Should anything be done to an airplane that lived near the coast

[marcusku]

I recently moved into an Ovation and one mark against it was it last lived in Ft. Lauderdale.  It doesn't have any signs of corrosion and the obvious areas of the airplane are clean.  I'm wondering if I need to worry about "salt dust" in internal areas?  If it exists I can't imagine there is anything that one could do?  Many areas of the airplane can't be hosed off.  Appreciate any suggestions.  

[ArtVandelay]

When was the last time it was treated with corrosion protection?

[mike_elliott]

oh no! It's doomed! 

If the prebuy didn't uncover any corrosion issues, your probably good. I would put a coat of acf 50 on it, and then maybe next year follow with boshield. 

And I don't care where it is going to live now

[Red Leader]

It is a combination of storage and treatment. If the plane was left outside near the coast, even with treatment, corrosion would find a way to appear. My plane lived a chunk of its life in Myrtle Beach but was always stored inside. Because it's been treated (and stored in a heated/cooled hangar) I have had little to no issues with corrosion. Purchasing a costal plane is always risky - a good prebuy is key.

[marcusku]

As near as I can tell, it hasn't had any recent treatments so I'll have to look into that.  It's going to live in WI now but we still get plenty of humidity here.  It was hangered in its prior life so that helps.  I wonder how much salt is really in the air?  Since it doesn't evaporate the only way it could make it on the airplane is in dust form.  

[ArtVandelay]

I live 200 yards from ocean and get surface salt layer on my car, but the airport is about 5 miles inland and it doesn’t seem to get any in normal weather conditions. Salt attracts water so it’s heavy and will sink (dew) which is why you get the surface salt layer. Now if it was tied down during tropical storms that could be a different story.
Normally airports insist that all tied down planes be either hangared or flown elsewhere.

[Ragsf15e]

17 hours ago, marcusku said:

I recently moved into an Ovation and one mark against it was it last lived in Ft. Lauderdale.  It doesn't have any signs of corrosion and the obvious areas of the airplane are clean.  I'm wondering if I need to worry about "salt dust" in internal areas?  If it exists I can't imagine there is anything that one could do?  Many areas of the airplane can't be hosed off.  Appreciate any suggestions.  

An acf-50 spray inside the wings, tail and appropriate fuselage area is pretty easy and relatively cheap.  Add that to flying a lot (which lubes engine parts), and keeping it in a hangar and you’ll be fine.

[marcusku]

Thanks for the replies.  Sounds like I may have been over thinking it in terms of salt getting everywhere inside the airplane.  

[carusoam]

Go O! 

+1 for hangar protection…

That, and a good PPI is the best protection your wallet can get.

Best regards,

-a-