I started to post this in another thread, but didn't want to hijack or derail it.
All we keep hearing about is the decline of GA, less pilots, less airplanes, etc., etc. Then everywhere I go, I hear about hangar space being at a premium if even available. Airports all around have waiting lists years long.
Now I know the common problem is non flying airplanes tying up hangar space, even though not true here, but what is causing the supply/demand issue for hangars in a declining industry? Are more people preferring to hangar rather than tie down outside?
I'd love to hear other people's theories. Given I am an airport manager, it could be useful.
Several things, not necessarily in order and for all I know already covered above:
Increased demand for planes and rising value of planes has more owners wanting it covered or inside. This is especially true for avionics upgrades. Do you really want that $7200 ASDB upgrade park on a ramp where it rains, hails, snows, etc.
More experimental planes being built. They also want hangars. Our old airport had a major share of ultralights 25yrs ago. As that faded the hangars were filled with more and more GA planes. Now several of those very GA planes just don't fly. There is a sweet fastback 3-bladed 182, Dakota and this cheery looking 150 that have not moved an inch in 10yrs. Thankfully nothing else (eg boats) in those hangars. Now we have kitfox, challenger and few RV and Zenith builders with planes that are flying. I would say about half of the new renters are light sport. But none of them are Basic Med. All could pass 3rd class. It more about a cool shift to fun, low and slow with car gas at way lower cost.
Lease "Work Arounds". Mentioned above was unapproved subletting. The other more popular version (also mentioned above I think) is a pilot wants a plane and a hangar. The hangar is impossible to find. he finds someone at the airport who wouldn't mind a silent partner. So now the new pilot is using that hangar and plane. As long as the plane stays in the original owners name the airport lease is not invalid. This happens at our airport. You meet some great people that way so nothing against them. And that old plane keeps flying. But a new spot never opens up. So that list with 42 names on it doesn't even get looked at.
Cheaper hangars at larger airports are being displaced with "modern" hangars. In this case I am not talking about mega 16,000sqft hangars. Instead, seeing a block of 3...5 old T-hangars replaced with a 60x60 hangar with large hydraulic doors on each side storing (2) SR22's, one facing each way. Those new hangars are running about $275K...$300K. Definitely business LLC aircraft. So 2 new cirrus LLC's just displaced 3..5 of (you pick: Bo, Lance, Toga, Cherokee, Archer, any Cessna, any Grumman, etc).
Hangar construction costs along with lending issues on leased land are only hurting new hangar construction.
Hangar construction process and city involvement tend toward negative or neutral at best as there isn't much perceived benefit from smaller airports.
Stupid Lease Rules. Often the primary requirement is a registered aircraft. So you can just start an experimental build. Or literally have N Number and some of the parts in the hangar. Bingo...one more hangar that will never hold a flyable aircraft.
The big topic. Old planes. But so many reasons. I would guess for most the owner hasn't even seen that decrepit plane in 10yrs. If that person could own a plane 10yrs ago they are probably financially well enough off today that they can sustain the low rental payments until death and the estate can continue it for years afterwards. Add to that a wife or kids who have no love of aviation so they just continue to pay the bill for dad because they have no clue how to sell/dump the airplane. All they knew was that it was very expensive. So they renew the registration (Fed and state) every so often for about $150 total. They probably pay the "storage only" insurance once a year. So there is large enough chunk of cash in the bank estate to not have to deal with it for a long, long time.
I will list this separately. There is just no easy way to get rid of a old, non-airworthy airplane. Its complicated by a buyer who doesn't want to get burned. Even if you could auction them...they have to be take apart (which is hard for old or new owner to accept). Even for scrap the buyer needs to spend their time (money) to rip it apart, transport and then hold any items that could be resold.
I have invitations from about 20+ renters and the Cafe to come over anytime and do "Pastor at the Airport" functions.
