Road Bump in Buying a Plane - No Place to Put It

WDD

WDD

Final Approach
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Vintage Snazzy (so my adult children say)
If buying a plane isn't hard enough.....

KRYY - 15 min up the road - Tie Downs, 1 - 2 year waiting list Shared Hangar, don't even ask... (oh yeah, want to know how much??)
KPUJ - 40 min away Tie Downs, none open - maybe in a few months, maybe not. Guy couldn't say. Hangar space? 5 years
KVPC - 45 min away Tie Downs, none open - none will be open. Hangar space? Nope......

To those kvetching about open doors and other indignities with your personal T Hangars, ........ Bless your Heart

Really, I'm retired now, I've got the war chest absurdly funded to pay cash for everything, mechanic lined up, Avionics shop lined up, interior refurbishment guy lined up, escrow, insurance companies lined up, cost estimates for the avionics, lots of "misc", hours in log book in type, wife bugging me to buy the plane. Ready for the hunt. And now I have to figure out where to put the dang thing without having to rent a plane to go where it's parked so I can fly it??
 
WDD said:
If buying a plane isn't hard enough.....

KRYY - 15 min up the road - Tie Downs, 1 - 2 year waiting list Shared Hangar, don't even ask... (oh yeah, want to know how much??)
KPUJ - 40 min away Tie Downs, none open - maybe in a few months, maybe not. Guy couldn't say. Hangar space? 5 years
KVPC - 45 min away Tie Downs, none open - none will be open. Hangar space? Nope......

To those kvetching about open doors and other indignities with your personal T Hangars, ........ Bless your Heart

Really, I'm retired now, I've got the war chest absurdly funded to pay cash for everything, mechanic lined up, Avionics shop lined up, interior refurbishment guy lined up, escrow, insurance companies lined up, cost estimates for the avionics, lots of "misc", hours in log book in type, wife bugging me to buy the plane. Ready for the hunt. And now I have to figure out where to put the dang thing without having to rent a plane to go where it's parked so I can fly it??
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Did you save enough to move away from Atlanta?
 
This is the true cost of closing airports.

Last I heard my local field has something like 80 applicants for hangars. I suspect most tenants don't access their planes. The next closest field, a D has no availability but lots of turnover. Local hangar homes at private fields start at 700k. I think the only reason my club has 4 planes in hangars is because we're one of the oldest club in the Midwest (just announced by AOPA).
 
Try Pickens County (KJZP). I was in the shared hangar at RYY and went there for fuel. Seemed like they had plenty of options
 
Lawnmower flying's the only recreational pursuit I've ever participated in where interested aspirants are driven away 'cuz they literally couldn't find parking, and the brain trust labels it "thriving". Weird f%7n hobby.
 
I thought there was some availability at KLZU recently. I also remember PDK having some, but it was a very large shared hangar and quite pricy.
 
The next level of possible sacrifice for owning would be to live in an aviation community or another town that has a nearby airport with available parking/hangar. That option might be a bit much, and not considering just the dollars. Selling and moving is a big deal.
 
I've been waiting on a hangar for 5 years now but at least I got a tir down. If there weren't any tie downs I'd shoot somebody. How does the supply demand price curve "work" if there ain't some availability? God bless then for fighting the economics of it but ...yeesh. None?!
 
A lift is 15-20k. With hangars so difficult to come by why am I the only one that has one? Granted I know a guy, but still. Split hangar cost with someone that's open to it. 5 years it's paid for itself.
 
That’s brutal. I’ve been in the market for a plane too and have the same issues with hangars. Already on several waitlists that will be 3+ years. Fortunately the closest field to me has plenty of tie down availability.
 
wheaties said:
I've been waiting on a hangar for 5 years now but at least I got a tir down. If there weren't any tie downs I'd shoot somebody. How does the supply demand price curve "work" if there ain't some availability? God bless then for fighting the economics of it but ...yeesh. None?!
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Therein lies the issue. We just built a set of 10 T-Hangars on an already shovel ready site. $1.5 million. That is $150,000 per unit. If it wasn't for grant funding, there is no way our local pilots would have been willing to pay what it would cost to amortize the project. If you figure a 20 year note, that would be $625/month, which at a rural airport is about 2-3x more than anyone would be willing to pay.
 
WDD said:
If buying a plane isn't hard enough.....

KRYY - 15 min up the road - Tie Downs, 1 - 2 year waiting list Shared Hangar, don't even ask... (oh yeah, want to know how much??)
KPUJ - 40 min away Tie Downs, none open - maybe in a few months, maybe not. Guy couldn't say. Hangar space? 5 years
KVPC - 45 min away Tie Downs, none open - none will be open. Hangar space? Nope......

