Cook Airfield was established in 1957 and once served as a reliever facility for Cessna to tie down planes waiting to be ferried around the nation. The decades that followed led the property away from aviation. At one point it was a site for motorcycle racing and the airport ultimately fell into disrepair.

• READ MORE: Airpark HOAs Aim to Keep Pace With Capital Improvements, Maintenance

The current ownership group, Crosswinds Aviation, as local aviators would testify, performed a complete 180 on the airport.

“I was keeping my plane here at the airport, and the rumor was that it was for sale. Once we tried to buy it, it was already under contract,” said Greg Thomas, Cook Airfield’s co-owner. “Then 9/11 happened, the contract fell through, and we started negotiating to purchase the airport. Two years later, we ended up buying Cook Airfield from the trust.”

Thomas knew it would be a significant challenge to get the airport to where he thought it should be. It took years of hard work to rechart the airport’s course.

“It was a complete junkyard when we got it,” Cook said. “You could only land on the east 20 feet of the runway, because the other side had too many potholes in it. And we probably tore down more hangars than we kept.”

Since its new life beginning in 2003, the airport has benefited from several Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) state grants issued from the Kansas Department of Transportation to improve its facilities. This work has included the lengthening of the primary runway, which required the closure and relocation of a county-owned road.

Cook Airfield Today

Today, Runway 17/35 is a 3,472-foot-long-by-40-foot-wide paved and lighted surface. There is also a 1,600-foot-long-by-50-foot-wide turf runway. Cook Airfield airport has more than 100 based aircraft, more than 60 hangars, and publicly available 100LL fuel. Jet-A fuel is expected to be available in the near future. 

• READ MORE: Delaware Ag Airport Sets Eyes on Growing GA Future

Thomas built a hangar home at the airport in 2007, and since then roughly 20 additional hangar homes have been constructed at Cook Airfield. Having residences with taxiway access was always in the plans.

“After we purchased the airport, our goal was to subdivide the land into six lots, because the county told us they had to be 5 acres in size,” he said. “So, that’s what we did, to get the cash flow to help fix the airport up. Later on, we figured out that we could have 1-acre lots, as long as we were doing approved septic systems.”

The airpark subdivision is now in its second phase, with five lots still available at the south end of the property. Land continues to be allocated for additional box hangar construction. 

• READ MORE: Flight Training in the Scenic, Wild Last Frontier

“We seem to sell our hangars as fast as we can put them up,” he said. “In fact, the last one I just sold to a guy in Ireland. We have two new hangars that will be completed soon, and then we are getting ready to order two more. Most of the hangars we build are on leased ground.”

In addition to homes, commercial hangars, a pilot’s lounge, and several businesses are based at the airport. Air Capital Drop Zone, a skydiving operation, and Compass Rose Aviation, a flying club, have both been there for more than 10 years.

After 21 years of owning Cook Airfield, Thomas and business partner Steve Logue are ready to pass the baton to the next owner.

“The airport has been for sale and under contract a couple of times, but has fallen through each time,” Thomas said. “We are both ready to move on to other things and let somebody else take Cook Airfield to the next level. There is a lot of potential here, and each potential buyer has their own vision for the airport. They could extend the runway or build a new runway to the west. [With additional infrastructure], they could add a restaurant if they wanted to, which is what the last buyer was going to do—alongside a hotel.”

Cook Airfield is approximately a 23-minute drive from downtown Wichita and 26 minutes from the city’s commercial service airport, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (KICT). The purchase of the 47-acre property includes the runway with PAPI system, pilot’s lounge, and seven buildings/hangars that total 32,906 square feet.

The post Two Decades After Renaissance, Wichita Airpark Ready for New Ownership appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

But the other day, when I opened up my engine cowl during a preflight inspection and discovered several pounds of grass, twigs, and debris packed tightly into every nook and cranny of my engine compartment, the local starling population was fortunate they were out of my reach. 

It had been a long week, and for days, I’d been looking forward to the simple pleasure of solitary pattern work at a nearby 1,700-foot grass strip that I love. The runway is rolled so frequently, it’s as smooth as a pool table. After a long, frustrating day of work, an hour or so of landings is a great way to clear my mind and unwind.

• READ MORE: When It’s Better to Have It and Not Need It

On this particular day, however, the birds had ensured my trip to the hangar had the opposite effect. I worked for about 30 minutes with a flashlight, needle nose pliers, and a Shop-Vac to remove the piles and piles of brush and grass from around the engine before finally giving up. I wasn’t convinced I’d be able to remove every last bit of it, and given the fire hazard it presented, I decided I’d let my mechanic remove the cowl and blow it all out thoroughly when he arrived for some unrelated work later in the week.

As I reflected on the day’s ruined flight, two observations occurred to me. First, while the shopping process for a hangar to rent is nowhere near as complex as that of an airplane, one can still benefit from some basic detective work. And second, when given the choice, a nicer hangar is most likely worth the extra investment.

Last summer, I opted to move out of my original hangar and into my current one, reasoning that I preferred to share the two-airplane hangar with my friend Dan, who occupies the other half. While it would be difficult to give him up as a hangar mate, the extremity of the bird infestation now has me reconsidering the move. I simply never took the time to look into the new hangar in depth. A hangar is a hangar, I thought.

