Check my attitude

Morgan3820

Morgan3820

En-Route
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Messages
4,753
Location
New Bern, NC
Display Name
Display name:
El Conquistador
The county airport that I keep my airplane at is looking to build some hangers. They are going use state grant money, my tax dollars, to do this. I am currently in an open T-hangar, that works very well for me and is affordable. The airport admin does not like them as they are older, were built before any kind of building codes. These hangers have survived dozens of hurricanes.
New hangars, so what is the problem? Well the new hangars come with a doubling of the rent. No one has asked for the new hangers and there are empty hangers currently with no waiting list. It has not been said but I expect the admin to tear down the old hangers, forcing a move to the new hangers at twice the price. I view this as a ploy by the airport to increase the rental income using my tax dollars. Also, There will be fewer replacement hangars built so as to create a 'shortage of hanger space. I do not like this.

*Disclaimer* I know that many on this forum wish that they had this problem as they are parked out in the open with a forever waiting list.

Well..
 
I'm guessing the airport is wanting to attract more based aircraft and realize that the open style T-Hangars may be keeping folks away.

Personally, I think it's cool that the county is investing in your airport. Also, assuming that FAA grant money is involved, this will help ensure that your airport stays open in the future.
 
Spelling count:
Hangar = 4
Hanger = 7
Score. = -3

:D

As to your actual issue, if you are happy with your current situation, both the hangar itself and the cost, being forced into a higher priced option would be upsetting. I know I wouldn’t like it.

Considering that there are empty hangars there when most airports seem to have waiting lists makes me curious as to why.

Is GA just not as robust in your area as in other areas?

What is the situation at nearby airports? Are they busier? Full hangars?

The empty hangars at your airport, are they the same as yours or they fully enclosed hangars or both?

What’s the occupancy rate of the fully enclosed ones versus the open ones?

Do the open hangars make the airport look old and rundown and thereby less attractive to tenants and transients which then impacts fuel sales and other revenue streams?

I agree that it could be an effort to clean things up and make the same or more revenue with less hangars. That is a bitter pill to swallow if you are on the losing end. I’d get as many detailed facts as possible and see if you can get the AOPA airport folks involved. You could also get all of the like minded airport tenants together and attend any meetings on the subject, write and call local officials, and generally be a pain in the ass.

Formulate and offer viable options that would maintain a mixed priced structure with different hangar options. Be a part of the solution.
 
You need to start going to county commission meetings and writing letters to the local newspaper and getting other pilots to do the same. Make the argument that the new hangars will be great for growth and that the old "T's" are doing the job they were intended to do and will last well into the future.
 
The above advice about contacting commissioners, attending meetings, voting, etc., is rather old fashioned.

Get with the times. Hire professional protesters from distant states. Stage protest marches. Carry signs. Smear local politicians. Have a sit-in that blocks the runway. Hire someone to claim an affair with the airport manager. And by all means, find some reason to be offended.

Obviously the airport is doing this to attract one-percenters at the expense of you two-percenters.
 
I see your frustration however it isn't much different than your hangar landlord raising the rent for no apparent reason. I pay $295 a month for my hangar which is middle of the road compared to those on this forum. Regardless of whose dollars they are using to build new hangars the airport still needs to make money to stay open. If airports don't make improvements they cannot stay open. The runway will be covered with weeds and big yellow Xs on them.

So enjoy your new hangar and and know that you've merely joined the thousands of us who pay more.
 
Yeah, paying more six but at least you get more. You will like being in an enclosed hangar, that I promise.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Spelling count:
Hangar = 4
Hanger = 7
Score. = -3

:D

As to your actual issue, if you are happy with your current situation, both the hangar itself and the cost, being forced into a higher priced option would be upsetting. I know I wouldn’t like it.

Considering that there are empty hangars there when most airports seem to have waiting lists makes me curious as to why.

Is GA just not as robust in your area as in other areas?

What is the situation at nearby airports? Are they busier? Full hangars?

The empty hangars at your airport, are they the same as yours or they fully enclosed hangars or both?

What’s the occupancy rate of the fully enclosed ones versus the open ones?

Do the open hangars make the airport look old and rundown and thereby less attractive to tenants and transients which then impacts fuel sales and other revenue streams?

I agree that it could be an effort to clean things up and make the same or more revenue with less hangars. That is a bitter pill to swallow if you are on the losing end. I’d get as many detailed facts as possible and see if you can get the AOPA airport folks involved. You could also get all of the like minded airport tenants together and attend any meetings on the subject, write and call local officials, and generally be a pain in the ass.

Formulate and offer viable options that would maintain a mixed priced structure with different hangar options. Be a part of the solution.
Click to expand...

Oddly enough, considering eastern NC is the birthplace of GA, GA is not real big. We have a fair amount of military aviation but not a hugely active GA scene. Most of the light aircraft on the field are used for business transportation. People come in quiet way to their business meeting or whatever and come back and close the hanger. Our EAA chapter is on life-support. There are only 3 experimental aircraft on the field. This Saturday morning I counted five aircraft on the transient ramp. Three Beechcraft, one Learjet, one Cessna. I have never been more than number 2 on final. We have a dozen or so commercial flights from Delta and American. Which I guess justifies our tower. The only time that it Is busy is when a Young Eagles event is on. Even then we are only talking 6 planes. But it is the only paved airport nearby.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Oddly enough, considering eastern NC is the birthplace of GA, GA is not real big. We have a fair amount of military aviation but not a hugely active GA scene. Most of the light aircraft on the field are used for business transportation. People come in quiet way to their business meeting or whatever and come back and close the hanger. Our EAA chapter is on life-support. There are only 3 experimental aircraft on the field. This Saturday morning I counted five aircraft on the transient ramp. Three Beechcraft, one Learjet, one Cessna. I have never been more than number 2 on final. We have a dozen or so commercial flights from Delta and American. Which I guess justifies our tower. The only time that it Is busy is when a Young Eagles event is on. Even then we are only talking 6 planes. But it is the only paved airport nearby.
Click to expand...

Funny, I’m barely 75 miles to your south at Cape Fear (KSUT), and things are completely different here - there’s a hangar waiting list over 100 deep, and pretty much anytime I’m flying over the airport on nice sunny days, I see a minimum of four planes in the pattern.
 
Vince R said:
Funny, I’m barely 75 miles to your south at Cape Fear (KSUT), and things are completely different here - there’s a hangar waiting list over 100 deep, and pretty much anytime I’m flying over the airport on nice sunny days, I see a minimum of four planes in the pattern.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know. I used to go down there often before George Boggs moved to Wilmington. I envied the vibe. My perception is that our airport BOD is only concerned with the care and feeding of the regionals that come in a dozen times a day. Plus we have an FBO that is very territorial. An artificially high bar has been established for other businesses to set up so they will come, look, leave. There is a flight school attached to the FBO but currently they cater to the local Marines getting their license via the GI bill and prices have risen to meet the wallet of the VA. The BOD looks at Small GA as a cow to be milked. We could be more than we are, a lot more.
 
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