RV-4 Outside...

[hman1359]

I am a military pilot new to GA, and looking to buy my first airplane. I have found an RV-4 that I like a lot, is in the right price range, and is owned by someone who I can tell has done a great job taking care of it. My only problem is that all of the airports within a reasonable distance of where I live don't have any hangar space. One of the airports has tie-down space available for $30/month, and I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with tying down their plane until they can get through on a hangar wait list. I live in the greater Raleigh area, if that is of any consideration as well.

From what I've read so far, a cover and gust lock are the minimum mandatory items to have for a tie down, but I'm more wondering if I'm crazy for even considering this. Thanks!

 

[Roadjunkie1]

I am a military pilot new to GA, and looking to buy my first airplane. I have found an RV-4 that I like a lot, is in the right price range, and is owned by someone who I can tell has done a great job taking care of it. My only problem is that all of the airports within a reasonable distance of where I live don't have any hangar space. One of the airports has tie-down space available for $30/month, and I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with tying down their plane until they can get through on a hangar wait list. I live in the greater Raleigh area, if that is of any consideration as well.

From what I've read so far, a cover and gust lock are the minimum mandatory items to have for a tie down, but I'm more wondering if I'm crazy for even considering this. Thanks!

Look up and contact your local/near-by EAA Chapter. Someone might have space in their hangar that could ride you over....

 

[Jake14]

I am a military pilot new to GA, and looking to buy my first airplane. I have found an RV-4 that I like a lot, is in the right price range, and is owned by someone who I can tell has done a great job taking care of it. My only problem is that all of the airports within a reasonable distance of where I live don't have any hangar space. One of the airports has tie-down space available for $30/month, and I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with tying down their plane until they can get through on a hangar wait list. I live in the greater Raleigh area, if that is of any consideration as well.

From what I've read so far, a cover and gust lock are the minimum mandatory items to have for a tie down, but I'm more wondering if I'm crazy for even considering this. Thanks!

Hangars are nice for sure, but often have long wait lists and are expensive. OTOH, many flight club and flight school Cessnas have been parked outside for 40, 50 years and still look pretty good. My RV-14A has been parked outside for 7 years , 6 in Seattle and 1 in Idaho with no apparent problems seen on the annuals. Another VAF member you could check with, who's lived in the NE and Utah is Vlad, and I don't think his airplane has ever been inside. So I wouldn't worry about a year or 2 on a tie down, these things are pretty tough

 

[BenNabors]

Most RV-4's have very thin empennage skins, easily damaged by hail. Skins are 0.016" thick. I hand my empennage cut off at OSH in 2022. Rebuilt with 0.020 skin and that makes a big difference. The rudder needed to be constrained so that it does not pick up momentum and hit the hard stop, it will warp to an unflyable shape on impact.
Thoese would be some of the considerations I would suggest.

 

[RV8JD]

This thread has some good tips:

Storing an RV8 Outside

Very excited to join the RV8 family soon...closing on a lovely one later this week I hope. I will need to store the plane outside, at least for a time. I am told this is the list of things I will need: 1. Low profile chocks 2. Tie-down ropes 3. Cowl plugs 4. Pitot cover and fuel vent line...

vansairforce.net

 

[YellowJacket RV9]

I am also in the Raleigh area (Chapel Hill), and was in the same position as you when I moved here last year. I tied down at KTTA for several months last spring, while being on every waiting list within a 90 minute drive. I'm still on them. Ultimately, I reached out on some local flying groups on Facebook offering free access to all my tools in exchange for hangar space, thinking maybe somebody who wanted to build would work out a deal. In the end, a local pilot with an unused hangar reached out to me and I am subletting from him now. It's a full 90 minute drive, but worth it. Making connections and word of mouth seems to be the best bet - I would even try flying around to some of the smaller local fields and start talking to the locals - I have met several who had leads on possible space.

If you do end up outside, take a fraction of the money saved on hangar rent and buy a full padded cover from Bruce, as well as the chocks, cowl plugs, etc, and maybe a lockable box to leave some of your basic tools and equipment in if possible. As other's have said, plenty of airplanes live outside for 50-60 years and are still flying, so you can make it work. My biggest concern was having a place to store my tools, do maintenance / oil changes, etc. If I hear of anything locally, I will try to remember to PM you.

Chris

 

[blackbeard10]

I am also in the Raleigh area (Chapel Hill), and was in the same position as you when I moved here last year. I tied down at KTTA for several months last spring, while being on every waiting list within a 90 minute drive. I'm still on them. Ultimately, I reached out on some local flying groups on Facebook offering free access to all my tools in exchange for hangar space, thinking maybe somebody who wanted to build would work out a deal. In the end, a local pilot with an unused hangar reached out to me and I am subletting from him now. It's a full 90 minute drive, but worth it. Making connections and word of mouth seems to be the best bet - I would even try flying around to some of the smaller local fields and start talking to the locals - I have met several who had leads on possible space.

If you do end up outside, take a fraction of the money saved on hangar rent and buy a full padded cover from Bruce, as well as the chocks, cowl plugs, etc, and maybe a lockable box to leave some of your basic tools and equipment in if possible. As other's have said, plenty of airplanes live outside for 50-60 years and are still flying, so you can make it work. My biggest concern was having a place to store my tools, do maintenance / oil changes, etc. If I hear of anything locally, I will try to remember to PM you.

