Washington DC Area Information

[Greg_D]

I am considering taking a job offer in the DC area. I was wondering if anyone here could give me an idea of what to expect regarding hangar availability/prices at airports in the area. Are there any MSCs or Mooney savvy mechanics in those parts?  Also, do MD or VA charge individual aircraft owners with a personal property tax on aircraft?

[N6784N]

there is not alot of hanger space i think a 3 year waiting at some airports. if you will be in dc probably best bet is college park and potomac airfield so you will have to jump through the frz hoops and get your secret spy squak code (pin) the good thing is most services at those airports are cheap since nobody wants to parked there. the only mcs i know of close by is freeway they are good but not fast so keep that in mind. i pay 80 per month for tiedown and could have gotten a really ratty hanger for 330 per month in gaithersburg but didnt want it falling on my plane so i didnt take it. i know va will charge you i think its 6% of aircraft value after you have your plane there more then 3 months i think but not quite sure. maryland i dont know about i just paid the 6%.  i think va charges anually while maryland only charges a 1 time 6% sales tax but again you need to ask the pros. btw i sure hope you will be making a minimum o f 50k more then where you are coming from since you will have to deal with lots of driving hassle as well as ga hassle getting in and out of the dc area

[Barry]

I work in  Reston, Va and live in charles Town, WV. 50 miles 1 way to work. Keep the plane in Martinsburg. Got a hanger afer a 1 year wait for $176/mo. Not a bad hanger. Had a Bruce full cover for the plane while it was outside. I like it out here in WV. Nice country, outside all the foolishness of the DC area and Martinsburg airport is pretty nice. they've 5 C5's stationed there. Runway is 150' x 7815'. If you can't land there ... Always a crosswind, however.

There is an MSC in Hagerstown (about 20 mins flight time) and also a VERY good one in Lancaster, Pa ... about 45 minutes flight time away.

Barry

[Shadrach]

Quote: Greg_D

I am considering taking a job offer in the DC area. I was wondering if anyone here could give me an idea of what to expect regarding hangar availability/prices at airports in the area. Are there any MSCs or Mooney savvy mechanics in those parts?  Also, do MD or VA charge individual aircraft owners with a personal property tax on aircraft?

[flight2000]

There is a one time 2% sales and use tax according to the Virginia Department of Aviation website.  I will be moving my aircraft to Chesterfield Airport (FCI), just south of Richmond when I head to Germany this summer because my brother lives there.  I'm starting to wonder what type of crap they are going to give me because I'm a non-resident, having bought the aircraft in 2009.  My concern is how they come up with the "fair market value" of your aircraft to determine the basis for the tax.  They also have the yearly $5 licensing fee for non-commercial aircraft based there, which is actually pretty decent compared to other states. 

Anyone know if they have a military exemption?  If you ask me, it should be the same as registering a car when we move (i.e. we can maintain our legal state of residence plates), but that would make to much sense and everyone seems to do their best money grab...

http://www.doav.virginia.gov/licensing_aircraft.htm

[DC_Mooniac]

I recently bought a 201 and have it based at Freeway, which also is IMHO a very good MSC.  As best I can tell hangers are hard to come by in the DC area.  Manassas has good hangers, but no idea if they have any available now and I think they cost $400/month.  Manassas is not an option for me because it would probably take nearly an hour to get there on most days (even weekends).  Also if you live near Manassas and need to commute from that far out into DC each day, I would guess the commute would be over an hour as well. 

As I am sure you know, if you are anywhere near the DC area, you will need to deal with the hassle of the FRZ and/or SFRA every time you fly.  Freeway and Manassas are based in the SFRA so no need to jump through the hoops to get an FRZ pin, but you'll still need to do the SFRA training course on the FAA website and file an SFRA flight plan for each flight.

