I cant find a hangar.

Fatherof2

Fatherof2

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Fatherof2
Hi Gang,
I have been on a tie down for over a year. I just found out that if one becomes available, it will now be 600 per month. I'm not sure that I want to pay that even if one becomes available. That said, can I hear from people that have been on a tie down long term? Is my plane going to get destroyed? I live in Massachusetts, so we get all kinds of weather.
Love to hear from those that have experience with this.
Thanks very much!
 
Airplanes live outside all the time. Keep it waxed, make sure it is sealed against the weather (canopy cover?) and make sure all the drain holes are clear. The money you save on hangar expense will more than pay for any extra upkeep from leaving the aircraft outside... Other than corrosion. You have to take precautions against that.
 
When my hangar at KBED went from $505 to $606/month (more than 10 years ago), I bailed from my hangar.

My (1974) cherokee only spent a few years in a hangar, almost all of it's existence has been on a tie-down... in New England.

A hangar is nice, but not $600/month nice (at least for my bugsmasher)
 
5 years for me. Still haven't "won" the iterated lottery that is the hangar wait list. I think various hamfisted apes (myself included) have done more damage to my plane than the elements.
 
You are lucky you have a tie down. I had to scramble to find a tie down spot at another airport 30 minutes further down the road from my home airport. My home airport (KRYY) has a 2 year waiting list for a tie down.

Hangar space? Never going to even be an option I'm afraid.

Kyleb has great advice. Two weeks from now I'm getting my new-to-me plane scrubbed, polished, and ceramic coated to get it ready for its new life outside in a tie down spot. (And some heavy duty sun shades. And whatever else I can think of.) If you haven't already done so, much want to look into something like that. Not cheap, but should help quite a bit to protect the paint and help fight corrosion.
 
Bob Noel said:
When my hangar at KBED went from $505 to $606/month (more than 10 years ago), I bailed from my hangar.

My (1974) cherokee only spent a few years in a hangar, almost all of it's existence has been on a tie-down... in New England.

A hangar is nice, but not $600/month nice (at least for my bugsmasher)
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Thanks Bob.................that makes me feel better! I am up at KLWM, so we are in the same boat. They are building new hangars at KLWM which are selling for 135K - 350K depending on which size..........plus monthly fees.

Are you using full covers? I'm thinking about doing that.
 
Shepherd said:
Welcome to one of the ugly parts of flying almost never mentioned in the glossy magazines.
Do NOT keep a fabric airplane outside. You are just asking for expensive trouble.
JMHO
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Thankfully, my plane is not fabric.
 
WDD said:
You are lucky you have a tie down. I had to scramble to find a tie down spot at another airport 30 minutes further down the road from my home airport. My home airport (KRYY) has a 2 year waiting list for a tie down.

Hangar space? Never going to even be an option I'm afraid.

Kyleb has great advice. Two weeks from now I'm getting my new-to-me plane scrubbed, polished, and ceramic coated to get it ready for its new life outside in a tie down spot. (And some heavy duty sun shades. And whatever else I can think of.) If you haven't already done so, much want to look into something like that. Not cheap, but should help quite a bit to protect the paint and help fight corrosion.
Click to expand...
I agree with you...........just had it ceramic coated 2 months ago.
 
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Hangar shortages is the story across the country. The Feds don’t have the money to build more outside of a public/private partnership, which is why you’re seeing ground leases become the new norm.
 
Fatherof2 said:
Thanks Bob.................that makes me feel better! I am up at KLWM, so we are in the same boat. They are building new hangars at KLWM which are selling for 135K - 350K depending on which size..........plus monthly fees.

Are you using full covers? I'm thinking about doing that.
Click to expand...

No. I did use a cabin cover (Kennon iirc) mostly to keep the sun from baking the avionics. (sold the planein 2012 - long story)

(did my primary training at KLWM)
 
I keep my airplane on an outside tie down during the summer. If you can find a hanger for 600 a month in the Boston metro area good luck. I keep the airplane waxed and use a cockpit cover with good results when up north. I had a liberty with full covers which worked well. Only thing I would be worried about any hail.
 
I think I got lucky?
In 2018 when I started going my airport to my friends hangar to fly his 172, there was at least 2 hangars available.
I know that because when my friends pre paid year of hangar rent ran out I told the airport manager that I was taking over the hangar and rent. He said I got 2 other hangars you might be interested in because they faced the east to help melt the snow in the mornings and cooler in the shadows in the afternoon. They cost 15 bucks more per month. I moved to one of them.
Now since at least 2022 there is waiting list for hangars. There are 2 maybe 3 or 4 on outside tie downs on asphalt waiting for a hangar at our small airport.
BTW they have many ties downs out in a grass field. Tires circle the tie downs. There were 2 derelict planes out there for years. One is still there.
I just pre paid for a year hangar rent on 7-2-24. Used to be you would get a whole month free that way, they changed it to a 1/2 month free. Almost not worth pre paying. At least the hangar rent did not go up this year.
 
