Paint problems

My 1974 Beechcraft Bonanza V35B had been repainted in 1995 and the 22-year-old paint had begun peeling and cracking. It was time to look for a shop to do the job. I wanted to protect the airplane’s skin, and I was excited about seeing a new design on my airplane, but I had no idea what I was in for.

I started looking for a paint shop in Southern California and found only two shops for the costly job. Online, I found an impressive facility in Arizona, a two-hour flight east of my San Diego home. After hours of looking for a paint scheme, we scheduled a visit to the facility where we were impressed by the huge climate-controlled paint booth and the assurances of the owner that the Bonanza would receive excellent treatment. Feeling confident that our airplane was in good hands, I signed a contract and left a deposit and the airplane in Arizona for the six-week job.

As weeks turned into months, it became difficult to get the owner on the phone and the completion date kept getting pushed back. Communications deteriorated, requiring two more visits to the paint shop to resolve preparation and stripe design issues.

After four months, the Bonanza was finally ready. To my disappointment, I found overspray, orange peel (bumpy finish), fish eye (paint bubbling), contaminated paint, and mismatched striping. There was masking tape left on landing gear switches, tape glue on the windows, and my VSI was pegged at 4,000 feet per minute. Contracted “No Push” and “No Step” labeling was missing. I was reimbursed for unpainted door jambs, but of course, it was too late to correct the omission.

In the hope that no one experiences a similar situation, I am offering a few suggestions from lessons learned the hard way.

Promises made on the phone or at the paint shop may not be kept. Price and paint color are just the beginning of what should be in the contract. You may be presented with a form contract that the paint shop has used many times before. It may protect them but not you. Learn everything about what goes into good aluminum preparation, what parts should be removed and painted separately, the best quality of paint, what hardware to replace, what surfaces to label. Remember, paint colors will look different in bright sunlight on your airplane than they do on a small paint chip. Request everything that you agreed to be put into print, or you will have nothing to fall back on when memories fail. If the paint shop is not willing to put something in writing, you may have to decide whether to go elsewhere or take a chance on the shop’s word.

Get a performance guarantee to include the completion date, including a “penalty” for failure to meet the deadline. Some shops will take on more work than they can handle, take your airplane apart, and then finish the job as they can get to it. Six weeks of production time is normal for a single-engine airplane. If the contract has an estimate of the time it will take to complete the job, you could lose the use of your airplane for much longer and you will have no recourse. However, keep in mind that taking any legal action may only cause further delay.

Get a dimensioned drawing of the paint scheme or provide one to the paint shop. Without measurements, the paint shop may do what “looks good” to them. Make sure the contract states that any adjustments to the paint scheme require your approval.

Appearances can be deceiving. Although you probably won’t want your airplane painted in a dimly lit T-hangar, a state-of-the-art paint booth doesn’t ensure a good job. Only the skill and integrity of the painter will determine the quality of the finished product. Check out as many recent jobs as possible from the shop you’re considering.Request everything that you agreed to be put into print, or you will have nothing to fall back on when memories fail.

The closer the shop is to your home, the better. If you can find a quality shop nearby, it may be worth spending a little more to be able to resolve any issues which may arise in person. You can also check on progress periodically.

Plan to spend plenty of time inspecting the finished job. Point out any problems to the shop, remembering that resolving them may cause additional loss of use of your airplane.

Protecting your airplane’s skin is an expensive proposition. The quality and appearance of the job you get depends on the work you do before the paint goes on. Remember, once it’s painted, problems can’t easily be remedied. It’s far better to do your homework and follow the progress of the job than to have to deal with problems that may have been avoided. Hopefully, your investment of time and money results in a job that protects your airplane and brings compliments every time you fly.

Don Ferriolo is a former charter pilot and has been flying for 50 years. He owns a 1974 Beechcraft Bonanza V35B.