• READ MORE: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Buying My First Airplane

Now, with a few years of ownership behind me, I’m able to assemble a list of subtle but important concerns that will dictate my selection of future hangars. The current bird concern tops the list, as so much time can be wasted cleaning off droppings and clearing out nest materials. But I’d also approach existing hangar tenants to determine whether water seeps in through the roof or beneath the walls and whether ice dams trap form during the winter.

I’d also ask about the land immediately around the hangar and find out whether it floods and how well the snow is actually cleared during winter. If the main door is electric, I’d be curious to know what happens in the event of a power outage and whether a small generator or battery pack could be plugged in to get the airplane in or out. After all, a power outage that leaves the door open ahead of a violent storm could be disastrous for both the hangar and the airplane inside.

Cell service would also be a concern. With decent coverage, I’d have good day-to-day connectivity, and I’d be able to use a remote switch to turn my engine preheater on or off from home. Good coverage would also enable the installation of cameras, both for security and to check the runway and ramp conditions before making the drive to the airport. My current location has terrible coverage, and all of these things are challenges.

• READ MORE: The Pros and Cons of Aircraft Towing Solutions

I would never have thought of these things when I first bought my airplane. But now that I know what to look for and what questions to ask, I’d spend some time hanging out at potential airports a bit and learning about their hangar situations before deciding on any particular location. And if faced with a nicer hangar option that comes at a premium cost, I’ll consider how much time and effort I’ve had to spend dealing with the various woes of a bad hangar and account for that in my decision-making process.

As for my current bird situation, I’ve got a plan. The airfield has recently been sold to a new owner. He’s not a pilot, just an enthusiast looking to get into aviation as a hobby. And it sounds like he has yet to go up for a flight with anyone.

There’s an old saying: “A good lawyer knows the law, and a great lawyer knows the judge.” Perhaps a nice evening flight among the hayfields will kick off a good working relationship with the new guy. With any luck, it just might culminate in some weatherstripping, deterrent spikes, and maybe a cat or two to address the bird problem.

The post Going to the Birds, And How Not To appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to information from the Boise Fire Department, a rigid steel frame had been erected, and the workers were in the process of connecting structural components when something gave way, bringing down the structure and one crane.

A witness working nearby told local media that it sounded like a loud whine, and when he turned to look for the source of the noise, he saw the four-story building coming down.

Aaron Hummel, operations chief for the Boise Fire Department, noted that the first step was to make sure the wreckage was stabilized while emergency response personnel searched for the workers trapped inside. Hummel told the media “it was a pretty global collapse” and that many of the workers had been suspended on platforms at the time of the incident, which made rescues very challenging.

According to Boise city records, Big D Builders Inc. is the contractor for the construction project. The hangar is located next to the existing FBO, Jackson Jet Center, at Boise Airport (KBOI). The jet center specializes in corporate aircraft maintenance and charters.

Big D Builders specializes in commercial construction such as corporate hangars. Its website has photographs of hangars under construction. Phone calls to Big D Builders and emails to Jackson Jet Center were not immediately returned.

According to city officials, investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have spent the better part of the last 18 hours on scene. The area is still cordoned off from the public.

The city noted this is a privately owned building, and there have been no impacts to airport operations. The names of the three people killed have not yet been released.

“[Wednesday’s] tragic news of the hangar collapse was absolutely heartbreaking for our airport team and for our community,” said Rebecca Hupp, Boise Airport director. “Today we are thinking about the families that lost loved ones, our neighbors at Jackson Jet Center, and their contractor. Life is precious and every day is a gift.”

Boise fire chief Mark Niemyer called it a tragic day for the Boise community.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones affected by this incident,” said Niemeyer. “I commend the actions of all the first responders for their quick and professional response rescuing victims and caring for patients in a chaotic and very dangerous environment.”

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean also praised the actions of the first responders and emergency response teams for their quick actions.

“Our community is facing a profound loss after the hangar collapse,” McLean said. “Our thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones and those who are awaiting news on those still in critical conditions. We owe a debt of gratitude to our first responders and emergency response teams for their quick, compassionate, and professional actions last night and into [Thursday], and we hold everyone involved in our hearts.”

Hummel also echoed the sentiments of the mayor and fire chief. “This was an incredibly large emergency response involving many agencies from around our community,” he said. “We would like to thank all our public safety partners who assisted.” 

The post 3 Killed in Aircraft Hangar Collapse in Idaho appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Ray explained that finding transient hangar space, especially on short notice, requires a lot of phone calls and an equal amount of luck.

“You just pick up the phone and start dialing,” said Ray. “It’s the same thing every time. It’s, ‘Oh, we will get back with you,’ or ‘I need to speak to the manager.’ You never get an answer. But this time I finally got an answer from a [woman] at the FBO, who said they could do it [give us hangar space] for $1,000 per night.”

The price made him think that there was opportunity to infuse the marketplace with additional short-term, covered aircraft storage space. As a corporate pilot, Ray said it happens at least once a year where he needs to get an overnight hangar for his client—regardless of the cost. Even with open space hidden at airports across the country, hangar owners that are able to sublease their spaces don’t have an easy avenue to become connected with interested parties, according to Ray. 