To those kvetching about open doors and other indignities with your personal T Hangars, ........ Bless your Heart

Really, I'm retired now, I've got the war chest absurdly funded to pay cash for everything, mechanic lined up, Avionics shop lined up, interior refurbishment guy lined up, escrow, insurance companies lined up, cost estimates for the avionics, lots of "misc", hours in log book in type, wife bugging me to buy the plane. Ready for the hunt. And now I have to figure out where to put the dang thing without having to rent a plane to go where it's parked so I can fly it??
Click to expand...
And I thought the Chicago area was bad, jeez!

Stories like this is why I get a little peeved when someone opens their hangar and I see they're using it as a big self-storage unit with non-aviation junk.

Hope you find a nice home for your bird!
 
This is why we bought 3ish acres on a private strip for our next/last place we live. And it's not that far from ATL.
 
hindsight2020 said:
and the brain trust labels it "thriving".
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Wait what? I thought it was labeled as declining? I guess it depends on whose axe one is grinding. (actually, I think recall one org labeling it both ways)
 
Look around the area at private strips ,you may get lucky .
 
midwestpa24 said:
Therein lies the issue. We just built a set of 10 T-Hangars on an already shovel ready site. $1.5 million. That is $150,000 per unit. If it wasn't for grant funding, there is no way our local pilots would have been willing to pay what it would cost to amortize the project. If you figure a 20 year note, that would be $625/month, which at a rural airport is about 2-3x more than anyone would be willing to pay.
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Seems with those numbers a few owners might get together and find some affordable land close by and start building ...
 
So fortunately for me, I'm in an area with plenty of hangar space...yet...people with planes are turned away from the airports in my area regularly....Why? Well, many of the hangars are filled with boats, classic cars, etc., instead of planes. ALL the airports in my area that I'm aware of have a clause in their leases that states airplanes get first dibs, BUT...do you think the area airport managers like to tell the new guy that? NOPE! They'd rather let that "dependable, proven leasor" stay than take a risk on someone new with a plane. Recently, a friend tried to rent a hangar at the class C I'm at, and they told him there was a long waiting list. I already knew of NUMEROUS hangars with boats, cars, travel trailers, and even an automotive paint shop that according to the lease, can be booted in 90 days if the hangars are full and a new airplane leasor comes along. I told him, he called the manager back, and suddenly a hangar became available.
 
Ample parking day or night, in our fair city. Tiedowns start at only $100/mo and 40 minutes away.

I still haven't figured out who you need to **** to get a hangar. The "lists" are a joke. Publish the ranked list or GTFO. For the ones that even bother with the kabuki, it's more of an iterated lottery, for the privilege of paying $500/mo for a subsidized parking spot. Double your TCO with this one weird old trick.

pilots: the list is too long!
also pilots: if there's so much demand, why don't you just build more hangars?
also also pilots: wait, only bonanza^Wcirrus^Wtwin^Wjet drivers can afford these new hangars!

"the food at this place is really terrible"
"yeah, i know, and such small portions"
 
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EdFred said:
This is why we bought 3ish acres on a private strip for our next/last place we live. And it's not that far from ATL.
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Got any tie down spots open? :cool:
 
I am seriously looking at buying a piece of property in upstate NY that has a house, hangar and a 2,000 ft turf runway.
The cost for hanger space is now almost $6K a year. I only paid $24K for my plane. That's a plane every 4 years.
 
Doc Holliday said:
Maybe the FAA should build hangars at every airport and subsidize them so owners would only have to pay $100/month for a fully enclosed heated and AC hangar.
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Or FAA should treat airports like it does interstates and other necessary infrastructure.

Airports and its facilities are not free market operations. Thus, if the government controls the supply the government is on the hook to make sure supply meets the needs.

I get your POV with the extravagant AC and Heated fully enclosed example given. But I’m talking about something more realistic (tie down space, maybe a covered tie space).
 
Maybe build a underground hangar.

Be the first at your airport to have one.

Show it off to...uh...no one.!!
 
Went thru this when I bought my plane 4 years ago. Very discouraging, especially as I had a tube and fabric aircraft. Those don't do well exposed to the elements, especially strong UV in Florida. I eventually found an FBO with a large shared hangar that could squeeze me in. Hated it, but better than nothing.

A few months after I bought, I miraculously stumbled across a spot at a private airfield. That turned out to be a perfect situation for me, and has led to several related aviation opportunities that I could never have pursued otherwise.

So my advice is, if you have a good airplane identified, take a leap of faith and grab the plane in hopes the basing will work itself out over time.
 
