Hangar tour

I sometimes take our Jack Russell mix to the hangar once in a while. She never sits still. She loves to chase and sniff out the Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrels (I used to think they were chipmunks with weird striping and long bodies).

I sometimes take our Rottie. He is reactive and a bull in a china shop. I keep him in the SUV if it’s a short visit, or tie him to the trailer hitch with a 25 ft lead so he can lay in the hangar shade. I would hate it if he got up on his hind legs to sniff on the adjacent fabric plane and poked a hole or scratched paint. He is also clumsy and would knock stuff down. He also scares the crap out of people. So I limit his range of movement.
 
robin ardoin said:
I didn’t see it mentioned above but a good rolling stool and a creeper will help when cleaning/inspecting the belly of the plane. I found one that converts from a creeper to a rolling stool that was purchased at Northern Tool in a pinch. I think I paid under $80 and it is outperforming my expectations.
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Good one. I actually have one of those convertible deals too. Mine says "Syngenta Seeds" on it and cost either $0 or tens of thousands, depending on your perspective.

On the subject of compressed air, I have a small 5 gallon compressor that I never use. I went to the welding shop and got a small nitrogen cylinder, regulator, and hose. I use that to fill tires & struts, and occasionally blow dust off things when I don't want to wait for/listen to the compressor. I've had it for five years and still never used up the first bottle. Now, if I was washing my engine like Gary a compressor would make more sense.

You'll probably also want a drip pan of some sort. Even if your engine doesn't leak, you'll get drips out of the crankcase vent tube which will make a mess on the floor. My wife found a very heavy baking pan at a thrift store that works great.
 
AV8R_87 said:
How much was that?
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More than an air compressor :biggrin:

The gas is cheap. Like $20 to fill the tank. I think the tank lease was like $75 for 25 years. The regulator, hose and adapters will run a couple hundred bucks though.

The nice thing about it is that it's capable of the couple hundred psi it takes to fill a strut.
 
Half Fast said:
Get a bag of kitty litter. Great for soaking up spills. Pour a layer into the drip pan
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Why didn't I think of that?

I've flipped mine a couple times pulling my vehicle into the hangar, which kind of defeats the purpose.
 
You'll also want flashlights. I get the cheapie magnetic ones from Harbor Freight and keep them stuck to hangar walls, to my roll-around cart, to my tool box, etc. That way there's always one handy when I need a little light to peer into the engine or the like.

Some old towels and a moving blanket or two will also come in handy. Gives you a soft place to set cowlings or panels when you remove them. Spread over a wing (another advantage of a low wing), it gives you a spot to set tools or parts.

Did anybody mention a Battery Minder? https://www.batteryminders.com/ Somebody should mention a Battery Minder. Get yourself a Battery Minder.

I recently picked up an engine dehumidifier and I think it's a good idea if you're in a humid climate. Whenever the plane is going to sit for a couple of days or more, I hook up the dehumidifier and the Battery Minder.

If you'll be doing your own oil changes, you'll need a jug to catch the used oil. Get something with a lid that won't leak. I use one of these:
www.berlinpackaging.com

2.5 gal White HDPE Plastic F-Style Bottles (White PP Cap) - 31325

Order a sample of 2.5-gallon white HDPE plastic F-style containers from Berlin Packaging. Optional caps available. FDA food contact compliant.
www.berlinpackaging.com www.berlinpackaging.com
 
We have a cat door in the hangar that reads the animal's chips and only allows one of our two in (though they have been known to bring in a pet of their own).

I have a large metal can that I collect used oil in.
 
Half Fast said:
Oh, yeah - that reminds me. Get a bag of kitty litter. Great for soaking up spills. Pour a layer into the drip pan Jim recommends and it’ll be less messy and harder to spill.
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Go to an autoparts store and get an oil mat. It's a disposable, absorbent pad with a slick side and a fuzzy side. Tape it fuzzy side up under your vent tube. I change mine every 18 months. No muss, no fuss. Less than $10
 
Not much at this point - but I’ve really just begun using the hangar. There are a couple of large plastic bins with basic plane supplies - oil, cleaning stuff, small air compressor, a lawn chair, a battery tender for the airplane and a small trickle charger for my Miata when the plane is elsewhere. This is at Salisbury, MD (SBY). I plan to get a small workbench, small refrigerator and a powered speaker. I also have two box fans designated to move from our garage to the hangar.

