As the leading provider of Ceramic Pro USA aviation products for private, corporate and charter aircraft, Fox Aviation Service has a proven formula to help your twin or turbine look great and possibly perform better.
You’re not really a “look at me” kind of person, but you have to admit that one of your biggest personal thrills is walking out of an FBO, across the ramp, and out to your airplane. You own an airplane. Really. Just how cool is that?
And because of that, you want your airplane to look as clean, bright and shiny as you can. You probably still have a copy of our popular feature “Aircraft Washing 101” in your hangar. (If not, check out our July issue). But, as great as your aircraft looks after its wash and wax, that fine shine fades all too soon. Waxes just aren’t up to the harsh environments your aircraft lives in. Oh, if there were only something better than wax.
Thankfully, for those of us who do appreciate the value-adding (and ego-boosting) benefits of a shiny airplane, Lee Fox and his team at Fox Aviation Service can use a bit of airframe alchemy in the form of Ceramic Pro USA products to give your pride-and-joy a long-lasting shine.
Lee Fox isn’t yet a pilot (he would someday like to learn to fly helicopters), but his grandfather instilled a love of airplanes and flying when he was young. After completing three tours in Afghanistan as an 0311 Infantry Rifleman, Fox left the Marines and decided he wanted his next “career” to be in aviation.
“In 2018, I was invited up to Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport (KCXO) to take part in applying Ceramic Pro USA’s aviation products on a Pilatus PC-12 NG,” Fox said. “After going through the process and seeing both the finished aircraft and acknowledging the owner’s satisfaction, I knew right away I was hooked.”
Not long after, he opened Fox Aviation Service based in Orlando, Florida, specializing in providing aviation paint refinement services to private and business aviation aircraft owners. While the company will happily provide its services for all types of aircraft and helicopters, Lee said that their “sweet spot” continues to be in turboprops like PC-12s and King Airs.
“Because of the way the carbon and soot deposits from the engine exhaust travels across the airframe, turboprops are the most chemically abused aircraft out there,” he explained. “Those contaminants have a real sinister way of making even the newest paint jobs look old. And, there’s the corrosive issue to deal with also. You need to keep those elements away from the metal airframe.”
And on top of that, the majority of turboprops are owner-flown, so there’s the pride factor at work here also.
“People think we’re aircraft detailers, but we’re not. We both start by washing the airplane, but from that point on, we are different in our processes and the products we use,” Fox stressed. “Ours is a multi-step procedure that ends with the application of Ceramic Pro’s multi-layered substrate on every square inch of the aircraft’s painted surfaces.”
Fox explained that their process includes a cutting/buffing of the aircraft’s paint to remove any embedded dirt, carbon, and soot particles at levels that are impossible to get to using any commercial “exhaust removers.” After that, the paint finish is inspected and then smoothed to remove any remaining ridges that can capture contaminants later on. The next step is to tape off the windows, de-icing boots, brightwork, and clean the airframe again with a degreaser.
“Then we apply the Ceramic Pro’s aviation-grade coating on all the aircraft’s painted surfaces. Not once, but three to six times,” he said. “The product is actually a Si02-based silica dioxide nano-technology that is applied in a series of very thin layers. They bond to the paint surface and then to themselves as each layer dries.”
“After the layers are cured, we have created a permanent, yet flexible, ‘glass shield’ on the paint that has a Mohs hardness rating of 9H, which is the next hardest to a diamond (10H),” Fox stated. “Don’t confuse this with the ceramic coatings you see at a carwash nor the heavily advertised spray-on ‘Top Coats.’ Those are not genuine ceramic, and owners have every right to view them as ‘snake oil.’”
The Finish is Just the Beginning
As Fox explained, once the process is completed, the aircraft not only looks better than paint-shop fresh, the ceramic-coated exterior is protected from airborne contaminants and subsequent corrosion. In addition, according to the company, Ceramic Pro coatings are non-organic and cannot be dissolved by acids, bases and solvents. Properly applied and maintained, it will permanently remain on an aircraft or helicopter, protecting its “brand-new appearance” for years.
While the corrosion protection qualities and the “I can see myself” shine are Ceramic Pro’s most obvious benefits, Fox points out that there are others that can be equally or even more important to the aircraft’s owner.
“Washing takes less time and effort because exhaust soot can’t build up as quickly and doesn’t stick to the ceramic-like it does to paint,” he said. “Also, the product’s hydrophobic and hydrophilic attributes protect the paint against other corrosives like bugs and bird poop. Plus, they’re easier to clean off of leading edges, which reduces drag and saves fuel.”
“Speaking of drag, let’s talk parasitic drag. When you wax an airplane, you may gain a knot of airspeed, but we’re told of much bigger gains with Ceramic Pro,” Fox continued. “On the Pilatus PC-12s, for example, over the years owners have told us they’ve seen a five- to seven-knot increase in cruise speeds and lower fuel burns purely because of the slickness of the airframe.”
