poweroff360
Pre-Flight
So, I like my airport and FBO, problem is, it's nearly an hour drive to get down there. I'm on the list for a T-Hangar but currently share a box hangar with a guy with a 172, it does get old pushing him in and out, especially since I seem to fly 5:1 more than him (Well, not really, he flies someone else's helicopter everyday), but he has the "light" plane so he gets the frontFor my efforts, I get to pay 50 bucks more than the guys with their T-Hangar man caves all to themselves. I have my desk, tool box, tool cabinet, vacuum, fridge, microwave, carpet etc.. etc.. etc.. in there. My little oasis "in the back".
Anyway, I called the airport THAT I WORK AT and is a few minutes from my house, and they'll rent me a tie down spot for 75 bucks a month. The idea is too keep the tie down space available as "a staging area" for a couple of after work flight lessons a week and keep the plane in the hangar for any extended amounts of time. i.e. fly plane to tie down on Sat/Sun and fly it back to hangar on Wed/Thursday afternoon. OK that's stupid but considering they want a 20 something buck ramp fee for the privilege of taxing off the runway, it doesn't seem to far fetched to grab the tie down and take the cut rate on fuel. My CFI (who works with me) is willing to fly with me "most" weekends from my current airport, but having the plane parked outside my office and getting a few lessons in a week is more desirable.
So, I call the other FBO *cough* Signature *cough* to make sure I was still on the waiting list for a hangar (that I've been on for 7 months now) and to generally get a feel for the situation there. After some talking, he says he'll put me in "the community hangar while I wait for a T-Hangar" at *cough* Signature *cough* for 100 bucks a month more than my current box hangar situation. That's only 25 bucks more than my current plan of "hangar + tie down". Their advertised fuel prices are $3.00/gal more than my current airport but I got him to give me a more realistic, but still high, number for a "tenant rate" and most of my flying is to other places with more reasonable fuel.
I really don't like hanging out at larger expensive airports with security cards and high fuel prices, but having to drive an hour to an airport with no CFI on duty is cramping my training and really makes having a plane a real joke for anything less than 400 mile trips.
So, what do I do? Give up my man cave complete with greasy carpet and stocked fridge and pay 100 bucks more a month to move my plane 45 minutes closer and much higher fuel, complete with TSA BS.
Anybody based in a Signature community hangar? They going to give me BS when there's a G650 parked in front of me and I want to go flying? How does that work? The community hangar at a big fancy FBO?
Of all the things I can complain about in aviation, I shrug most off and just sign the check, but not being able to park my plane within a reasonable distance has to be my biggest gripe. Today was the first I've heard of being able to get into a community hangar and I just cant bear the thought of strapping it to ramp in coastal Georgia, I would have had a stroke during the storm we had today.
The similarities between, "what hangar should I rent" and "what size breast implants should I get" are strikingly similar.
Other than the gender part. Most of the time.
