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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