Gulfstream Jet Undifferentiated or Other Model
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Maintenance Avionics 15; Maintenance Technician 32
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Equipment / Tooling; Human Factors; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Logbook Entry; Procedure
There are a number of automotive detailing companies that are infiltrating with aviation and are performing cleaning/washing/polishing duties without any Airframe and Powerplant (A/P) Certificated supervision and with no entries into the aircraft Logbooks. Cleaning of aircraft is covered in the FAA's A/P Handbook Chapter 6-19 thru 6-25. Both interior cleaning and exterior cleaning are listed! Also; all aircraft being cleaned by these companies at ZZZ and ZZZ1 have aircraft washing procedures listed in their Aircraft Maintenance Manuals (AMM) which alone makes it an A/P ticket item. Three companies that are in violation of not using [Certificated] A/P's and not having any Logbook entries made about it; perform aircraft detailing; cleaning and waxing at both airports for numerous corporate and fractional owners.
Reporter stated the corporate and fractional owners of aircraft that auto detailers work on include: Citation 560XLs; Sovereigns; Challengers; Global Express; Falcon 50-900-2000s; Gulfstream G-4 / G-5s and Lear 35-45-60 series aircraft. Pitot and static ports are not being covered on many of these aircraft because the workers do not understand the purpose of the port openings on the fuselage and may not even have the necessary pitot-static covers with warning streamers. Reporter stated he has been in the maintenance business including Exterior/ Interior cleaning of aircraft for 25 years. The FAA used to come around at least once a week to check their operations; but he hardly ever sees them since the use of auto detailers has increased. His concerns could easily be verified if the FAA would just review the unsafe maintenance practices; lack of any A/P supervision and lack of logbook entries required by FAR Part 43 and 1.1 that the auto detailers should be required to follow.
An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) reports automotive detailing companies are performing cleaning/washing/ waxing/polishing duties without any certificated airframe-powerplant (A/P) supervision; and are not making entries of work accomplished into the aircraft logbooks. Also; pitot and static ports are not being protected (covered) during the washing/waxing phases on numerous corporate and fractional aircraft.