Parking: Ramp vs Hangar

[mooney_wannaB]

5 hours ago, 1964-M20E said:

What part of Louisiana will you be flying to?

 

Probably Houma. I can get to two of three bases in a reasonable time from there. 

 

[glafaille]

Personally, if I couldn't afford a hangar I would consider myself unable to afford the airplane.  If I can't afford the hangar, how am I supposed to afford a quality annual, repair of squawks, upgrades, etc.  The difference is that repairs and re-conditioning of cars is much cheaper than airplanes.

A hangar is just one of those things that are a part of aircraft ownership, like insurance.  Especially important for aircraft expected to last many years, however if you approach it like a car then it's a little different.  Buy the car for $50,000, drive it for 10 years and sell it for $7,000.

So if you are OK buying the plane for $50,000 and selling it 10 years later for MUCH less, then by all means, leave it outside and save the hangar fees. 

 

[Bennett]

I've had aircraft tied down in the open, under T-Shades, and mostly in hangars. I am bit of a hangar fanatic by most standards, but I find tremendous value in utilizing hangars. I set up a mini-office in my last two hangars, with a computer, printer, refrigerator, water cooler, coffee maker, desks, workbenches, drill press, tool storage,etc. plus cabinets to hold all the "stuff" I use for airplanes. I also added many shelves to hold storage boxes, catalogued, and cross catalogued for find the oddball things I know I have "somewhere". I could never manage this from a tie down. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, hangar costs are ridiculously high, and the waiting lists are long. Even so, I cannot imagine leaving my Mooneys outside in the weather. Cessna 172s and Pipers, OK when I didn't have a hangar available, but even my Cessna 120 was hangared. If you are ever around KSQL come and visit . When I leave the hangar doors open, and work at my desk there are always pilots and friends stopping by to chat.

[211º]

Something nice to be said for simply sitting in the hangar and having someone wander by for a chat.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[1964-M20E]

On 7/9/2016 at 6:21 PM, mooney_wannaB said:

 

Ok I figured that much.  My home airport is not convenient to Houma otherwise I'd offer it as an alternative.

[mooney_wannaB]

1 minute ago, 1964-M20E said:

Ok I figured that much.  My home airport is not convenient to Houma otherwise I'd offer it as an alternative.

Thankyou for the consideration. 

[Jim Peace]

On July 8, 2016 at 6:10 PM, carusoam said:

A NJ tie down is $100. Hangar >.5 AMU....

I pay 265 outside in NJ........  :-(

[Raptor05121]

Hangar.

Put a couch and mini-fridge in there and you'll have a place to stay when the missus finds out how much you are spending on the hangar. Problem solved.

[takair]

3 hours ago, Jim Peace said:

I pay 265 outside in NJ........  :-(

Wow, that might be the most expensive tie down I've heard of....but I believe it.  What airport are you at.

[Hank]

5 minutes ago, takair said:

Wow, that might be the most expensive tie down I've heard of....but I believe it.  What airport are you at.

Everything is expensive over there. In West-by-God, Virginny, hangars were $125 and tie downs were $25 per month. Discounts could be had by paying the year's rent in early January. Down here in God's country,t hey run the gamut up to about $250 per month for a fairly new T hangar.

[Piloto]

And when your other half kick you out of the house you have a place (hangar) to go and spend time with your lovely Mooney and sleep over together. Happy dreams.

José

[Jim Peace]

51 minutes ago, takair said:

Wow, that might be the most expensive tie down I've heard of....but I believe it.  What airport are you at.

Caldwell NJ  CDW.....just until it looks like snow then I fly it west to Palm trees.........

[orionflt]

On 7/8/2016 at 2:18 PM, steingar said:

Airplanes belong indoors.

Airplanes belong in the air

[steingar]

18 minutes ago, orionflt said:

Airplanes belong in the air

Gotta come down and rest sometime.  When they do they belong indoors.

[1964-M20E]

Tie downs at KNEW generally $75 a month last time I checked.  Group hangar around $300+/-. T-Hangars no one is selling and about the same $300 to rent.  One local private airport wanted $175 to tie down outside and he was proud of his Avgas.  I would love to keep it there but at that rate I passed.  I am currently at $75 a month and I own the hangar but that is 45 mins from the house instead of 10min.

[Hank]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 1:18 PM, steingar said:

Airplanes belong indoors.

So do cars. Right now, mine is out in the parking lot at work.

Next week, I will be tied down on the "ramp" at a grass strip at the beach . . . with my canopy cover on.

[bradp]

My hangar is the last T on a row - so had a walled in office space built by the previous tenant.  