As mentioned above - no broom. I, too, bring a leaf blower from home as needed. A former tenant installed four banks of LED ceiling lights in place of the standard florescent tubes and provided extra electrical receptacles.

1758497632298.jpeg
 
Jim K said:
Good one. I actually have one of those convertible deals too. Mine says "Syngenta Seeds" on it and cost either $0 or tens of thousands, depending on your perspective.

On the subject of compressed air, I have a small 5 gallon compressor that I never use. I went to the welding shop and got a small nitrogen cylinder, regulator, and hose. I use that to fill tires & struts, and occasionally blow dust off things when I don't want to wait for/listen to the compressor. I've had it for five years and still never used up the first bottle. Now, if I was washing my engine like Gary a compressor would make more sense.

You'll probably also want a drip pan of some sort. Even if your engine doesn't leak, you'll get drips out of the crankcase vent tube which will make a mess on the floor. My wife found a very heavy baking pan at a thrift store that works great.
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Years ago my late best friend who owned a local long time restaurant ordered me new baking trays. I think I got 10-12 of them in three different sizes. I still use them today 25 years later. They are better quality than any other I have ever seen. We used them for drag racing at first.
6633b853-9223-4a43-8221-264f060b320e.jpg

One thing I don't use them for is under the plane. Because it does not leak anything especially oil! I take pride in that.
bf5cc4de-cc63-428d-9860-24de6acf48a3.jpg
 
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Another useful piece of equipment that you may want in your hangar is a No-Go Decision Confirmation Device (NGDCD). This should be a bottle of your favorite beer, kept chilled and ready in the small refrigerator you already have in the hangar.

There will be a time when you will arrive at your hangar intending to commit an act of aviation, but you will look at the sky or check the AWOS or the route forecast and think to yourself, "Nah, I'd better not fly right now." When this happens, immediately deploy your NGDCD and drink it, thereby grounding yourself for at least the next eight hours.

This will keep you from second guessing yourself and changing your mind about your wise decision. I'm convinced that if more pilots did this, beer would have more saves than Cirrus parachutes.
 
Lots of great suggestions. My wife loves shopping for the house, now I get to shop for the hangar!! I love it.

I'm looking at tool kits now with a rolling tool cart. I found some shelves at Costco I like that are fairly cheap. I really like the suggestion for the creeper that turns into a stool. Also the leaf blower was another good one.

In reading through the rules at the airport it looks like I'm not allowed to keep anything, except maybe a fridge plugged in constantly and even this needs to be 18inches off the ground. This is disappointing as I would really like to keep a few batteries charged and keep the plane on a tender. They do have an approved tender, but if I read correctly the battery must be out of the plane which makes no sense. I'll have to read a bit further and ask around.

I'm really looking forward to cleaning the plane and having it stay some semblance of clean.
 
Supereri said:
In reading through the rules at the airport it looks like I'm not allowed to keep anything, except maybe a fridge plugged in constantly and even this needs to be 18inches off the ground. This is disappointing as I would really like to keep a few batteries charged and keep the plane on a tender. They do have an approved tender, but if I read correctly the battery must be out of the plane which makes no sense. I'll have to read a bit further and ask around.
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Those are pretty detailed rules.
 
Supereri said:
Lots of great suggestions. My wife loves shopping for the house, now I get to shop for the hangar!! I love it.

I'm looking at tool kits now with a rolling tool cart. I found some shelves at Costco I like that are fairly cheap. I really like the suggestion for the creeper that turns into a stool. Also the leaf blower was another good one.

In reading through the rules at the airport it looks like I'm not allowed to keep anything, except maybe a fridge plugged in constantly and even this needs to be 18inches off the ground. This is disappointing as I would really like to keep a few batteries charged and keep the plane on a tender. They do have an approved tender, but if I read correctly the battery must be out of the plane which makes no sense. I'll have to read a bit further and ask around.

