Aircraft Stored On A Pad

[Sport]

Hello Folks,

I'm beginning to look into purchasing an aircraft and one (of many)
concerns I have is aircraft storage. In my area the only storage space
available is on a pad. Leaving a plane out in the Michigan (Detroit)
weather does not seem like the best idea. So, I have two questions...

Is there alternative storage I've not considered?

Can the airframe, engine and avionics survive in the elements, or am I
shortening the usable life of the aircraft?

Your comments and / or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

GJ

[Paul kgyy]

I bought an Arrow a while back that had been stored outdoors up in
Ottawa for 5 years. The owner had purchased a full set of Kennon
covers for cabin, cowl, wings, and elevators as well as insulated prop
and cowl covers for winter preheats. That left everything covered
except for the back 8 feet of the fuselage. That last 8 feet shows
noticeably more dulling of the paint, and the covered areas still look
great, so the covers definitely help. There is a little chafing of the
windows in the wind, but not bad.

I now use a hangar, but it leaks as many do, and the plane gets very
dusty, so I think outdoor storage isn't so horrible. The main problem
is getting preheat in the winter out on a pad if there's no power
outlet anywhere nearby.

[Brien K. Meehan]

Sport wrote:
> In my area the only storage space available is on a pad.

Tell me about it!

> Leaving a plane out in the Michigan (Detroit)
> weather does not seem like the best idea.

Tell me about it!

> Is there alternative storage I've not considered?

Nope.

Well, one - rent a spot in a gang hangar. Very expensive for what you
get. More below.

> Can the airframe, engine and avionics survive in the elements, or am I
> shortening the usable life of the aircraft?

Well, think about this. In the plane's optimum state (during flight),
it's exposed to the elements at an extreme level. It's built to take
some abuse.

The plane's not going to crumble to dust and blow away if you keep it
outside for a year, or two, or five, or ten. Many pilots never park
anywhere but a tie-down pad.

There are some excellent airplane covers that will protect it from ice
and hail, too.

The biggest advantage to having it stored in a hangar is that you don't
have to clean the snow and ice off it when you fly it in the winter,
and you've got a place to plug in the engine pre-heater (if equipped).
Is that going to be a big consideration for you?

I went through this recently, in the same area. I decided to park
outside at first, and get on the waiting list for a hangar by my house
(5-8 years at Oakland Troy (VLL)). I also got on the other nearby
waiting lists.

(I think so, anyways. Detroit City seemed completely confused about my
request for a hangar. I don't think they realized that the airport was
still open. They said they'd put me on the list, but I think whoever
was on the phone was just trying to get rid of me and get back to his
nap or TV show. I didn't pursue it.)

I also had a couple of gang hangar options that I considered. One was
way overpriced. The other was almost reasonable, except that the line
crew was never there. I mean, NEVER there. I never saw anyone who
worked there, ever! I figured that if availability was an issue, that
wouldn't work well for me. I do most of my flying off-hours anyways,
and they had a call-out fee.

What side of town are you from, anyways?

[Jay Honeck]

> I now use a hangar, but it leaks as many do, and the plane gets very
> dusty, so I think outdoor storage isn't so horrible. The main problem
> is getting preheat in the winter out on a pad if there's no power
> outlet anywhere nearby.

Get a tall ladder, and a couple of cans of "Great Stuff" -- the expandable
aerosol foam insulation.

Inject it in every crack and seam in your hangar. (Don't let it get on you
ANYWHERE, as it does not come off).

You will soon have a dust-free, water-tight, no-birds hangar... It just
takes a little effort.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Darrel Toepfer]

Jay Honeck wrote:

> You will soon have a dust-free, water-tight, no-birds hangar... It just
> takes a little effort.

Wow, guess you have to live in a "dust-free, water-tight, no-birds"
place first... Hanger door is pretty tough thing to seal to this extent...

[xyzzy]

Sport wrote:

> Hello Folks,
>
> I'm beginning to look into purchasing an aircraft and one (of many)
> concerns I have is aircraft storage. In my area the only storage space
> available is on a pad. Leaving a plane out in the Michigan (Detroit)
> weather does not seem like the best idea. So, I have two questions...
>
> Is there alternative storage I've not considered?
>
> Can the airframe, engine and avionics survive in the elements, or am I
> shortening the usable life of the aircraft?
>
> Your comments and / or suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> GJ
>

I don't have any insight, but this does remind me of an ad I recently
saw on controller.com for a plane that was advertised as "always
hangared." The ad included pictures of the plane -- tied down on a pad :)

[Jay Honeck]

>> You will soon have a dust-free, water-tight, no-birds hangar... It just
>> takes a little effort.
>
> Wow, guess you have to live in a "dust-free, water-tight, no-birds" place
> first... Hanger door is pretty tough thing to seal to this extent...

Our door is pretty tight.

I also make sure I close your hangar door while we're out flying. It's
amazing how many guys don't close their doors -- and that's when the
wild-life moves in...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"