“You hear about crazy hangar wait lists all over, but the marketplace for them is Facebook, of all things!” said Ray. “So, I finally said, ‘This is it,’ and I set out to create Hangar Direct. One of my really good friends, Tanner Embry, who is also 28 years old like me, is a super-talented software developer. I came to him and said that I don’t know jack about tech and that he didn’t know jack about aviation but thought that we could do this. And it has worked. We have a team of developers and have been writing code for almost a year and a half.”

Ray provided further detail about Hangar Direct and its mission. 

“Hangar Direct is a transient hangar platform that runs and operates very similarly to Airbnb,” he said. “It has the same breakdown [of categories] and has a Google Maps API that is very similar to other sites. The website is fully operational and free to use, with apps coming soon for both iPhone and Android. We have tried to comb in every ounce of negativity and provide solutions. For example, all transactions use Stripe, so it’s safe and secure.

“And it’s really simple to upload your hangar for others to see. You list the location on the map, note the price, upload five photos, and a few additional details—such as size and entry method. If you are worried about insurance, we will list you as additionally insured and are currently finalizing our insurance. Hangar Direct offers 24/7 customer support as well as a chat function allowing users to communicate with each other regarding their reservation.”

The feedback Ray has received about the platform thus far has been positive. He contends that typically aviation is a late adopter of technology, and Hangar Direct fills a gap in the aviation real estate market. 

“Whenever I talk to people about this cool tool we are going to release, they are always impressed,” he said. “I think a lot of that comes down to [the fact] that everything in aviation happens last, technology specifically. We are currently in beta [test] and have been onboarding new users since September 1. To date, over 200 people signed up to use the app and over 500 on our list to receive updates as they become available. Everybody is really excited about Hangar Direct. We could launch this officially to the market tomorrow. But we are really trying to make sure that this whole thing is buttoned up, that we’ve talked to the right people, and we have partnered with the correct organizations.” 

The growing list of official partners includes FlytoPlaces, Airplanes & Coffee, Boomtown Brokerage, and FlightBridge, which was most recently added to the list. FlightBridge is used by more than 4,000 aircraft operators and 3,000 FBOs to arrange and manage trip logistics. Ray hinted that Cutter Aviation (GTU) will soon be announced as the official FBO launch partner for the software. 

Hangar Direct’s method of attracting users thus far has mainly been through word of mouth, as well as Ray personally building relationships with airports and hangar owners. One of the first airport relationships he sought was his local airfield—Georgetown Executive Airport (GTU) in Texas just north of Austin. The platform’s short-term leasing methodology is a new way of thinking for many airports. 

“Some private and municipal airports don’t allow subleasing,” he said. “[And] they will not approve the addition and construction of more hangars. We found a way that benefits everyone. We’ve recently started working with multiple city and county officials and have learned that a majority of these municipalities are open to the idea of short-term leasing (less than a month). Hangar Direct gives airports and hangar owners a hands-off tool to conveniently operate and benefit from the transient traffic that rents their hangars.

“Georgetown Executive Airport has agreed to incorporate the idea and will become Hangar Direct’s first municipal airport to adopt our platform in hopes of alleviating their hangar occupancy issues. Matthew [Sommerfeld], the new airport manager, is [really] open to trying new things and realizes that there is a hangar space issue not only at GTU, but all over. We are speaking with a few more [airports] that we are hopeful of officially announcing in the next few weeks.”

Ray is extremely optimistic for the future of his platform and how it can help to alleviate the national need for hangar space. 

“We understand that there is a lot of change that can be made,” he said. “The reality of it is that all of this is very possible, but there is a ton of red tape. I say that because we initially wanted to go after FBOs because I work full time in business aviation. The [GA] community is kind of a losing battle for many FBOs, as they make most of their [money] on big jets and jet fuel. We are a community product, but at the end of the day, I am involved in corporate aviation, and I would like to work our product into that market. Hangar Direct can grow in a heartbeat. It’s all just a matter of establishing a footprint in general aviation first.”

The post Hangar Direct Provides Options for Aircraft Seeking Temporary Shelter appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Aircraft Stored in Hangars

If you are lucky enough to have an enclosed hangar, do your preflight inspection inside with the door closed to retain the heat. Don’t open it until you are absolutely ready to take the airplane outside, then close the door quickly, as soon as it is safe to do so.

When the time comes to put the airplane back in the hangar, don’t be in a rush. If this is your first winter in the hangar, you will find it helpful to put marks on the floor indicating where the tires should be placed. Paint or gaffing tape do the job. Some of the more savvy hangar owners will also put marks on the wall to indicate the wing should go no farther back than that to prevent a tail strike with the rear wall.

Pro tip: If you enlist the help of someone to help you move the aircraft, make sure they understand the concept of letting you know when the wing, tail, etc., is getting close to hitting something so you can prevent it from happening. A Piper Cub at local flight school suffered a creased wingtip because the person who normally answered phones at the flight school and was asked to “watch the wing” didn’t understand this concept. So they stayed silent and watched as the pilot/owner accidentally pushed the airplane’s wingtip into a wooden staircase.

