CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Painting your RV at AEROSTYLL

Acquired at the end of winter 2022, there was one important step left for my RV8: painting! The plane having been very carefully assembled, I did not want to mess up on this final touch.
After a few discussions with friends and members of the VCF, a name quickly emerged in the world of professional aeronautical painters: AEROSTYLL.

This company, based in Lézignan-Corbières in Aude, has been operating since 2004 and has built a solid reputation for the quality of its work with more than 500 projects to date. Many Van’s have been painted at home and many other aircraft: jets, BE36, TBM 9XX, etc.

The company is managed by Jérôme and Violette LERREFAIT, assisted by a team of graphic designers and painters.

After careful consideration, I chose to use this address and offer here feedback for all those who would consider (re)painting their plane at home. I’ll let other customer members of this company complete this post by adding their comments.

Pricing

Let’s talk about cost from the outset because we all know that this is the crux of the matter when you have already spent several years and spent a lot in the construction or acquisition of a Van’s.

As a corollary of the quality it offers, AEROSTYLL is an address at the very top of the basket when it comes to budget! The quote from them is obviously variable and depends on the complexity of the livery (the choice of painting patterns under the plane for example), but it significantly exceeds 10,000 euros for a Van’s. The painting of my RV8 (medium complexity) for example cost 12,000 euros but I can assure you that this price is perfectly justified: expertise required, working time, quality of the preparation, quality of the primer, the paint, the varnish, etc. Observing the processes (with the photo file provided at the end of the work), but also receiving the plane, allows us to quickly understand the scale of the task carried out.

Planning

Building on its success, the schedule is quite full at AEROSTYLL. In November 2022 when I picked up my RV8, reservations were on the table until the end of 2023! Watch out for deadlines if you have made up your mind, although holes sometimes become available to process a Van’s.
On request, a detailed estimate will be sent to you, a duration of work of 2 to 3 weeks is expected and a deposit of 10% is necessary to enter into a contract.
Once an agreement has been reached, reserving a slot becomes possible and the waiting begins… It will be virtuous because it will allow you to “sort out ideas”!

Progress

A period of exciting exchanges begins quite early with the company’s graphic designers. The pilot is free to bring his ideas, his favorite colors or to give carte blanche, there is no shortage of very original ideas there. The possibilities are quite incredible, in particular almost all shades are possible from Twingo yellow to Ferrari Roma red or Boeing blue!

Receiving the first models by email is a truly exciting moment. And No Limit (or almost) because these models will multiply to adjust the smallest detail until the end.

My advice: give yourself a little time between each major adjustment so as not to get carried away too quickly, let the excitement die down, which is sure to overwhelm you, and keep a cool head.

When the big day arrives, it’s time to ferry your plane. Your arrival at Lézignan is possible by air (tax of 6 euros at LFMZ) or by road if you dismantle your plane. For those who don’t know this region, it is often sunny, magnificent from the sky with its reliefs, you will have to be careful of the wind (tramontane in particular) often blowing in gusts: the approaches can be… rock n’ roll!

AEROSTYLL is super welcoming, really. They provide a clean hangar for your dismantling and can even lend you some tools for troubleshooting. Trust is essential, we leave you the keys to finish late, access the toilets, etc.

Most of you have probably built your plane and will master this disassembly. It can be relatively quick but I’ll pass on the advice that was given to me: get help so you don’t damage anything, do it calmly. Dominique C. (he built 2 RV8s!!) came to help me and I can’t thank him enough.

I had obviously planned the tools, a torch, a set of 100 zip bags (10×15) for all my hardware, a marker to mark the bags, etc. We must dismantle all the fiber parts, the access hatches, the canopy, all the control surfaces. Everything is provided to store neatly.

Concept and receipt

Three weeks later, I was able to come back and admire the work! AEROSTYLL suggested total surprise to me by not communicating any images during the process. Personally, I followed the advice and played the game… They were right!

The Wow effect is guaranteed when the hangar is opened, even though a lot of things still need to be put back together to judge the final appearance. But what emotion! The plane is a mirror, everything has been carefully smoothed when necessary, every detail has been treated with astonishing delicacy!

In fact and as always in painting, the choice of the right products is important but even more so it is the preparation which is fundamental. And on this point AEROSTYLL is a master of the art. The surfaces are all examined carefully, the imperfections are all retouched, the fiber parts coated, sanded, re-coated, the paint is applied, the stencils are laid, the colors added, everything is re-sanded, varnished, frosted, re-coated. -varnished, steamed, etc. With strict control of cabin temperature and humidity at each stage. In short, a real painstaking job, long, demanding, incredible!

Another significant consideration: weight gain is very limited when you go to this type of specialist. A Van’s only takes a few kilos (between 8 and 12 on average) thanks to real professional work careful not to overload the surfaces.

With all due respect, never hope to achieve such a result in your garage with equipment from CastoMerlin!

Reassembly takes longer, you have to be even more careful with the now painted parts. In this regard, the advice on dismantling is even more relevant: get help!

But we leave you alone, no pressure to vacate the premises, the hangar is yours, we help you whenever necessary, offer you a coffee, etc. It’s a great moment of happiness to see the puzzle come together, to live this waking dream.

Conclusion

Needless to say, I’m delighted! The choice of a professional workshop such as AEROSTYLL is a very personal matter, it can be discussed but the facts are there: this address very probably offers one of the best possible services in terms of painting to magnify your aircraft, guaranteeing it a lasting value in the weather. I recommend it without hesitation.

I was lucky enough to be able to choose them and the quality of their work is impeccable. They are also extremely welcoming, passionate, great facilitators for you.

So if you still have a few dollars left at the end of construction, go for it, it’s an investment that is well worth it. Plus they love Van’s!

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, I will try to answer them with pleasure.

Getting there, where to stay, where to eat…

Lézignan is approximately in the center of the Montpellier-Toulouse-Perpignan triangle if you wish to fly between your deliveries. The train then takes approximately 1h20/1h30 between these three towns and Lézignan. Car rental is also a solution to these cities if the cost does not put you off.

For accommodation, several possibilities if necessary: the Mas de Gaujac 1.8 km away (20 min walk) is a very good small hotel: clean, comfortable, affordable with a respectable catering offer. A TOP address in town is the gite “la Villa du Chai”: a few euros more but a real character, intimate, very comfortable, adorable and truly welcoming owners.

For meals: some very good tables around but pay attention to the hours and closing days. The Kimchi in Lézignan is excellent, the Tournedos has very good press, more generally, Google ratings above 4.5 seem reliable enough in this area to have a good time.

Salutations to all !

Emmanuel