Southern California
Aircraft detailing at Van Nuys Airport (VNY)
The Allen Groupe covers Van Nuys Airport in the San Fernando Valley, the busiest general aviation airport in the United States and the center of business aviation in Los Angeles. Cabin and cockpit detailing, exterior wash and paint protection, brightwork, disinfection, quick turns between legs and AOG response. We have cared for corporate and private aircraft since 1991.
Services at this field
What we do here
Interior detailing
Cabin, cockpit, galley and lavatory. Leather, wool, veneer and suede, each treated to its own tolerance.
02Exterior detailing
Dry wash and wet wash, belly and exhaust soil, gear and gear wells, performed with aviation qualified chemistry.
03Paint correction and protection
Correction and sealing on a finish system that gives you one chance to get it right.
04Brightwork polishing
Bare metal, exhaust stacks and trim brought back and kept there.
05De-ice boot service
Stripping, cleaning and sealing of elastomeric boots, which fail early when treated like paint.
06Disinfection and disinsection
Two different services, often confused. We perform both, to the applicable guidance.
07AOG and quick turn
Mobile team members who reach any field in the country when the schedule does not allow for waiting.
08Delivery and acceptance prep
Presentation for handover, when the aircraft is being inspected by someone looking for reasons.
09Scheduled care programs
Recurring care built around your flight schedule rather than around ours.
This field
What the Los Angeles basin does to an aircraft
The particulate is the problem, not the weather. Los Angeles has some of the highest concentrations of fine airborne particulate of any metro in the country, and the San Fernando Valley sits in a basin that holds it. Combustion soot, brake and tire particulate off the 405 and the 101, and industrial fallout settle continuously on horizontal surfaces. On a white aircraft parked outside at Van Nuys, the difference between a two week and a six week interval is not subtle.
The UV is relentless and it is year round. Southern California does not get a winter that gives paint a rest. Clear coat chalking, elastomer hardening and interior fade near the windows all run faster here than they do at a field with four seasons. Protection is not an upsell at this latitude, it is what buys you years on the finish.
The marine layer works against you. Morning moisture settles onto surfaces already carrying particulate, then burns off and leaves it bonded. That cycle repeats most mornings for months. It is the mechanism behind the film that will not come off a Van Nuys aircraft with a quick wipe.
Wildfire ash is now a normal part of the calendar. Ash is alkaline and abrasive, and it is the worst possible thing to wipe dry off a finish. When ash falls, the aircraft needs the right chemistry and a lot of dwell time, not a rag and pressure.
How we work at Van Nuys
Van Nuys operates under a voluntary curfew and a long-standing noise program, which pushes departures into the daytime and leaves the overnight window relatively open. That suits the work. Full interior and exterior jobs are done overnight so the aircraft is ready rather than being worked around a crew.
The field is dense. High movement counts, tight ramps and constant repositioning mean more ground handling and more chance of the kind of contact damage nobody writes down. Our crews look for it and tell you what they find.
Quick turns. Between legs we work to the time available and tell you what fits. A forty minute turn is a cabin reset, not a detail, and we will say so rather than doing a fast version of a bigger job.
Aircraft we work at this field
Van Nuys carries one of the deepest based fleets in the country and a heavy transient load. Gulfstream, Global, Falcon, Challenger, Citation, Praetor, Phenom, King Air and a substantial helicopter population are all routine here.
Nearby fields we also cover
- Hollywood Burbank (BUR), roughly 8 miles.
- John Wayne, Orange County (SNA), roughly 55 miles depending on the hour.
Southern California is covered by team members working from a nearby base rather than a crew stationed at the field, so scheduled work is planned rather than same day. We will tell you what we can do and when instead of promising an hour we cannot hold.
Coverage
Where else we are
Where we are not based, our AOG and mobile team members travel. Travel fees apply, and we will tell you what they are before we go.
Common questions
Van Nuys, CA, answered
Do you provide aircraft detailing at Van Nuys Airport?
Yes. The Allen Groupe covers Van Nuys with interior and exterior detailing, brightwork, paint protection, disinfection, quick turns and AOG response.
How often should an aircraft based at Van Nuys be washed?
More often than an owner usually expects. The Los Angeles basin holds fine airborne particulate, and the morning marine layer settles moisture onto surfaces that are already carrying it, which bonds the film in place. We build the interval around where the aircraft sits and how it is flown.
What should be done after wildfire ash falls on an aircraft?
Nothing dry. Ash is alkaline and abrasive, and wiping it off a dry finish grinds it in. It needs the correct chemistry and enough dwell time to lift rather than drag. This is one of the few situations where doing nothing until a crew arrives is genuinely better than doing something.
Can you work overnight at Van Nuys?
Yes, and most full interior and exterior work here is done overnight so the aircraft is ready when the crew arrives.
What other Los Angeles area airports do you cover?
Hollywood Burbank (BUR) and John Wayne in Orange County (SNA). We travel to any other field in the country through our AOG and mobile team members.
Get in touch
Tell us what you need and when.
Tail number, airport, dates. We will come back with a plan and a price, not a brochure.