Your aircraft deserves a home
Airplanes are tough yet fragile, strong yet delicate. They are built to be tough enough to fly for thousands of hours without undue damage, yet just a few minutes' exposure to small frozen balls of water — hail — will damage an airplane badly enough to render it unairworthy. Airplanes need to be protected. Yet hangaring airplanes is not a very efficient use of space. The result of the dilemma — airplanes need protection but don't fit very well into square buildings — is that airplane owners have to pay for more space than they need, and airports have to build hangars that take up a lot of ramp area.
Some owners utilize the odd corners of their hangars to store the family overflow, such as a motor home, Aunt Bessie's antique armoire, and Dad's vinyl-record collection (including a well-worn copy of Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida).
Some hangars gradually morph into a pilot's home away from home with comfortable couches and chairs, satellite television, and a refrigerator that's always stocked with refreshments and snacks. Finally, there's the hangar habitant who fills his spare space with catalogs, tools, and parts for the continued safe operation of the star of the show — the airplane. In the end, everything is tucked in around the airplane. This is all well and good as long as the hangar rent is affordable.
In many parts of the country there isn't enough hangar space to go around. When hangar space becomes available, it can be incredibly expensive. The result is that many pilots are forced to tie their airplane down out on the ramp while they wait for an incumbent hangar holder to either die or move away. Another alternative for those who live in urban areas is to rent hangar space at an outlying airport. The practicality of flying — the freedom of traveling quickly to a destination coupled with the sheer magic of actually participating in flight — is so strong that many urban pilots just end up doing whatever it takes for this privilege of flight.
There are lots of companies that produce buildings that fit the hangar mold. The latest issue of Trade-A-Plane, that yellow newspaper that lists all things aeronautical, always has at least six or seven display ads from hangar dealers, and at least six column inches of classified ads under its "Hangar" heading. If the expense of hangaring were based solely on dollar cost per-square-foot, every airplane would be nestled safely in its own hangar.
A hangarless tale
Sadly, that's not true. And it's unfortunate because airplanes age faster when they're exposed to the elements. It doesn't matter if an airplane is based in Anchorage or Atlanta, Tucson or Tampa — the elements take their toll. Heavy-snow loads overstress airplane structures — even when the airplane survives the weight of the snow, well-meaning but misguided pilots can cause damage during snow removal. One short burst of hail forever alters the appearance (and value) of ramp-tied airplanes. Gusty winds damage control surfaces by applying abnormally high loads to hinges, tabs, control rods and rod ends, bell cranks, pulleys, and cables. Moisture invariably seeps past doors during rainy spells. This accelerates airframe corrosion and mildews carpets and upholstery. Elevated temperatures accelerate the aging of expensive fuel bladders, while ultraviolet rays cloud windows and speed the aging of upholstery, tires, and paint. High in-cabin temperatures dry out hoses and cause the plastics used in cabin trim to lose elasticity and become brittle. Dust and dirt accumulate in wheel wells, engine compartments, and every conceivable corner of the airframe. This patina of fine dirt accelerates wear in delicate instruments and contaminates lubricants.
Birds appropriate space wherever they can get access, building nests to raise the next generation. Birds, like ancient tribes, leave behind evidence of their stay, but no maintenance technician or owner wants to face the task of removing and neutralizing the effects of the droppings, nesting grasses, and remains of tiny creatures that didn't make it to the flyaway age.
In addition to weather-borne woes, owners that tie their airplanes down outside are also more likely to be victimized by thieves. If they're lucky their loss will be limited to a few gallons of avgas. If they're not, that expensive radio stack will have to be replaced. Finally, the potential for ramp rash — those scratches, knocks, dents, and dings that accumulate on the fragile surfaces of light airplanes — inevitably increases for airplanes that are tied down. Temporary measures can slow the degradation, but nothing takes the place of the complete protection of a well-constructed hangar.
Owners also need to look at one more cost that is often left out of the equation — insurance. Insurance companies usually add a surcharge to policies on airplanes that are tied down outside. These charges can range from 3 to 4 percent up to 10 percent. One broker said he knew of one company that refuses to write insurance for airplanes that are not hangared.
Temporary measures — better than nothing
Hangar rental rates vary throughout the country. It's not unusual to pay $500 or more a month to get a single-engine four-seater under cover at some urban areas — if there is space available (see " Proficient Pilot: Sad State of Affairs," page 40). So what's an owner to do when outside tiedowns are all that's available?
The least expensive measure is heat shields. Fitted to the inside of each window and the windshield, these covers reflect the sun's rays well enough to reduce in-cabin temperatures and protect the interior from UV rays. They also keep prying eyes off the radio stack. Sporty's Pilot Shop sells custom-made heat-shield kits for less than $100. It also sells the laminate material by the yard and Velcro buttons so pilots can make their own shields. A few yards of fabric — recently advertised for $14 a yard — and a few hours of scissor work are all it takes to start protecting an airplane.
