Hangar-side aircraft care · Bowman Field & Louisville area
Aircraft Detailing in Louisville, KY
Dry washes, belly degreasing, brightwork polishing, and cabin detailing for pistons, turboprops, and light jets — performed at your hangar, on your schedule, with your maintenance team's approvals respected.
Airframe-safe process
Products chosen for painted aluminum and composite skins, applied by hand with clean media. No aggressive chemistry near seams, static wicks, or probes.
Belly and exhaust degrease
The oil-and-soot film along the belly and behind the exhaust stack is where every aircraft looks worst. It comes off with dedicated degreasers and patience.
Brightwork & leading edges
Polished spinner, leading edges, and any exposed metal brought back to a mirror. Nothing changes a ramp presence faster.
Cabin, panel, and glass
Leather and carpet cleaned and conditioned, panel dusted carefully, and acrylic windscreens cleaned with plastic-safe products and clean microfiber only.
What's included
- Hangar-side service, scheduled around ops
- Dry or rinseless airframe wash
- Leading edge bug and film removal
- Belly and exhaust degreasing
- Brightwork and spinner polishing
- Sealant on painted surfaces
- Acrylic-safe windscreen cleaning
- Cabin leather, carpet & trim detailing
Aircraft finishes are unforgiving — so we slow down
An aircraft skin is thin painted aluminum or composite, the windscreens are acrylic that scratches if you look at it wrong, and there are static wicks, antennas, pitot tubes, and drain holes scattered across surfaces that all have to be worked around rather than through. Everything we use is chosen for that reality: pH-appropriate cleaners, clean media swapped constantly so grit never gets dragged across paint, and hand application rather than pressure. It takes longer. That's the entire point.
Dry and rinseless washing, because hangars have rules
Most hangars and FBOs restrict water use and runoff, and plenty of owners simply don't want standing water near their aircraft. A dry or rinseless wash lifts the film with encapsulating product and clean towels rather than a hose — safe on the paint, and it leaves the hangar floor exactly as we found it. When a full wet wash is permitted and appropriate, we'll do that instead. We ask before we set up, not after.
The belly is where the work shows
Every aircraft owner knows the belly. Oil weep, exhaust soot, and hydraulic film build into a stubborn dark band that ordinary soap does nothing to. It comes off with dedicated aviation degreasers, dwell time, and a lot of hand work upside down — then the area gets neutralized and sealed so it takes far longer to build back up. It's the single biggest visual change on most airframes.
Cabin work that respects the avionics
Interiors get the same care as a high-end car, with extra caution around the panel. Leather cleaned and conditioned, carpet extracted, plastics and trim treated, and glass handled with acrylic-safe products only. We don't spray anything toward the panel, we don't remove or reposition anything, and we don't touch avionics, switches, or covers. If a job needs a panel removed, that's your A&P's call, not ours.
Working around your operation
We schedule around flight ops and maintenance, work inside your hangar, and follow whatever ramp and access rules your FBO has. Give us the tail number, the hangar, and a window, and we'll coordinate with your line service or maintenance team. Owners with multiple aircraft, or a hangar-mate group splitting a visit, get scheduled together — it's the most economical way to do it.
“We ask what's allowed before we unload a single thing. On an aircraft, knowing what not to touch matters more than anything we bring with us.”
How an aircraft detail runs
Scope it with you first
We confirm the aircraft type, what's permitted in your hangar, which products you or your maintenance team approve, and exactly what's in and out of scope. Nothing gets touched that wasn't agreed on.
Mask and protect
Static wicks, probes, antennas, and any sensitive openings are identified and avoided. Covers and plugs stay in per your preference.
Dry or rinseless exterior wash
Panel by panel with clean media swapped constantly, top surfaces first, working down. Bug and film removal on leading edges done by hand.
Belly and exhaust degrease
Dedicated degreaser, proper dwell, hand agitation, then neutralize. The stubborn exhaust trail behind the stack gets its own pass.
Brightwork and polish
Spinner, leading edges, and exposed metal polished to a mirror. Paint gets a light polish and sealant where appropriate for gloss and easier future cleaning.
Cabin and glass
Leather and carpet cleaned, trim conditioned, acrylic cleaned with plastic-safe product and fresh microfiber. We finish with a walk-around so you can sign off on it.
Ways to book it
Aircraft are quoted by type, size, and condition — a Cherokee and a King Air are not the same afternoon. Tell us the airframe and where it's hangared and we'll put a number to it.
Exterior Wash
Between-flight upkeep.
- Dry or rinseless full exterior wash
- Leading edge bug removal
- Wheels, struts & gear wiped down
- Windscreen cleaned, acrylic-safe
- Cabin vacuum and light wipe down
Exterior Detail
The one most owners book.
- Everything in Exterior Wash
- Full belly and exhaust degrease
- Paint polish where appropriate
- Brightwork & spinner polishing
- Sealant applied to painted surfaces
- Gear, wells & struts detailed
Complete Aircraft Detail
Ramp-ready, inside and out.
- Everything in Exterior Detail
- Full cabin deep clean
- Leather cleaning & conditioning
- Carpet extraction
- Careful panel and trim dusting
- Baggage compartment detailed
Areas we serve
Aircraft Detailing is available throughout Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding metro, including Bowman Field area, Louisville, Prospect, Jeffersontown, Shepherdsville, Shelbyville, Southern Indiana, Oldham County. Not sure if you're in range? Call us — we travel for the right job.
Frequently asked questions
Do you come to the hangar?
Yes — that's how we work. We come to your hangar or tie-down, coordinate with your FBO or line service on access, and schedule around your flight and maintenance calendar. We work inside the hangar whenever that's the preference.
Is a dry wash safe for aircraft paint?
When it's done correctly, yes, and it's often the only option a hangar permits. The product encapsulates the dirt so it lifts into a clean towel rather than being dragged across the paint. The safety comes from swapping media constantly — one towel used too long is what causes marring, not the method itself.
What aircraft do you detail?
Single-engine pistons, twins, turboprops, and light jets. Larger airframes and anything with unusual access requirements we'll discuss first — if it isn't a good fit for us, we'll say so rather than take the job.
Do you touch avionics or remove panels?
No. We clean around the panel with care and never spray toward it, and we don't remove, reposition, or service any component. Anything requiring disassembly is your A&P's work, not ours. We stay strictly on the cleaning and cosmetic side.
How much does aircraft detailing cost?
It depends on the airframe, its condition, and the scope you want. Give us the aircraft type and where it's hangared and we'll quote it directly — no vague menus. Multiple aircraft in the same hangar on the same day are priced better.
How long does it take?
An exterior wash on a single-engine piston is typically a half day. A complete detail with belly degrease, polish, and full interior on a larger airframe can be one to two days. We'll set a realistic window at quote time and work around your schedule.