Reflective Paint

ScottM

ScottM

Taxi to Parking
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iBazinga!
At my home airport they repaved the runway and all the taxiways, great owners!!

My hangar now has a new asphalt apron and I would like to paint a yellow center line like I had before to help with getting the plane lined up. But this time I was thinking of using something like that yellow reflective paint one sees on highways to mark the no passing lanes. This way it will also be easier to see which hangar is mine at night.

Anyone ever have any dealing with the stuff? Is it hard to paint on and where does one find it to purchase?
 
I suggest a red rotating beacon outside the hangar, just like they have on jetways....

Seriously, I've never had a problem seeing regular paint on the ground in front of the hangar. I wouldn't waste the money on reflective, I don't think.

Besides, aren't your taxiways covered with snow about half the year? :D
 
I taped my ramp and used an orange aerosol (can't say 'bomb' anymore!) used by crews to mark buried cable etc. Not reflective that I can tell but has lasted pretty long.
Anyone have good tricks to keep people from parking in front of the hangar door, or blocking the taxiway? Next one is going to get a bazooka up the butt, I swear!
 
A potato up the tailpipe works wonders, I hear. Not that I would know for sure, of course.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Anyone have good tricks to keep people from parking in front of the hangar door, or blocking the taxiway? Next one is going to get a bazooka up the butt, I swear!
Click to expand...

Park an old beater tractor at the end of the row with a big chain on the back.
Then put a sign on your hangar door that says:
NO PARKING
THE LAST VEHICLE THAT PARKED IN FRONT
OF THIS HANGAR IS STILL MISSING.
 
You guys are kinda missing my point, perhaps I did not make it well enough.

The paint is to help line up the plane with the center of the hangar to help me push it back in without hitting the hangar walls. I was also thinking of using reflective paint so at night I will see which hangar is mine a little bit easier than with just the plain pavement marking paint I have used in the past. The tax way to my hangar is unlit. It is hard to see which doors are whos. The taxiway while dark is plowed though so don't worry about the snow.

I am not interested in flashing lights or road reflectors I am looking for a source for reflective paint and any experience with its use. I have already decided on painting the center line. It is what I had before the repaving and it worked fine. I just am thinking about improving it for night visibility.

but thanks for the other suggestions.
 
Scott, watched em re-stripe the runway at RVN. They just sprinkled glass beads (really small ones) on the wet paint. Don't know where you would find the something like that. Hobby Lobby maybe? Good luck.
Ron
 
Epoxy paint with some glass beads added for reflectivity. Just like the long line stripes on the roadway.

If you had a local guy with a hand truck/cart some good ole smokin hot thermoplastic with the beads will last many many years and stay white much longer then the epoxy. Only catch you need special equipment to heat that stuff up and it smells terrible until cooled.


quick search...epoxy paint http://store.nationalpaintsupply.net/65sy10sohedu.html

Glass beads http://www.flexolite.com/distLocator.aspx

I'll look up some epoxy products and beads for you tomorrow at work. 3M has the epoxy.
 
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Let'sgoflying! said:
I taped my ramp and used an orange aerosol (can't say 'bomb' anymore!) used by crews to mark buried cable etc. Not reflective that I can tell but has lasted pretty long.
Anyone have good tricks to keep people from parking in front of the hangar door, or blocking the taxiway? Next one is going to get a bazooka up the butt, I swear!
Click to expand...

At my hangar the door opens outward from the bottom and if I enter through the rear service door to operate the door I can't see whether or not someone has parked in front of it. One day I came within inches of doing serious damage to a nice BMW someone parked in front of my door. I think the news of that got around since no one has parked in front since.
 
smigaldi said:
You guys are kinda missing my point, perhaps I did not make it well enough.
Click to expand...

Oh, I think we got the point, we just ignored it... :rolleyes:

Just pulling your chain a bit. :D

Seriously, I wouldn't bother with reflective. I'd just paint the lines, and a big number on the pavement to be able to identify it. Perhaps a big "no parking" symbol.
 
We've got lines on the pavement, but what really works for me is the electrical junction box conveniently placed in the center of the ceiling of the hangar. Line up the vertical stab with the box and you're centered. As the tail is practically in the hangar by the time I can see the line on the pavement, this works better. You might put something up there in your hangar.

Now, as for marking the door, you could put a sign on it. I like the tractor and sign idea best. :D
 
Ghery said:
We've got lines on the pavement, but what really works for me is the electrical junction box conveniently placed in the center of the ceiling of the hangar. Line up the vertical stab with the box and you're centered. As the tail is practically in the hangar by the time I can see the line on the pavement, this works better. You might put something up there in your hangar.

Now, as for marking the door, you could put a sign on it. I like the tractor and sign idea best. :D
Click to expand...

And that's what I do, too, to line up the plane. Although the city did paint taxi stripes - complete with curved lines to the center of the hangar door - when they repaved the ramp early this year. When I was at HAO, we painted a vertical stripe on the back wall of the hangar.

I marked my door with the hangar number using those reflective mailbox letter/number stickers at Home Depot. Some of the other folks put their N-Number on the hangar door the same way.
 
smigaldi said:
You guys are kinda missing my point, perhaps I did not make it well enough.

The paint is to help line up the plane with the center of the hangar to help me push it back in without hitting the hangar walls. I was also thinking of using reflective paint so at night I will see which hangar is mine a little bit easier than with just the plain pavement marking paint I have used in the past. The tax way to my hangar is unlit. It is hard to see which doors are whos. The taxiway while dark is plowed though so don't worry about the snow.

I am not interested in flashing lights or road reflectors I am looking for a source for reflective paint and any experience with its use. I have already decided on painting the center line. It is what I had before the repaving and it worked fine. I just am thinking about improving it for night visibility.

but thanks for the other suggestions.
Click to expand...

We painted a yellow line using road paint (then got shoot from the airport authority as we weren't supposed to). Tis better to ask for forgiveness than permission!
 
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