For those that tie down their aircraft...

[bcbender10]

On 5/24/2021 at 10:58 AM, AlexLev said:

I'm potentially moving to the SoCal area near Long Beach later this year...and I am nervous of not being able to afford a hangar anymore like I do out in Western New York.

So I'm curious for those that tie down, how damaging is it to the aircraft in general? Corrosion? Paint? What can be done to minimize this damage?

I'm looking at moving in the Long Beach area, which is by the Pacific Ocean too - is this a definitive no-no for keeping a plane outside? I assume the nice paint job I have may wear pretty soon, so I might look into budgeting for a paint job or something sooner than later -- what other considerations to have?

Welcome (soon) to SoCal! Yep, hangars are difficult and expensive to find. 

I base my 1998 M20K at Santa Monica. I invested in a full set of covers from Bruce's Custom Covers - wing, engine, tail, and fuselage. I'm glad I did. Yes, the complete set is a pain to put on (about 15 minutes) and take off (about 10 minutes). It took me a few months to get the process down. BUT - after about 2 years of ownership, I know I'm saving the paint and airframe. The dew every morning picks up tiny amounts of salt blown in the air off the ocean. Over a long time, that repeated cycle puts salt on top surfaces of an unprotected plane. Additionally, the UV rays are brutal. The covers protect the plane against the salt and UV. I can feel the salt and the effect of the UV on the covers - they are stiffer now. Good news is that the covers easily rinse - I just bring them home and spray them down every now and then.

I fly every week. If I think I'm going to be flying multiple days in a row, or have an early morning departure with little time, or a late night arrival (ie, dark), I just put on the fuselage cover and the set of engine plugs I bought - very quick! then I put on the full set when I know I won't fly for more than a few days or come back the next day to put on the full set.

Also helpful: get a Husky box to store stuff (and your covers) and a short step ladder to ease putting the tail cover on and off.

All this until the day an affordable hangar opens up (or I move away from SMO or it shuts down in 2028!)

[MikeOH]

On 5/24/2021 at 2:37 PM, Niko182 said:

You just need to also understand that although those are an hour and a half away, that is also with no traffic. Traffic around LA can become pretty brutal, hence I'd personally advise against that option.

Uh, NO!  As a lifelong SoCal resident I have extensive experience with traffic, sadly!

 At rush hour, wrong direction, it's an hour and a half (that's the estimate right now; rush hour from Long Beach to Brackett (KPOC). Going the other direction it's an hour right now.  Off rush hour, it's about 45 minutes (well, if you're the dufus doing 55 in the car pool lane, it'll take you an hour...assuming you don't get shot)

I think acting like keeping it outside is okay, especially near the beach (Long BEACH), is somewhat delusional thinking; it's more than the paint that's going to deteriorate outside.  Despite claims to the contrary the humidity gets quite high in the early mornings of many months out of the year.  EVERYTHING has a heavy layer of dew on it.  It's not the relatively few days of rain per year.

If you really fly hundreds of hours a year, then even 45 minutes each way would be excessive; so, I get it...outside, or nothing.  Maybe fly 100 hours a year and use the money you save to get the hangar?

But, for a weekend flyer, I'd much rather be hangared and make the drive.  We live 15 minutes from Brackett where we keep our Mooney hangared, but have property in Corona del Mar, near (15 minutes) KSNA (John Wayne).  When I retire, we may move to the CdM beach house...but I assure you the plane is going to stay at Brackett at $360/mo. and a 45 minute drive....a nearly $800 premium is NOT worth saving 30 minutes!!

[201Mooniac]

I don't understand, don't people chose where to live to be close to where they can get a good hangar?  Trying to find a hangar near where you want to live can be tough in some areas.  You gotta have your priorities straight

[carusoam]

16 minutes ago, 201Mooniac said:

I don't understand, don't people chose where to live to be close to where they can get a good hangar?  Trying to find a hangar near where you want to live can be tough in some areas.  You gotta have your priorities straight

Find the thread with hangar homes....

You will probably get some agreement with your thoughts...

-a-