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Paint Shop Survey: Downtime, Costs Up

Custom paint work like the one on this Cessna 421 means sizable teardown and downtime. That’s why inspecting it before flying it is critical.

Paint jobs seem to get pushed to the end of the budget line and that’s not really a good thing. Airframe corrosion is a plague spreading in the aging fleet, and neglecting the aircraft’s finish is a way to make the problem worse. There are plenty of good reasons to repaint the aircraft, and just as many reasons to bring it to a shop that really knows how to paint it to OEM—or better—standards. It won’t be cheap.

And so it was time for another paint shop survey to find some shops that are up to the task. Our survey found some really good, really bad and mediocre experiences, while proving once again shops that nail customer service are the ones you want painting your bird.

Larry Anglisano

Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano has been a staple at Aviation Consumer since 1995. An active land, sea and glider pilot, Larry has over 30 years’ experience as an avionics repairman and flight test pilot. He’s the editorial director overseeing sister publications Aviation Safety magazine, IFR magazine and is a regular contributor to KITPLANES magazine with his Avionics Bootcamp column.