On The Finishing Line Richard Thelen, PE, Global Finishing Solutions Published in OwnerPilot Update, August/September 2006, V1, Issue 1 My Plane—My King Air is over 25 years old and has served as my personal vice and most pleasurable transportation for about 6 years now.  But eventually the mind wanders and fantasy gets you to saying “what if?” and anyone can play that game.  It isn’t that the finish is corroding or chipping off or anything.  It is just that I was searching for a new look.  Since the aircraft has a good range, I didn’t need to settle for the local exterior shop or impose on a friend to paint it in his hangar.  I could shop around a bit and see what kinds of paint shops there are out there that would do a good job and satisfy my inner pilot and my fantasies. I knew of a couple of paint shops nearby and had heard people talking about the kind of work the shops did so I decided to check out one or two locals and see what they could do. There was one in Middletown that I had heard good things about and I decided that this week, I could fly over there and see his shop. It would be a good flight and they had a good FBO there that I really liked.  I scheduled the trip so I would arrive at the airport’s restaurant for breakfast.  Middletown I taxied right up to the FBO’s main entrance and asked them to “top me off” with Jet-A, then went to the crew lounge. Several guys were there and they admired my craft, while I got some coffee.  I filled out my flightplan to Springfield while checking the weather and winds aloft.  Then I went over to the grille next door. There were about 6 other customers there and we chatted for a while about flying and then I began by asking about the local painter. One fellow had his plane, a nice Cherokee, painted there, but said it took several weeks to get it right, so I began to have my doubts. Another guy said things were a little weird over there and no one had seen the painter actually paint an aircraft.  The fire marshall, Will, piped up and said that he asked him not to paint because he had no fire protection and his ventilation was poor. I wondered how he was still in business if Will had asked him to stop painting. I was getting leery, but decided that since I was there, I would check it out.  I finished my breakfast and thanked the guys for their help. Then I went over to the paint shop. It was housed in a hangar with an office just outside. The door was closed, but not locked, so I went in and found the owner and painter at his desk. We chatted for a minute and I asked if he could handle a King Air. He said he had done two King Airs recently and I was encouraged. I asked him to show me his paint shop. When we went in, he hit the lights and started the ventilation. The 8 lights were metal halide lights on pendants hanging from the ceiling. The illumination was minimal but if he used local spot lighting he would still be able to do a job. The ventilation consisted of a small filter box made of wood that had about 12 furnace filters in it.  The fan blew out the rear wall.  Any make-up air came into the hangar by infiltration. It must be brutal in winter. I mentioned that the booth did not appear to have any fire protection at all. Also, it appeared that the electrical equipment was not “explosion proof” and could cause an explosion, because the ventilation was inadequate. He said the fire marshal had told him the same thing, so he didn’t do any painting until after about 1:00 am so the fire marshal would not interfere. I agreed that legal interference could certainly slow down progress.  Privately, I was thinking I didn’t want to have my aircraft be the one that was in the hangar when it went up. Springfield I did my “walk around” pre-flight inspection then climbed aboard and ran through the pre-flight checklist. I strapped in and called the tower, and they advised “Taxi when ready”. I powered up and taxied out. All of my gauges were in the green, I got clearance and began my take-off roll. In three minutes I was at my stated altitude of 7500 ft and enjoying the flight. I radioed ahead to the Springfield FBO that I wanted to meet their paint shop foreman. They advised they would have him meet me as I deplaned.  In that case, I decided to tie-down at the FBO. I was glad to get as far away from Middletown as I could and Springfield looked like a good spot. Springfield had a good reputation for absolutely pristine exterior finishes and I was hopeful we could work out a deal.  Al was my host and I met him at the FBO and we drove over to the diner for coffee and pie. When we were done, he examined the King Air and was ready to make a quotation. I checked out his shop as he was doing the math. His was another hangar used as a paint barn like the affair at Middletown, but the ventilation was far better and the lighting was excellent.  