Aircraft Painting Services

We serve aircraft owners and operators looking for professional exterior painting and refinishing solutions. We work on aircraft ranging from experimental amateur-built through to cabin class twins and small jets. Contact us with your aircraft details and project goals so we can discuss fit and scope.

Yes. Our standard offering includes a white base coat and two non-metallic trim colors to your design. We can either work with you directly on a more complex custom design or you can bring a design to us to discuss. As designs get more detailed or you are looking for multiple solid colors or metal, costs can escalate due to the need for multiple masking steps and paint costs that can be exponentially higher than when using standard paint. We will provide guidance on how to get the result you are looking for while keeping costs within reason.

Yes. Refinishing and corrective work can improve the appearance of aging, weathered, or inconsistent exterior finishes depending on the condition of the surface. However, even though we will do our best to match and feather new paint with old, UV exposure, weather and the general environment work against this being seamless. This is particularly true for small touch up areas in a highly visible part of the aircraft. This is often mitigated by re-doing a much larger surface area. When you bring the aircraft in, our specialist will take you through the options, their recommendations, limitations and costs.

No. Hova Aircraft Painting LLC is based in Winter Haven, Florida and serves aircraft owners nationwide. We encourage local owners to follow the progress of their aircraft and are happy to send progress photos to people who are based elsewhere.

Reach out through our contact page with your aircraft information, desired results, and timing. We can then discuss next steps and project planning. We will provide you with a detailed estimate based on a standard aircraft of your make and model. When you bring the plane in to start the work, our technicians will inspect the plane for any likely issues and explain whether they will lead to extra expense – we include 10 hours of remedial bodywork within each estimate, so most of the time, there is no additional expense. However, if the plane comes in with hail damage , extensive corrosion, broken fairings/wing tips, multiple layers of previous paint that have to be removed etc, there will likely be additional charges that we will discuss with you ahead of time.

Yes, if quality and durability of finish are important. However, in certain situations, stripping only specific sections might be sufficient for repairs and touch-up purposes. This is addressed on a case-by-case basis after close inspection by our specialist staff.

Based on a normal work schedule, and depending on the complexity of the design, most aircraft will be completed within three weeks. Very complex designs or ones that include metallic paints will likely take longer due to the extra work involved.

We do not recommend DIY stripping as it involves the handling of hazardous materials, is typically not done well and, in some cases, can compromise the aircraft’s airworthiness, such as when the owner tries to remove paint from a rivet with a sander. It is a very meticulous and time-consuming process and might not save you any money at all, due to the higher costs of DIY strippers and lack of experience. If you are not able to bring the plane in prior to looking for an estimate, we will quote you for a full strip and paint and modify it based on its actual condition when you bring it in.

No, unless you are already an experienced aircraft painter.

Executing a quality paint job requires meticulous and time-consuming preparation, years of experience, good quality masking materials, chemicals, consumables including sanding sheets and, of course, paint. Bids that come in well below average are going to compromise some, or all, of the key quality standards and have to cut corners to meet the quoted price. Additionally, these bids may not be on a completely comparable basis. For example, our quotes are fully inclusive of everything other than sales taxes (only applicable to aircraft below 2,000lbs max take off weight) and include items that others will charge as add-ons such as a brand new stainless steel screw kit, painting of door jambs, window sealing, priming of the inside of the cowlings, ten hours of bodywork repairs, consumables and waste disposal fees. The actual time that a low-price bidder will take to complete the job will almost certainly exceed the three weeks that we target. If you bring in a detailed quote from someone else, we will review it and explain any differences to you so that you can make an informed choice. We will rarely be the lowest cost option.