Exterior Dry Wash at Zagreb Franjo Tuđman (LDZA)

How does dry wash work on the ramp at Zagreb?

Dry wash uses a two-step waterless process: a spray-on emulsifying agent lifts contaminants—bug strikes, exhaust carbon, hydraulic mist, dust—then microfibre cloths remove them without scratching gelcoat or causing swirl marks. No hoses, no wash bay, no wastewater discharge. We bring all consumables to the stand, so the aircraft never moves from its parking position.

The process starts at the nose and works aft in overlapping panels. Bug residue on the radome and leading edges gets pre-treated; belly panels and gear bays are degreased separately with a heavier formulation. Exterior windows, lights, nacelle inlets and the cheat line receive individual attention. Light brightwork—leading-edge strips, nacelle rings—gets a quick touch-up if oxidation is minimal; heavier corrosion needs a separate polish appointment.

Duration depends on size and soil load: a super-midsize typically takes three to four hours; an ultra-long-range airframe with a dirty belly can run six to eight. We schedule around your next departure or overnight if the aircraft remains on stand.

What changes at Zagreb Franjo Tuđman for exterior cleaning?

Zagreb sits at 353 feet elevation with a single 3252-metre runway, 04/22, serving a mix of scheduled, charter and business traffic. The General Aviation Terminal—signed 'Terminal Generalne Avijacije'—is located on the western side of the airport campus, ten kilometres south-east of Zagreb city centre. Handling agents present at the airport coordinate all airside access, and because this is an airport of entry, passenger and crew immigration and customs control for business aviation is conducted at a separate control point within the GA terminal itself.

Operationally, that layout means your crew clears formalities without walking across the main terminal, and the aircraft remains on the GA apron throughout the detail. Airside escort and access badges are arranged through your handler; we liaise directly with them on stand allocation and GPU availability if you want systems live during the wash. The single-runway configuration keeps ground movements predictable, and with no curfew in our data, overnight or early-morning starts are possible when traffic and handler staffing allow.

Weather is temperate continental: summer heat can accelerate product flash-off, so we adjust spray volumes and work in shade where possible; winter cold-soaking rarely stops a dry wash, since we apply no water that might freeze in seams or static ports.

Who arranges airside access and handler coordination?

The handling agent present at the airport holds the airside pass for our crew and coordinates stand access, GPU hookup if required, and any movement restrictions around adjacent traffic. We send our team roster and ID documents to your handler twenty-four hours before the appointment; they issue temporary passes at the GA terminal security checkpoint.

If the aircraft is still on an inbound leg, we confirm arrival time and stand assignment with the handler's operations desk, then position our equipment—spray canisters, microfibre sets, belly degreaser, stepladders—beside the stand before block-in. If you're already parked overnight, we schedule the wash during a quiet apron window, typically early morning or late evening, to avoid ground-traffic peaks and give your crew uninterrupted rest in the terminal lounge.

The handler also notifies us of any hot-refuel plans, catering-truck timing, or maintenance access that would overlap our work. We stay off the aircraft whenever fuelling is in progress and coordinate with line techs if they need gear-bay or belly-panel access during the same turnaround.

When does dry wash make sense between legs at Zagreb?

Dry wash fits turnarounds where the aircraft sits for four hours or longer and a full decon or wet wash isn't justified—or isn't possible because the apron has no wash bay and water discharge is restricted. Common scenarios: a charter positioning overnight before an owner pickup; a managed aircraft on a multi-leg European tour that needs to look sharp for each client boarding; a fleet jet with a maintenance check at Zagreb, where you want the exterior clean before the next revenue leg.

We also see recurring work from flight departments that base an aircraft seasonally at Zagreb or use it as a central-European staging point. A dry wash every two to four weeks keeps the airframe presentable without the logistical weight of a full wet wash, and because there's no drying time, the aircraft is ready to taxi as soon as we pack up.

If the turnaround is shorter—less than three hours—we can perform a quick 'top-side only' pass: fuselage, wings and empennage, skipping the belly and gear. That still removes the most visible soiling and gives the aircraft a fresh appearance on the ramp.

What about belly grime and landing-gear degreasing?

Belly panels and gear bays collect the heaviest contamination—hydraulic weep, oil mist, runway de-icer residue, carbon from APU exhaust—and a standard dry-wash formula won't cut through it. We use a separate degreasing agent, applied with a pump sprayer and agitated with stiff brushes, then wiped clean with heavy-duty towels. The product is pH-neutral and safe for painted surfaces, composite fairings and exposed wiring bundles.

Gear legs, brake assemblies and wheelwell interiors get individual attention. We work around brake-temperature restrictions—if the aircraft has just landed, we wait for the discs to cool before touching anything in the bay. Gear doors, both inside and out, are wiped down; any hydraulic staining on the door seals is noted in the post-job walk-around with your crew or the handler's line supervisor.

Belly work adds an hour to ninety minutes to the overall job, depending on airframe size and soil load. If the underside is particularly filthy—say, after a winter season of slush and Type I fluid—we'll recommend a wet wash or steam decon instead, because dry products have limits on baked-on contamination.

How do you handle recurring dry-wash schedules at this base?

Flight departments that stage an aircraft at Zagreb for weeks or months—corporate shuttle work, charter contracts, seasonal positioning—often set up a standing dry-wash interval: every two weeks if the jet flies daily in European summer dust, every four weeks if it's a lighter schedule or winter operations. We log each service in our system, track the aircraft by registration, and send a reminder to your chief pilot or dispatcher a few days before the next due date.

Recurring work also lets us pre-position consumables and coordinate a regular time window with the handler, so there's no back-and-forth on each appointment. If the aircraft is unexpectedly away—diverted, AOG elsewhere, schedule change—we adjust the calendar and pick up the service on the next return to Zagreb.

For fleets with multiple airframes rotating through the GA terminal, we can run a batch schedule: two or three dry washes on the same day, using a larger crew, so all your jets get consistent appearance and the handler manages just one airside-access block. That approach works well for charter operators with a Zagreb-based fleet or corporate departments running a shuttle hub out of the city.