Long term storage

Hey all, long time lurker with a question. I just got an offer for a 3
yr posting far-far away (half a world actually, just heard they got
their first private aircraft). Anyway, looks like I'll be parking my
beloved Velocity for quite some time - not willing to sell her and
their are only a few I'd trust her with and leaving her with them
hasn't worked out. I plan to pull and hang the wings and have the
engine pulled, crated and pickled. What I don't know about is the
interior and avionics. I have a beautiful Garmin 430 and audio, a nice
JPI engine monitor, an ADI Pilot II with battery backup and some other
goodies. I also worry about mold issues with the interior. I live in
Ohio, so we see pretty big swings in temps/humidity. I've considered
paying a local teenager to pull/place a couple of the of the
rechargable humidity control do-dads to protect the interior, but
really worry about the avionics. Should I pull the stack and put it in
my parents basement? What about the AH, TC and DG, do their bearing go
bad if they sit for 3 years? Anything else I should be concerned about
or haven't considered? All thoughts welcomed.

Thanks,
Jeff

If you really willing to go that far to store your aircraft for 3
years, why not looking for a place at a very dry climate (SW desert)
for the storage? I'm sure there are some aircraft storage yards in the
desert that'll take your money and let you park your aircraft there for
3 years. May even be less than your hangar rent at Ohio.


JSBOUGHER wrote:
Hey all, long time lurker with a question. I just got an offer for a 3
yr posting far-far away (half a world actually, just heard they got
their first private aircraft). Anyway, looks like I'll be parking my
beloved Velocity for quite some time - not willing to sell her and
their are only a few I'd trust her with and leaving her with them
hasn't worked out. I plan to pull and hang the wings and have the
engine pulled, crated and pickled. What I don't know about is the
interior and avionics. I have a beautiful Garmin 430 and audio, a nice
JPI engine monitor, an ADI Pilot II with battery backup and some other
goodies. I also worry about mold issues with the interior. I live in
Ohio, so we see pretty big swings in temps/humidity. I've considered
paying a local teenager to pull/place a couple of the of the
rechargable humidity control do-dads to protect the interior, but
really worry about the avionics. Should I pull the stack and put it in
my parents basement? What about the AH, TC and DG, do their bearing go
bad if they sit for 3 years? Anything else I should be concerned about
or haven't considered? All thoughts welcomed.

Thanks,
Jeff

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KIGM

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&...22702&t=k&om=1

M wrote:
If you really willing to go that far to store your aircraft for 3
years, why not looking for a place at a very dry climate (SW desert)
for the storage? I'm sure there are some aircraft storage yards in the
desert that'll take your money and let you park your aircraft there for
3 years. May even be less than your hangar rent at Ohio.


JSBOUGHER wrote:
Hey all, long time lurker with a question. I just got an offer for a 3
yr posting far-far away (half a world actually, just heard they got
their first private aircraft). Anyway, looks like I'll be parking my
beloved Velocity for quite some time - not willing to sell her and
their are only a few I'd trust her with and leaving her with them
hasn't worked out. I plan to pull and hang the wings and have the
engine pulled, crated and pickled. What I don't know about is the
interior and avionics. I have a beautiful Garmin 430 and audio, a nice
JPI engine monitor, an ADI Pilot II with battery backup and some other
goodies. I also worry about mold issues with the interior. I live in
Ohio, so we see pretty big swings in temps/humidity. I've considered
paying a local teenager to pull/place a couple of the of the
rechargable humidity control do-dads to protect the interior, but
really worry about the avionics. Should I pull the stack and put it in
my parents basement? What about the AH, TC and DG, do their bearing go
bad if they sit for 3 years? Anything else I should be concerned about
or haven't considered? All thoughts welcomed.

Thanks,
Jeff

I live in the desert, I would not "park" a plane in the boneyard for 3 years
without proper preperation, to include the engine and protecting the finish
from UV. In a hanger in the desert would shelter the UV, and maybe part of
the blowing dust.

The only thing the desert saves is mildew. But we still have mold if things
are left wet.
The engine may be able to be pickled without pulling it. An interior in a
hanger should be ok, cover with sheets or dust cloths, and make sure it is
secured from animal varmints. (moth balls work well). I'm not sure about
protecting the avionics, look for any thing that has an internal battery and
have it removed.
It may be worthwhile to pull the Garmin or anything else that is in the
"rack" and can be removed easily and stored nicely protected. Not sure about
"basement" storage as those tend to get damp if they are not "living
quarters".. maybe up on a shelf in a bed room closet?