I'm really looking forward to cleaning the plane and having it stay some semblance of clean.
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Hopefully those rules are not enforced.
I have 2 small mini fridges running sitting on tables so not on the floor.
I have seen full sized refrigerators in my neighbors hangars.
I started in a older dirty hangar, my friend was paying for the hangar then.
When I told the airport manager that I was taking over the lease he said he had 2 others that faced the east that I should look at. They were cleaner, newer and 15 bucks more a month. Once I saw it 15 bucks was nothing. I moved into one of them.
It is nice having the hot summer sun on the back of the hangar in the afternoons. And warm sun in the mornings to help melt the snow and ice in the winter in front of the hangar.
Glad I made the move because I was originally in the hangar they are going to move. Plus I met my hangar neighbor who has taught me so much.
 
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Ed Haywood said:
Those are pretty detailed rules.
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Actually in continued reading I can connect a battery minder to the aircraft while the battery is installed as long as the receptacle is hardwired into the aircraft electrical system.

================================
Aircraft Connection will be via a hard-wired, direct connection to the aircraft electrical system with the following features:
a. Polarized, insulated, shielded socket mounted in the aircraft, outside the Hazard Area
b. Mating, polarized plug on the Battery Maintainer DC cable
c. No “alligator” clips are permitted.
d. No opening of the aircraft battery box is permitted during connection or operation, if the aircraft the aircraft is so equipped.
e. Installation of the connection system in the aircraft will be in accordance with FAAAC43-1B standards. Referenced connection kit: Audio Authority Airframe Interface Kit, Model BM-AIK1 or equivalent: https://www.audioauthority.com/product_details/BM-AIK1
================================

But in a different document I see:

c. Unattended battery charging is permitted provided that the battery charger is connected directly to the Hangar power supply without an extension cord, and the battery is removed from the aircraft, and the charger and the battery are located outside of the Hazardous Locations in the Hangar.

I think this allows me to charge things like an electric screwdriver while unattended.

I'm probably overthinking this. I just don't want to run afoul of the rules or cause unnecessary risk.
 
Supereri said:
Actually in continued reading I can connect a battery minder to the aircraft while the battery is installed as long as the receptacle is hardwired into the aircraft electrical system.

================================
Aircraft Connection will be via a hard-wired, direct connection to the aircraft electrical system with the following features:
a. Polarized, insulated, shielded socket mounted in the aircraft, outside the Hazard Area
b. Mating, polarized plug on the Battery Maintainer DC cable
c. No “alligator” clips are permitted.
d. No opening of the aircraft battery box is permitted during connection or operation, if the aircraft the aircraft is so equipped.
e. Installation of the connection system in the aircraft will be in accordance with FAAAC43-1B standards. Referenced connection kit: Audio Authority Airframe Interface Kit, Model BM-AIK1 or equivalent: https://www.audioauthority.com/product_details/BM-AIK1
================================

But in a different document I see:

c. Unattended battery charging is permitted provided that the battery charger is connected directly to the Hangar power supply without an extension cord, and the battery is removed from the aircraft, and the charger and the battery are located outside of the Hazardous Locations in the Hangar.

I think this allows me to charge things like an electric screwdriver while unattended.

I'm probably overthinking this. I just don't want to run afoul of the rules or cause unnecessary risk.
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Understand your concern. Start out slow and meet your hangar neighbors and in time you will discover what goes at your airport.
 
