Ceramic Coating at Zagreb Franjo Tuđman (LDZA)

Why ceramic coating instead of another polish?

A single-stage polish removes oxidation and restores gloss, but the result fades in six to twelve months depending on how often the aircraft flies through de-icing fluid, industrial haze, or coastal salt. Ceramic coating bonds chemically to corrected paint and creates a hard, hydrophobic surface that sheds water, reduces contaminant adhesion, and resists UV degradation. Every subsequent rinseless wash takes half the time because dirt no longer etches into the clear coat.

We recommend ceramic after a repaint or a complete detail, when the paint is already corrected. If the surface carries oxidation or swirl marks, we decontaminate and machine-polish before any ceramic layer goes on. Brightwork—nacelle lips, leading edges, winglets—receives the same two-layer treatment so the entire airframe weathers at the same rate. The coating does not change the aircraft's type certificate or require a log-book amendment beyond a routine appearance entry.

What happens inside the hangar over three to six days?

Day one is decontamination: clay bar, iron remover, and a solvent wipe to lift embedded brake dust, exhaust residue, and old wax. Day two and three cover paint correction—machine polishing with diminishing grades until the surface reads uniform under a depth gauge. We mask static ports, pitot tubes, and no-touch avionics panels, then apply the first ceramic layer to the fuselage, wings, tail, belly, and gear-bay doors. Twenty-four hours later the second layer goes on, doubling cross-link density.

Brightwork and windows receive their own ceramic formula: higher silica content, shorter cure time. We finish with a maintenance plan that lists the recommended wash interval, the products that will not damage the coating, and the warranty period. The aircraft stays on GPU or ground power from the handler throughout; if you need to reposition mid-cure, we coordinate with your dispatcher and the handling agent to pause work and resume after the flight.

What changes at Zagreb Franjo Tuđman for a multi-day ceramic job?

Zagreb Franjo Tuđman sits at 353 feet elevation, ten kilometres south-east of Zagreb city centre. The single runway—04/22, 3 252 metres—handles everything from light jets to ACJ and BBJ without MTOW restrictions. The airport operates around the clock with no published curfew, so late arrivals and early departures do not compress the work window. Handling agents present at the airport staff the General Aviation Terminal on the western side of the campus, signed 'Terminal Generalne Avijacije'; passenger and crew immigration and customs control for business aviation happen at a separate control point inside that terminal, which simplifies crew changes during a long detail.

Hangar availability at the General Aviation Terminal is coordinated through the handler. We send the work schedule and power requirements forty-eight hours before the aircraft lands; the handler arranges the tow from the ramp, GPU or hardstand power, and an airside escort for our team. If the aircraft is due back in service mid-week, we split the cure: first layer, overnight pause, second layer, then a final twelve-hour cure before release. The handler expects a completed tech-log entry and a walk-around sign-off; we provide both and copy the chief pilot.

How does ceramic coating fit into a recurring maintenance cycle?

Fleet operators schedule ceramic every twenty-four to thirty-six months, either at a home base or at whichever airport offers the longest natural ground-time. Charter departments prefer to coat during a scheduled fourteen-day inspection or between peak seasons, when the aircraft would otherwise sit idle. The coating does not replace the monthly or bi-weekly wash; it makes each wash faster and prevents contaminant bonding, so the interval between washes can stretch from two weeks to four without visible dirt build-up.

We issue a digital maintenance plan that lists compatible wash chemistry—pH-neutral, no solvents—and the recommended inspection points: leading edges at every wash, belly and gear bays every third wash, brightwork every six months. If a section of paint is repaired or repainted, that panel is re-coated to match the rest of the airframe. The warranty covers coating failure—peeling, hazing, loss of hydrophobic behaviour—but not impact damage, bird strikes, or damage from incompatible chemicals.

What do handlers and flight departments need to arrange in advance?

The handling agent needs four pieces of information: aircraft type and registration, estimated time of arrival, preferred hangar dates, and power requirements. We send a pre-arrival brief that includes our team's names for the airside pass list, the equipment we bring through security, and the expected tow window. If the hangar is shared, the handler assigns a bay and confirms that GPU or a ground-power cart will be live for the duration.

Flight departments should block the aircraft in the scheduling system for the full cure period. If a charter request comes in mid-coating, the aircraft can fly—we pause after the first layer, the crew operates the leg, and we resume when the aircraft returns. That adds one day to the total schedule. Chief pilots often ask whether the coating changes the aircraft weight or requires a supplement to the flight manual; it does not. The ceramic layer is thinner than two sheets of paper and adds no measurable mass.

Why Zagreb Franjo Tuđman for a week-long appearance project?

Zagreb Franjo Tuđman is an airport of entry with dedicated business-aviation immigration and customs at the General Aviation Terminal, so crew changes and passenger movements do not require a trip to the main terminal. The ten-kilometre distance to Zagreb city centre means hotel transport is fifteen minutes; if the owner or flight department wants a walk-around inspection mid-cure, the handler arranges airside access without delays. Handling agents present at the airport are accustomed to third-party maintenance and appearance providers working on transient aircraft, so the coordination is routine rather than exceptional.

The airport's around-the-clock operation and absence of a curfew mean we can start or finish a cure phase at any hour that suits the flight schedule. For operators running sequential legs across the Balkans or southern Europe, Zagreb is a natural pause point: hangar availability is predictable, the handler can arrange short-notice tows, and the city is a twenty-minute taxi ride if the crew needs to overnight. Once the ceramic coating cures, the aircraft is released with a completed tech-log entry, a maintenance plan, and a two-year warranty document.