Exterior Dry Wash at Annecy Mont Blanc (LFLP)

Why dry wash instead of a wet wash at Annecy?

The airport has no dedicated wash bay, and ramp water use for aircraft cleaning falls under local environmental controls. Exterior dry wash eliminates both constraints: we work at the stand with no hoses, no runoff and no need to tow the aircraft to a remote hardstand. The waterless chemistry lifts contaminants into suspension, then microfibre bonnets remove them without scratching gel coat or polished surfaces.

For operators staging through Annecy between mountain legs, dry wash also removes the coordination overhead of arranging water supply, drainage approval and apron cleanup. The aircraft stays on stand, ground power and airside escort remain continuous, and the tech log never leaves the cockpit. If you are working a tight turnaround or holding for a passenger convoy from Megève, dry wash keeps the schedule intact while the airframe gets clean.

What changes at Annecy Mont Blanc for exterior cleaning?

Annecy sits at 1,521 feet elevation, 3.5 kilometres north-west of the city centre, with a single paved runway—04/22 at 1,598 metres—and a parallel grass strip used seasonally. The airport operates seven days a week from 08:00 to 19:00 local during winter, with the control tower active 09:00 to 19:00. All exterior work must finish inside those hours; there are no night operations and no curfew extensions.

The single terminal has been business-aviation-oriented since 2013, with no scheduled airline service, so ramp activity consists almost entirely of private and charter jets. VINCI Airports operates the FBO and aérogare. Handling agents present at the airport coordinate airside access and stand allocation. Because the field is daytime-only, any exterior dry wash longer than four hours needs to start by mid-morning to leave margin for inspection, tech-log sign-off and departure slot before the tower closes.

Alpine weather deposits a specific load: winter road-salt aerosol, summer pollen, and year-round moisture that accelerates corrosion on unpainted brightwork. Dry wash removes the salt film and organic residue before they etch the clear coat, a recurring concern for aircraft based in the Alps or flying daily shuttles to Courchevel and Sion.

How does the service fit between legs at this airport?

Most Annecy arrivals are daytime positioning flights or passenger drops for the Haute-Savoie resorts. If the aircraft overnights on stand, we schedule the dry wash to start at first light—08:00 in winter—so the exterior is clean and the gear bays degreased before the morning departure wave. For same-day turnarounds, timing depends on passenger ground time: a three-hour dry wash on a super-midsize fits comfortably inside a four-hour mountain transfer to Chamonix and back.

Because the airport is not slot-coordinated and has minimal traffic conflicts, stand availability is rarely an issue. The handler confirms the parking position, we collect our airside escort at the terminal, and the team moves straight to the aircraft with product and bonnets. If the crew wants the belly and nacelles done while passengers are still in the terminal, we start underneath and work forward, finishing the fuselage and wings last so the exterior gleams for boarding.

What does a dry wash include on a business jet here?

We begin with a walk-around to note any pre-existing paint chips, leading-edge abrasion or nacelle staining, then apply waterless cleaner in sections—fuselage first, then wings, empennage and engine nacelles. Bug strikes on the nose and wing leading edges get targeted treatment; exhaust soot around the tailpipe and APU outlet receives a stronger degreaser. Hydraulic mist and oil film on the belly and inside the gear bays are wiped with solvent-dampened cloths, and we flush debris from the gear-door hinges without soaking avionics bays or static ports.

Exterior windows—cockpit, cabin and emergency exits—are cleaned with anti-static compound to repel dust. Position lights, strobes and recognition lights are wiped, and we inspect lenses for cracks. Light brightwork touch-up on leading edges removes oxidation without a full polish cycle. The final step is a gloss-enhancing wipe on the cheat line and tail logo, leaving a uniform finish under Alpine sunlight. The entire process generates no wastewater and leaves no residue on the apron.

How often should you schedule dry wash at Annecy?

For aircraft in regular service—three or more legs per week—we recommend exterior dry wash every two to four weeks. That interval prevents bug residue and exhaust carbon from bonding to the clear coat, and it stops road-salt aerosol from etching the paint during the winter ski season. If the jet is flying daily shuttles into high-altitude fields like Samedan or back-to-back charters across the Alps, fortnightly dry wash keeps the exterior in presentation condition without the cost and downtime of a full wet wash and polish cycle.

One-off dry wash makes sense when the aircraft has been parked outside for a week, when it arrives with visible belly staining after a long positioning leg, or when it is due for a passenger charter and the exterior needs to be spotless on short notice. We have cleaned ultra-long-range jets on eight-hour turnarounds and light jets between morning drop-off and afternoon pickup, adjusting crew size and product to match the available window.

What do you need from the flight department before we start?

Confirmation of the parking stand and the handler's contact details, so we can arrange airside escort and GPU if the aircraft will be cold-soaked. An estimate of ground time: if you have four hours, we bring a two-person team and complete a super-midsize; if you have eight, we add a third technician and tackle an ultra-long-range airframe or include a deeper belly degreasing. Any known paint damage—chips on the wing leading edge, nacelle scrapes, tail strikes—should be noted in advance so we document them in the pre-work walk-around and avoid dispute later.

We also ask whether the aircraft will remain on GPU or if we need to work around APU run-ups, and whether the crew wants access to the cabin during the exterior clean. If you are coordinating catering, fuelling or a cabin detail in parallel, we sequence our work to stay clear of the main cabin door and the refuelling panel. Finally, a mobile number for the captain or handling agent ensures we can confirm completion and hand over the tech-log entry without delay, especially important at a daytime-only field where the tower closes at 19:00.