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For those that live in the colder areas, how do you deal with snow?
 
I’ve kept my AA-5B outside for seven years with no ill effects. As mentioned above hail is the one thing to worry about - I’d ask the airport about overnight availability of hangars & get ready to pay to store your plane in a hangar overnight if severe T’storms or hail is forecast. Otherwise that’s what insurance is for. Also, go over the plane every six months looking for chipped paint and places where primer or paint need to be touched up.
 
In NW Wisconsin (KSSQ). Best in snow country is a SW facing hangar with asphalt taxiways. Keep a snow blower in the hangar. Silicon spray is wonderful for preventing ice from sticking.
 
So the question, is that purported dearth of storage having a chilling effect in discretionary spending in this space? If no, then what is anybody belly aching about? Further, is it having a chilling effect on aircraft prices? If yes, then I actually welcome more shortages.

It doesn't strike me as though the answer to either question is yes. To be clear, other macroeconomic factors are having those effects. Storage doesn't appear to be part of that calculus for most, anecdotes about people walking away from the hobby on singular account of no-hangar notwithstanding.
 
nrpetersen said:
In NW Wisconsin (KSSQ). Best in snow country is a SW facing hangar with asphalt taxiways. Keep a snow blower in the hangar. Silicon spray is wonderful for preventing ice from sticking.
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Curious, why is SW the best direction to face?
It seems most of the weather around comes from the west and southwest. I would have snow drifts up against the door and it would hot in the late afternoons during the summer.

"For those that live in the colder areas, how do you deal with snow?"
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We typically don't get that much snow.
And our airport only has about 45 hangars.
The college that owns the airport has plow trucks come do the runway and taxiways but not the aprons.
There are about a half a dozen frequent flyers and the FOB hand shovels/snow blower the aprons for us.
This my hangar, I pulled up and said dam I got get a picture of this and backed up for the picture. Pretty good service from the FBO.
001_10.jpg

002_11.jpg


003_8.jpg
 
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The plow trucks were just getting started this day. No I didn't help with my plow although I have before.
I fired up the heater in my hangar and waited for the runway to open which I am pretty sure it did this day.
011_9.jpg

028_1.jpg
 
Gary Ward said:
Curious, why is SW the best direction to face?
It seems most of the weather around comes from the west and southwest. I would have snow drifts up against the door and it would hot in the late afternoons during the summer.



We typically don't get that much snow.
And our airport only has about 45 hangars.
The college that owns the airport has plow trucks come do the runway and taxiways but not the aprons.
There are about a half a dozen frequent flyers and the FOB hand shovels/snow blower the aprons for us.
This my hangar, I pulled up and said dam I got get a picture of this and backed up for the picture. Pretty good service from the FBO.
001_10.jpg

002_11.jpg


003_8.jpg
Click to expand...


In Wisconsin, SW facing hangars are preferred to gain the benefit of the sun melting the berm of snow created by the snowplows and also preventing a big chunk of ice forming at the base of the door
 
Gary Ward said:
Curious, why is SW the best direction to face?
It seems most of the weather around comes from the west and southwest. I would have snow drifts up against the door and it would hot in the late afternoons during the summer.
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Same reason I Elk hunt northing facing slopes. Sunlight. South side of the slope is a freaking desert. Crest and once on the north side, it's a forest with shade.

The silicone spray is something I'm gonna try. Always gotta chip ice from the windrow of the plow
 
Gary Ward said:
Curious, why is SW the best direction to face?
It seems most of the weather around comes from the west and southwest. I would have snow drifts up against the door and it would hot in the late afternoons during the summer.

We typically don't get that much snow.
Click to expand...

That's not snow, this is snow.
1720900750214.jpeg


Don't ever buy or rent a hangar with a north facing door in the north country. It's the kiss of death. There's no sun to help melt the snow and ice. If you don't keep it clean everytime it snows it will melt and re-freeze enough to turn to ice and freeze the door down until spring.
 
I bought my (new to me) Ercoupe with metal wings instead of the (usual) fabric - because I knew I would be on a ramp tiedown. There is a five year waiting list for hangars at the two airports near me in southern Delaware. I got one of the last three ramp spaces available the one slightly farther from home - because it is several miles inland instead of right on the beach (salt air). When a T-hangar becomes available it is in the $800/month range. That $9600 per year can pay for a lot of maintenance or even be a good chunk of 'nother plane upgrade every other year.
 
Every time a thread like this comes up I'm compelled to show this off... Find someone with a hangar and split rent.

IMG_20230517_201459354_HDR.jpg
 
WDD said:
You are lucky you have a tie down. I had to scramble to find a tie down spot at another airport 30 minutes further down the road from my home airport. My home airport (KRYY) has a 2 year waiting list for a tie down.