Bring the Heat

When the flight school has a large fleet, and multiple flights are set to launch in the morning, there is a logistic ballet with the aircraft that go out first being kept in the hangar and the heat activated an hour or so before the client gets there. When the aircraft is pushed out of the hangar, the next one to go out is pulled inside for defrosting.

Be patient. Sometimes the doors are frozen shut. Don’t try to force them. Don’t be in a rush to get the ice off—and all the ice and frost must come off. Scraping ice off an airplane will damage the paint and plexiglas windows. Let it melt, instead, and wipe the slush with a squeegee or soft cloth. Budget extra time for the preflight inspection—at least 15 minutes—when aircraft defrosting is on the agenda.

Be very careful if you use a plastic bristle brush to get powdery snow off the top of an airplane. Avoid the plexiglas. Dry the aircraft with a clean, soft towel—preferably a chamois.

Pro tip: If a towel is dropped on the hangar floor or ground, it should not touch an aircraft again because there is a chance it has picked up some grit that will damage the aircraft’s finish.

After the towels are used, wring them out and hang them up to dry. Some FBOs provide a laundry service that takes the used towels and replaces them with clean ones. Other FBOs buy the towels in bulk and they are one-time-use items. Dispose of the wet towels properly. You do not want to be the person who leaves a soggy, dripping-wet towel on the ground, on top of a drain, or in the sink because your mother taught you to leave used towels in the bathtub after use. Find out what the procedure is at the place you fly and follow it.

Verify the aircraft is completely dry before you move it back to the ramp so it does not refreeze.

Things to Watch For

Frozen fuel caps and the oil cap may be hard to dislodge. It helps if you can get over them (using a stepladder for a high-wing aircraft) for better leverage. Pro tip: There are specially made wrenches to remove stubborn oil caps—invest in one.

If you find ice on the glareshield or panel, there is a leak in the canopy. You may want to have the avionics shop check the radios for damage, and don’t be surprised if the faces of the round-dial instruments are opaque with condensation. The only way to remove it is time and heat. Some pilots and mechanics get creative and bring in professional-grade blow dryers to expedite the moisture-clearing process. The clever CFIs use this situation as a teachable moment to review FAR 91.205 with the learner.

• READ MORE: Flying Through a Wisconsin Winter

Preheating

Even if the aircraft is kept in a hangar, it will likely need some form of preheating. This can be an electrically powered engine block heater placed inside the cowl and left on when the aircraft is not in use, or a combination of the block heater and cowl plugs and cowl cover. Some  owners use oil preheaters that are activated several hours before the flight to warm the engine.

Some FBOs use butane-powered or electrically powered warm air blowers to warm up the aircraft’s engine and sometimes the interior before they move an aircraft from the hangar to the ramp.

Battery Challenges

Cold weakens batteries, so some flight schools remove them from aircraft that don’t fly often, keeping the batteries in the warmth of an office to preserve them. They are reinstalled before flight, so there needs to be some advance planning.

Battery conservation during the preflight inspection is also practiced. When the master switch is turned on, the electric flaps should be lowered no more than 10 degrees. Then the pilot races around the airplane to check the lights and pitot heat, stall warning if electric, then turn off the master so as not to run down the battery.

Defrosting on the Ramp

Defrosting an airplane on the ramp takes more time than in a heated hangar and is often done with a combination of sun and deicing fluid, such as isopropyl alcohol and/or hot water, followed by drying the aircraft with towels.

Deicing fluid isn’t cheap, and its use may be limited to certain aircraft. Also, there is a technique for the most efficient application, so ask to be trained on that.

Using solar heat alone to defrost the airplane involves repositioning the aircraft a few times so the sun can work its magic. Remove the control lock and check to make sure the control surfaces are not frozen into place. Run your bare hand over the skin to check for ice, especially under the tail and on top of the flaps. Under certain lighting conditions—especially if the aircraft is painted white—it can be difficult to tell if there is ice on it. You find out when you attempt to lower the flaps and there is a grinding noise, then, if you are lucky, the ice breaks and the flaps come down. I have experienced a stealthy sheet of ice shaped like the flap of the Cessna 172 break off while I was dropping the flaps. It sounded like a gunshot when it broke free, and I hit the deck instinctively, much to the amusement of my CFI.

Getting from Parking to the Runway

Some nontowered airports are closed when it snows because they lack snow removal equipment. Check the notices to air missions (NOTAMs) carefully.

Airports served by air carriers or operating under Part 139 usually have snow removal plans established. The runway is usually plowed first, then the ramp, taxiways, etc. Some FBOs rely on their staff to clear the snow from in front of hangars or around their airplanes on the ramp. If this is your first winter working at an FBO in a snow-prone area, understand that it is not uncommon for the line staff and sometimes CFIs to be called into work early for this task.

Before you complain, understand that some FBO owners with aircraft parked outside will spend all day and all night at the FBO and periodically go outside to clear the snow off the tails of the aircraft to keep them from being damaged by heavy amounts.

Protect Yourself from the Cold

Know where the defroster vents are in the aircraft, and just to be safe, carry a chamois to wipe condensation from the windscreen during flight.