There are many non-FAA approved uses for hangars (depending of course whether your hangar is on a publicly funded airport or not). 

Local storage sheds go for a lot per month.  

I made my wife a promise that the hangar would be budget neutral.  Kept it.  Went with the local Mooney-experienced IA on the field.  Got a quality annual.  A couple of things replaced / updated.  Didn't get high-balled for minor issues.  Saved several thousand dollars and kept the local guys business strong.  Smarter maintenance does not mean more expensive maintenance.  Hangar fairies only live indoors.   You get weird looks when you are doing major surgery on a ramp in front of the control tower on a field that has the FSDO, legal is it may be.  

Win win win in my book.  

[LANCECASPER]

This is probably a good reason to keep it hangared:

 

[Nokomis449]

My two "outside" stories:

1 - Many years ago a Mooney owner flew to Oklahoma.  He had the tanks topped on arrival but inclement weather set in, it rained for days, and he left the Mooney on the ramp and flew home via airlines.  A month later I was sent to fetch the Mooney.  During preflight I drained a few cups of water from one tank before going to the FBO and bringing the manager to the Mooney.  I showed him how weeks before, the fuel guy had improperly closed the fuel caps, which allowed weeks of monsoon rainwater to enter the tanks.  His line guy then finished sumping a gallon or more from each tank. I still have the free FBO cap they gave me as an apology, but it would definitely have been a bad day for me if I had only checked the fuel level and skipped the sump during the preflight.

2 - We regularly fly to Baton Rouge to visit our two kids that are there (Geaux Tigers).  On one recent two day trip, I arrived back home with a nearly complete bird nest in the tail cone.

Also, Louisiana birds LOVE to perch on Mooney tails and props and leave their calling cards.

It almost sounds like you need a throw-away 150 for commuting, and a Mooney back home for pleasure.

[RobertGary1]

Been outside for 20 years. The paint doesn't look new but from 10 feet away looks pretty good. For the cost of a California hanger (plus hanger tax etc) I could have bought a couple paint jobs.

At the moment still have then same avionics and never had an issue  A hanger would be nice but the costs of a hanger doesn't seem worth it st least in California 

i do have a Bruce's cover  

 

-Robert

Edited April 29, 2017 by RobertGary1

[PostMan]

On 7/8/2016 at 0:09 PM, chrisk said:

Presumably one of the airports is close to the gulf?  If your dealing with salt in the air, I would seriously consider a hangar.

On the financial of your equation, you may want to consider the fuel tanks.  Mooney lure claims empty tanks and a plane in the sun are a bad combination for the longevity of a leak free fuel tank.    On the other hand, full fuel adds weight and is rumored to reduce the life of the rubber doughnuts.

So half tanks??

[jaylw314]

On 7/8/2016 at 11:05 AM, PMcClure said:

If pride in ownership and condition issues are important to you, not having a hangar isn't really an option. That aside, if I were to make a financial decision, I would have to know the value of your plane. If you are talking an expensive modern bird, I think there is no question to get a hangar. But if you have a 50 years of oxidation and dings then $3000 a year may not be worth the investment. Again, that is only the financial side of things. 

And regarding covers, I have decided never to put my nice Bruce cover on my plane again near the beach. The sand and salt can get under the cover and cause scratches. I will either Hangar it or rely on sun shields only from now on. PS - anyone know where I can buy some nice sun shields that go inside? 

Bruce's Covers has them.  Here you go:

https://www.aircraftcovers.com/M201

Look under Section 5 "Heatshields and Sun Reflectors."  They are mylar over foam core panels that weigh nothing.  They fold up and fit in the back shelf of the cargo area easily.  They have suction cups to stick to the windows, but they fit tight enough they aren't really necessary.  The windshield is difficult to get into place, and you end up folding and creasing it, but it's a tight fit.

I was surprised at how cool the plane was sitting in the sun, they perform really well.  If I'm loading up the plane, I leave a couple side window shields up and it makes a tremendous difference.

They obviously won't protect the windows from the sun and elements, but they are a nice easy help on trips away from home.

Edited April 29, 2017 by jaylw314

[DonMuncy]

One of our people bought some insulated foil faced material and cut out his own sun-shields. Maybe Scott McCray will pop up with where he got the material, and what he thinks of his.

[75_M20F]

The biggest problem by far being outside on a tiedown is corrosion. Corrosion is death to little airplanes.

Leaving it out on a tiedown in rainstorms getting totally saturated + winter snow storms... no thanks!

I don't even wash my airplane because I don't want to promote corrosion.

I would not own an airplane if I were not able to have it in a hangar.