| |
Plane Talk MAXIMIZING YOUR INVESTMENT
Hangar Sweet Hangar: Find A Home
 One of the more challenging aspects of buying an airplane is figuring out where to put it. While cost and proximity to your home may be important considerations, experts warn there are other things to keep in mind when deciding on a new home for your bird.
At the top of the list are instrument approaches to the airport, the availability of snow removal on the field, on-field maintenance, security, and availability of services ranging from a bathroom to weather and flight planning resources.
"I understand that people are looking to keep their costs down," says Graham Casson, President and CEO of the OurPLANE fractional ownership company. "That needs to be balanced if not superseded by having all the resources at the right cost."
Graham is perhaps a super-shopper when it comes to finding a home for airplanes. OurPLANE operates 22 aircraft at 15 locations across the United States, and so his team has had plenty of experience finding the best places to house their airplanes.
There are basically three types of places to put your airplane: outdoor tie-down, a shared or "common" hangar, and a private hangar which for most general aviation aircraft means a T-hangar.
While T-hangars are most desirable, they are also the most expensive. Across the country, pilots report the monthly rent on a T-hangar to be $200 to $300 per month, but that figure can be much higher in more densely-populated areas.
In the New York area, for example, a T-hangar can go for $800 or more per month. "Keeping your car in (New York) City is $400 a month in a reasonable parking garage, so to pay $700 or $800 per month for a T-hangar isn't out of line," notes Jon Boyd, director of sales and marketing for White Plains FBO Panorama.
Some airports, like Bridgeport's BDR, sell T-hangars outright and there is a multi-year waiting list for anyone wanting to buy one. "You pretty much have to wait for somebody to die to get one," a local FBO said.
Tie-downs, in which your airplane is left to brave the elements on its own on the ramp, are universally discouraged by everyone we spoke with. Problems range from unauthorized people damaging the airplane to hail, thunderstorms, or corrosion from moisture which can eat away at the airplane's surfaces. Sun also does a considerable amount of damage to an airplane's paint, and, well, there's nothing like having to shovel a foot oF snow off your airplane to kill the joy of an early morning business trip.
Graham noted that at one point, one of the company's SR-22 aircraft was tied down because they were unable to find hangar space of any kind at a California airport. Within months the airplane became so covered with smog and dirt that it was difficult to even clean it off the aircraft surfaces.
"So many people look at an aircraft as an investment, and then they look for how they can short-change that investment or save $600 a month on a tie-down," Graham said. "If you're looking at the aircraft as an investment, then you really shouldn’t be looking at how to get the cheapest maintenance and you shouldn't be looking to put the aircraft outside."
Mike Ryan, general manager oF TAC Air in Amarillo, notes that many times, your choice of hangar will be dictated by the airport you choose as your airplane's home. Some airports just don't offer T-hangars, while others only offer common or shared hangar space.
While many pilots expressed concern that common hangars can lead to damaged aircraft as FBO staff juggle airplanes in and out of a confined space, both Graham and Mike said that type of problem is typically found at smaller, poorly-run FBOs without properly trained personnel.
"In six years, I think I might remember one incident," Graham says, noting that the FBO picked up the entire cost of repairing the airplane. "A pilot ought to go in and see what kind of a hangar he's getting into," Mike says. Make sure the line personnel use wing walkers to keep airplanes from banging into each other, make sure there is at least three feet separation between airplanes, and make sure that cones are put down around airplanes once they are positioned in the hangar. "You can also ask the FBO manager when's the last time he had an accident and what was it," he says.
A reputable FBO with trained line personnel will cost more, but you'll be less likely to have your airplane damaged and the FBO will be more likely to make amends should the airplane be damaged.
OurPLANE tries to locate their airplanes with name-brand FBO chains because those companies provide uniformly good service and are careFul about moving aircraft around. "If we're dealing with a smaller FBO at a smaller airport, we do site inspections, where we do an inspection and an interview. We want to know the quality of management running the establishment," Graham said.
T-hangars are desirable because no one but the aircraft owner will be moving the airplane, you can pre-flight and do maintenance on the airplane in a protected area, and because it's a great place to park your car while you’re out flying. But not all T-hangars are created equal.
You may have a choice between heat or no-heat in your T-hangar, or you may have a hangar with no power. Not having power makes it difficult to use the hangar after dark, and no heat means your pre-flight will be frosty.
T-Hangars with poor drainage or leaky roofs are legendary, and I myself had the pleasure of flying an airplane that was based in a T-hangar that flooded with several inches of water each spring when the run-off from melting snow ran downhill through the hangar row.
"I’ve based my Mooney at four different airports. One of the main considerations has always been fuel availability," notes Joe Roth of Livingston, TX. "It can be very frustrating if there is no self service pump and the FBO is open only during regular business hours. If there is a self-service pump, it's nice for the pump to be fairly close to where you park your plane."
Indeed local amenities can make or break the decision of where to locate your airplane, and most of the people we spoke with said these amenities, or the lack of such amenities, can add to the cost of an otherwise "cheap" hangar space.
Owners who think nothing of enjoying a cup of FBO coffee while getting the latest weather through WSI while on a trip might be surprised to learn that those services won’t be provided to them from their home-field FBO if they rent from the airport authority.
Special services ranging from de-icing or jump-starting your airplane in cold weather are often offered by FBOs to their rental tenants for free or at a discount. Extra services such as coffee, a waiting area, weather information and even a bathroom, are often only be provided to tenants of the FBO and not to everyone who happens to house their airplane on the field.
If you frequently fly with passengers for your business, these amenities may be well worth the additional monthly rental costs for locating your airplane with an FBO.
Another important factor in deciding where to locate your bird are the types of services available on the field. Having a bad landing and discovering a bald spot on your main gear tire only becomes a really big deal if your airplane is located at a field with no mechanic or maintenance shop. Then you would need to pay drive time for the mechanic to come out and make your airplane air-worthy again, which adds to the cost of the repair.
Finally, consider the airport environment itself, including bad weather operations and instrument approaches. A good rule of thumb for IFR pilots is to find an airport with at least one precision instrument approach so that in instrument conditions you don't wind up having to land somewhere else, rent a car, and then worry about repositioning your airplane later. Snow removal is another important consideration, since some smaller airports may not plow runways, taxiways or tie-down areas after a snow storm.
In the final analysis, you often get what you pay for. Try to save a few dollars and leave your aircraft outside, and you risk damaging your valuable investment. Scrimp to save a few dollars on inexpensive Fuel, and you may wind up having your aircraft damaged by FBO line personnel.
Or you could have the best oF all possible worlds-a private T-hangar with heat and electricity at a fully-towered airport with on-site maintenance and a full-service FBO that charges just $200 a month. Oh please pinch me, I must be dreaming.
—Sean Fulton
|
|
|