Chris

I am a military pilot new to GA, and looking to buy my first airplane. I have found an RV-4 that I like a lot, is in the right price range, and is owned by someone who I can tell has done a great job taking care of it. My only problem is that all of the airports within a reasonable distance of where I live don't have any hangar space. One of the airports has tie-down space available for $30/month, and I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with tying down their plane until they can get through on a hangar wait list. I live in the greater Raleigh area, if that is of any consideration as well.

From what I've read so far, a cover and gust lock are the minimum mandatory items to have for a tie down, but I'm more wondering if I'm crazy for even considering this. Thanks!

I am a military pilot new to GA, and looking to buy my first airplane. I have found an RV-4 that I like a lot, is in the right price range, and is owned by someone who I can tell has done a great job taking care of it. My only problem is that all of the airports within a reasonable distance of where I live don't have any hangar space. One of the airports has tie-down space available for $30/month, and I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with tying down their plane until they can get through on a hangar wait list. I live in the greater Raleigh area, if that is of any consideration as well.

From what I've read so far, a cover and gust lock are the minimum mandatory items to have for a tie down, but I'm more wondering if I'm crazy for even considering this. Thanks!

With all respect to previous posters, leaving an airplane outside is hard on an airplane. Sure, there are plenty of Cessnas and Pipers that spend their whole lives on tie downs but when you look closely, the nasty corrosion gremlins slowly do their work. If our RVs were made of 316 stainless and aluminum only it might be another story but there's mild steel in them there airplanes. Short term maybe okay but long term no way. Also, I built my own cover for when I am traveling. First because I can and secondly because the covers that are available including the Bruce cover do not cover from the cowl openings. They cover the canopy. Mine has two parts. One covers the canopy and the other starts from the cowl openings and moves back to overlap the canopy cover with snaps to shed rain away from the instrument bay. If you don't cover the sheet metal that covers the instrument bay then rain will get in around the edges of the sheet metal cover. You can gasket this cover somewhat, but rain will find its way into your expensive electronics. If you elect to tie down, then my advice would be find a good boat canvas shop that can make a custom cover that will really do the job. The extra cost will pay for itself. Also my canopy portion is lined with
terrycloth. Hope this helps.

 

[jrs14855]

Hangars are nice for sure, but often have long wait lists and are expensive. OTOH, many flight club and flight school Cessnas have been parked outside for 40, 50 years and still look pretty good. My RV-14A has been parked outside for 7 years , 6 in Seattle and 1 in Idaho with no apparent problems seen on the annuals. Another VAF member you could check with, who's lived in the NE and Utah is Vlad, and I don't think his airplane has ever been inside. So I wouldn't worry about a year or 2 on a tie down, these things are pretty tough

Vlad initially had a hangar, then moved outside at another airport closer to his home at the time. He has had a hangar at Rock Springs for quite a while.

 

[Pablo]

There's a full set of Bruce's covers for an RV-4 being advertised now on Facebook/Van's Marketplace. Looks like a good deal for an airplane that will be outside for a time . . .

 

[smokyray]

H-Man,
First, welcome and from a fellow Vet, thanks.
After spending 10 years building my RV4 in base housing in Japan and elsewhere I completed and test flew it with great joy. However I too faced the dilemma of parking with similar logistics as you. Fortunately I corrosion proofed my 4 overtly with zinc chromate primer, care to seal holes and stainless hardware throughout. I too bought a Bruce’s full body cover set that is still in use today, 27 years later! When you do your prebuy pay close attention to seeing if it was primed inside. Theres no substitute for parking indoors but the cover option works well.
Email me offline if you need my dos centavos

V/R
Smokey
[email protected]

 

[YellowJacket RV9]

With all respect to previous posters, leaving an airplane outside is hard on an airplane. Sure, there are plenty of Cessnas and Pipers that spend their whole lives on tie downs but when you look closely, the nasty corrosion gremlins slowly do their work. If our RVs were made of 316 stainless and aluminum only it might be another story but there's mild steel in them there airplanes. Short term maybe okay but long term no way. Also, I built my own cover for when I am traveling. First because I can and secondly because the covers that are available including the Bruce cover do not cover from the cowl openings. They cover the canopy. Mine has two parts. One covers the canopy and the other starts from the cowl openings and moves back to overlap the canopy cover with snaps to shed rain away from the instrument bay. If you don't cover the sheet metal that covers the instrument bay then rain will get in around the edges of the sheet metal cover. You can gasket this cover somewhat, but rain will find its way into your expensive electronics. If you elect to tie down, then my advice would be find a good boat canvas shop that can make a custom cover that will really do the job. The extra cost will pay for itself. Also my canopy portion is lined with
terrycloth. Hope this helps.

No doubt it is harder on an airplane, but with the hangar situation being as it is for many of us (ie, essentially not happening), is it better to delay (perhaps forever) the joy of RV ownership, or accept the increased wear and risk to an airplane that will (probably) still outlast our own flying years? Life is short, do all you can to protect your plane, and fly the heck out of it. I have been lucky to find hangars so far, but no chance I'd sell my pride and joy vs protect it on a tie-down. I would go all out to protect it, but I built it to fly it, not for it to outlast me. Just my take

Also, to the OP, don't discount shade hangars as an option while you look something enclosed. There are a few private airparks that may have some available; check with Lake Ridge Aeropark in Durham, for one. https://www.lakeridgeaeropark.com/home

Chris