Aircraft Detailing at St. Gallen-Altenrhein (LSZR)

What changes at St. Gallen-Altenrhein?

St. Gallen-Altenrhein sits at 1,306 feet elevation on the shore of Lake Constance, directly adjacent to the Austrian, German and Liechtenstein borders. The single hard runway—10/28, with 1,455 metres of take-off run available—offers ILS CAT I to runway 10. Business aviation is handled by the airport operator's own FBO and ground services unit (Airport Altenrhein AG, marketed as 'People's Business Airport') at Flughafenstrasse 11, which also provides the business aviation terminal, crew lounge and handling on frequency 131.505.

Altenrhein is a customs-clearing airport with both Schengen and non-Schengen immigration capability, so international business flights arrive and depart without diversion. No slot or PPR allocation is required for business aviation; the field is not coordinated. The lakeside location and proximity to the Alps mean that temperature swings between cold-soaked overnight descents and warm summer afternoons drive condensation inside cabins and accelerate oxidation on leading edges, particularly when aircraft remain on stand between legs. A waterless exterior wash and a quick interior reset between turnarounds keep the cabin ready and the paint free of the fine dust and pollen that settle from the surrounding valleys.

How does Terso coordinate with the handler at Altenrhein?

Every detailing appointment begins with a call to the handling agent at least twenty-four hours before the aircraft's arrival. We confirm stand assignment, GPU availability, the planned turnaround window and any airside-escort requirements. On the morning of the service we collect our airside pass from the FBO at Flughafenstrasse 11, meet the captain or the handling supervisor on the ramp and walk the aircraft together to agree the scope.

If the detail spans a crew rest or an overnight, the handler arranges secure stand access and external power so that environmental systems remain live throughout the interior work. For a quick turn between two legs we time the cabin clean to finish thirty minutes before the next departure, leaving the flight crew margin to complete their walk-around and pre-flight. The handler receives a copy of our insurance certificate and method statement on first contact; after that, coordination is a simple exchange of stand number, block time and any last-minute schedule change.

What does the lakeside climate do to paint and cabin materials?

Lake Constance and the surrounding alpine valleys create a microclimate of high humidity, sharp temperature drops and persistent fine dust. When a cold-soaked airframe descends into warmer air near the surface, condensation forms on the interior sidewalls, window reveals and under-seat stowage—ideal conditions for mildew on fabric and water spots on veneer. Pollen from the valley floor and salt spray carried inland from winter de-icing operations on nearby motorways settle on the fuselage, where they bond to the clearcoat and dull the cheat line within a few weeks.

A monthly exterior dry wash lifts that contamination before it etches the paint, and a rinseless wash with decontamination clay restores gloss to the belly and nacelles. Inside, we extract moisture from carpets and seat cushions, treat leather with a pH-neutral conditioner and wipe down every high-touch surface to prevent the humidity from leaving a haze on polished veneer. Brightwork—leading edges, spinners, exhaust surrounds—oxidises faster in the damp air; a single-stage polish by hand brings back the mirror finish and applies a thin layer of carnauba wax that sheds water for the next four to six weeks.

Which services make sense for a quick turnaround at LSZR?

A Quick Turn is the natural choice when the aircraft has two legs on the same day and the cabin needs to be flight-ready in under two hours. We vacuum carpets and seats, clean the galley and lavatory, wipe all windows and high-touch surfaces, empty waste bins and restock disposables if the crew provides them. The exterior receives a waterless wash of the fuselage, wings and tail using aviation-approved dry-wash solution and microfibre; we avoid the radome, pitot probes, static ports and any no-touch avionics bays. The result is a reset cabin and a clean airframe without introducing water near sensitive equipment.

If the turnaround window stretches to four or five hours and the paint has picked up bugs, exhaust staining or de-icing residue, an Exterior Dry Wash as a standalone service makes more sense than rushing a combined detail. For aircraft that remain on stand overnight, a Full Interior Detail—deep cleaning of leather, veneer, carpets, sidewalls, galley and lavatory, plus conditioning—can be completed while the cabin is powered and climate-controlled, ready for an early departure the following morning.

What documentation travels with the aircraft after detailing?

Every service concludes with a tech-log entry signed by the lead detailer, recording the work performed, the products used and the aircraft's release to service. A digital photo report—typically thirty to fifty images—documents the condition before we begin, the work in progress and the finished result. The report is sent by email to the captain, the chief pilot or the flight-department manager within two hours of wheels-up, and a signed PDF copy can be filed with the aircraft's journey log if the operator requires it.

For a Complete Detail or Ceramic Coating we also provide a product data sheet for each chemical applied, so that line maintenance at the home base knows which cleaners and polishes are compatible with the coating during routine washes. If a fleet-care programme is in place, we maintain a service history spreadsheet that tracks every quick turn, monthly interior and annual polish across the fleet, making it simple to plan the next appointment and to demonstrate appearance standards during pre-purchase inspections or audit.

How do you time a detail between two legs at Altenrhein?

Timing hinges on three variables: the length of the turnaround window, whether GPU is available on stand and how much of the aircraft the operator wants addressed. For a Quick Turn we ask for a minimum of ninety minutes between block-in and the next block-off; that leaves thirty minutes for the crew's pre-flight and any last-minute catering or fuel. An Exterior Dry Wash alone takes two hours if the aircraft is a large-cabin type and the belly is heavily soiled; we start as soon as the engines spool down and the apron is clear of ground equipment.

A Full Interior Detail requires four to five hours and mains power to keep the cabin climate stable while we extract carpets, condition leather and clean veneer. We coordinate the start time with the handler so that the aircraft is on GPU before we open the door, and we finish the galley and lavatory last so that the flight crew can begin their checks in the cockpit and cabin while we complete the aft sections. If the schedule compresses unexpectedly—a delayed inbound or an earlier slot offer—we scale the scope to match the time available rather than rush the work, and we communicate every change to the captain and the handler in real time.