Intro and approach to ownership (Chicken/Egg)

Bug H said:
Would I be wrong to buy an airplane BEFORE having a hangar secured in any of these locations?

This would be my first plane (considering C177 and C182 due to ease of entry for spouse with physical challenges), and a budget of <$75k and fixed/variable of ~$12k/yr.
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Dave Theisen said:
It’s amazing how fast you you move up the waiting list when you have an airplane on the ramp and are buying gas.
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Bug,
My experience (only two locations/iterations) aligns with Dave's. Hangars do seem to come available once you have a plane. I think landlords (FBOs, etc.) see you as serious and not just a gum flapper when you show up with a plane.

Having said that... Consider buying a 172, PA28, or something easy to sell, and get it with a crappy paint job or with hail damage and pay accordingly. This is "money in the bank", as good as having it in the market or in a bank account. But better, because you can't fly a stock or a check. Keep your new beater out on the ramp, don't spend any money on new avionics, interior, etc., learn the ins and outs of maintenance and ownership, and fly it a lot!

When a hangar comes available, use your beater to go and look at 177s, 182s, etc. Beats commercial airliners and rental cars, and makes the aircraft shopping experience almost bearable. Once you buy, put your beater back on the ramp and list it. It'll go fairly quick and you should make out fine financially.

Good luck, and congrats on your retirement!
(USAF Retired, albeit only 23 years)
 
JohnAJohnson said:
Bug,
Consider buying a 172, PA28, or something easy to sell, and get it with a crappy paint job or with hail damage and pay accordingly. This is "money in the bank", as good as having it in the market or in a bank account. But better, because you can't fly a stock or a check. Keep your new beater out on the ramp, don't spend any money on new avionics, interior, etc., learn the ins and outs of maintenance and ownership, and fly it a lot!

When a hangar comes available, use your beater to go and look at 177s, 182s, etc. Beats commercial airliners and rental cars, and makes the aircraft shopping experience almost bearable. Once you buy, put your beater back on the ramp and list it. It'll go fairly quick and you should make out fine financially.
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John, that was one of the most "Master Yoda" bits of advice I think I can recall, and makes very good sense to me. THANK YOU for taking the time to draft those notes. Furthermore, the best thing about upcoming retirement is the (assumed) TIME TO FLY, which is practically non-existent in my position (I love my current "job," but it's a 24/7/365 thing). This "transition" phase will be awkward... I appreciate your wisdom!
 
My airport manager lets you add your name to the hangar waiting list, but when your name comes up you have to prove ownership of an aircraft, registration, and insurance. If you do not have these the airport manager moves on to the next person on the list. This prevents hangars sitting empty or filling up with things other than aircraft...
 
Well, it prevents misuse from the start. Do they require this check annually to renew the lease? I hope they have some way of kicking folks eventually- there are way too many broke planes (like hard and long broke) filling up hangars at airports where flying machines are on the ramp longing to be sheltered.
 
The problem on many smaller airports is people use the hangars for RV storage, classic car storage, business inventory, junk storage, meanwhile aircraft sit tied down on the ramp. My airport conducts hangar inspections annually to check for abuse of the hangar lease agreement. You also must show proof of insurance every year on your aircraft. This protects airport and users, but also proves you still own and hangar an aircraft...
 
yeah, this can be a problem...
I'm in a similar situation. Rusty pilot. I've been toying with the idea of buying something. Got to looking at hangar and tie down options. I have a few airports roughly equidistant. The one most convenient to my work, the one I'd like to focus on has a waiting list for hangars as long as my arm....years out. And the have ZERO tiedown space available. My second choice field has a shorter waiting list for hangars but it could still be a while. They at least have some reasonable tiedown space.
My point....knowing what's available for storage could drive what you get.... in my case, I know rag wing taildraggers are out of the question.

congrats...and thanks for your service!
 
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