[John Pleisse]

I was based in MD at GAI (Gaithersburg) for 5 years and now FDK (Frederick). I waited 5 years for a hangar. Where you live and where you work are critical to flying and living. For instance, if you live in VA and have to work in MD or DC, you must cross a bridge, etc. You will be charged a flat tax to bring your plane into MD, along the lines of five to ten cents per pound GW. You will be charged personal property tax in VA yearly (corporate ownership helps mitigate this). Hangars exist most places but are rarely available. Nearly every GA facility has waiting lists stretching years. Tie downs are readily available. Hangar lists as far out as Winchester, Hagerstown, Tipton and Stafford are in the years. The list at FDK has over 80 names, but with the bad economy, is purging and moving. Nepitism is your best bet for immediate results. PM me if you'd like and I'll give you the lay of the land.

[Barry]

... to add to my post. In WV, there is no sales tax for aircraft bought out of state. I live in Jefferson county (no airport) and there is no property taxes on my aircraft. )  

[N9660M]

Greg, if you'll be on the VA side of D.C., consider Leesburg (JYO) as well.  You can probably get a hanger with no wait (I'm about to vacate mine, in fact) for around $425 a month.  That may be a little on the high side of average for the area, but not much.

JYO is in the SFRA, but in a section called the Leesburg Maneuver Area, which has somewhat less stringent requirements.

Take care - Jim

[Becca]

Quote: N6784N

there is not alot of hanger space i think a 3 year waiting at some airports. if you will be in dc probably best bet is college park and potomac airfield so you will have to jump through the frz hoops and get your secret spy squak code (pin) the good thing is most services at those airports are cheap since nobody wants to parked there. the only mcs i know of close by is freeway they are good but not fast so keep that in mind. i pay 80 per month for tiedown and could have gotten a really ratty hanger for 330 per month in gaithersburg but didnt want it falling on my plane so i didnt take it. i know va will charge you i think its 6% of aircraft value after you have your plane there more then 3 months i think but not quite sure. maryland i dont know about i just paid the 6%.  i think va charges anually while maryland only charges a 1 time 6% sales tax but again you need to ask the pros. btw i sure hope you will be making a minimum o f 50k more then where you are coming from since you will have to deal with lots of driving hassle as well as ga hassle getting in and out of the dc area

[FLYFST]

Quote: N6784N

there is not alot of hanger space i think a 3 year waiting at some airports. if you will be in dc probably best bet is college park and potomac airfield so you will have to jump through the frz hoops and get your secret spy squak code (pin) the good thing is most services at those airports are cheap since nobody wants to parked there. the only mcs i know of close by is freeway they are good but not fast so keep that in mind. i pay 80 per month for tiedown and could have gotten a really ratty hanger for 330 per month in gaithersburg but didnt want it falling on my plane so i didnt take it. i know va will charge you i think its 6% of aircraft value after you have your plane there more then 3 months i think but not quite sure. maryland i dont know about i just paid the 6%.  i think va charges anually while maryland only charges a 1 time 6% sales tax but again you need to ask the pros. btw i sure hope you will be making a minimum o f 50k more then where you are coming from since you will have to deal with lots of driving hassle as well as ga hassle getting in and out of the dc area

[John Pleisse]

Quote: DC_Mooniac

I recently bought a 201 and have it based at Freeway, which also is IMHO a very good MSC.  As best I can tell hangers are hard to come by in the DC area.  Manassas has good hangers, but no idea if they have any available now and I think they cost $400/month.  Manassas is not an option for me because it would probably take nearly an hour to get there on most days (even weekends).  Also if you live near Manassas and need to commute from that far out into DC each day, I would guess the commute would be over an hour as well. 

As I am sure you know, if you are anywhere near the DC area, you will need to deal with the hassle of the FRZ and/or SFRA every time you fly.  Freeway and Manassas are based in the SFRA so no need to jump through the hoops to get an FRZ pin, but you'll still need to do the SFRA training course on the FAA website and file an SFRA flight plan for each flight.