What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

general aviation painting business

Skeejere

Member
Okay friends...advice welcome. I'm new at this so be gentle.

I'd like to go back to school and finish the last 20 years of my working life doing something aviation related. Specifically general aviation related.

Interested in learning to paint general aviation planes for hire some day. Is there a place to go to school to learn how to do this? Do people start out gaining experience in the auto painting industry and then transition to aviation eventually?

Or perhaps on the job training? Maybe there is another general aviation painting business, perhaps one that is geographically very distant that wouldn't be opposed to employing or training "future competition"

I realize there are some significant environmental and equipment considerations for this type of business.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Jeremy
 
Paint school

I think Sherwin Williams has a paint school. Since many aviation painter use SW, I would start there.
Also, look into a job or internship at Glo Aircraft Painting in Roanoke, TX. They are one of the best.
 
Last edited:
The people I know who have (or had) professional aircraft paint shops started out in the automotive world.

But I'd call Jason over at Evoke Aviation in Gadsden Alabama and ask how he got his start. IIRC, he was an auto guy too. He has one of the premier RV paint shops in the nation.
 
Last edited:
If your goal is to getting into aircraft painting and don’t have any experience, I’d say find a reputable aircraft paint shop to work for and learn the ins and out of the trade from start to finish. Actual painting is a really a small part of the job, it’s all prep which is quite a bit different than automotive. Disassembly, chemical stripping, hazardous waste, degreasing, scrubbing, sanding, masking etc. and all while protecting sensitive and expensive critical components. You’ll also get an idea of what’s required as far as a proper facility, equipment, regulations, etc..
 
In automotive you would learn to paint, but you would spend 90% of your time prepping, and automotive prep is not the same as GA prep. I would get a job at a GA paint shop, do that for a while - see what they do ell, and not. Then go out on your own. In GA, workmanship is only 1/2 the job. There is a lot to the customer interactions and service.
 
If you want an edge up, master eco-friendly waterborne paints. You'll have an advantage over the "old-school, unwilling to learn new things" crowd.

The painting process is different and when a waterborne paint job goes sideways it's generally because the painter is trying to use old methods.

We just got back from a 3 day class on Stewart's Systems paints and one of my big take-aways was that there is a lot of misconceptions out there and really bad info.
 
Last edited:
A couple things

Enjoy your new endeavor ! Paint shops (good ones)are hard to find, and often the reasons are not something you think about. EPA restrictions and Airport use rules often make it nearly impossible to get started depending on the region.
Keep in mind, and I'm sure you are aware of this, but most decent paint work requires disassembly, rigging/balancing flight controls, ect. This will require an A&P licensed person or two for that part of the work, and most planes will need a myriad of rivet replacements, metal and fiberglass work and other preparations done before the paint is even applied. I would love to go to one of those schools also, simply because the new processes and equipment are much different than my "antique" stuff I make a mess with. Having painted 3 planes, I can say I want to be the guy who does the painting and not all the prep work! good luck!
 
I attended the Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings training in Andover KS (by Wichita). Highly recommended. I covered the experience a little bit in my blogspot blog (see link below; September 2016). I highly recommend it. Aerospace coatings can be a bit different from automotive coatings; might be worth investigating.
 
Your key question is learning: "Is there a place to go to school to learn how to do this? "

As someone said starting at an automotive shop as an apprentice for OJT would be a great start. If you have a body shop nearby willing to take you on as an apprentice for OJT that would be good (and get paid of course). Keep in mind you will be spending a lot of time sweeping, sanding and doing the less than glamorous work at first. They are not going to let you mix paint and go into the spray booth and shoot paint on customer vehicles on day one. The "skill" of shooting paint is a bit of an art, but there are books and videos on it. However getting a good instructor and supervised practice is key. Who know you may be shooting paint in no time? Make sure they know you want to learn to paint but willing to work your way up. I would not go in and say I want to be your competition someday...:D

The other way is self teach yourself, buy compressor, hose, filter/water air separator, paint gun, make a spray booth and learn about paint products, buy some, and start shooting. Practice. There is no real degree in painting. I learned a lot watching hot rod shows (Detroit Muscle) where they showed how to paint cars. I also hung out at a Body Shop my friends dad owned when I was a kid in high school. I learned a little there. When I had my plane professionally painted back in the 90's I watched what and how they did it. Bottom line Prep and attention to detail and practice is key. Oh you WILL make mistakes or get runs or dirt in the paint. It happens. There are ways to recover.

If you are looking at it as a future business and being self employed, yes environmental considerations can be significant and more so in some states than others. For example I recall all the water you use to rinse off the paint stripper, etch, Alodine needs to be collected, put in barrels, removed as hazmat. That can't be cheap. In the old days they washed into the sewage system. To start up your own shop would be fairly large investment.

Labor - it is super labor intensive. So not to get into politics but many business are having a hard time hiring workers. I went to one paint shop and most of the workers did not speak English. The PREP work is a monster and can be very time consuming. I don't know of any one man shows except HOME BUILDERS :D

If you are going to make money you need volume. Working on older planes is a challenge. If they come beat up, needing sheet metal, cowl, fairing, wingtip, windscreen and window repair or replacement that is another issue. That will take skilled labor and someone with an A&P license. Speaking of A&P. If looking at an aviation career did you consider getting your A&P license? To be clear you do NOT need not need to have license or certificate to paint planes. However to work on the airframe or engine you do. A paint job on a plane besides repairs at minimum requires flight control removal and installation. The flight controls may need to be re-balanced after paint, That requires an A&P certificate. Doing airframe repair as part of an aircraft paint job can be a profit opportunity if you have the skill or skilled staff to do it. Many times older planes get new plexiglass or other parts that crack and get brittle over the years.

There is liability insurance as well if you are in business.

Personally I would not touch this kind of business with a 10 foot pole. I love painting in moderation, less the Prep work but it's fun to do ever 10 years. Ha ha. I had my 1993 RV-4 that was paint ready (never painted before, bare metal) cost me $6000 (they quoted $4000 and inflated the price after). At least it came out very nice. A quick look on-line I see numbers like $45,000 to paint a C182. I am painting my next project myself. Aircraft urethans are very expensive but no way am I paying that much to paint a plane.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top