Don’t rely on the heater in the aircraft to keep you warm. Just don’t. They either come on full blast or not at all. The heat comes from outside air warmed as it passes over the engine manifold and is then ducted into the aircraft cabin. If there is a leak in the manifold, you can be poisoned by exhaust, which is tasteless, odorless, and colorless, so make sure the aircraft has a carbon monoxide (CO) detector. These can be one-time-use cardboard units that are mounted on the panel. When the CO detector turns dark, you have a problem.

The Lightspeed Delta Zulu headset has a built-in audio CO warning. This feature was introduced in fall 2022, and according to the company, has provided a potential lifesaving warning to dozens of pilots thus far.

Bonus note: If you are flying a light twin that uses a heater powered by the fuel supply, be sure to know how much fuel it is going to consume per hour (check the heater manual or aircraft POH) and plan accordingly.

Dress in layers and wear a cap, because we lose approximately 30 percent of our body heat from our heads. Be careful about how bulky your clothing is, because it is difficult to share a cockpit when both you and the CFI/copilot/learner resemble the Michelin Man. You may have to experiment to find what works for you.

CFI tip: Keep an extra jacket on hand for when the learner forgets theirs. If they are cold, they can’t learn.

Protect your hands with gloves. You may only wear them during the preflight inspection, but keep them handy. While mittens are warmer, you need the dexterity gloves provide. If you don’t wear gloves, be prepared for raw and chapped hands. If this happens to you, O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream is a lifesaver.

Ground Ops in the Slush

Be careful when maneuvering the aircraft on the ramp and runway. Don’t expect to have any traction on ice—therefore, no brakes. While this works for floatplanes, a crosswind during takeoff or landing on an icy runway can be a disaster.

Plowed snow is usually stacked off to the side out of the way of the aircraft. Note where the piles and drains are. Plan your taxi route accordingly. Be sure to clear away the snow from drains around the hangars to avoid flooding and water intrusion.

If the Aircraft Has Covers

Remove the covers one at a time in a logical order. Shake off the snow and ice from them, and if possible, hang them in a heated hangar or other building to dry while you fly.

• READ MORE: Protecting Your Investment

Above all, have fun when you’re flying—snow has a way of making everything pretty.

The post It’s Time to Winterize Your Flying appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), crews were called to the former Tustin Air Base around 12:55 a.m. PST on Tuesday. When crews arrived, they found the north hangar, one of two megastructures built to house blimps during World War II, was fully engulfed.

More than 70 firefighters were called to the scene. At one point, ground crews were aided by water-dropping helicopters. Fire officials did not want to perform an internal attack as there were concerns about the roof collapsing. This proved to be correct, and tweets posted by the OCFA show photos of a collapsed roof. No firefighters were inside the building or injured.

The building and south hangar made from Douglas fir, are on the National Register of Historic Places as two of the world’s largest free-standing, wooden structures.

The hangars are approximately 1,072 feet long by 292 feet wide and 192 feet—or 17 stories—tall. Arranged in a V formation, they were designed to hold six blimps at a time. After WWII ended and airship operations were phased out, the facility became a Marine Corps Air Station and was used for helicopter operations up through Vietnam. Military operations were phased out in the 1990s and the base was slated for closure, although many of the buildings still remained in use for civilian aviation purposes. According to Tustin Legacy, both the north and south hangars are still owned by the Department of the Navy, although the site ceased being a military base in 1999. Much of the former base became residential housing.

Arson investigators are on the scene, and no cause of the fire has yet been determined.

At a news conference Tuesday morning, Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy noted that the property does belong to the U.S. Navy and that the investigation will eventually be turned over to it.

The post Tustin Hangar One Burns appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

John Panfil, the CEO of Equity 1000 LLC, a performance-based private equity firm, and developer of Volare Estates at Pegasus Airpark (5AZ3), elaborated on the project’s origins. 

“We were looking for hangars and happen to live eight minutes from Pegasus Airpark,” Panfil said. “We called about an ad for a small 1,400-square-foot box hangar there, and it was already in escrow. But the conversation led to finding out about the airpark’s original plans for additional hangars on the adjacent vacant 7 acres of land there that nobody had developed for a long time once they were converted to custom home lots after the last economic recession.

“After purchasing the land, we had to rezone the properties back to their original use of hangars. We received our zoning approval in October 2022 and are on the tail end of receiving our building permits to start construction and started our journey over a year and a half ago.”

Although Panfil had only recently shifted his decades of commercial real estate expertise to general aviation, he said he has always been an aviation fan tracking market trends and new technology waiting for the right opportunity to break into this niche market. 

“Pre-pandemic, we had it on our radar screen to get into aviation real estate, and after COVID, everything accelerated,” Panfil said. “We shifted almost entirely to aviation real estate, particularly focusing on hangars in high-density areas. We don’t want to get into building homes, but we are looking at a couple of airports where buyers may be able to build their own attached/detached home or similar to Pegasus where 10 of our units can have living quarters built out inside the hangar. 

“When we started looking around for hangars, we learned that if you find something at a municipal airport, you are only buying a ground lease and usually have strict restrictions against storing other items in addition to the aircraft. We weren’t fans of this, especially coming from the real estate background, but even these hangars have extremely limited availability, including to rent. Chandler (KCHD), Deer Valley (KDVT), and just about any other airport near density has a waiting list 10 years long or more. This really sparked our interest in moving forward.

