Owning more expensive than renting

Speaking of washing planes. How do you get your plane washed in the
winter? Mine could use it and I have no idea what to do.

I *never* wash my planes (or motorcycles) with soap and water. Everything
is done with Lemon Pledge and cloth diapers.

Unfortunately they no longer make pump-spray Pledge, and the aerosol stuff
is just not right. (It comes out in a foam, instead of liquid.)

Luckily, I bought 6 cases of the stuff before they stopped making it -- so
I'm good for a few more years. ;-)

Anyway, Pledge works on any above-freezing day. The paint looks new, and so
does the plexiglass. I haven't had to find a substitute yet, so if anyone
finds an equally economical solution, please post it here.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Curious as to why no soap and water. The paint is probably some
polyeurethane (Imron etc...) so it wouldn't be hurt. JK

Jay Honeck wrote:

Speaking of washing planes. How do you get your plane washed in the
winter? Mine could use it and I have no idea what to do.


I *never* wash my planes (or motorcycles) with soap and water. Everything
is done with Lemon Pledge and cloth diapers.

Unfortunately they no longer make pump-spray Pledge, and the aerosol stuff
is just not right. (It comes out in a foam, instead of liquid.)

Luckily, I bought 6 cases of the stuff before they stopped making it -- so
I'm good for a few more years. ;-)

Anyway, Pledge works on any above-freezing day. The paint looks new, and so
does the plexiglass. I haven't had to find a substitute yet, so if anyone
finds an equally economical solution, please post it here.

Curious as to why no soap and water. The paint is probably some
polyeurethane (Imron etc...) so it wouldn't be hurt. JK

Water sprayed under pressure gets into all sorts of areas you DON'T want it,
both on motorcycles and airplanes.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

Speaking of washing planes. How do you get your plane washed in the
winter? Mine could use it and I have no idea what to do.


I *never* wash my planes (or motorcycles) with soap and water. Everything
is done with Lemon Pledge and cloth diapers.

Unfortunately they no longer make pump-spray Pledge, and the aerosol stuff
is just not right. (It comes out in a foam, instead of liquid.)

Luckily, I bought 6 cases of the stuff before they stopped making it -- so
I'm good for a few more years. ;-)

Anyway, Pledge works on any above-freezing day. The paint looks new, and so
does the plexiglass. I haven't had to find a substitute yet, so if anyone
finds an equally economical solution, please post it here.

You obviously don't get your cars or airplane very dirty. Washing off
mud or any amount of dirt with Pledge and a diaper would make a great
abrasive that would trash your paint in short order. Vehicles should
always be washed with lots of water prior to touching the surface with a
sponge or cloth. Soap helps loosen the dirt and avoid scratches, but
water alone does a pretty good job. Never take a cloth to a dry and
dirty painted or plexi surface.


Matt

You obviously don't get your cars or airplane very dirty. Washing off mud
or any amount of dirt with Pledge and a diaper would make a great abrasive
that would trash your paint in short order. Vehicles should always be
washed with lots of water prior to touching the surface with a sponge or
cloth. Soap helps loosen the dirt and avoid scratches, but water alone
does a pretty good job. Never take a cloth to a dry and dirty painted or
plexus surface.

You're correct -- our plane never has a chance to get dirty. We (the whole
family) wipe it down after every flight with Pledge and diapers.

I get the left leading edge, cowling and wheel pant.

Mary gets the right leading edge, and beer/pop.

My son gets the empennage

My daughter gets the main gear wheel pants.

The procedure is:

a) Push Atlas into the hangar
b) Spray our respective surfaces with Pledge
c) Crack a cold one
d) Half way through aforementioned cold one (or, at this time of year, hot
chocolate) wipe down our respective surfaces.

We usually fly twice a week, and the plane is always immaculate.

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 02:08:46 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

You're correct -- our plane never has a chance to get dirty. We (the whole
family) wipe it down after every flight with Pledge and diapers.

I get the left leading edge, cowling and wheel pant.

Mary gets the right leading edge, and beer/pop.
What about the rest of the wing?

My son gets the empennage
Does this include the belly?

My daughter gets the main gear wheel pants.

What about the horizonta and vertical stabilizors and rudder?

Not picking, but it seems like you'd need to wash the rest of it at
some point.

z

Mary gets the right leading edge, and beer/pop.
What about the rest of the wing?
What about the horizonta and vertical stabilizors and rudder?

These parts get "The Pledge" treatment occasionally, when we're feeling
especially ambitious. They don't really get dirty -- only dusty. (As long
as your plane is hangared, of course.)

My son gets the empennage
Does this include the belly?

Our new M20 air/oil separator has basically put my son out of business. I
used to pay him $.50 per wingspan foot (30 feet = $15) to clean the bottom
of the plane once a month. Now, he hasn't had to do it since August.

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 04:47:18 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Mary gets the right leading edge, and beer/pop.
What about the rest of the wing?
What about the horizonta and vertical stabilizors and rudder?

These parts get "The Pledge" treatment occasionally, when we're feeling
especially ambitious. They don't really get dirty -- only dusty. (As long
as your plane is hangared, of course.)

My son gets the empennage
Does this include the belly?

Our new M20 air/oil separator has basically put my son out of business. I
used to pay him $.50 per wingspan foot (30 feet = $15) to clean the bottom
of the plane once a month. Now, he hasn't had to do it since August.

:-)


Ahhh. No hangar here = dirty tail. The birds love to practice bombing
the horizontal stabilizer from the beacon. Also no M20 separator, or
children = more work for me!

Thanks,
z

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 04:47:18 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Mary gets the right leading edge, and beer/pop.
What about the rest of the wing?
What about the horizonta and vertical stabilizors and rudder?

These parts get "The Pledge" treatment occasionally, when we're feeling
especially ambitious. They don't really get dirty -- only dusty. (As long
as your plane is hangared, of course.)

Yah, but how do you get the bugs to stick if you put pledge on the
wings?


My son gets the empennage
Does this include the belly?

Our new M20 air/oil separator has basically put my son out of business. I
used to pay him $.50 per wingspan foot (30 feet = $15) to clean the bottom
of the plane once a month. Now, he hasn't had to do it since August.

Air oil separator on the Deb (IO-47N) with no oil filter and it has a
wet vacuum pump, has no noticeable oil use in 25 hours. Engine is
nearing TBO.

The belly would stay clean if I'd only fly in nice weather and stay
off the grass farm strips.

Bugs on the wings and cowl are another matter.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

:-)

Roger wrote:

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 04:47:18 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:


Mary gets the right leading edge, and beer/pop.

What about the rest of the wing?
What about the horizonta and vertical stabilizors and rudder?

These parts get "The Pledge" treatment occasionally, when we're feeling
especially ambitious. They don't really get dirty -- only dusty. (As long
as your plane is hangared, of course.)


Yah, but how do you get the bugs to stick if you put pledge on the
wings?

Fly faster, of course.


Matt