Hangar options

Jim Ragain

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Nov 21, 2017
Messages
4
Display Name

Display name:
Jim Ragain
I am a new member from Billings Montana and my recently purchased 1972 Cherokee 6/300 is my first aircraft. I have 3 hangar options: A nice heated stall 5 minutes from my house (700/month); a heated stall in a hangar 45 miles away (300/month); or a stall in a "hail hangar" (metal roof, concrete floor, open in front and back for $70/month that is 15 minutes from my house). Other than convenience issues such as not having to pre-flight outside when it is cold, any serious reason why the hail hangar with a good cover on the prop/engine/windscreen would not adequately protect the airplane?
 
Other than convenience issues such as not having to pre-flight outside when it is cold, any serious reason why the hail hangar with a good cover on the prop/engine/windscreen would not adequately protect the airplane?
Potential theft/vandalism. Other than that, it would be adequate.
 
how's the 'security' at the shade hangar place? reason I ask is, I could potentially keep my plane in a cheap shade hangar at my home field but there's knuckleheads walking around all the time, climbing up on planes, sticking their noses in windows and doing who knows what and I'm just not a big fan of that.
 
Are the stalls fully enclosed private t-hangars where you could securely store tools, flight gear, etc. as well as work on your plane?
 
Are you really going to want to preflight in an open hangar in the middle of a Montana winter? And does the open hangar have power? If not what do you do about preheat?

Unfortunately, the expensive hangar sounds like the best option. The problem with one far away is every flight is going to be an hour and a half before you even turn the key.
 
will the hail hangar reduce/prevent frost on your plane in mornings, etc?
 
You write "stall." Are these community hangars or private?

I'd take the shade hangar and put a gang box in the back before I'd go to a community hangar.
 
$700 is nuts.

I'd say it depends on the angle and size of the hail hangar, if it's big enough to keep the elements off your plane and provides a good break from the wind, not shabby!

Otherwise I'd go with the 300buck one, especially if you want to keep tools in there, or a motorcycle and car too or anything, presuming it's not jam packed with other planes and you have access to it without calling people out or anything.
 
Yeah, tools and supplies would be my first concern about losing a locked door. Having said that... $700 is nuts. I think from a protection perspective, the covered shelter is 95% as good as a non-climate controlled hangar.
 
The problem with one far away is every flight is going to be an hour and a half before you even turn the key.

If you have that time to burn it might be ok.
However, figure the cost of traveling that far over the course of time. It does add up significantly if you put mileage numbers to it.
90 miles round trip.
.25 cents per mile = 22.50
.45 cents per mile = 40.50
Once a week? Twice?
You're looking at around $100 to over $300 in travel costs per month, plus the travel time, with less amenities.

for me, with those figures, the $700 makes more sense than the $300.

I agree with the other posts regarding cold, electricity, theft, etc.... and also that $700 is nuts.
$70 is nice,but only the hail/sun protection and price.

Tough call at that huge of price difference.
 
Last edited:
I'd do the heated stall @ 45min drive for $300/month. The nice part being heated so you don't have to drive out the day before to plug it in for cold wx operations. And the outdoor stall, even if no theft or vandalism will be a pita the for winter flight if you have to bring your own generator, tools, etc. In the heated / enclosed hangars you can also leave nice headsets and other electronics. Plus your aviation equipment won't be frozen solid. It will suck driving that far to fly, but a good solution until you find something better. And just think how sweet that heated hangar will be while filling up tires, changing oil and just sitting in it and pretending to be Maverick :) If you do longer trips your car will be inside and locked up and secure too.

If you are driving some big arse truck that gets like 8mpg, then you might want the closer ones!
 
You could do the heated stall 45 minutes away AND the $70 shade hangar. Use the shade hangar when the weather permits and move the plane to the heated stall for most of the winter. If the shade hangars are usually available, you would wait until spring to grab one.
 
Go with the heated hangar 45 miles away and then move closer to it.
 
Thanks for all the thoughtful considerations.
 
Maybe another reason for cheaper/farther heated hangar. More specific to winter again, What if you get a long stretch of wicked cold, or crappy ceilings or are gonna do some winter getaway travel, over the entire winter that could easily be a month or more.

Per Nates numbers, just really depends on how often you'll fly.

I like the idea of both :)

You do realize, if you get the hangar 45min away, there will be "that day" where you forget something and have to scrub.
 
Back
Top