Is hangar necessary in dry climate?

[Ario]

Can someone please justify a several hundred dollar per month rent of a hangar in a dry climate like southern California for a Mooney that is already covered in anti corrosion by the manufacturer? Other than the paint what could be affected to justify that compared to a tie down with a good canopy cover?

[N201MKTurbo]

Here in Arizona we put them in hangars to keep the sun off of them. The sun degrades everything it touches. The UV will ruin the paint and interior. 

[DonMuncy]

It depends on your preferences, priorities and budget. Paint will last longer and look nicer with a hangar. If you always use a cover, it is unlikely your interior will suffer too much. For me, the biggest advantage of a hangar is a place to keep my stuff, and a place to work on the plane. If I don't get everything buttoned up, I can just leave it until I get back. Would I delay my oil change if I had to do it outside a hangar? Maybe.

So, no, you don't have to have a hangar. For me a hangar is well worth it, but if I was in a place with only $600 hangars I might feel differently.

[bonal]

Dry climate can mean different things and sun can cause more damage than occasional rain. Spent a few years outside and much prefer life indoors but am lucky to have a nice hangar that I rent space from its owner for a reasonable cost. At some point if rent exceeded budget well I would be outside but one thing I know there are folks here in GA that have a lot more dispensable income than I do. It all comes down to what you can afford to spend. And there are definitely places that being out would be really hard on an airplane. So Cal not being one of them unless you were close to the Pacific 

[DXB]

I have a crappy hangar that is expensive-ish ($400) but still find it worth it and would have a hard time giving it up. Granted I do live in a wetter, colder climate.  But beyond protecting the plane from the elements, the advantage for me is having a convenient place to keep tools an consumable goods for the plane, do basic maintenance on it, and work on small problems as they come up. It also lets you plug in things like engine heaters and battery minders, leave the cowl off and come back the next day to finish the oil change after it drains overnight, etc.  Mind you I'm no A&P.  But having it to do even basic work seems essential.  I also find myself paying much closer attention to issues on my plane and taking time to learn more stuff than i would ever have patience for if it sat outside. And a mechanic can come work on it more easily if you can't move it.   Also it decreases the chances of it getting damaged by weather or a carelessly taxiing pilot, plundered for avionics, etc.  There's an insurance savings associated with this, though not nearly enough to offset the hangar cost.  

 

[mike28w]

  Renting a hangar lets me sleep better.....  Thunderstorms and windstorms don't wake me up and make me wonder if I tried the plane down well  ( and did the guy parked next to me do the same ) ??

I don't worry much about vandalism , either.    mike

 

[gsxrpilot]

I'm not wealthy enough to go without a hangar. I can't imagine leaving my airplane parked outside on a public ramp. Like Mike said, I sleep much better at night knowing it's tucked away in a hangar.

[Yetti]

You don't have to tie it down in a hanger

[bonal]

Don't misunderstand I much prefer being in doors for all the reasons listed on this thread and others that have been posted on the subject and if I owned a 100k plus airplane would be all the more important. Right now my home field has no available and if I was stuck outside would I sell my Mooney and quit flying hell no, I would do the best I could to minimize exposure from all things that could damage or degrade the condition of my airplane. There have been cases where owners have had serious damage caused because they were in hangars like to the nose gear or being hit or hitting another object as the planes were being moved around by people other than the owner. Having yours in a single or if you own multiple planes in your own Hagar is obviously the best setup since you control it.

[amillet]

I recently started chocking the plane in the hangar, thinking that if there were an earthquake it might help keep from rolling into the hangar walls.  Paranoia? Would it actually help?

[Tony Armour]

2 hours ago, amillet said:

I recently started chocking the plane in the hangar, thinking that if there were an earthquake it might help keep from rolling into the hangar walls.  Paranoia? Would it actually help?

Not much advice but it won't hurt and doesn't cost anything :-)

[DonMuncy]

I chock mine in the hangar, but only the nose wheel. I mounted the "rear" chock on the floor in the right spot. I painted stripes for the three wheels, so I only have to back the plane on the stripes until the nose wheel hits the chock, and slide the front chock into place.