Gary Ward said:
Hopefully those rules are not enforced.
I have 2 small mini fridges running sitting on tables so not on the floor.
I have seen full sized refrigerators in my neighbors hangars.
I started in a older dirty hangar, my friend was paying for the hangar then.
When I told the airport manager that I was taking over the lease he said he had 2 others that faced the east and were cleaner, newer and 15 bucks more a month. It is nice having the hot summer summer sun on the back of the hangar in the afternoons. And warm Sun in the mornings to help melt the snow and ice in the winter.
Glad I made the move because I was originally in the hangar they are going to move. Plus I met my hangar neighbor who was taught me so much.
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Me too. They are very specific and detailed.
======================
Refrigerators without a manufacturer's label that states "Suitable for Use in a Class I,Division II Location" must be:
a. Elevated at least 18 inches above the floor,
b. Plugged directly into the electrical outlet without the use of an extension cord or power strip,
c. Must have the original power cord or verification that a longer cord was installed by a licensed professional authorized by the manufacturer to make themodification,
d. Located outside hazardous locations (DIAGRAM А).
======================


Maybe most fridges are "Suitable for Use in a Class I,Division II Location"?
 
My airport requires GFI extension cords. We only have 3 electric outlets in the hangar.
I installed GFI in those 3 outlets and use several strip extension cords with multiple outlets.
We do have our own breaker box and 20 amp service. Don’t think I have ever trip the breaker.
 
How’s the lights in your hangar?
Never leave food in your hangar.
I always take the trash bag out of the hangar if it has food in it at the end of the day.
Any food including the dog food goes in one of my fridges when I leave.
I keep mice traps but luckily they stay empty.
 
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Supereri said:
Well, it took a little longer than expected but, Hangar Acquired!!

Thanks for all of the suggestions I hit the purchase button on a bunch of stuff today.
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Cool deal!
Enjoy setting it up just for your plane.
Our rented T hangar is a extension to our home it seems like.
 
Cool! I missed this thread the first time around, so time to jump in!

1) An airplane or three.
2) Battery Minder. Not just a mere trickle charger, but the real deal desulfator. This will save you a ton of money on batteries - My two batteries are currently, IIRC, 10 and 17 years old respectively. I think we're gonna replace the 17-year-old one this year finally. These things are PFM.
3) A tug. I have a strong preference for electric so I can avoid maintaining an extra engine or keeping non-airplane engine fluids and fuels in the hangar.
3a) If your hangar has a bathroom, great! If not, you may want your tug to also do double duty as suitable transportation to the nearest bathroom, or acquire separate bathroom transportation.
4) If you're in a place where it regularly gets colder in the winter and you have an engine heater, a set of good cowl plugs and a blanket to throw over the cowl to help keep things warm and evenly heated. Also, a cabin heater if your hangar isn't heated - We got a Hornet 45 last year and it works very well and is certified to not burn the hangar down.
5) Shelving to hold stuff.
6) A set of tools at least sufficient to get your cowling off, check and fill tires, etc. I like the idea of a set of moving blankets to set the cowl on once you have it off too.
7) Lots of spare oil, so you always have some ready before a flight and can grab a couple of quarts to throw in back before a trip. CamGuard too, if you use that.
8) Cleaning supplies. I always keep a pack of microfiber towels and the blue and pink Wash Wax All on hand.

In the "Theoretically optional, but still required" category:
1) A refrigerator. Stock with water and NGDCDs. (@Half Fast, that's freaking brilliant.)
2) A couch, and probably a recliner or two. Bonus points if you use college student sourcing methods. :rofl:
3) Something that resembles a coffee table or bar or some other horizontal surface for setting drinks.
4) A trash can.

In the "actually optional" category:
1) A grill.
2) A Solo stove.
3) Wheels for your couch and recliner so that you can sit around the fire outside the hangar.

My best friend at the airport recently turned a few pallets and some stuff he had lying around into this:

5110197222936444180.jpg

The bar is about twice as long already. Oh, and yes, that is a climbing wall at the right... And yes, this is all in a T hangar! This is the "behind the left wing" area. My hangar is quite boring in comparison. :rofl:
 
TCABM said:
2FS was sporting the Horny Horses moniker when I was at KPAM. Did they bring the Beagle Squadron back when they picked up the dedicated red air mission?

