Cessna 855 Re-furbishment Final Part

The final process is the application of the colours and associated markings to complete the RSAF Cessna re-spray.After the primer has been applied and dried overnight,the surface primer is wet-flatted with high grade wet and dry paper to a smooth touch texture before 3 coats of Gloss white is applied to both the fuselage and main-planes.

First coat being applied to the fuselage

Once the whole base colour has been applied,the remainder colour scheme are marked out, masked and appropriate Blue and green colours applied as per drawings laid out.

Finally ,after all markings and scheme are complete,it is time to de-mask all masking and carry out final touch-up and polishing of the aircraft to finish off before rolling out the shop back to hopefully a satisfied customer.

The final result 

Cessna 855 Re-Furbishment Part 3

The aircraft is re-masked covering all windows and wheels and the whole aircraft is chemically cleaned by abrasive pads using Ardrox 1074 removing all dirt and grease deposits within the aluminium frame and then wash off with fresh water and allowed to dry naturally

Once the airframe is dry a corrosion control inhibitor is applied allover the aircraft until a golden brown brown colour is achieved and after 3 -5 minutes ,the alocrom is washed off with fresh water and again allow to dry naturally.Most occasions an etch primer paint is applied instead of alocrom ,but both do the same corrosion prevention  of an aluminium frame.

Myself about to stir up the epoxy primer.I look fatter in the picture than i really am.SERIOUSLY !!!!

The following day all masking is removed and re-applied and 2 coats of epoxy yellow primer is applied to the whole aircraft.

Cessna 855 Re-Furbishment Part 2

After many  coats of paint removed from a 30 year old plane,the Cessna is de-greased with solvent and all fiber glass areas rubbed down.The wings were only rubbed down by sander instead of been removed by paint remover due to the customers request and the fact it was no longer a flyer.If the aircraft was due to fly again,all flying controls and ,propeller would of been removed and sprayed away  from the main fuselage and wings .

Main fuselage stripped and main-planes rubbed down

Outside for a general inspection for detailing 

Cessna 855 Re-Furbishment Part 1

As part of my job  role in Riyadh ,i was tasked to strip and re-paint a former RSAF Cessna 172 M 813 for display as a gate guardian at the KFAA Air base in Riyadh.as my previous post says i am going through step by step from start to finish ,various stages in a aircraft re-spray.

Step 1
The whole aircraft is masked up with aluminium paper and tape to prevent paint stripper damaging delicate areas such as windows and fiber glass panels.Then paint stripper is applied by air assist pumps over the whole aircraft and various levels are scrapped off and lagged up again with stripper until all paint is removed and diluted with water as seen below.

Cessna 813 prior to stripper being applied

First stage of removing paint from the Cessna

Myself ,detailing under the belly of areas masked from stripper.

Foreign Airliners to Riyadh

With the middle east economy doing well,many GCC countries attract Ex-pats and of course Saudi Arabia being just 1 country with overseas labour to help out,Riyadh (KKIA) attracts many Sub indian continent and far east airlines as well as half a dozen European airlines .Most european arrive in the night period ,where Sub Indian and far east arrive during the day,so during my visit i noted the following arriving .

70-AFA  Yemenia A.320-233  c/n 4653

A9C-AD Gulf Air  A.320-214 c/n 4083

HL7538  Korean Air  A.330-223 c/n 222

AP-BKL Shaheen International Airlines A.330-301 c/n 55

SU-BPU Air Cairo A.320-214 c/n 2937

SU-GCF  Egypt Air A.330-243 c/n 610

ex-Kuwaiti 9K-ADB in storage at Riyadh

Also noted at Al-Salam at KKIA was a very long term storage ex-Kuwaiti Airways 9K-ADB B.747-269B SCD which to my knowledge has been stored for over 14 years and  now only recently moved to its present location.The aircraft has was de-registered back in August 2013 and re-registered as N309MF but at present there are no markings visible to indicate the change of registration.

Adjacent to the B.747 is the remains of a former Saudi Arabian Airlines MD90-30  HZ-APW which suffered a Left main gear collapse back in May 2013 at riyadh and may be damaged beyond repair but with the whole MD90 fleet sold with Saudi ,the only place left is the scrap yard!!!. Only  the Fuselage is left so may be the scrap man has already started.

VP-BDB -Dallah Albaraka

Noted parked up in the Business Parking area at Riyadh 0n the 7th Feb was VP-BDB  Boeing B.737NG-9LBER BBJ operated by Dallah Albaraka based in Jeddah.They also operate another aircraft   N79711 B.737-7BQ BBJ

Falcon F7X HZ-SPAG

Saudi Private Aviation ,a subsidiary of Saudia Airlines operate Falcon 7X and Beech 400A Beechjets on Business and VIP duties and are mainly operated out of Jeddah and Riyadh.Example landing at Riyadh was HZ-SPAG c/n 79

Visit to Riyadh (King khalid) Airport

Here is a normal afternoon witnessed  finals approaching 15L runway on  7th February.Saudi operate 5 types in their fleet.Mainly Airbus A320,A330,s Boeing 747 ,777,s and Embraer E170,s

HZ-AS45 A.320-214  c/n 4823

HZ-AEK  Emb E170-LR  c/n 17000149

HZ-AQE   Airbus A.330-343 c/n 1147

HZ-AIX  Boeing 747-468 c/n 28341

HZ-AKR  Boeing 777-268 ER  c/n 28361

Pictures from Singapore (Changi) Airport

Departing Auckland on board Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-212ER 9V-SWH, on 22nd January,i arrived at Singapore with a 11  hour stay over before departing onboard Saudia B.777- 268 ER HZ-AKM for Riyadh,i managed to take various pictures from the airport hotel landing on 02L runway.


715 Fokker F.50 of the Republic Singapore Air force c/n 20293.

A colorful Airbus A.320-216  9M-AFG  of  Air Asia displaying a special "Expedia World's Largest Travel Company" colour scheme.

9M-FYC  ATR72-500 of Firefly c/n 821

9K-AXS  Airbus A.320-214 Indonesia AirAsia c/n 2885

9M-TGN  Boeing 727-225F Transmile Air Service c/n 21856/1537

B-LJA  Boeing 747-867F Cathay Pacific Airways Cargo c/n 39238/1427 sporting a smart "Hong Kong Trader " logo

9M-AQH Airbus A.320-216 Air Asia c/n 4969 highlighting Air Asia,s 100th delivered aircraft with a myth Dragon painted on both sides of the fuselage.

JA8684 Boeing 767-381ER (BCF) All Nippon Airways Cargo c/n 34498/14.