and they started work that day.

 

Good luck Sean, nothing other than Persistence and Determination will guarantee you a job in aviation.

 

 

[Sean_Smith11]

It's a shame you don't live a bit south of Brisbane Sean, I'd give you some paid work helping me build DooMaw, and teach you some valuable aviation-related skills at the same time, and you would get to fly the plane when it's done. Why would I do that? Because I don't think there are enough younger folk with get-up-and-go these days, and I'd love to encourage more of it.The point is, if I would do that, so will many others, so do as Robbo suggested above. I know of a number of commercial pilots who started their careers with no money but by walking into an aviation maintenance facility and asking if they could sweep the floor for free - just so they could see some planes up close. In all cases the answer was 'no' funnily enough, so they went back the next day and asked the same question, and the same each day until inevitably the owner saw the determination and they started work that day.

 

Good luck Sean, nothing other than Persistence and Determination will guarantee you a job in aviation.

Hey (Head in the clounds) Sorry I don't know your real name? Thank you so much for that!

Thanks Sean,

 

 

[Geoff13]

It's a shame you don't live a bit south of Brisbane Sean, I'd give you some paid work helping me build DooMaw, and teach you some valuable aviation-related skills at the same time, and you would get to fly the plane when it's done. Why would I do that? Because I don't think there are enough younger folk with get-up-and-go these days, and I'd love to encourage more of it.The point is, if I would do that, so will many others, so do as Robbo suggested above. I know of a number of commercial pilots who started their careers with no money but by walking into an aviation maintenance facility and asking if they could sweep the floor for free - just so they could see some planes up close. In all cases the answer was 'no' funnily enough, so they went back the next day and asked the same question, and the same each day until inevitably the owner saw the determination and they started work that day.

 

Good luck Sean, nothing other than Persistence and Determination will guarantee you a job in aviation.

I can get down your way can I have some paid work helping to build DooMaw. I think I could learn at lot.

 

 

[Sean_Smith11]

It's a shame you don't live a bit south of Brisbane Sean, I'd give you some paid work helping me build DooMaw, and teach you some valuable aviation-related skills at the same time, and you would get to fly the plane when it's done. Why would I do that? Because I don't think there are enough younger folk with get-up-and-go these days, and I'd love to encourage more of it.The point is, if I would do that, so will many others, so do as Robbo suggested above. I know of a number of commercial pilots who started their careers with no money but by walking into an aviation maintenance facility and asking if they could sweep the floor for free - just so they could see some planes up close. In all cases the answer was 'no' funnily enough, so they went back the next day and asked the same question, and the same each day until inevitably the owner saw the determination and they started work that day.

 

Good luck Sean, nothing other than Persistence and Determination will guarantee you a job in aviation.

If you ever fly into Caloundra, Let me know. I would love to see it!

 

 

[Mriya]

I really admire your desire to find a way to make things work out, and I was in no way implying that you are immature. As an employer in the industry, the enthusiasm you display is one one the key qualities that I would look for in anyone i was considering hiring.

 

My concern was that you could find yourself going the wrong way financially very quickly if something goes wrong. Trust me I know as a spur of the moment decision, made by an experienced LAME which seemed reasonable at the time during a maintenance check has left me with a repair bill in the order of $3000 and a 2-3 week delay in returning the aircraft. Incidents like this can strike suddenly, with little warning and I'd hate you to get caught out with an expensive repair bill when you were simply trying to earn a few $$$.

 

One of the other suggestions that you offer to help out in someones hangar for experience is a great idea though. Firstly, you should then be covered by their hangarkeepers insurance if something goes wrong + you get training and mentoring along the way. What starts as sweeping/cleaning out a hangar could progress to full involvement in maintenance as you demonstrate commitment and aptitude.

 

I wish you all the best as you start out. Aviation has much to offer young people, willing to work hard and give it their best shot.

 

 

[Yenn]

Sean.

 

Best of luck with washing, you could do mine, but it is a bit far away. I hope you can work something out.

 

To get in touch with people who could help you get into aviation, you could contact the local SAAA, who are actively building aeroplanes. Jamie Lee is their president and while I have only met him once I believe he would welcome your interest in maybe helping his members. Mob 0401 770 230.

 

 

[Sean_Smith11]

Thanks All for your positive comments!

 

Does anyone know of any hanger owners at Caloundra? That I could get in touch with or you anyone that could possibly reference me

 

Thanks Sean,

 

 

[Robbo]

Thanks All for your positive comments!Does anyone know of any hanger owners at Caloundra? That I could get in touch with or you anyone that could possibly reference me

Thanks Sean,

Drop in and see these guys :)

 

http://www.ams99.com.au

 

http://tadgellaviation.com

 

 

[Sean_Smith11]

Hello everyone,

 

does anyone have direct contacts?

 

Thanks Sean,