Parking Plane In Box Shaped Hangar: Tail In First Or Nose In First?

Parking Plane In Box Shaped Hangar: Tail In First or Nose In First

  • Tail in first

    Votes: 35 87.5%

  • Nose in first

    Votes: 5 12.5%
  • Total voters
    40
Sinistar

Sinistar

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Brad
We transitioned from a t-hangar to a box shaped hangar. I figured for sure I would have kept storing the plane tail in first but now a year later I've come to like storing it nose in first. There are a few reasons. However I am curious what others are doing? Perhaps I am a lone wolf LOL!
 
I've never experienced anything other than a t-hangar. That's what the club planes are in. If there are any posts on this thread about box shaped hangars I'll be interested to see what they have to say.
 
Sinistar said:
We transitioned from a t-hangar to a box shaped hangar. I figured for sure I would have kept storing the plane tail in first but now a year later I've come to like storing it nose in first. There are a few reasons. However I am curious what others are doing? Perhaps I am a lone wolf LOL!
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Let's hear your reasons...
 
Nose out: Junk can be kept in the back of the hangar, especially important for low wings if you want to store anything other than low boxes.

With your high-wing, you can get a couple or more cars/boats in there regardless of which way it’s facing.
 
I like mine nose first just because the door is on the same side as the hangar side door that way. If I had two doors I might do it tail first. However, like I just said in another thread, this way I can taxi it all the way until the mains are off the slope and don't have to push or pull it up hill, so I'd probably still do it nose first.
 
Salty said:
I like mine nose first just because the door is on the same side as the hangar side door that way. If I had two doors I might do it tail first. However, like I just said in another thread, this way I can taxi it all the way until the mains are off the slope and don't have to push or pull it up hill, so I'd probably still do it nose first.
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I like that, you don’t have to sweep half the hangar...or does dirt just swirls around or get pulled in by the prop?
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
I like that, you don’t have to sweep half the hangar...or does dirt just swirls around or get pulled in by the prop?
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I keep it pretty clean. Far less dirt in there than on the ramp.
 
Captain Sweet T said:
Let's hear your reasons...
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We have a lot of electrical outlets and a bench in back. So bringing the plane in nose first keeps everything nice and close. That is the main reason it has worked out nice. I always have one battery minder cable and in the winter a tannis heater cord so I only need about 10ft vs about twice that from the far side wall.

I think similar to @Salty, I can taxi right up to the door, open it and hardly any slope to push it up. Since its downhill on the way back out I can just push on the ugly strut and if I plan it right I don't even need the nose wheel tool as it will turn as I push it.

We have a separate room in the back where we can drive a car inside. So having the nose in first puts the pilot side door on the same side as that access door.

Maybe more trivial, but the prop is farther away from the big door and people walking around up front.

We get some snow and a bit of ice that sneaks under (still working that one). So bringing in nose first means the nose wheel doesn't get frozen into the ice.

I know people get all bent about using a winch and the tail tiedown. I don't do this but have no qualms with it. That being said, if you want to winch it in, I would think a winch connected to the nose wheel tool would be 100% safe.

I do have a lawn tractor to pull the plane around. When it is being stored nose in first, I can just pull it all the way straight in without the nasty haywagon backing problem.

Actually I never would have even thought about it but my hangar neighbor does this too.

But it looks stupid :oops:
 
Tail in first, because for most setups that's going to make anything that's leaked out of the noisy part of the plane more obvious. And because it's probably a bit quicker to get it out. Finally, because if you ever work in the back of the hanger, you might get comfortable in walking around the prop. I'm probably overly cautious, but I don't want to get used to being near a prop. Reading your response, though, having it be on a slope might make all of those less significant.
 
I’ll be revisiting my own hangar arrangement in a couple months when our airport reopens. The plane situation has changed a little so it could well end up being that one plane nose-in works out. But in general I have parked tail-in. The reason is that the taildraggers are easier to pull into the hangar than push while the nose dragger was easier to push than pull. Our hangar apron has a slight slope to it and can be icy.
 
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I always push mine in tail first. While the hangar is rectangular, I've got stuff crammed in the back that effectively makes it a T.
 
You've got a choice. Live with it.
 
This is a trick question, but I figured out the answer.

wf9ixUA.jpg
 
FredFenster said:
This is a trick question, but I figured out the answer.

wf9ixUA.jpg
Click to expand...
Almost a trick photo.
It looks like the vertical stabilizer on the right aircraft is bent on the front plane.
Had to zoom in to see it was just the first planes horizontal stabilizer . :)
 
Big enough box hangar and a big lazy Susan and you can power in/power out. ;)
 
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