BT

"M" wrote in message
oups.com...
If you really willing to go that far to store your aircraft for 3
years, why not looking for a place at a very dry climate (SW desert)
for the storage? I'm sure there are some aircraft storage yards in the
desert that'll take your money and let you park your aircraft there for
3 years. May even be less than your hangar rent at Ohio.


JSBOUGHER wrote:
Hey all, long time lurker with a question. I just got an offer for a 3
yr posting far-far away (half a world actually, just heard they got
their first private aircraft). Anyway, looks like I'll be parking my
beloved Velocity for quite some time - not willing to sell her and
their are only a few I'd trust her with and leaving her with them
hasn't worked out. I plan to pull and hang the wings and have the
engine pulled, crated and pickled. What I don't know about is the
interior and avionics. I have a beautiful Garmin 430 and audio, a nice
JPI engine monitor, an ADI Pilot II with battery backup and some other
goodies. I also worry about mold issues with the interior. I live in
Ohio, so we see pretty big swings in temps/humidity. I've considered
paying a local teenager to pull/place a couple of the of the
rechargable humidity control do-dads to protect the interior, but
really worry about the avionics. Should I pull the stack and put it in
my parents basement? What about the AH, TC and DG, do their bearing go
bad if they sit for 3 years? Anything else I should be concerned about
or haven't considered? All thoughts welcomed.

Thanks,
Jeff

Leave it in your hangar... Pull the battery and put it in the parents
basement on a 'true' trickle charger - 12.8 volts trickle, check the
RV web stores for the real deal - taint cheap... Get a Globar heater
element (Gary Innocenti - Applications/Sales (716)286-7608) to put in a
metal pail and set that on cockpit floor - they can also be found as
closet dehumidifiers - do a web search... Slather a coat of wax on the
paint and tape newspaper over the plexiglass... Fog the inside of the
cylinders with anti-rust, rotate the engine so you get to the bottoms
of all the cylinders... Insert the anti rust inserts for the plugs...
Block up the plane so most of the weight is off the tires... And it
will be fine when you get back...

If you want to get reaaly far out, also put a plastic tent over the
entire plane and put a dehumidifier under it with a drain to the
outside...

denny

JSBOUGHER wrote:
Hey all, long time lurker with a question. I just got an offer for a 3
yr posting far-far away (half a world actually, just heard they got
their first private aircraft). Anyway, looks like I'll be parking my
beloved Velocity for quite some time - not willing to sell her and
their are only a few I'd trust her with and leaving her with them
hasn't worked out. I plan to pull and hang the wings and have the
engine pulled, crated and pickled. What I don't know about is the
interior and avionics. I have a beautiful Garmin 430 and audio, a nice
JPI engine monitor, an ADI Pilot II with battery backup and some other
goodies. I also worry about mold issues with the interior. I live in
Ohio, so we see pretty big swings in temps/humidity. I've considered
paying a local teenager to pull/place a couple of the of the
rechargable humidity control do-dads to protect the interior, but
really worry about the avionics. Should I pull the stack and put it in
my parents basement? What about the AH, TC and DG, do their bearing go
bad if they sit for 3 years? Anything else I should be concerned about
or haven't considered? All thoughts welcomed.

Thanks,
Jeff

Having pickled my own airplane once. I can speak to this.
Having the engine well preserved is a very good idea. This is usually
your single largest investment.
Pull the avionics and when it is dry like this winter wrap them well and
seal the bags. some desiccant cannot hurt. A Basement is not really a
good place unless it is humidity and temp controlled.

The battery is likely to be right off after three years. It needs to be
cycled or it will stagnated and not hold a charge.

Pull your axles and brakes. Apply LPS-3 or equivalent to all surfaces
including the rotors. Pack the bearings well and put them in plastic bags.

The gyros do not like sitting for extended periods and will likely have
to be overhauled after storage. My HSI had to be sent out after one year
it would not track properly.

Michelle

Dont store a battery on a concrete floor! I kid you not. This is a well
known no no. The concrete secretes a gas that kills the battery. I know
that sounds weird but it's true.

Doug wrote:
Dont store a battery on a concrete floor! I kid you not. This is a well
known no no. The concrete secretes a gas that kills the battery. I know
that sounds weird but it's true.


That was when batteries had rubber cases.

Michelle P

Doug wrote
Dont store a battery on a concrete floor! I kid you not. This is a well
known no no. The concrete secretes a gas that kills the battery. I know
that sounds weird but it's true.

I believe this is a well known myth -- except for the concrete gas
secretion. I haven't heard that part before.

Doug wrote:
Dont store a battery on a concrete floor! I kid you not. This is a well
known no no. The concrete secretes a gas that kills the battery. I know
that sounds weird but it's true.

This is an old myth.

What will happen if the battery leaks is the concrete will be damaged.

--
Jim Pennino

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