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Finding a Hangar Can Be Much Harder Than Finding an Airplane

Pro tip: Pilots should start hangar hunting long before the new airplane arrives.

Before the happy ending of hangar ownership, for most airplane owners, there's some strife. [File Photo: Adobe Stock]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Finding hangar space for an airplane is a significant challenge for pilots, often being difficult, expensive, and subject to lengthy waiting lists at many general aviation airports.
  • Hangar availability and cost vary widely, with smaller, more remote airports typically offering more accessible and affordable options compared to busier or urban locations.
  • The scarcity of hangar space is intensifying due to factors like the demolition of old hangars and regulatory hurdles for new construction, requiring pilots to be proactive, vigilant, and persistent in their search.
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People often say buying an airplane is the biggest investment you will make except for your house. But that depends on the airplane—and the house. For pilots, this has become a joke because often they pay more for their aircraft than for their homes.

The joke truly stops being funny, though, when you begin looking for a home for your airplane.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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