“We don’t claim any airspeed increases, but who am I to argue with the pilots who fly them all the time?” he added. “Besides, no one can argue that the airplane’s ceramic shine just looks a heck of a lot better.”
Interiors Need Love Too
Whether you’re flying your family or paying Part 135 passengers, your aircraft’s interior leads a tough life. Fox Aviation Service also offers solutions to help keep your cabin looking like it’s fresh out of a refurbish.
“After completing the exterior, our operators begin working with the interior upholstery, carpeting, sidewalls and cabinetry,” Fox explained. “We use Ceramic Pro’s leather and vinyl treatments on all the soft surfaces. We use Ceramic Pro Textile to treat the carpets. They are specifically formulated for these materials and leave no residue nor discoloration or glossy, oily shine. Everything we treat looks and feels like it did when it was newly installed. The only difference is that if a passenger spills something on the seat, it’s just going to bead up and roll off. Wine, Coke, whatever, can just be wiped right up. It makes it so easy to clean the cabin after each flight.”
You Can’t Try This at Home
If all the benefits that the Ceramic Pro products bring to your airplane have you wanting to rush out and buy some, well, you can’t. Because of the tools and training it takes to properly lay down multiple layers successfully, trained and certified installation professionals are the only ones who can buy and apply the materials.
“When it comes to installers, you want to absolutely double-check that said installer does, in fact, have aviation certification training under their belt,” Fox said. “If not, they’re just car installers, and you run the risk of having them damaging your aircraft in some way. It’s easy to find out if they’re trained.”
He also said that when it comes to any questions regarding training and certifying Ceramic Pro installers for aircraft, he’s the guy to ask.
“Along with owning Fox Aviation Service, I’m Ceramic Pro USA’s corporate aviation trainer. Any installer in the country that has trained under me and successfully graduated has been through a rigorous course,” he explained. “It’s pass or fail, so it really pushes them to know details and processes that go well beyond if they’re doing cars or boats.”
“They need to truly understand aircraft for what they are while recognizing that safety is of the utmost importance to us,” Fox continued. “I have personally trained each of Fox Aviation Service’s installers, and our customers have full confidence that their aircraft will be treated with the utmost care because they know I never settle for less. Maybe it’s the Marine in me.”
Fox said that he and his company take the proper preparation and application of the Ceramic Pro products so seriously that his team has been known to be wheels up from Orlando with boots on the deck in Honolulu to service a fleet of turbines in 16 hours.
“If the customer’s airplane isn’t close to Orlando (KISM) or Copiah County, Mississippi (M11), we will travel to where the aircraft is. Frequently, we go to an MRO in Boise, Idaho, as an example, to treat the aircraft while they’re in for other maintenance,” he stated. “And when there’s a logistical need, we’ve gone as far as to arrange for a contract pilot to fly the airplane to another facility so we can work on it.”
“One preferred location outside of Florida and across the southeast is Chautauqua Aviation at Copiah County Airport (M11), located in south-central Mississippi. It’s an ideal location with plenty of hangar space, and the owner, Brent Duncan is a great friend of ours,” Fox said. “Their location makes it easy and cost-effective for a lot of owners to have the work done there. We pride ourselves on a true customer-centric commitment in every phase of our operation.”
The Price of the “Perfect Finish”
No doubt by now you’re wondering what all this quality and attention to detail costs? Well, according to Fox, the typical price for cleaning and protecting your TBM, PC-12, or C-90’s interior and exterior with Ceramic Pro’s products is between $7,000 and $9,500. As you might guess, there are a lotof variables.
“Our process takes a great deal of time and can present a lot of challenges in terms of hangar location, temperature, humidity, and so on. But, we are firm believers in getting what you pay for,” he said. “We don’t just spray something on and leave. We take the time to apply the ceramic correctly, so all each layer bonds as it should and provides maximum protection and durability.”
Fox said that the final price also depends heavily on the current condition of the aircraft’s finish, size and how far the owner chooses to go in terms of layers added. Obviously, heavily oxidized or mistreated paint with a lot of embedded contaminants requires a lot more pre-prep cleaning and attention. Same with a well-worn interior. But, proper preparation is critical to a good finish.
“It’s not inexpensive by any means, but neither is having your aircraft re-painted sooner than it should need it,” Fox continued. “We’ve found a way to make it extremely difficult for carbon, soot, dirt, and other contaminants to ruin your aircraft’s paint. And at the same time, keeping that paint looking new for years longer than wax or sealants ever will.”
“Owners we talk to don’t want to settle for anything but the best from Fox Aviation Service. We have a job to do, and we do it well,” he concluded. “Our team has raised the bar across the country in terms of aircraft appearance and we don’t take that lightly.”
For more information, contact foxaviationservice@gmail.com or 407-775-1550.
