Hanger Waitlist- Buy Now Anyway?

Mooney Fan

Mooney Fan

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I've contacted all airports within 50 miles of where I live in the Clarksville TN area and everyone has waiting list. The closest airport, Outlaw Field in Clarksville, has a waiting list that the gentlemen estimates is a little over 1-year, but no promises.

I have concerns about leaving a plane on the ramp with the weather here. But, the rentals I fly are ramp queens so I may be over thinking this

Anyone have a similar issue? Did you buy, pay for a ramp tiedown until a hanger became available? Or, get the hanger then go find a plane?

Thx
-MF
 
yep, been on a waiting list for over 6 months, got a plane sitting on the ramp now. I think it hurts me more than the plane.
 
Not saying you should, but I personally made the hangar a condition of buying the plane. No way I was going to spend that much money and let it sit outside. Planes are always available, hangars aren't.

Lots of people do it like eman, and that's fine. But since my plane is a big toy, there was no reason to get one and not both. OTOH, I've heard people claim it's easier to move up the wait list if you already have one in a tie down at the same airport.

I've mentioned it before, but one of the airports I looked at had an unofficial policy... buy an airplane for sale on the field, the hangar it's in comes with it. You might see if that's true and there's something you could "flip" just to get the hangar.
 
I had a 2:45 hr drive to my plane for a year to keep it in a hangar. BUT I flew on long multiday xcountries with layovers and never did feel the need to put it in an overnight hangar.

Now one plane is nearby (only 50 minute drive) and the other is 1:20 drive.

I would certainly go ahead and get on the waitlist, start looking for a plane, and if you buy one anywhere locally, see if its hangar is available.
 
Wow. Ok, now I don't feel so bad about the 50 minute drive I currently have. But man... it'd be nice to be within 5-10 minutes for that "45 minute flight around the patch after work" flight. A long commute sort of takes the fun out of it.
 
Thanks for the replies. I drive about 1/hr 20 minutes for a rental at John Tune. My mom lives on the way so I generally stop by on the way out. Driving home though I'm on cloud nine so I'm just reviewing the flight in my head. I have made contact with the folks at Dickson TN and they have a 1975 Cherokee 180 for $100 wet. Darn good price and only 45 miles from home. Likely get checked out next week there

-MF
 
I got on the waitlist for my current drome in the early days of this century. I only got one because they built new ones. The fellow who showed me the hangar said I was at the top of the "still walking around" list.
 
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The waiting list for hangars at my home base (KCEU) is ridiculous. My CFI said there have been guys on it for 10+ years. It seems a bunch of people have the hangars and just pay to keep a pile of parts in there that never fly anymore.
 
tinerj said:
I had a 2:45 hr drive to my plane for a year to keep it in a hangar. BUT I flew on long multiday xcountries with layovers and never did feel the need to put it in an overnight hangar.

Now one plane is nearby (only 50 minute drive) and the other is 1:20 drive.

I would certainly go ahead and get on the waitlist, start looking for a plane, and if you buy one anywhere locally, see if its hangar is available.
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You should have bought a cheap plane to leave on the ramp to fly you to the other plane.
 
Mistake Not... said:
Not saying you should, but I personally made the hangar a condition of buying the plane. No way I was going to spend that much money and let it sit outside. Planes are always available, hangars aren't.

Lots of people do it like eman, and that's fine. But since my plane is a big toy, there was no reason to get one and not both. OTOH, I've heard people claim it's easier to move up the wait list if you already have one in a tie down at the same airport.

I've mentioned it before, but one of the airports I looked at had an unofficial policy... buy an airplane for sale on the field, the hangar it's in comes with it. You might see if that's true and there's something you could "flip" just to get the hangar.
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I got my hangar first too...but then I'm from Michigan, where no hangar often means no flying from December to March.
If I were in your shoes, I'd put my name on every list within an hour or so drive away, and I'd bet your plane doesn't stay outside for long.
 
I live on the Oregon coast, there's no way I'd ever leave a plane outside here. So I found a hangar a little over an hour away when I bought. Luckily one just became available 4 minutes away, so things are much better now.
 
One thing you can try is to find a large hangar with just one plane and ask the guy if he'll rent out space for your plane in his hangar until one appears. Offer to always be in back if he flies often. You'll have to move his plane (and he might have to move yours), so its not ideal. But its better than nothing. I shared a hangar and the guy only flew once a month so mine was almost always in front. Need a tug to lessen the back breaking pushes.

Around here hangars arent available if you dont have a plane, and seem to appear when you buy one. Airplane magic at work I guess.
 
Check if they have the "progression rule" where you get dibs on a hangar if you're already a tenant. There are people I know who paid a couple months tie down and got into a shade hangar, then a few months later they got a hangar. And then the plane showed up. Sure, they paid for 6-8 months that they didn't use, but they got what they wanted in the end.

I shutter to say it, but I have a really nice Bruce's cover for Candy that I've only used at Oshkosh.. If I had to put her on a tie down for 6 months I'd probably do it.
 
Depending on your financial situation and the airport policy, you might look at just building your own hangar. Get a ground lease from the airport for cheap. Build the hangar out how you like it. Don't pay rent on the building ever.
 
I bought and kept it on the ramp for three years while on the local wait list. Could not imagine waiting for a deal based on just a hangar...but I have a 40 year old 182...if I was buying a brand new SR22, maybe different story.
 
