Toolbox at tiedown?

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lukelukeluke

Filing Flight Plan
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Kyje
Hi all, new private pilot here considering ownership. I'd be looking at home base being a tie-down (hangar not available nor in budget) and had a few newbie questions.

I've noticed a few airports where people seem to keep black outdoor toolboxes near their tie-downs. Is this typically allowed, and does it vary by airport? I live in a big city and don't have a car, so not much opportunity to carry things like tools and cleaning supplies with me.

Thoughts appreciated!
 
Check with the airport, but probably not a problem. When I kept my 170 tied down outside at MYF, I had one of those large plastic containers with wheels from Home Depot that I chained with a padlock to the tiedown. Good place to keep a few tools, spare oil...etc.
 
Yeah, it varies not only airport by airport, but ramp by ramp sometimes. Often though on long term tie down ramps, they'll let you keep a dock box or similar on the ramp. The trick is securing it though so it doesn't get blown around.
 
Check with the person in charge of the tie downs,never had a problem keeping a bock on the tie down.
 
lukelukeluke said:
Hi all, new private pilot here considering ownership. I'd be looking at home base being a tie-down (hangar not available nor in budget) and had a few newbie questions.

I've noticed a few airports where people seem to keep black outdoor toolboxes near their tie-downs. Is this typically allowed, and does it vary by airport? I live in a big city and don't have a car, so not much opportunity to carry things like tools and cleaning supplies with me.

Thoughts appreciated!
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First post.....

Welcome to POA..


:cheers::cheers::cheers:
 
I don't doubt this is done (never seen it, though), but man... seems like a bad idea. Little black boxes chained to the ground in the tie down area. I guess it works, because I don't see reports of people hitting them while taxiing, but...

Wouldn't you want those things painted bright orange / yellow? maybe with reflectors so transients can spot them easily? Or is this in the "paid for tiedowns only" area, and everyone knows they're there?
 
We have one. It's in a covered tie-down and cabled to the pole.

A company called "zeedee" makes decent, but not ridiculously priced ones.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Mistake Not... said:
I don't doubt this is done (never seen it, though), but man... seems like a bad idea. Little black boxes chained to the ground in the tie down area. I guess it works, because I don't see reports of people hitting them while taxiing, but...

Wouldn't you want those things painted bright orange / yellow? maybe with reflectors so transients can spot them easily? Or is this in the "paid for tiedowns only" area, and everyone knows they're there?
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The ones I have seen are in the paid tie downs, but they are hard to miss regardless of color. Most are not small, more like the truck boxes that sit on pickup bedrails. If you taxi into one, you need to get your eyes checked.

I know there are a ton of them at MYF, but I haven't seen any at CRQ. At least not on the south side. Never thought to ask though.
 
StinkBug said:
The ones I have seen are in the paid tie downs, but they are hard to miss regardless of color. Most are not small, more like the truck boxes that sit on pickup bedrails. If you taxi into one, you need to get your eyes checked.
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Exactly.
 
I don't know what climate the OP lives in, but.....

If it snows there and people have to plow around those boxes, it gets damn old making sure you don't collect them and push them into the big snow pile.. IMHO..
 
How do you prevent losing the whole box? I've seen where the box is worth more than all the stuff in it. In the OP's case I can see the usefulness of having a place to store stuff but I think I'd find a way to lock it down to a pad eye or something.
 
Years ago, I was on tie down for a few months as I awaited the construction of my new hangar. The tie downs were in a grassy area with concrete pads cutting into the grass. Almost all of the long term tie down guys had such a box in the grass attached to the tail tie down anchor I guess. I don't recall how much of that area got plowed but I suspect only the taxiway since the plow wouldn't be able to get all the way to the rear tie down anchor with a plane in the way. Seemed to work ok for the owners and I probably would have done same if my outdoor situation were permanent.

OP - where are you based?
 
From the airport point of view, it is good to have some identifier on the box for bring able to contact the owner if necessary and for confirming that it reallly is what it seems to be.
 
Graueradler said:
From the airport point of view, it is good to have some identifier on the box for bring able to contact the owner if necessary and for confirming that it reallly is what it seems to be.
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When any airport manager can't figure out the obvious, are they the right person for the job?
 
Tom-D said:
When any airport manager can't figure out the obvious, are they the right person for the job?
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Not obvious at all...

Some towelhead terrorist can place a box by someones tie down and do serious damage and the airport manager thinks it belongs to that tie down...
 
Mistake Not... said:
I don't doubt this is done (never seen it, though), but man... seems like a bad idea. Little black boxes chained to the ground in the tie down area. I guess it works, because I don't see reports of people hitting them while taxiing, but...

Wouldn't you want those things painted bright orange / yellow? maybe with reflectors so transients can spot them easily? Or is this in the "paid for tiedowns only" area, and everyone knows they're there?
Click to expand...

Our club tiedowns are along the fence... and so are the boxes. If a plane is going to hit those, the pilot has other big problems. And these metal boxes are strong enough to fend off the errant lawnmower.
 
RudyP said:
I don't recall how much of that area got plowed but I suspect only the taxiway since the plow wouldn't be able to get all the way to the rear tie down anchor with a plane in the way.
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That's what they did when the old man's airplane lived on a tiedown. If you wanted to fly in the winter, you brought a shovel to dig a path to the taxiway.
 
Tom-D said:
When any airport manager can't figure out the obvious, are they the right person for the job?
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom-D. Sincere thanks FBH.

Yes, I was talking about our wonderful post 9/11 world. That did happen to be one specific recommendation from the airport security review committee.
 
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