“I’ve been an aviation fan since I was a kid, and so I followed the industry on and off for many years. I try to understand the market from a macro level. In a congressional hearing last year, the [Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association], the [National Business Aviation Association], and others were all doing a state of the union, and the fifth item on the list, from a national standpoint, was the hangar shortage. So that also helped solidify the direction we were exploring.”

Panfil, along with his son and partner, Johnnie, undertook the Volare Estates at Pegasus project in late 2021. The project bears an aviation-inspired homage to their family’s roots.  

“Volare means ‘to fly’ in Italian,” John Panfil said. “My mother came from Italy when she was 14 years old, so we’re keeping those beautiful memories alive using the name. She would keep Dean Martin on her phone and when someone would call, Volare would come up. And the Volare Estates model is to ‘Live, Work, and Fly.’”

The Volare Estates development at Pegasus Airpark boasts 34 hangars, split between two phases. There are three types of hangars available: 60-foot by 60-foot (eight in each phase), 80 by 60 (four in each phase), and “executive” 80 by 80 (five in each phase). In addition to their larger footprint, a distinguishing feature of the 6,400-square-foot executive hangars is that each boasts its own street address with separate driveway entrances, as well as an RV garage door, front door, and large front yard/patio with sliding glass doors. 

Additional information regarding the project’s specificities, including site plans, pricing, market comps, and other elements are contained within a buyers information package. This 19-page document is available upon request, and one of the project’s key differentiators is explained within. This element, according to Panfil, is an attractive standout for buyers  interested in owning real property.

“(There are) no ground leases at a private airpark, and (Pegasus Airpark) has some of the best pricing available to owners on all types of aviation fuel,” he said. “Queen Creek has been named one of ‘America’s Friendliest Cities’ by Forbes magazine, and (has earned) lots of other regional and national awards, such as No. 1 on the ‘Best City To Raise a Family in 2022’ by Dwellics.”

Panfil also elaborated on Equity 1000’s philosophy and business model.

“We’re a small family-owned equity firm, and I come from the construction, real estate development world,” he said. “We spend quite an effort in maintaining relationships with equity firms, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. Our business model is to identify, strategize, and implement as a macro developer for investment opportunities in real estate.” 

These partnerships have not only enabled the firm to be successful in this development, but they’ve also lessened the burden of financing for buyers on an asset type many lenders are wary of. 

“Boomerang Capital Partners LLC, is a $250 million company located in Mesa that provides equity and debt financing for commercial and residential real estate,” Panfil said. “Equity 1000 has enjoyed working with Boomerang for the last five years on commercial projects, and both companies are excited for the future of aviation-based real estate. Additionally, Trust Bank is providing our construction loan and also extending 50 percent LTV financing to qualified hangar buyers. Many pilots have experienced the lack of lenders willing to finance hangars, (and the LTV) provides our buyers with a rare opportunity to use long-term financing for the purchase of our hangars.”

As Panfil expected, reception to the project thus far has been very positive. This has equated to a sizable reservation list and deposits from those whose hangars broke ground in early May 2023. 

“Zoning for something like this is quite a task, as you could imagine,” he said. “We’ve gotten everything zoned and now are at the point of finishing up permits with the town and engineers. Our goal is to deliver units as early as the last quarter of 2023.”

We have two phases of development. In phase one, we have 17 hangars, and in phase two we have a mirror image of 17 hangars. We have not opened up phase two for reservations yet and are waiting to finalize our construction cost, schedule, and purchase contracts.

“In our first phase, we only have one hangar available, and the rest are reserved—with fully refundable $25,000 deposits. We haven’t done much marketing and only started public advertising in December 2022 with a few ads. Prior to advertisement, we probably had eight units reserved almost instantly from word of mouth. We have over a hundred folks on our prospect list that have reached out with interest, and many are waiting for us to open phase two or provide purchase agreements.” 

The pair is careful in planning their trajectory, both with the current project as well as with how they see the firm’s future. For example, Panfil expects outlying areas will become more accessible and attractive to buyers as technology and transportation avenues continue to improve. 

“What we’ve learned from our current project is that you can certainly find airports, both private and public, that have hangars,” he said. “But they are not in the best locations currently. So, we are also looking at places that are rural, where we are considering developing, that will be much lower cost. We are right now in talks and exploring early-stage development opportunities at about nine private and municipal airports. We look at those opportunities and recognize the need for lower cost hangars in the ‘Live, Work, and Fly’ environment. An hour drive by car should be a sweet spot for folks in the entry-level general aviation world to hangar a plane.”

The post Scarce Hangar Space Spurs Arizona Development appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As this is the first winter in which I can fly my airplane without the complications of major engine maintenance, I’m free to stumble through winter ownership unhindered by anything beyond general inexperience. One by one, I’m learning lessons and discovering solutions that collectively make winter flying more fun, and I’ve compiled a few products and lessons that have stood out thus far.

