It's not really about paint... but about everything else--avionics, glass/plastic, upholstery, termites (if you've got a Viking). I've owned two planes and just accept hangarage as part of the price of ownership. I simply would not buy another plane without knowing where it's gonna be hangared (unless on trips, and even then, I sometimes try to agree on hangarage over night or for a week as the case may be). People who argue that it's not required either 1) never owned a plane; 2) live in a place with ideal weather (not too hot or cold, or rainy, or snowy or dusty); 3) haven't invested in avionics or maintenance; 4) haven't owned the plane long enough to understand the consequences of not hangaring. The rent can be astronomical, yes, and that could be a reason not to buy in the first place. In short, there are few/no circumstances under which I would own a plane without hangarage.
Any port in a storm.......
I suspect you won't be satisfied with the shade hangar for very long, as much as you work on your own plane.
Buy once, cry once, amortize it just like we're doing with the paint jobs in here and it's the best (cough, only?) bargain in GA.
I mean there are no wrong answers... but the use case for this is extremely limited. At a public airport you would doubt that you could meet the wind loads (or snow). Batteries don't last forever and solar panels fade. Also some jabrony with a pointy object in one hand and a beer in the other.Circling back to this, I have seen amazing semi-structural things done with inflatables, ala bounce castles -- but more engineer-y. How has nobody come up with an inflatable shelter that can be attached to the tiedown line (or weighted in place) -- solar blower to keep it taut. Shade, UV and weather protection. I bet you could fab 3 barn doors like port-a-ports do, and enclose it.
I bet people would pay 20 grand for a tie-gar. Hopefully with a cleverer name than that.
I can't wrap my head around the economics of it either. Several airports near-ish to me. Seems like plenty of open land to build....and based on the waiting list there's plenty of demand.
Agree on the grass though suspect many of those 14 are private and you have to build a relationship to be able to use one.
Cost to build t hangars generally doesn’t pencil out below around 1000 a month depending on desired ROI. The 300-700 a month hangars were built in a different era.I can't wrap my head around the economics of it either. Several airports near-ish to me. Seems like plenty of open land to build....and based on the waiting list there's plenty of demand.
I don't think any of them are set up to sell hangars...all are rental situations
and if these airports were in business it sure seems like they would be able to see the opportunity to increase revenue easily.
Myabe I just don't understand the supply and demand concept
They do seem to be more focused on tearing down the small rattle-trap t-hangers in favor of larger hangars so there is some sort of business focus in their logic I suppose, but man...seems like you can fill a lot more if you build something for us little guys...
I've always imagined that while a shade hangar wouldn't allow me to set up a man cave with sofa and beer fridge, it would be way better than open tie-downs.... and I would think that I should be able to put a dock box in it to store supplies....
Just ran the numbers at a local airport that needs hangars. Didn’t work out. Two big corporate hangars will be built instead. One will have room for a few singles. Maybe in different parts of the country it still works out.
Most hangars sit on public property with a lease that ends. Pencil that in the equation.
Do you know what they rent for? And those areas have better economics than where we looked.
Precisely what we found. There was a time when infrastructure growth in general and aviation growth in particular was desired and funded. That was 50 years ago now for the most part. Since most airports have been paid for by now they may stay open, but it's rare for a municipality to invest further. Even at $500 a month one local airport's hangars are 25% contractor storage (trucks, supplies, whatever), 25% derelict aircraft that will never fly again, and maybe 50% airworthy flown aircraft, with "flown" varying from ten to 150 hours per year.
Specs don’t change are ever more stringent.
Of course building codes aren't negotiable. My point was of course building codes have changed making things more expensive than they once were...things like hurricane structural ties that weren't required in the past, just as an example... of course not optional.
I agree that 'weather' can degrade all parts... but what you are saving in rentals would make up for it. I think that an AC with $60k worth of work/parts is gonna be in better condition that an AC with an owner that paid $60k for rentals and STILL needs parts at annual/due to wear.
But there are still large swaths of the country that don't have CEO. The closer you live to 'civilization' the more it matters. I lived in a small municipality that didn't have a CEO so there was no one to inforce it. Granted dwelling were checked by the banks/insurers for policy reasons but other than that no one cared if a shed/garage/pool popped up.
