Treat Yourself with a Tricked out Paint Job
Interested in dressing up your PC-12 with a new paint job? We interviewed one of our favorites, Jon Kennedy from HillAero Modification Center about the benefits of a fresh coat.
Why do pc-12 owners (or any aircraft owner) come to you for paint?
I would say most come here for a couple reasons. We have been painting aircraft since 1976 so our experience painting aircraft is robust. We specialize in painting and interior refurbishment only, so we have to excel with paint and interior refurbishment. Additionally, we are vetted vendors of several aircraft manufacturers and large operators. This is not an easy accreditation to achieve and requires ongoing audits. We provide a personal experience, direct contact with the floor managers and onsite personal design services.
What are the typical paint needs/paint of issue you see on a pc-12?
The PC-12 aircraft are well-built machines. If a PC-12 is prepped and painted properly with quality materials, the average operator should get many, many years of great service out of the paint. There is a fair amount of composite on the PC-12, it can be an issue if not prepped properly. Care must be taken to understand how the aircraft is maintained, it really helps having the normal access panels for inspections not painted into place.
How does repainting your aircraft affect the value?
We don’t sell aircraft so I don’t know for sure. What we do know is if the aircraft looks nice the maintenance shops seem to be more cautious and people respect the aircraft slowing down the aging process. Paint is considered a maintenance practice. I would assume that an aircraft with a 20 year old paint job would affect on the value and resale market appearance.
Anything else you’d like to share that you’ve learned over the years?
We have learned lots over the many years… Quality work is really about the people working on the aircraft and the company’s mindset. Doing our best work, staying committed to learning, being honest, and taking care of our customers has served us well.
