Helicopter & Rotorcraft Detailing.
Aviation-grade detailing for Robinson R22/R44/R66, Bell 206/407/429, Airbus AS350/H125, Sikorsky — turbine and piston rotorcraft.
Helicopters are different — bubble canopy acrylic, skid landing gear, sensitive rotor systems we don't touch. We treat the airframe with extreme care and respect what's overhead.
Service specs
Why helicopters is different.
Helicopters are unlike any fixed-wing aircraft we work on. The cabin is a bubble — typically acrylic that needs Plexus, never glass cleaner. The landing gear is skids that pack mud, gravel, and brush dust from off-airport landings. The tail boom collects bug strikes and exhaust soot on turbines. Above all of that, sensitive rotor systems that we do not touch — main rotor blades are inspected at every 100-hour interval, and any unauthorized cleaning could affect that inspection. We work the airframe with extreme care: canopy, doors, skids, tail boom, intake guards, vinyl interior, leather seats. We do not clean rotor blades. We do not touch the main rotor head grease. We do not polish anything on the rotor mast. The pilot or A&P handles all of that.
Helicopter acrylic canopies are even more critical than fixed-wing windshields — the entire forward visibility is plexi or polycarbonate, and a crazed canopy is an immediate maintenance issue. Skids and gear absorb dirt from every off-airport landing — ranch work, EMS, sightseeing, training all involve unimproved landing zones. Turbine engines (Allison/Rolls-Royce M250 on Bell 206/407, Turbomeca Arriel on AS350, Honeywell HTS900 on AS350 B3, Pratt & Whitney PT6 on some) have exhaust patterns that stain the tail boom. Piston helicopters (Robinson R22/R44) leak oil that drips down the cabin floor and tail boom. Every model has its own quirks. We work them.
Texas reality check. Texas helicopter operations cover ranching, EMS (San Antonio AirLIFE), sightseeing at Hill Country resorts, training schools at Stinson and Hondo, and a fleet of executive/owner-flown Robinsons and Bells. Bird-strike feather residue on the airframe is common. Ranch work brings caliche dust into every crevice. Coastal sightseeing tours pick up salt residue. We handle every situation, and we never touch the rotors.
The helicopters protocol.
Walk-around with the pilot or owner — confirm explicitly: we do not clean rotor blades, do not touch the main rotor head, do not polish the mast. Pilot's confirmation is recorded.
Mask pitot tube, static port (where applicable), antennas, exhaust stack, intake guards.
Bubble canopy acrylic: Plexus or PlastX cleaning only. Fresh microfiber per panel. Inspect for crazing and report findings.
Doors and windows: same Plexus treatment.
Tail boom: bug-strike pre-soak and removal on turbines; oil-residue degrease on piston helicopters (R22/R44).
Skids: pressure rinse, scrub for caliche and mud, polish painted areas.
Cabin interior: vacuum, leather conditioning (Bell 407 / AS350 leather interiors), vinyl wipe-down (Robinson), screen-safe avionics cleaning.
Intake guards (where present): clean by hand, never water-spray. Engine cowling polish.
Fuselage exterior hand-polish — never rotary on sensitive sheet metal.
Registration markings (N-number) cleaned and protected.
Final walk: rotor blades visually confirmed untouched. Photo log handed off.
What's included.
Every item on this list runs on every helicopters job. No upsells at the door.
Common add-ons for helicopters
- Aircraft ceramic coating (rotorcraft exterior)
- Heavy oil-residue degrease (older Robinsons with chronic leak)
- Cabin leather restoration / re-dye consultation (Bell, AS350, Sikorsky)
- Intake guard polish and intake duct interior wipe
- Quarterly subscription for high-flight-hour operators (EMS, sightseeing)
Models we see most.
Robinson piston helicopters
Robinson R22, Robinson R22 Beta II, Robinson R44 Raven I / II / Clipper / Cadet, Robinson R66 Marine / Turbine. Robinson is the trainer king — common at flight schools across San Antonio.
Bell turbine helicopters
Bell 47 (vintage), Bell 206 JetRanger / LongRanger, Bell 407, Bell 407GXi, Bell 429 GlobalRanger, Bell 412 / 412EP, Bell 505 Jet Ranger X. Most common turbine in EMS, sightseeing, and corporate.
Airbus, Sikorsky, MD
Airbus AS350 / H125 / H130 / H145 (Eurocopter EC130 etc), Sikorsky S-76 (corporate VIP), MD 500 / 520N / 600N (NOTAR series, no tail rotor), Schweizer 269/300, Enstrom 280. Larger and more exotic rotorcraft.
What owners always ask.
No — that's an A&P or pilot's task and is connected to maintenance inspections. We work the airframe only. The pilot or maintenance crew handles all rotor system cleaning. This is non-negotiable.
Yes — our aviation liability rider covers ground operations on rotorcraft. We can provide a Certificate of Insurance to your hangar or operator before the appointment.
No — we use Plexus or PlastX exclusively with fresh microfiber. We've trained extensively on acrylic care. Crazed canopies on Robinsons, Bells, and AS350s are something we've seen often (from other operators using glass cleaner) — we never cause it.
Yes — caliche and Texas backcountry dirt come off the skids with pre-soak, pressure rinse, and brush work. Painted skid covers we hand-polish after cleaning.
Yes — Stinson-based flight schools, Hondo training operations, and EMS bases (AirLIFE, AirEvac, etc.) are regular customers. We can work between missions to minimize downtime, and we can handle multiple airframes in one visit.
A Robinson R44 standard detail runs 5-6 hours. A Bell 407 with full interior leather conditioning runs 7-8 hours. An AS350/H125 with heavy tail boom degrease and full cabin runs 8-10 hours.
A Robinson R22/R44 standard detail starts at $600. A Bell 407 or AS350 with full interior leather runs $1,200-1,800. A Sikorsky S-76 or larger corporate rotorcraft with full restoration runs $2,000-2,500. Quote after walk-around.
Park it. We'll handle it.
We come to your driveway, dock, RV park, or hangar. Same care, every job.