Finding a solution to the GA hangar shortage
By Mike Ginter, AOPA vice president of airports and state advocacy
Ask any aircraft owner about general aviation hangars, and they will instantly agree there is a shortage. AOPA completed a survey of more than 800 Airport Support Network volunteers at all public-use airports in Pennsylvania, and is conducting surveys in Texas and Colorado this year to measure the problem.
Results show that 71 percent of airports have a shortage of individual GA hangars (T-hangars, box hangars), and 55 percent of airport managers surveyed said they have the land to develop additional hangars but do not have the financial resources to do so. Even if an airport is federally funded, hangar projects are generally not approved because of other priorities. Hangars provide 45 percent of gross revenue, making hangars a critical source of financial self-sustainability for any GA airport. The remaining useful life of many hangars will compound the availability of shelter for aircraft in the decades to come, making the hangar shortage a serious concern for the long-term health of the 204,000 aircraft in the GA fleet.
Because hangars are so vital to the financial self-sustainability of GA airports, federal funding should be dedicated specifically for hangars up to 5,000 square feet. Airports and hangar developers need relief from onerous fire protection and ADA compliance requirements, which drive up T-hangar or small box hangar construction costs unnecessarily. AOPA is working with hangar developers to find cost-effective and innovative hangar construction processes. We are working with airport managers and local elected leaders to maintain accurate hangar waiting lists, comply with FAA hangar use policy, and seek hybrid federal, state, and local funding schemes to enable more hangar construction.
On the front lines
Invite the public to your airport
By Tom George, Alaska Regional Manager
Airports are our “special places” yet are often perceived as foreign landscapes, off limits to the general public, and may be perceived as the source of noise or pollution in the community. Taking the time to invite our non-aviation friends and neighbors to see what happens “inside the fence” is perhaps one of the best things we can do correct misperceptions and promote aviation at the grassroots level.
Hosting an airport open house can be a powerful tool to help educate and inform the public and share with them a glimpse into our world. It is also a way to reinforce the value local airports bring to the community they serve: Access for businesses, medevac services, flight training, the jobs they provide, and much more. Working with airport managers, FBOs, flight schools, and other airport stakeholders to plan an event also promotes good working relationships among airport stakeholders.
AOPA’s team of seven regional managers are available to assist with planning an effective open house event, and we have materials on our website (aopa.org/asn) to help you. Consider organizing an open house at your airport! Contact the AOPA Pilot Information Center at 800-872-2672 for more information.
Related Articles