About that time, Al came out into the hangar and gave me a sheet of paper. I loved the professional way he did business. The quotation was very high and I could not figure why he would need that kind of money to paint my King Air. I didn’t say anything or react negatively, but let him discuss the reason for the price. He said he was a very demanding judge of finishes and knew the best way to get the finish that I required on my plane.  He was very convincing so I asked what happened when he found a defect. He explained that defects were a way of life in painting aircraft, but once one was found the defect would be sanded or buffed out and repainted, feathering and blending in the paint to perfectly match.  I looked up at the light pendants and saw they were attached to the wooden ceiling joists. Looking closer, I noticed that a pigeon was roosting up there. I also noticed that the tops of the joist lower chords were covered in overspray dust. I asked Al if the dust ever fell onto the finish at the wrong time.  He admitted that was the reason for most of the defects that he had to buff out. Then he told me “It really is hard to make any money in aircraft painting.” I also wondered privately if he was concerned about a fire in his hangar.  There was no fire protection.  I decided to shop further. Bradytown Bradytown was several hundred miles away, but it was within twenty miles of my daughter’s house and the home of two of my grandchildren. It was worth the trip. I decided to go there the next weekend. The painter at Bradytown had a new-fangled paint booth insert that had a complete sheetmetal surround that kept all overspray from the process from settling on hangar joists and the like. The paint shop manager was Kevin and he led me through the shop as his office manager was doing the quotation. The lighting in the booth was sensational.  There was nothing that couldn’t be clearly seen and no shadows.  Painters must love this environment.  He had a Beech Bonanza in the shop and all the surfaces were clearly visible and well lighted.  His painter was masking the sides of the Bonanza for stripes and I examined the paint job.  It was magnificent and had no runs, orange peels or “skippers”. The airflow in the booth was excellent and it was easy to see how the overspray would be conveyed to the filter wall in the rear of the booth.  His office manager brought out the quote and the pricing was in line with my expectations. In addition, they had software that allowed me to select just the right stripe.  I asked Kevin how he could do the job so reasonably. He explained that the secret is to have a professional paint booth.  With a paint booth insert, he was able to prevent contamination of the air and thus keep dirt and other contaminants (like pigeon feathers and other dirt) from getting into the paint job.  He said his rework rate was very low and thus he didn’t have to sand or buff out too many imperfections in the paint job.  It went on right the first time and cut the overall time in the booth to a minimum. I looked overhead and noticed several sprinkler heads in the ceiling of the booth and decided I had traveled far enough.  Time to see the grandkids, while I wait for my plane to be painted. Summary So what are the main items to look for in a paint shop? I guess I would have to say that cleanliness is the primary consideration.  But the feature that gives the best cleanliness effect is a good sheetmetal surround that is smooth and easy to clean. The air outside the spray zone contains much of the dirt that will eventually blemish the painted surface. It is necessary to control the space that the plane is painted in. The sheetmetal surround controls the entrance of air. If the air is brought into a paint area through a set of filters or filter doors, it will be the cleanest possible air and free of contaminants. If the airflow is laminar and the streamlines are controlled, it is possible to carry away the overspray from the painting zone and further reduce the contaminants that will cause blemishes. In addition, good lighting must be high on the list. Good lighting will show the painter what type of spray job he is doing.  If there are skippers, he will see them. If there are runs, they will be obvious. If there is orange peel it will be apparent. Once detected, the painter can make changes to his spray parameters to eliminate the problem.  Good lighting is essential. It also helps to have a sprinkler system that will not endanger my need for security.  The activity being conducted in a spray booth is by its nature dangerous. There is fuel (paint fumes) and oxygen present to start a fire.  All that is needed for a fire is a source of ignition. Engineering controls can minimize the danger, but bad things can happen. If it does, it is reassuring to know that the fire will be extinguished quickly and my plane will be safe. After all, my plane is my devotion and my personal vice. The stripes look nice too.

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