Just how bad is it

[brien23]

General Aviation puts a lot of spin on how good things are aircraft sales people flying and things are not that bad off. Everything I see general aviation planes with flat tires and hangers that haven't been open in months with aircraft just sitting. It amazes me that pilots think their planes can just sit their with no use. Come annual if they even think of it this year, expect it should be easy as it did not fly all last year what could cost so much. Just how bad is General Aviation off at your little airport.

 

[Ken Ibold]

Once upon a time, I was at the airport and saw an obviously neglected Baron sitting in a planeport. Flat tires, cobwebs, dirt an inch thick piled on top of the wings. I asked the FBO guy who owned it, and he said he didn't know; the airplane had not moved in the three years he'd worked there, but every month the check for the planeport came in. So I tracked down the owner through the registration records and inquired about buying it. The owner was not interested in selling it.

This was 15 years ago at Nashville International Airport. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[JohnR]

I read a story once about an abandoned Grumman Yankee someone bought for pocket change, so it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[Dean]

Once upon a time, I was at the airport and saw an obviously neglected Baron sitting in a planeport. Flat tires, cobwebs, dirt an inch thick piled on top of the wings. I asked the FBO guy who owned it, and he said he didn't know; the airplane had not moved in the three years he'd worked there, but every month the check for the planeport came in. So I tracked down the owner through the registration records and inquired about buying it. The owner was not interested in selling it.

This was 15 years ago at Nashville International Airport. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I have found several of these "HANGAR QUEENS" and have inquired about buying them. Most, if not all, thought the plane was worth as much as if it had just been restored to like new condition. Some of them they would have had to pay me to haul the POS off to the scrap yard.
I have noticed that the price of big HP singles, (i.e. Cherokee Six, C-182's etc) are starting to take the price decline hit like the twins are. Several Cherokee Six's on Barnstormers for less than $70K when last year you couldn't touch one for less than $80K and most likely it would cost you close to $100K for the same airplane two years ago.

 

[gibbons]

After a push from one of the city council members and the mayor to shut it down a few years ago, our little airport appears to be gaining ground. We have a new pro-GA mayor now and that has helped a lot. But the big improvement is in the management of the airport. The owner of the FBO / Flight School has a strong business background and has done a great deal to bring the airport back to life. He retired young from overseeing manufacturing plants in the US and Central America, and brings sound business sense into an industry that is generally lacking it.

A new FBO is under construction and three new 60 x 60 hangars should be started soon. A new transient/maintenance hangar will be built after the FBO is finished. The flight school runs a C152, two C172's (one new), a C182RG, an Arrow, and a Travel Air, as well as a new Remos LSA. They keep four full time and three part time instructors pretty busy, and are talking about starting the search for another instructor soon.

We have the usual suspects out flying regularly and a couple of hangar queens. (One PA28-140 that hasn't flown since I started hanging out at the airport in about twelve years ago.)

So for now we appear to be hanging in there. Fuel and insurance have made it tough on a lot of people and I'd speculate that there will be less flying this summer than last, but only time will tell. All in all, we're fortunate to have good management and good city support for our little airport. Not long ago it sure looked like it would become an industrial park.

 

[Anthony]

Fuel and insurance have made it tough on a lot of people

My insurance has actually gone down since last year. Fuel however is another story.

 

[Lawreston]

That's interesting, Ken. A couple years ago -- November 03, 2005 -- I went flying with Warren McIlvoy, from his Deer Valley base. (Deer Valley > Flagstaff > Sedona > Deer Valley). Just to the rear of his Piper was an aircraft in almost the identical scenario you've described. Hard to fathom(though I guess "fathom" isn't a common word in the desert).

HR

 

[mikea]

There was a faded and corroding Cherokee 140 in the weeds at our place. It was there so long birds built a nest, actually a birdy city, inside the wings.

The Rev finally talked to the owner and made a deal to buy it. I think it was for around $10,000.

They towed it into the hangar. Gary opened up the wings and we all had a laugh as we watched the bushels of brush and feathers come out.

The Rev paid for an engine overhaul with new Millennium cylinders, Reiff hotbands. Avionics, instruments, interior, new paint.

It's a showplane now, ironically parked in the same spot.

The Rev flew it as far as Florida getting 125 knots at 8GPH at 8,000 feet.

We've got several more fading in the weeds.

It's nice to know they can be rescued.

 

[Bob Bement]

We only have about 5 aircraft on our little airport (S49) and mine is the only one that flys what I would call steady. A couple fly only a few times a year and one just sits there going down hill.
Actually my plane was one of those airport queens, and I feel real good that I brought it back from that shape. I think it is a good reliable aircraft and I love to fly it. If you haven't seen my 1959 Cessna 182 Skylane here is a picture of the airport queen. Bob

 

[gprellwitz]

here is a picture of the airport queen. Bob

Yeah, she looks like a queen. The plane isn't bad, either!

We certainly have a few hangar queens at Clow, but most fly pretty regularly. An active flight school (one of the largest in the state, and not part of a chain), an active EAA and CAP program, and a number of other businesses, including an air ambulance. Not to mention having been bought by the village with a mayor who's pro-airport, and managed by a developer who also flies.

 

[Tom-D]

There have always been hangar queens, but now there are a lot more pilots not flying, economy is down, the gas to go to work is using more of the spare cash that used to go for avgas, the dollar doesn't buy as much as it did in any store and wages have not kept up to inflation.

Please don't quote me a whole bunch of government propganda numbers to prove other wise. just show me the value of the euro, canadain dollar.

 

[mikea]

Yeah, she looks like a queen. The plane isn't bad, either!

We certainly have a few hangar queens at Clow, but most fly pretty regularly. An active flight school (one of the largest in the state, and not part of a chain), an active EAA and CAP program, and a number of other businesses, including an air ambulance. Not to mention having been bought by the village with a mayor who's pro-airport, and managed by a developer who also flies.

And *cough* http://www.illinoisaeromuseum.com/index.html

 

[gprellwitz]

And *cough* http://www.illinoisaeromuseum.com/index.html

And Charlie's and Packer Engineering, and a few other things, too! Sometimes on the weekend it's actually difficult finding parking!

Here's a rendition of the proposed new pilot's lounge. Of course that presupposes having funding....

 

[Steve]

I would say our little airport (M11) is doing a fair job of supporting the personal flying activity and is making several facility improvements after years of neglect.

In 2007 we installed a self-serve avgas pump, paved new taxiways to hangar sites, constructed a new gravel vehicle parking lot, installed a security fence around half the airport, purchased new mowing equipment, and awarded a contract to build a 6 nested T-hangars, which should be complete by May of this year.

In 2008 we've installed new ramp security lighting, are applying for a grant to build 8 additional nested T-hangars, have established lease rates for privately built hangar sites, are in the process of installing high-speed internet access, have plans to reseal the ramp, pave the new vehicle parking lot, and complete an environmental assessment in preparation for construction of a new 4000' runway to replace the existing 3000' runway.

We have 12 based aircraft, all of which are airworthy and "active", ranging from a biplane, to a Baron. Several aircraft are brought in over the course of a year for maintenance from a nearby flight school and air freight outfit. We get frequent inquiries about basing additional aircraft there and the main obstacles to that are the limited available storage space and runway length, which we are working to address. Considering the circumstances, we're not doing too bad.