Complete Detail at Friedrichshafen (Bodensee-Airport) (EDNY)

Why choose Complete Detail rather than separate visits?

A single comprehensive visit eliminates the cost and complexity of scheduling three or four separate turnarounds. Paint decontamination strips industrial fallout, insect proteins and mineral deposits that a rinseless wash cannot reach; the single-stage polish that follows restores gloss and lays down a hydrophobic barrier. Brightwork on nacelle lips, exhaust surrounds and windscreen frames is brought back to specification, and the cabin receives the same deep clean—seats lifted, side-ledges removed, galley stripped—that a pre-buy surveyor expects to see.

The photographic report we deliver documents the condition before we begin and after we finish, creating an auditable record for the tech log or a sale prospectus. If you are preparing for a pre-purchase inspection, the images show a buyer that the aircraft has been maintained to a standard beyond the minimum, which shortens negotiations and supports residual value.

What changes at Friedrichshafen (Bodensee-Airport) that affects a multi-day detail?

Friedrichshafen operates a single runway, 06/24, at 2 356 metres, and the field elevation of 1 367 feet means density altitude rises quickly on warm summer afternoons. AVICON handles general aviation from its facility at Am Flugplatz 64, in the dedicated GA area; hangar availability is coordinated through the handler, and we liaise directly to confirm covered space for the duration of the detail.

Every April the airport and adjacent Messe Friedrichshafen host AERO, Europe's annual general-aviation trade fair. Ramp and hangar capacity become extremely tight during that week, and positioning slots fill months in advance. If your aircraft is due for a Complete Detail in spring, plan the visit for late March or early May to avoid the rush. Outside the AERO window, Friedrichshafen is a straightforward PPR field with no slot coordination—it appears on neither the German FLUKO Level 2 nor Level 3 list—so scheduling flexibility is high.

Lake Constance moderates winter temperatures, but cold-soaked wings still attract frost between November and March. We pre-heat the airframe if you arrive on a sub-zero morning, ensuring that polishing compounds cure properly and that cabin materials are not stressed by thermal shock when we begin the interior work.

How long does Complete Detail take, and can the aircraft remain available for AOG repositioning?

Duration ranges from two to five days, depending on the size of the airframe, the condition of the paint and whether you add optional work such as gear-bay degreasing or belly panel correction. A super-midsize cabin typically requires two full days for the interior alone once seats, monuments and ceiling panels are accessible; exterior decontamination and polish add another day and a half if the paint has not been corrected in the past twelve months.

If the aircraft must remain on standby for an AOG leg or a charter call-out, we structure the work in modules: exterior first, then one cabin zone at a time, so that the flight deck and a portion of the seating remain serviceable. That approach extends the calendar window by a day but preserves your dispatch availability. For a planned, uninterrupted detail—before a sale or a pre-buy survey—we recommend blocking the aircraft out of service entirely, which lets us work without pause and deliver the photographic report on schedule.

What does paint decontamination remove that a dry wash will not?

A rinseless or dry wash lifts surface dust, light sooting and water spots, but it cannot break the bond between the clear coat and embedded contaminants: industrial fallout, rail dust, tree sap, insect enzymes and mineral scale from repeated operations into coastal or high-calcium environments. These particles sit below the surface tension of the paint and create a texture you feel when you run a gloved hand along the fuselage.

Decontamination uses a clay bar or a chemical process to pull those particles free without abrading the clear coat. Once the surface is truly clean, the single-stage polish can fill micro-scratches, restore gloss and bond a hydrophobic layer that sheds water on the next departure. If you skip decontamination and go straight to polish, you simply seal the contamination in place, and the paint will look flat within a few weeks.

Which brightwork receives attention during Complete Detail?

We polish all visible metal trim: nacelle intake lips and exhaust surrounds, windscreen frames, door handles and thresholds, static ports and pitot-probe housings. On some airframes the cheat line includes anodised or bare-metal accent strips, and those are brought back to a uniform finish. Leading edges on wings and horizontal stabilisers are inspected for paint chips and corrosion; we document any findings in the photographic report but do not perform structural repair—that remains with your maintenance organisation.

Brightwork oxidises faster at higher altitudes and in marine environments, so if your aircraft has been operating a coastal shuttle or spending weeks at high-elevation airports, the difference after polishing is immediate. The work is done by hand with grade-specific compounds; we do not use rotary tools near static ports, antennas or composite fairings.

How does Complete Detail fit into a fleet maintenance calendar?

Most flight departments schedule Complete Detail once or twice a year: once before the summer season, when the aircraft will be photographed often and seen by charter clients, and optionally again in late autumn before winter storage or a period of reduced utilisation. If your fleet includes both owner-flown and charter aircraft, the charter machines benefit from the full detail every six months to maintain cabin appearance and to support premium hourly rates.

For aircraft coming out of long-term storage or returning from a lease, Complete Detail resets the cosmetic baseline and provides the documentation a new operator or a buyer expects. We coordinate the visit with your scheduled maintenance so that both the C-check and the detail happen in the same downtime window, reducing the total days the aircraft is off the flight plan. At Friedrichshafen, hangar lead times are short outside the AERO week, so even last-minute detail requests—triggered by an unexpected sale opportunity—can usually be accommodated within a fortnight.