Engine Preheater

Up here in the frozen north, a well-heated, fully-insulated hangar is the stuff of dreams. Owning such a hangar is the Wisconsin equivalent of owning an oceanside villa in Monaco—it’s pricey, exclusive, and instantly makes you the envy of your circle of friends. My friend Jim has a hangar like this, complete with a mini fridge, a sectional couch, and enough cool wall decor to make you dread going home.

Most of us keep our machines in primitive, unheated T-hangars that may or may not be completely sealed from the elements. It’s not lost on me that this is a good problem to have; even basic hangars are palaces compared to outdoor tie-downs. Nevertheless, those of us in unheated hangars are presented with a few challenges, and for us, an engine preheater is a wise investment. 

The basic premise of any engine heater is simple; using forced air or electric elements, they heat an engine compartment or components of the engine itself, warming engine oil and easing engine starts. In addition to expediting engine (and cabin) warmup, this reduces engine wear and increases engine longevity.

Engine preheating generally comes in two forms. The cheaper and simpler option consists of small portable heaters with ducting to direct the heat into the engine compartment. While these are often the less expensive option, they also introduce more of a fire hazard. 

Should an unattended portable heater malfunction, or should the ductwork become dislodged, piping-hot air can be redirected onto surfaces and components that react poorly to such temperatures. Many people use these systems successfully throughout the winter, but I am haunted by the idea of being responsible for a hangar fire that may claim multiple airplanes.

• READ MORE: Tundra Tires Bring More Than Just Good Looks

A number of companies manufacture dedicated preheat kits that are installed directly onto the engine. Accordingly, there are fewer ways in which they can malfunction and create a fire hazard. This was one of the main reasons I chose this option, and I went with a company called Reiff. Only after my system was installed did I learn the company is based only about 30 miles away from me, in rural Wisconsin. 

Reiff offers two main types of preheat kits; the least expensive utilizes a single heating element to warm the oil pan, and the best kits add a heating element to each cylinder, effectively warming the entire engine. I opted for the latter, reasoning that consistent, uniform engine heating is beneficial.

A local maintenance facility took 3.5 hours to install the $950 system. Provided I remember to plug the engine in the night before I want to fly, I’m now greeted with a very warm engine and an easy start for every flight. 

Battery Charger

Last Saturday morning, my friend Jim and I hatched a wonderful plan. Temperatures were in the 30s, the ceiling had lifted to around 2,500 feet, and the local lakes had 6 to 8 inches of solid ice coverage. Wisconsinites everywhere were out frolicking on the ice, partaking in everything from ice fishing to ice boat racing to paraskiing. 

In past winters, I’ve joined Jim as a passenger for some ice landings, and this was finally my chance to fly along with him in an airplane of my own. My airplane was running well, I was familiar with the area, and best of all, Jim could serve as the guinea pig, landing first to ensure there were no issues with the ice surface.

There was only one issue—my engine was cold-soaked. Because our plans had come together at the last minute, I hadn’t plugged my engine in to warm it up. I agreed to go anyway, hoping I’d get it started in spite of this.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. A combination of ice-cold temperatures and my overpriming seemed to offend the engine, and despite catching and running roughly for a moment here and there, it simply refused to start. I ended up pushing the airplane back into the hangar and joining Jim as a passenger once again.

After we returned, a nearby hangar tenant offered to lend me his portable Diehard brand battery charger, a robust unit capable of trickle charging and quick charging. I set it up overnight, and it effortlessly brought my tired battery back up to a 100 percent charge. Having experienced how useful the charger was, I ordered one the following day and am now prepared to solve future battery issues independently. 

In hindsight, it seems like an obvious item to add to the list of necessary hangar accessories, but in my case, I first needed to experience a major inconvenience to take the idea seriously.

Powered Tug

This one is still on my wish list. I presently own a massively overbuilt tow bar that appears to have been engineered for Douglas DC-9s, and up until this past summer, it has worked reasonably well to pull my airplane around.

Then I installed some 26-inch tundra tires.

Set to only 8 to 10 psi, the new tires are pillowy soft. They make landing on rough surfaces a breeze, and they make the airplane feel like a big Tonka truck, shrugging off my blundering landings without a second thought. But they also make it far more difficult to pull the airplane into and out of the hangar, even on concrete.

At first, I chalked this up to a badly-needed fitness opportunity. I’d simply hunker down, put my weight into it, and muscle the airplane around as needed while burning off some burger- and cheese-curd-induced calories. But after winter weather set in, a close call with an unseen patch of ice nearly sent me to the ground, and visions of my recent rib-breaking refueling incident scared me straight and inspired me to shop for a powered tug.

Initial research suggests that there is little middle ground when it comes to powered tugs. On one end of the spectrum, you’ve got used Frankentug specials available on classified sites. These contraptions may or may not work properly, they will likely date back to the Clinton administration, and whether they’re gas or electric, they’ll almost certainly be covered in decades of grime. But they’re cheap, ranging from around $500 to $1,500.

On the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got companies like Best Tugs. Starting at around $3,000, their tugs work perfectly. They’re reliable, quiet, and rather than looking like you’re involved in a wrestling match with an angry snowblower, you can enjoy buttery-smooth fingertip control before and after every flight. 

The price is hard to swallow, though. Were I definitely remaining in my location long term, I’d consider hitting up an adjacent hangar tenant for a partnership opportunity in which we share one nice tug. That way, we’d each be able to enjoy the luxury anytime for half the price.