Ok, my 2:45 hr drive was for only one year, and there were a lot of reasons it was enjoyable. We only drove down once a month, and we usually went on a four day or so flying trip.

But I've got to agree with the airplane magic statement in a previous post. Somehow the plane finds a way to get indoors.
 
Social networking is the answer. I went to the area Facebook pilot group and asked if anyone had temp hangar space while I was waiting out the list. Had 3 offers in no time. Then, in less than a month, I was contacted by a private hangar owner to say they had a hangar available to lease. Half the battle is showing up and getting known.

It turns out, there's a lot of "sub-let'ing" going on, and folks who're in-between airplanes but don't want to give up their hangar, or private hangar owners that don't advertise, or want the hassle of maintaining a "waiting list". But, once you get to know the regulars (the guys that seem to always be around at the airport, and the independent A&Ps who do all the "owner assisted" annuals), things happen. You make friends, buy a beer or two, have breakfast and a little hangar-flying with a couple of the OG's, and before you know it, you're making new friends, getting insider tips and maybe a hangar.
 
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Shawn said:
I bought and kept it on the ramp for three years while on the local wait list. Could not imagine waiting for a deal based on just a hangar...but I have a 40 year old 182...if I was buying a brand new SR22, maybe different story.
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Just pull the red handle and drape the result over the top to keep the sun off.
 
When I moved a couple years ago I called every airport even remotely close to my new home and nobody had a hangar. I finally found one for only $90/mo but the airport manager was really hesitant and wanted me to look at it first. It was an ancient building, no power, doors were hard to move, had to go across grass and sunken pavement to get into it, and the worst part was my airplane barely fit... and when I say barely I mean I had to hug the wall to go around the wingtips on either side... and in the back... and the strobe on the tail only cleared by inches. It was bad... and also my only option so what could I do? I took it.

I flew home after that, didn't move the plane for another month or so. The day I arrived the line guys flagged me over and offered me a spot in their community hangar. Turns out someone had just left and there was one spot available. I eagerly took it and canceled the other lease, I only put my plane in that crappy hangar once to test-fit it. Thank god...I'm sure hangar rash would have been inevitable in that closet. That airport is a bit farther of a drive than my closest option but the community hangar is run by the FBO and is full-service meaning that they(and only they) move the airplanes so I never actually have to take out or put away the plane myself. Saves enough time to cancel out the driving difference I think, just have to call them on my way out the door.

Point is, there are usually options beyond the official waiting lists. You just have to run into the right person.
 
I thought GA was slowly dying, airplanes not being replaced as they are scrapped or written off, licensed pilot numbers in terminal decline. What's with this hangar space trend?? :confused:

Airports being closed? Only a problem in increasingly populated urban areas? Hangar space not really in short supply where I am, but expensive to rent or buy as they are all concrete floors, steel structures, insulated, wired and heated (usually with piped water to them too) due to the winters.
 
GRG55 said:
I thought GA was slowly dying, airplanes not being replaced as they are scrapped or written off, licensed pilot numbers in terminal decline. What's with this hangar space trend?? :confused:
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A lot of planes in those hangars that don't get flown. Also a lot of boats, RVs, classic car collections, etc are also in those hangars taking advantage of the cheap storage space.
 
Planes can last longer than hangars. Near me are three airports with hangars in worse shape than the airplanes inside them. So planes/hangar numbers stays relatively constant.
 
I hangar while in Florida ,in a group hangar,seven months out of the year. When up north the cost is prohibitive, so I have a full set of covers,while the plane is outside. Works for me.
 
Good stuff re: replies. As of now, I'm on (2) list in the nearby area but the best news is the place up in KY 40 miles from me. They hope to build new hangars with availability early next year.

-Y
 
I put my name on the waiting lists at KSET and KSUS in the St. Louis area, and when one became available at KSET I took it and started my search for a plane. I was OK with paying for an empty hangar for a while until I found a bird because I didn’t want to leave it outside. And, it figures as soon as I bought the plane and moved into the hangar a flood encroached on the field and I had to park my baby on the ramp until the waters receded :(
 
FlySince9 said:
Of all the reasons to have a hangar, thing that scares me? Hail... 1 minute of NC hail would be a disaster...
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I know what you're saying... I would freak out with every storm or high wind day that came through the area...:yes: But it was the birds and their droppings that really was the pain. Because my plane stands tall on it's gear the tail was the highest point compared to the others on tie down and the birds love that... :yikes:
 
Good luck finding a hanger.. Here at (PAJN) Juneau, AK there is no waiting list unless you want to buy a "T" hanger for $90,000.00+. So far I have weathered the storm parking on the ramp for almost 20 years.

I have had my plane damaged from the weather, porta potty came loose during a wind storm and hit my right wing tip. Had to replace wing tip, company that owned, porta potty paid for the repairs.

Snow plow caught the tail tie down rope when plowing ramp. Buckled rear fuselage skin, 6 months out of service and $13,000.00 later I was in the air. That included $400/mo for hanger rental during the repair. Airport paid for the repairs..:)
 
One of these days I’m going move, step 1 will be finding a hangar, then I will start looking for a place to live.
 
Twin_Flyer said:
I know what you're saying... I would freak out with every storm or high wind day that came through the area...:yes: But it was the birds and their droppings that really was the pain. Because my plane stands tall on it's gear the tail was the highest point compared to the others on tie down and the birds love that... :yikes:
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YUCK! My dad used to put an owl figure on the prop to stop that and nesting. The birds crapped on it:rolleyes:...
 
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