I see 95FS up there, too. Lotta love for Tyndall; I thought you were a Klamath Falls guy primarily.
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No, it was the ABS by the time I went through the 1FS as a student in 2001. There was still some horny horses stuff around but it was officially the ABS. I was teaching at Tyndall when we closed both the 2FS and 95FS so I bought stuff at the auctions. (thus all the paraphernalia). I have spent a grand total of 1 week in K-falls; I was up there giving some guys checkrides a few years back. I never was in that squadron.
 
EvilEagle said:
No, it was the ABS by the time I went through the 1FS as a student in 2001. There was still some horny horses stuff around but it was officially the ABS. I was teaching at Tyndall when we closed both the 2FS and 95FS so I bought stuff at the auctions. (thus all the paraphernalia). I have spent a grand total of 1 week in K-falls; I was up there giving some guys checkrides a few years back. I never was in that squadron.
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Okay; I went thru ABM school in 96. Did the Boneheads still have the party hearse when you were there?
 
TCABM said:
Okay; I went thru ABM school in 96. Did the Boneheads still have the party hearse when you were there?
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When I was a student in the 1FS, they were just geting rid of it. By the time I was back there teaching, it was ancient history.
 
EvilEagle said:
You will find that no matter how big the hangar, you will wish you had a bigger one!

View attachment 147402View attachment 147403
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absolutely beautiful aircraft my friend.

Jim K said:
More than an air compressor :biggrin:

The gas is cheap. Like $20 to fill the tank. I think the tank lease was like $75 for 25 years. The regulator, hose and adapters will run a couple hundred bucks though.

The nice thing about it is that it's capable of the couple hundred psi it takes to fill a strut.
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$75 for 25 years? So, its more like a purchase since no ones gonna know where it is in 25 years? Lol.
 
Rarefied said:
absolutely beautiful aircraft my friend.


$75 for 25 years? So, its more like a purchase since no ones gonna know where it is in 25 years? Lol.
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Yeah, the tank lease thing absolutely mystifies me. My Oxygen and Acetylene tanks are "lifetime lease" carried over from my dad. For a while, they were doing 7 years for $25 for the bigger ones I have for my MIG and TIG. Now they've gone to 25 years on everything, which might as well be a lifetime. I guess they are counting on you returning them much sooner than that and forfeiting the remainder of the lease term? I do wonder how many they lose, and what will they do if you don't bring them back? My 7 year tanks were expired last time I went in. They explained that they sent a letter, but I had moved and they obviously never bothered to track me down. It's a weird business.

My 1000gal propane tank is "leased" as well. It's a free lease, but if you don't fill it 3 times a year, they charge you. Meanwhile, this N2 tank has yet to be refilled, and some of my others only get filled every couple years. The oxy/acet. torch doesn't see much use any more, but they don't bat an eye when I show up to get a new tank every few years.
 
Jim K said:
Yeah, the tank lease thing absolutely mystifies me. My Oxygen and Acetylene tanks are "lifetime lease" carried over from my dad. For a while, they were doing 7 years for $25 for the bigger ones I have for my MIG and TIG. Now they've gone to 25 years on everything, which might as well be a lifetime. I guess they are counting on you returning them much sooner than that and forfeiting the remainder of the lease term? I do wonder how many they lose, and what will they do if you don't bring them back? My 7 year tanks were expired last time I went in. They explained that they sent a letter, but I had moved and they obviously never bothered to track me down. It's a weird business.

My 1000gal propane tank is "leased" as well. It's a free lease, but if you don't fill it 3 times a year, they charge you. Meanwhile, this N2 tank has yet to be refilled, and some of my others only get filled every couple years. The oxy/acet. torch doesn't see much use any more, but they don't bat an eye when I show up to get a new tank every few years.
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Given the tiny lease cost, is it just more of a liability protection thing if something happens after the 25 year mark? Quite mystifying to me as well.
 
Congratulations on getting into a hanger.

On the fridge, higher is better, steel pipe legs to keep rodents from climbing up, and keeps them from nesting there and blocking the fan and setting it on fire, plus no peeing on the controls. All that happens in unoccupied places.

The trash container should be metal, with a tight fitting lid, for many reasons.

Wait a year before adding comfortable furniture, when you will know if there is a rodent problem.
 
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