Glider Refinishing

[Peter March]

Hi; we are a group of New England pilots that sent 4 gliders in a container to Poland for refinishing. They are progressing well and should be back here in Mid-April. 

To do this we borrowed a set of fittings from Bermuda High. We also had to buy a 40 ft high bay container. The fittings took 4 gliders in our case but could take 5. 

Is anyone interested in buying the container from us and repeating the process in the fall? 

The fittings are on loan to all comers- in other words, we don't own them but agreed to supply them to anyone that wanted them on the basis that they be re-loaned.

Pete

978 877 7692

[Bill Tisdale]

Pete, there is a contact in Condor Proving Grounds that might be interested. I think he has Beckley's information.

Bill

[Michael N.]

That's me. On condor proving grounds. Thanks!

Mike N.

[Peter March]

thanks, Bill! Give John or I a call, Michael if you are interested. 

[Tom Seim]

What was your total cost per glider, finishing, shipping, tariffs, taxes, etc.?

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[Peter March]

It works out at about $30-38k per aircraft all in with the container, shipping, insurance and other expenses. All 4 owners asked for additional things to be done, and in addition, the shop in Poland found that once the aircraft were stripped, there were a number of essential items- like loose brackets, underlying structural issues- and optional non-essential items-  cockpit painting, oversized play on cockpit fittings, light corrosion on metal fitting in cockpit and more- that brought the cost up from the initial $30k. My aircraft is 18m, and it costs more to finish than the 15m ships. The consolation is that from all accounts, the aircraft will be better than new when we get them back. 

[Stefan Will]

Curious how this compares to the cost of having the refinishing done in the US or Canada.

On Feb 5, 2026, at 8:58 AM, Peter March <peter....@outlook.com> wrote:

It works out at about $30-38k per aircraft all in with the container, shipping, insurance and other expenses. All 4 owners asked for additional things to be done, and in addition, the shop in Poland found that once the aircraft were stripped, there were a number of essential items- like loose brackets, underlying structural issues- and optional non-essential items-  cockpit painting, oversized play on cockpit fittings, light corrosion on metal fitting in cockpit and more- that brought the cost up from the initial $30k. My aircraft is 18m, and it costs more to finish than the 15m ships. The consolation is that from all accounts, the aircraft will be better than new when we get them back. 

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[Greg Arnold]

I have no first hand experience, but a US refinisher with a very good reputation who does several gliders a year recently estimated $40 to $45K to refinish an 18m ship.  

So not hugely more expensive to have it done in the US.  But doing it in the US certainly has some advantages.  You wouldn't have to find other owners to share the shipping cost.  You wouldn't have to pack the glider in a container.  You wouldn't have the fear of damage during shipping.  You wouldn't have a language barrier.  You could drop by the shop to see how the refinishing job is going.  You could inspect the final result before accepting delivery.  If there are any disputes, you wouldn't be dealing with a foreign legal system.

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[Tom Swanson]

Yes, I was interested when Bermuda high was looking to pass the container on but did not act. I guess you did. I am interested in getting in on the next group. 

On Friday, January 30, 2026 at 3:58:24 PM UTC-5 Peter March wrote:

[Ian Molesworth]

I have refinished 2 sailplanes. A 15m LS1-d and a Libelle 201 ( which also onvolved extensive, write off level, repairs ). I have also patched and repaired a few others. 

I estimate about 300 hours of hard graft removing the gel and or paint and reprofiling and 100 hours of repainting and actal finishing.

It is a HUGE manual job but NOT beyond the capabilities of most competent DIYers with the guidance of a decent inspector.

400 hours of minimum wage work plus about 4k to do the spraying part. 

Balance that against ~$35000 and a waiting list of 6 months to 2 years.

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[Tony Condon]

No questions about complying with Part 43 if the work is done in the US either. I've always wondered how that works with the overseas refinishes. I presume (perhaps wrongly) that there are no FAA Airframe Mechanics working at these places in Poland or wherever.

[Hank Nixon]

The hours required generally agrees with our experience.

My experience is that we require about 400 hours to refinish a Std class ship and a bit more for a flapped ship.

The most common quote from folks new to this as the job starts is "there must be an easier way to do this".

There isn't.

It requires available time and a convenient workplace, and a lot of patience.

Having experienced guidance is invaluable.

There are many stories of projects started and not completed.

Current practice of refinish in urethane provides a very nice and durable finish but requires excellent preparation before spraying.

UH 

[Erik Mann]

Interestingly,   when I first signed up to lead my first club refinishing project after great tutoring from Hank and previously Bruce Conrad,  I also figured "there has to be a better way."   As part of the google research I found something from Fred Jiran (well known repair shop in the 70s and 80s).   Fred had  a detailed spreadsheet that added up to 400 hours approximately for a Std Class glider.    The fact that a well known professional who as also known as an innovator came up with the same number was both affirming and also disappointing :-)       

P3