Complete Detail at Avignon Provence (LFMV)

What changes at Avignon Provence for a multi-day detail?

Avignon Provence sits at 124 feet elevation with a single paved runway, 17/35, approximately 1,880 metres long—ample for super-midsize and ultra-long-range jets arriving light. The airport is not slot-coordinated and customs clearance is available on request, which simplifies scheduling a multi-day block without the friction of Level 2 or 3 coordination. The dedicated business-aviation terminal, a 120-square-metre facility with an executive lounge that opened in March 2009, means your passengers and crew step into a quiet, purpose-built space rather than threading through a commercial concourse.

For a complete detail the aircraft usually moves into a hangar within an hour of block-in. The handler arranges towing and GPU if required; we coordinate hangar access, lighting and water supply directly with the FBO. Because the airport positions itself as adapted to business aviation, third-party service crews are familiar figures airside and the handler's operations team knows the paperwork. If you are scheduling around other legs, the lack of curfew data in our records suggests you should confirm any night restrictions with the handler when filing your PPR, though regional airports of this size rarely impose the hard curfews common at busy international fields.

Why does a complete detail take two to five days?

Paint decontamination removes bonded contamination—industrial fallout, exhaust residue, insect strike—that washing alone cannot shift. We clay-bar every exterior panel by hand, then follow with a single-stage machine polish to restore gloss and lay down a hydrophobic finish. Brightwork around the windscreen, nacelle rings and the cheat line is polished separately. The process is methodical; rushing it shows in the final photographs.

Inside, we pull seat cushions, vacuum and dress every surface according to OEM cabin materials guidance, clean the galley to food-safe standard, treat lavatories with hospital-grade disinfectant, and wipe no-touch avionics in the flight deck. Carpets, side-ledges, ceiling panels, stowage compartments—all are cleaned, conditioned where appropriate, and inspected under task lighting. We photograph the aircraft before we begin and again when complete, so a prospective buyer or your own records show exactly what was done. The time required depends on aircraft size, the state of the paint and how heavily the cabin has been used since the last deep clean. A super-midsize jet in average condition takes two to three days; an ACJ with complex cabin finishes may need four or five.

How do we handle access and the handler's expectations?

Once your PPR is confirmed and the aircraft on the ground, the handler issues airside passes for our crew or arranges a permanent escort if local security rules require it. We carry our own insurance and provide method statements in advance so the handler understands our scope of work, the equipment we bring and any utilities we need—typically mains power for polishers and vacuum extractors, and a potable-water point for interior cleaning. If the hangar lacks a wash-bay we arrange rinseless exterior cleaning on the apron before the aircraft is towed inside.

The handler expects us to sign in and out through the FBO, to keep the work area tidy and to coordinate any movement of the aircraft. If you plan to reposition the jet mid-detail—uncommon, but it happens when an AOG elsewhere pulls the aircraft away—we pack tools, label any work in progress and brief the flight crew on what remains. Most handlers at business-aviation-focused airports like Avignon Provence have seen third-party detailing crews before; clear communication and respect for their ramp procedures keep the relationship smooth.

When does a complete detail make sense operationally?

This service is the reference standard before a pre-buy inspection, at delivery, or when you want the aircraft in the best possible condition for the season ahead. A buyer's surveyor will note tired paint, stained carpets and neglected brightwork; a complete detail removes those distractions and lets the aircraft speak for itself. Similarly, if you are taking delivery of a pre-owned jet, a full detail establishes a known baseline before the aircraft enters your fleet.

Some operators schedule a complete detail twice a year—once before the summer season, once before winter positioning—to maintain residual value and cabin presentation. Others treat it as a one-off intervention after a busy charter period or a long lease return. The work is too involved to fit between legs on a tight charter programme, so plan the aircraft out of service for the duration. If your schedule is fluid, Avignon Provence's lack of slot coordination and its uncongested ramp make it easier to adjust arrival or departure days without cascading delays.

What happens to the belly, gear bays and leading edges?

We clean and dress the belly and gear bays as part of the exterior programme, removing hydraulic mist, oil staining and brake dust. Leading edges are inspected for insect strike and treated with a solvent safe for the paint system, then polished. Winglets, nacelles and the underside of the horizontal stabiliser receive the same decontamination and polish as the fuselage. If the aircraft has been operating in a corrosive environment—coastal, de-icing salts, industrial—we pay particular attention to brightwork around the gear doors and any exposed fasteners.

The photographic report captures these areas before and after, which is useful if you are documenting the aircraft's condition for insurance, sale or your own maintenance records. We do not perform structural inspections or any work that requires a tech-log entry; if we see something that warrants the chief pilot's attention—a fluid leak, a loose panel, corrosion beyond cosmetic—we note it and inform the handler so it can be passed to your crew.

Can a complete detail be part of a recurring programme at Avignon Provence?

If your aircraft is based in southern France or you position through Avignon Provence regularly, a twice-yearly complete detail can anchor a broader appearance programme. Between full details we recommend turnaround dry washes and periodic interior refreshes to keep the cabin and exterior in the condition the complete detail established. The airport's business-aviation infrastructure and the presence of handling agents familiar with third-party crews make it practical to schedule recurring work without the administrative overhead of a busy international field.

For fleets, we build the detail schedule around your operational calendar—avoiding peak charter weeks, positioning around maintenance downtime, or coordinating with avionics upgrades if the aircraft is already out of service. Recurring work also means we know your aircraft: we have notes on cabin materials, any areas that need extra attention and the turnaround time your operation requires. That familiarity makes each subsequent detail faster and more predictable.