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lacofdfireman

Member
Just curious if anyone does not hanger their airplane and just uses tie downs? Or is this just plain irresponsible to do this to an airplane? Just curious cause I see lots of planes at different airports just tied down and was wondering if this is people just passing through for the day or night or if people actually do just just use tie downs? I know it would be a huge cost savings to not have to hanger but on the flip side does it take years of life off your plane? I'm not an owner just looking at all my options. Thanks.
 
Hangar of God...

My Piper Cherokee are outside.. But, to be honnest I don't hate that.. Each thunderstorm stress me (wind and hail). Sun are also bad for the paint at long term. I have a cover for the canopy all year long and cover for the wing and stab for the winter. (I don't fly during winter, the airport are closed..) For sure, I want a hangar for my futur RV-7, but to be honnest I don't know if I will have the money for both (finish the RV AND a hangar....) It's even better to have an airplane outside than a hangar with no airplane inside.....
 
Outside

At my airport, I was lucky enough to find some hangar space. There are two RV's here that have sat outside for years. They did spend the money on some good covers from Bruce's covers I believe and seem to fair well. In the winter with the snow etc....they have survived well and look to be just fine. Not my choice...but with the $$ savings...there is a pretty good argument for leaving it outside and buying more fuel.

BIG concern if outside is rudder locks coming loose. More than one rv has caught some heavy winds and slammed the rudder into the hs and needed some new metal. Might suggest both external and internal (like the pvc set up to lock pedals)
 
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I kept my C180 outside for some years before getting a crappy hangar. After some more time I got a good hangar.

Outside - sunlight and hail are the issues, and you've got to know how to tie it down. Deal with those and you're okay. Make sure the airport will let you take your car to the plane, some won't.

Crappy hangar - people can get to it, it's not private. Dust is a real hassle.

Good hangar - power, water, good floor, no dust, no opportunity for people to mess with it.

Any hangar- if the door fails you're screwed. And if you can't take your car to the hangar, what's the point?

Dave
 
Im outside at KIZA, but certainly not by choice - estimated 15 year wait list for rental or $350-400K (no thats not a typo) to buy. No possibility of building your own. You have to be either rich or old to have a hangar here. Maybe Ill get a hangar before I have to give up flying, but its not a sure thing.

I secure all the control surfaces, use self-clamping wheel chocks, keep the tiedowns short and snug, use a good canopy cover, and tape up critical seams before each rain event. I also wipe down the entire plane after almost every use. Takes time, but its a labor of love, and the plane still looks good after 3.5 years and it sure would suck to not be flying my RV.

erich
 
Thousands and thousands of airplanes have spent their entire lives outside. Not to say it doesn't take a toll on them, but it's not the end of the world if they're secured and covered properly. That said leaving the 7 outside after the years of work and money is out of the question.
 
There's an RV-9 at our local grass strip that has been tied down since new. It parks on a concrete pad, so it's pretty well protected from ground moisture. The owner has a good cover for the canopy and plugs for engine and pitot. It's been there for a number of years now and still looks nice.

In contrast, an RV-3 that was parked that way for many years at the same field (but without the concrete pad) needed significant restoration when it was looked at closely. But it wasn't well cared for (regular mowing of the grass, clearing of the snow, etc.) during that time, so it might not be that surprising.
 
where & how & why?

lots of reasons to do one or the other I think.

this just came to me, I've noticed that my new field is very dusty. this **** gets on the plane, ( not to mention the bird variety) into every nook and cranny, holds moisture, eventually causing corrosion etc. I think the military and commercial operators recognized this and came up with the corrosion oil spray treatments etc.
I'd say if the plane was at the north pole, it would be fine. dry and clean. anywhere else is a compromise.
what everyone says about having a hangar for security etc of course is a big one. I can't drive onto the field to my tie-down, so I end up deferring maintenance until annual. I'm not proud of that, but it's reality.
 
bkthomps said:
would you park your ferrari outside?

what's the difference? same approximate cost/value
Click to expand...

Unless you're flying Greg Hales RV-10 there is nowhere near the investment in an RV compared to a Ferrari!!! Emotional connection, probably. :D
 
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