Now before the "wax on, wax off" jokes start, he's my dilemma. This last winter the one faucet on the south side of the field for public use, which is by the city's maintenance shop on the field, broke. This is where airport management always told us to wash our planes. Despite all the money they liked to boast about getting when Ogden became a primary air carrier with Aalegiant's two flights a week, they can't seem to get this fixed. As a result, I've not been able to wash my plane since last fall and it is in dire need of a bath.

So, for those of you with no water at your hanger, what creative ways have you found to wash your plane? I've thought about trying to find some one with a trailer with a tank and power washer. Also, my old flying club just taps into the fire hydrant for their semiannual plane wash. There is one near my hanger, but I'm not sure how the new airport manager will like that. (I've emailed to inquire).

Let's hear your ideas!

We use bug and tar remover it works great for just wiping the plane down and cleaning all the oil off of the belly/getting those hardened old bugs off the ole tri-pacer.


But we also have a little electric pressure washer mounted on the wall of the hanger where you could stick a hose in a barrel of water wash the plane, but its way easier/convenient to just taxi up to the FBO and use the hose that they have up there.

Wash??? Airplane??? Interesting combination of terms.

FYI I know a number of airports stopped allowing airplane washing unless they have a dedicated wash pad. Detergent into storm drains, I've been told......

MTV

Dawn dish washing soap and a 25 gal ATV sprayer tank 25' hose with hand wond. I put in the back of the pick up. Usually can get by with 1 tank, pump runs on 12 volt pickup battery
Like Dawn cleans good leave plane shinny

Good old fashioned 409 and a pile of rags works well. For baked on bugs I use a spray bottle with water in it to soak them down for a while before I start. The Simple Green Extreme aircraft formula works great too, just don't use standard simple green as it's corrosive to aluminum.

Or, I just go fly through a rain shower. Takes the bugs off the leading edges better than anything else I've ever found.

Bring a bucket of water, Simple Green, and a pack of disposable rags.
Wash-on, wash-off.
You hardly use any water at all.

Only way I ever wash my plane is to fly in the rain.

I've accomplished it with a big collection of water-charged fire extinguishers that I happen to have. Also with a creek and a gas-powered pump. You could fly to a landing site near a creek or lake with that gear on board.

BTW, the water-charged fire extinguishers filled with hot water have come in handy for de-icing lingering frost and snow when it's just above the freezing point but the airframe is still cold. You could even blend in some glycol.

Throw your bucket of cleaning supplies in the back seat and fly to the nearest airport with a wash ramp. When you get back to base it will be all dry and squeaky clean (ready for waxing). That's what I used to do. Plus you get to go fly so it's not all crap on wash day.
Tom

I use this stuff and their Speed Shine product and they work great.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/spr ... ash+kit.do

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/spe ... y=ourPicks

A bunch of 1 gal water jug's ?

Fly through a good rain shower. Gods power washer.

Once a year, I wash the belly, whether it needs it or not I use a general household cleaner that has citrus in it, and paper towels, no water, I'm on a creeper. I spray it on a few feet at a time then wipe off 90% of the grime, a second light do over gets it squeaky clean. The entire belly takes maybe 45 minutes, quality time, as I also look for torn fabric, bent tubing, and other anomalies.

The top side of the plane I do 2 or 3 times a year, using a soft bristled brush on a extendable handle, dish soap, and a garden hose. An old plastic pot scrubber is used on the LE, to get the bugs off.

Other then that, screw it, I don't mess with it.

wait for this:

then wash airplanes...

This works:

I will often use a microfiber cloth for dust, a spray bottle with water and a cotton cloth for bugs and any number of degreaser products and a rag for the belly. Works pretty good for keeping it clean between the hose and brush washings.

One of the FBO's use to offer the service for $25-$30. Don't know if they still do or not but it was a nice option when time was tight and money wasn't.

CW

A $8 pump up 1-gal tree sprayer for the suds...usually diluted Mr. Clean, for the belly, followed up with a small pressure washer dipped into a barrel of water I put in the bed of the truck and some old t-shirts and a rinse.

Thanks for the ideas! Had it not been so cold last week at JC I would have done it in the rain!

As luck would have it, my mechanic's hanger, one row down, has water and all the gear I need. He told me to use it any time. 5 hours later, it's all washed and waxed. That belly was dirty! Thank goodness for a creeper.

if you can't find a good rain shower, the far end of a center pivot irrigation rig shoots up a nice spray. But make sure it's not near any large livestock buildings!