Hangar space? Never going to even be an option I'm afraid.

Kyleb has great advice. Two weeks from now I'm getting my new-to-me plane scrubbed, polished, and ceramic coated to get it ready for its new life outside in a tie down spot. (And some heavy duty sun shades. And whatever else I can think of.) If you haven't already done so, much want to look into something like that. Not cheap, but should help quite a bit to protect the paint and help fight corrosion.
Click to expand...

Are also getting a CorrosionX treatment?
 
During my ownership of three different airplanes, I had hangars facing N, S, E and West. The best one was facing south in Duluth, Minnesota. Despite the cold, the snow melted fairly quickly on the asphalt in front of the hangar. I've been in the upper Midwest for many years, and always kept a snow blower in my hangar to clear what the plows left right in front of the door. But you have to keep up with it, because snow melting off the roof in front of the hangar door will freeze and form an ice ridge. You need an ice chopper to at least make room for the wheels to get through that ridge.

I moved back to Wisconsin in 2005, and quickly found a west-facing hangar at Central Wisconsin Airport for $85 a month. That is not a typo. They had three vacant hangars at the time. There have been rent increases since then, but it is still dirt cheap compared to other areas. The most I ever paid for a hangar was $145 per month.
 
WDD said:
Hadn’t heard of it. I’ll look into it.
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Every time I read one of these posts I give thanks for being in a rural area . My T hanger rent is 440 $ a year.
The airport plows to within 6” of the door.
It faces SE . Morning sun is nice.
Prevailing winds are SW.
 
10 to 15 years sitting on the ramp paint and interior suffer, if you have new avionics theft or other damage could cost more or about the same as hanger rent over the years.
 
Racerx said:
Every time a thread like this comes up I'm compelled to show this off... Find someone with a hangar and split rent.

View attachment 131297
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I doubt the pilot on top is likely to go out to the airport for only just 1 or two laps in the pattern on some random evening when the wx is nice and they have a few spare minutes...
or even just to go get the thing ready for a big trip "tomorrow".

I suppose better than nothing, but seems like a lot of work
 
Brad W said:
I doubt the pilot on top is likely to go out to the airport for only just 1 or two laps in the pattern on some random evening when the wx is nice and they have a few spare minutes...
or even just to go get the thing ready for a big trip "tomorrow".

I suppose better than nothing, but seems like a lot of work
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It takes maybe 10 minutes.
 
Yikes. Most I've ever paid is $290/mo all in (including power, but not heat). Still worth it, especially here in snow country.

Right now, I pay less than that despite being at one of the busiest airports in the state. I share a hangar bay with a Cherokee 235 and a Pitts S-2C. Nobody needs to move anyone else's airplane to get in and out.
 
I won the hangar lottery. Bought the new plane, found a hangar a week before buying, moved in and have been very happy. The hangar owner had just put a for rent note up maybe an hour before and I was first to call.
 
I lived in the DC area when I bought my Maule and the wait time for hangars in that densely populated area was 8-10 years. I didn't want my fabric covered airplane left outside, so I cold called and/or visited private airports with large hangars and asked owners if they had space for a Maule they'd be willing to rent to me. I got a lot of rejections, but one fellow not only rented part of his hangar to me, he let me use his extensive tool collection when doing the limited maintenance I was able to do myself (oil changes etc.). We became friends. It's an option you should consider if you'd like to keep your plane indoors.
 
I used to have rental homes.
Good rules of thumb for rental rates were to charge 1-2% of home value per month rent.
What can a hangar be built for?
What percent of value are they rented for?
I built a simple storage building a few years ago. Residential quality.
10k concrete.
10k labor.
3k electric
20k kit.
Farm use so minimal inspections or codes.
@RyanB how much to build?
 
4RNB said:
I used to have rental homes.
Good rules of thumb for rental rates were to charge 1-2% of home value per month rent.
What can a hangar be built for?
What percent of value are they rented for?
I built a simple storage building a few years ago. Residential quality.
10k concrete.
10k labor.
3k electric
20k kit.
Farm use so minimal inspections or codes.
@RyanB how much to build?
Click to expand...
Is the site pad ready? How accessible is water, electric and sewer? Do you want those utilities? Are you funding it privately or is there state/federal monies involved? All things to consider, as the answers to these questions will impact pricing considerably. I’ve been seeing in the neighborhood of $275sq/ft.
 
RyanB said:
Is the site pad ready? How accessible is water, electric and sewer? Do you want those utilities? Are you funding it privately or is there state/federal monies involved? All things to consider, as the answers to these questions will impact pricing considerably. I’ve been seeing in the neighborhood of $275sq/ft.
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I’m guessing 1000 sq ft for standard t hangar? So $275,000 construction costs?
So $2,750 per month is what it should rent for?

Around my area over the past few years single family home rents went up a lot, maybe 50%.
I’ve not hear of GA hangars going up much.
 
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