Mostly to make sure I don't hit things and leave me room to get around.

[Zwaustin]

It is not "necessary" but I wouldn't be without my hangar space. Worth the money just keeping the plane clean in the short term and keeping the paint, interior, hoses and any rubber from prematurely wearing unnecessarily in the long term. Also a lot cooler in Texas pulling it out of a hangar and leaving rather than hopping into a heat soaked plane and getting roasted for first 20 minutes. 

[Ron McBride]

I prefer inside a hanger, the above reasons all apply.  In So Cal, it also depends on where.  It can get very hot, too close to the beach, wind storms (Santa Ana's) smog and sometimes a lot of rain.  If your windows leak, the repair bill could be huge.    The seal in your gas tanks will probably last longer without all of the heat/sun on them.  I lived in So Cal for over 50 years.   Where are you located?

Ron

[ArtVandelay]

Inside there is more security, less insects, less animals, less thunderstorms and hail, less sun ans room for stuff I just have to pay a storage unit to keep.

[carusoam]

Realistically, hangars are market priced.  

The tie-down is 50 ft away.  

One is $100 bucks a month the other is $500+ per month.

Several people in your neighborhood have made that decision.  It was worth it to several of them to have their bird indoors.

I stored my first Mooney outside.  It had been outside decades before I owned.

I was concerned about sun, snow, frozen gas caps, birds, storms, hurricanes, and planes moving under their own power...

We have seen somebody lose control of their plane and run into the one next to it. That resulted in about a 30amu minimum cost to put things back together...

If you decide to compare costs with other people, you may quickly find, their house is paid off, their kids have left the house and the hangar doesn't cost as much, compared to those others...

a mediocre paint job costs about two years of hangar rent.

There is no easy answer to this question, but if yo get the hangar, you will find other things to worry about.  Hangar rash and how to get the plane in and out...

Which ever Way you go, it is worth it! 

Best regards,

-a-

[thinwing]

Well the hanger for me is an absolute requirement...not so much for the Mooney...but all the other crap life accumulates !

[Seth]

On 10/2/2016 at 7:21 PM, amillet said:

I recently started chocking the plane in the hangar, thinking that if there were an earthquake it might help keep from rolling into the hangar walls.  Paranoia? Would it actually help?

I always chock my aircraft in the hanger.  Always have.  

I sense a poll will start soon from me or Mike asking if people chock their Mooney's inside their hanger.

-Seth

 

[Seth]

22 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

I chock mine in the hangar, but only the nose wheel. I mounted the "rear" chock on the floor in the right spot. I painted stripes for the three wheels, so I only have to back the plane on the stripes until the nose wheel hits the chock, and slide the front chock into place.

Mostly to make sure I don't hit things and leave me room to get around.

Almost exactly what I do.

[Seth]

I personally hate that I can't "buy" a hanger at my own airport as there'd still be a ground lease or after X years ownership reverts back to the airport.

Maybe look at a nearby fly in community so you could own your home and hanger!

-Seth

[carusoam]

Fearing hangar rash...

+1 for chocking the nose wheel.

Best regards,

-a-

[jonhop]

On 10/2/2016 at 4:21 PM, amillet said:

I recently started chocking the plane in the hangar, thinking that if there were an earthquake it might help keep from rolling into the hangar walls.  Paranoia? Would it actually help?

Couldn't hurt... I do and took it a bit further and bolted all storage shelves to the wall and chocked the wheels of my rolling table/carts. I just hope the hanger doesn't cave in. 

[Ario]

I'm in San Diego parked at Gillespie. Tie down $100, hangars $400-$500.

 

[FlyDave]

I had a Cherokee for 6 years that I kept tied down at KEMT. The interior got destroyed by the sun, the paint took a beating and the only time the avionics cooled down was when I flew the plane. Heavy rain will find any leak in door, baggage or window seals. In addition, If I didn't wash my plane every few weeks (and I didn't ) I had a layer of black soot that was a pain to remove.

Another aspect of tiedowns is that some airports don't want you working on your plane on the ramp.