The next option is a canopy cover. Canopy covers do everything that heat shields do plus keep rain out of the cabin. Less expensive covers keep the rain out by using waterproofing-coated fabrics. This is OK if the airplane is located in an area where rain is occasional, but if the airplane is parked outside in a part of the country where winter is extended, with long periods of rain and snow, then a cover that breathes is essential.
Established companies such as Bruce's Custom Covers, of Sunnyvale, California, have years of experience fabricating covers. Not only does Bruce's have an extensive selection of ready-made canopy, wing, propeller, and engine covers, but it can also make custom covers. An off-the-shelf Bruce's cover for a Cessna 182 retails for around $350. These covers offer a lot of protection for the money. Still, the best solution is to get the airplane inside.
Vista Carousel Hangars cut storage costs
It seems hard to believe that there's not a better way to store airplanes than the ubiquitous square box. Fortunately at least two companies have come up with twenty-first-century solutions.
Airport managers, listen up! We understand that being faced with pilots clamoring for hangars on one hand and the cost of obtaining additional ramp space for new hangar construction on the other is not an easy position to be in. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way of leveraging the land that is available?
One tried-and-true method — the Vista Carousel Hangar system — promises to lower maintenance, personnel, and development costs. It requires half the ramp space of conventional nested T-hangars and cuts down on the possibility of ramp rash. A typical nested 12-airplane T-hangar configuration (where each hangar in the row faces a direction that's opposite of the direction of the adjacent hangar) requires 12 doors and approximately 17,900 square feet of ramp area. Since six of the airplanes exit one direction and the other six exit the opposite direction, this configuration requires a taxi apron on each side of the hangar — this alone takes up a lot of land.
A comparable Vista Carousel system with storage space for 12 airplanes requires three side-by-side 72-by-72-foot hangars. Each hangar has one 44-foot-wide door. Because of the carousel in each hangar — a carousel that supports four airplanes and is rotated by a high-torque, low-maintenance electric motor to position each airplane in front of the single door with the push of a button — hangar space is efficiently used. A single ramp takes care of all 12 airplanes. Angling the two outer hangars inward toward the center further saves ramp area. Figures supplied by Vista Carousel suggest that the four-airplane Vista system reduces by half the amount of ramp space used compared to conventional nested T-hangar configurations. If Vista's six-airplane carousel systems are implemented, the space savings are increased.
The Vista system provides floor space within the hangar that's outside the carousel where owners can store supplies. A complete four-airplane carousel system sells for $34,500 but is presently discounted to $29,500. For more information, visit the Vic's Aircraft Sales Web site ( www.vicsaircraft.com) or call Vic Gelking (701/293-8362) at Hector International Airport in Fargo, North Dakota.
Stack 'em up — the ARM Aerospace Aero-Lift
Since most hangars have high ceilings, there's a lot of space above the floor that isn't efficiently used. ARM Aerospace in Tucson, Arizona, has created a sturdy and well-constructed tool to take advantage of that space. It's called the Aero-Lift, and it can lift airplanes weighing up to and including 2,500 pounds empty up to 10 feet, thereby freeing up hangar floor space for another airplane, or for items of value.
The vertical column of the Aero-Lift stands 13 feet 6 inches high. It is supported by two 16-foot-long legs that V out at right angles to the column to form a solid base. Airplanes are lifted after the landing-gear wheels are nestled and chocked in the adjustable wheel scoops. According to ARM, there's little likelihood that the Aero-Lift will drop the airplane since the Aero-Lift is designed to comply with California's stringent earthquake requirements and all lifting is controlled by an ACME screw-style mechanism that automatically locks in position.
Wheel-scoop configurations are available for both nose- and tailwheel-configured airplanes. There's even a dual-configuration option that permits FBO users to accommodate either configuration without extensive changes. The company says that up to 98 percent of the airplanes in the general aviation fleet should fit the Aero-Lift system wheel-scoop configuration.
More than 150 Aero-Lift systems have been rented, leased, and sold in the year and a half since they were introduced. Priced at just under $10,000 for the 2,500-pound-capacity version (there's also a 2,000-pound version), the Aero-Lift is powered by readily available 115V AC.
ARM will provide a return-on-investment (ROI) analysis, as well as a free hangar analysis for anyone interested in the Aero-Lift. Full details are available online ( www.armaerospace.com) or by calling 520/886-7329.
Protecting our sturdy yet fragile airplanes cuts down on simple wear and tear and reduces maintenance costs. This in turn increases reliability, and although it may not always seem like it when that check is written every month, hangaring your flying machine makes your flying safer and usually turns out to be a good investment in the long run.
E-mail the author at [email protected].
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