There are sooo many regs (expensive ones) to satisfy. Locally our codes require fire suppression in the hangars....have you priced that....and the maintenance requirements that go on forever.... (!)
 
Doc Holliday said:
Maybe the FAA should build hangars at every airport and subsidize them so owners would only have to pay $100/month for a fully enclosed heated and AC hangar.
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They kinda do, my hanger is $60/month electricity included for an open “tee” stall in the common hanger, and many of them are empty. Newly repaved runway two years ago, very nice unmanned field office with weather station, and flight planning computer, bathrooms, and lounge area with recliners and a couch to sit out weather or catch some rest for cross country fliers. I was in disbelief when I cold called them to see if they had any hanger space, met to do a walk through, see what was available, then was answered $60/month sound fair? When I asked how much. I instantly said “done” and shook his hand, then Asked why/how is this this cheap, and he said it’s subsidized as an emergency landing option for airliners and he ls just happy to get another plane on the field because he loves airplanes. But it’s in a rural flyover state with low population and even lower number of aircraft owners.
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
And I thought the Chicago area was bad, jeez!

Stories like this is why I get a little peeved when someone opens their hangar and I see they're using it as a big self-storage unit with non-aviation junk.

Hope you find a nice home for your bird!
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Chicago has free outdoor tie-down parking (DM me if you want to know where), just have to look around. Also some FBO’s allow free parking on the ramp, even allow me to keep my car there (for years now). Go places, put on a big bright smile, you’d be surprised what you can get for free.
 
mandm said:
Chicago has free outdoor tie-down parking (DM me if you want to know where), just have to look around. Also some FBO’s allow free parking on the ramp, even allow me to keep my car there (for years now). Go places, put on a big bright smile, you’d be surprised what you can get for free.
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Smiling isn't my forte. Plus it causes wrinkles.
 
Country Flier said:
So fortunately for me, I'm in an area with plenty of hangar space...yet...people with planes are turned away from the airports in my area regularly....Why? Well, many of the hangars are filled with boats, classic cars, etc., instead of planes. ALL the airports in my area that I'm aware of have a clause in their leases that states airplanes get first dibs, BUT...do you think the area airport managers like to tell the new guy that? NOPE! They'd rather let that "dependable, proven leasor" stay than take a risk on someone new with a plane. Recently, a friend tried to rent a hangar at the class C I'm at, and they told him there was a long waiting list. I already knew of NUMEROUS hangars with boats, cars, travel trailers, and even an automotive paint shop that according to the lease, can be booted in 90 days if the hangars are full and a new airplane leasor comes along. I told him, he called the manager back, and suddenly a hangar became available.
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Do those airports receive federal funding? If so, they are almost certainly in violation for allowing non-aviation use of the hangars. If an aircraft is kept in a hangar, things like boats can be allowed, but they cannot rent out federally-subsidized hangars to people who use them entirely for something other than parking aircraft.
 
ateamer said:
Do those airports receive federal funding? If so, they are almost certainly in violation for allowing non-aviation use of the hangars. If an aircraft is kept in a hangar, things like boats can be allowed, but they cannot rent out federally-subsidized hangars to people who use them entirely for something other than parking aircraft.
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This, it was also one thing I was told (un prompted) when I first rented mine years ago, “there is alot more room in there than your airplane will take up, and we have no problem with you storing other things in it on the condition that you have an airworth airplane in it, if you have a project then keep it clean of anything but things used on the project, if they ever come to inspect and your spot is full of junk you better be able to demonstrate that your plane can legally, and physically fly within 48 hours”.
 
That was a problem at my old home airport. A 10 year hangar wait list because a bunch of them were being used as storage units. One appeared to be a used furniture dealer, and another was some kind of catering operation (uninspected, not following any health code standards, no business permits). The manager was an old guy who allowed under-the-table subleases of subleases, hereditary leases, and gave preference to members of the good ol boys network.

When he retired, the new manager did some things that never should have taken place, but he did shake things up and get the hangars straightened out. Evicted as quickly as possible everyone who didn’t have a plane in their hangar, updated the rules to clearly disallow subleases and passing leases to heirs, and developed a fair, clear wait list policy. He got the wait down to about five years or so. But did decline to build more hangars when funding was available because “nobody will rent them - a lot of people on the list don’t really want a hangar.” Even though it costs them 50 bucks a year to be on the list and almost all of them have a plane on tiedown or at another field.
 
ateamer said:
Do those airports receive federal funding? If so, they are almost certainly in violation for allowing non-aviation use of the hangars. If an aircraft is kept in a hangar, things like boats can be allowed, but they cannot rent out federally-subsidized hangars to people who use them entirely for something other than parking aircraft.
Click to expand...
No.
 
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