Should I not own if I can’t find hangar space?

[tsts4]

As someone currently on the ramp & on the hangar waitlist... what are the cons of a hangar? I can only think of pros..

Cost is the big one, maybe for most the only one. I’m paying $491/month and it seems like it increases every year. Having said that, I personally think that the pros far outweigh the cost issue, particularly for someone like me that does 100% of their own maintenance. That plus hail and wind protection. But I stand by my original position that not having a hangar by itself wouldn’t necessarily stop me from ownership.

 

[RussR]

As someone currently on the ramp & on the hangar waitlist... what are the cons of a hangar? I can only think of pros..

Pretty much just the cost. I mean yes, as others have stated there are always concerns about hangar rash, but that's not a guaranteed thing - I was in several different hangars over the 11 years I owned an airplane and never once had any hangar rash. And, yes the hangar could fall over on your plane in a storm or something.

The door issue is real, though, but fortunately (usually) short-lived. At one of the local airports there are two types of hangars - ones with manual sliding doors and others with electric lifting doors. Guess which tenants kept flying a few years ago when they had a power outage? But it's not like the power outage lasted months or anything.

I have had some brief time periods where I could not get the (north-facing) hangar door open due to ice or snow buildup, whereas an airplane parked on the ramp would have been accessible because the snow/ice melted quicker, but again that's a short-term problem in this area (and not a concern at all in the OP's area).

In some hangars if your neighbor's door is open you can't get your plane out, but that's usually easily resolved.

I suppose another con to a hangar might be that there may be rodents and other critters in the hangar with you, but then again there are animals that build nests in ramp-parked planes too, so that's likely a wash.

Yeah, other than cost, it's really stretching to try to find cons about hangars.

 

[Sundancer]

I could be wrong, and maybe someone here will enlighten me - but I'm shopping, have no hangar availability, and so I've ruled out fabric, plastic, and wood in an airplane I might buy. I really want a LongEZ, but I saw a demo of reshaping epoxy just using sunlight to soften it. I know, paint it white and you might be all right. Maybe.

 

[Seth.A]

I'm shopping, have no hangar availability, and so I've ruled out fabric

I hear various conflicting opinions about this. I'm also shopping, have limited to no hangar availability, but I'm specifically shopping for a rag and tube airplane. I hear lots of folk say they MUST be hangared, other folks say "but in Alaska...".

 

[Sundancer]

I hear various conflicting opinions about this. I'm also shopping, have limited to no hangar availability, but I'm specifically shopping for a rag and tube airplane. I hear lots of folk say they MUST be hangared, other folks say "but in Alaska...".

A LongEZ guy told me he knows of several parked on ramps, with covers/wing sleeves. Not many have been built lately that are for sale - plenty from the mid-late 90's and occasionally one from after Y2K. I love 'em but what IS going on inside the airframe?

My old airport had some rag-and-tubes parked outside, seemingly to no bad effect. I don't know if a cover would help, or just trap moisture. I think that's one of those GA "opinion" things that doesn't have much real evidence, or the dominant opinions are contrary to the science, like it being better to stay ROP on leaning. . .

 

[Bell206]

but I'm shopping, have no hangar availability, and so I've ruled out fabric

I hear various conflicting opinions about this

As mentioned above, there are quite few fabric aircraft that spend their lives outside. In my experience, it boils down to how engaged you will be as an owner in this type of scenario. If no time to due the basic care of a fabric aircraft outside then yes take it off your list.

 

[flyingron]

Hangars where pretty much unobtainable when I got my plane. It sat on the ramp at IAD for several years and then tie downs at VKX and OKV. I finally got a hangar at CJR.

 

[db_pooper]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I hadn't thought about power outages... just the cost, ha.

 

[DMD3.]

I wouldn’t buy a brand new airplane and put it outside, but an older plane sure why not. Having a hangar is more of a convenience for putting your extra items, tools, etc.

If I could afford a new one, I could likely afford to have build a hangar, let alone afford renting an existing one.

 

[DMD3.]

When you do narrow it down to a few airports, shoot me a PM. I may be able to help.

Thanks. The dream of ownership is still a few years away, but I’m working to make it happen.

 

[MBDiagMan]

IMHO, putting an aircraft outside to rot into the ground is a very sad thing to see. I’ve seen a few super nice, previously always hangared aircraft purchased and tied down outside. They degrade in appearance rapidly, both inside and out. In addition to that, who knows what’s happening in the way of corrosion due to the rain getting into nooks and cranny’s.

That’s my observation and opinion and I would never tie down a nice plane for its emanate degradation, BUT that said, it is their money and their aircraft and they are free to do as they choose.