Refurbishments can be challenging projects. Orchestrating schedules, materials, and labor to make your dream become a reality takes meticulous planning. Here are a few ways to help prepare for your aircraft refurbishment.

1. Spend time flying first.

Experiencing your plane’s interior from the air offers a much different perspective than simply viewing it on the ground. It can take a few flights to learn all of the aircraft’s nuances. If you’ve recently purchased your plane, you may feel like you need to change the design before you can start using it. But by flying in it first, in the condition you bought it in, you can learn what features you can or can’t live without. This helps prevent additional work later and could also provide time and cost-savings during your refurbishment.

2. Engage an expert.

The sooner you can involve a refurbishment expert, the better prepared you’ll be. They can help you develop a detailed work scope and harmonize aviation-specific materials and project down times with your personal schedule. The importance of involving a refurbishment expert lies in their ability to bridge the gap between designs suited for a home and those that take flight. Your flight crew knows your aircraft best, so coupling their experience with the knowledge of a refurbishment expert creates a strong team for your project.

3. Get inspired! 

Be sure to save pictures of things and places that inspire you. Aviation designers can pull the aesthetic principles from your favorite things and translate them into your aircraft. It could be photos of your favorite chair at home or the suit you love most. Inspiration could be anywhere.

4. Be specific.

The wonderful thing about refurbishments is they can be as big or as small as you want. Sometimes all you need is a new carpet to update the look of your aircraft or maybe you want a total transformation. The more clearly you can define what items you’d like to change or update (and what you want to replace them with), the more enjoyable the process will be.

5. Schedule your maintenance and refurbishment together.

There’s no doubt that the best time to do your refurbishment is when your aircraft is due for maintenance. Parts of your aircraft interior already need to come out for inspection, so having them refurbished in the process saves you time and labor hours. This makes the most of your aircraft’s down time. Being able to align your refurbishment with your maintenance takes planning, so be sure you’ve done tip two first! 

Renewing your aircraft interior can be a fun and satisfying experience when you’re prepared. If you need help to plan your refurbishment, or have any questions, contact me here. 

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