For now, I stubbornly continue to scour the local classifieds in the hopes that a decent used Frankentug happens to become available. But then again, the upgrade to that Best Tug would amount to less than the cost of one of my tundra tires…and it certainly would be a lot less expensive than another hospital stay.

The post Flying Through a Wisconsin Winter appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Moffett Field Museum, Mountain View, California

Some airports are easy to miss when you drive by them—all you see is a flat area, some industrial buildings and a few aircraft. Moffett Federal Airfield (KNUQ) in Mountain View, California, is not one of them. It’s the home of Hangar One, one of the largest free-standing buildings in the world. The dome-topped hangar dominates the landscape of the Silicon Valley.

Built in 1933 to house the USS Macon, one of the navy’s dirigibles, the hangar measures 1,133 feet long by 308 feet wide by 198 feet high. Today the hangar is part of Ames Research Center and the home of the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum.

Speaking of History…

The construction on what was to be Airbase Sunnyvale began in 1931. The facility stood on 1,000 acres of reclaimed farmland between San Jose and San Francisco. Part of it was in the town of Sunnyvale, part of it in Mountain View.

Worried the name Mountain View would conjure up mental images of navy dirigibles crashing in high terrain, the navy opted to use Sunnyvale in the name.

Naval Air Station Sunnyvale was commissioned on April 12, 1933, but the name only lasted until September, when it was changed to NAS Moffett Field in honor of Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, the man behind the navy’s lighter-than-air program. Moffett was killed on April 4, 1933, in the crash of the dirigible USS Akron. The Akron, launched in 1931, had been designed to act as a flying aircraft carrier. The helium-filled ship was destroyed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey, taking with it 73 of the 76 souls on board.

Today, Moffett is a private airfield with an emphasis on new technology and research. Prior permission is required to land there—so it’s pretty much off limits to most pilots. However, you can access the base by car with relative ease and visit the museum.

The Curator’s View: F-8U-1 Crusader

Jeff Wasel is the executive director of the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum. According to Wasel, the museum’s artifacts are organized by era, starting with the 1930s all the way up through the Cold War and the space race.

Wasel oversees the curation, restoration, and preservation of the collection of aircraft, cockpit sections, and other major artifacts which he describes as “an unusual mix of one-off and historically significant aircraft.” His favorite is the Chance-Vought F-8U-1 (F-8A) Crusader cockpit section.

“The F-8 represents the ultimate in pure, pre-missile era U.S. Navy fighter capability, bridging the gap between the first generation of underpowered carrier-based jets of the early to mid-1950s, and the later arrival of the high performance, missile-centric F-4 Phantom II on carriers in the early 1960’s,” he explains.

“Nicknamed ‘the Gator’ for danger posed by its capacious under-nose, jet-air intake—as well as the ‘ensign eliminator’ for its unforgiving nature, especially in carrier landings—the Crusader was the hotrod of its day, and still remains legendary for its performance over the skies of North Vietnam, as ‘the last Gunfighter.’ This sobriquet is something of a misnomer though, as her four Colt Mk-12 20 MM cannons had an unfortunate tendency to jam under high G-loads, making them grossly unreliable in a tight gunfight. As a result, the F-8’s impressive 7-to-1 kill ratio was achieved primarily using early models of the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile. Crusaders just look mean, nasty, and very purposeful, and are an icon of USN carrier aviation.”

The museum’s cockpit section comes from an early production F-8U-1, BuNo. 145399, that according to Wasel, first flew from NAS Moffett Field with “The Gunfighters” of Fleet Replacement Squadron VF-124, and later saw active service as the mount of Capt. Gordon Hodgson, USN, Commander, Carrier Air Wing 19, (CVW-19) on the USS Bon Homme Richard off North Vietnam on “Yankee Station”, and who also served as CO of VF-191, “Satan’s Kittens.”

The aircraft was in service from 1958 to 1969 and was acquired by the museum in February of 2014.

The Visitor’s Favorite: Lockheed U-2C

As far as the favorite of museum visitors, Wasel says it is the former Central Intelligence Agency -USAF-NASA Lockheed U-2C spyplane.

“The Museum’s U-2 was delivered as an ‘A’ to the CIA’s Groom Lake Test Facility, Groom Lake NV, on March 5, 1956, under contract SP-1913. After a variety of short test deployments, she was transferred to the Strategic Air Command, (SAC), but was retained by Lockheed for testing through January 1959.” says Wasel.

Most people know the U-2 as the CIA aircraft American pilot Francis Gary Powers was flying when he was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission over what was then the Soviet Union.

“After the Power’s shoot down over Russia on May 1, 1960, the CIA began research into using USN carriers as a means to deploy U-2s,” says Wasel. “As a result, she was returned to the CIA in 1963 for conversion to a U-2G variant, where a carrier arresting hook and other modifications were added. Only 2 airframes were converted to ‘Gs’, making this an extremely rare U-2 variant.”

According to Wasel, the U-2G successfully tested the carrier basing concept of the USS Ranger, then placed into flyable storage in 1969. In 1971 the aircraft was transferred to NASA and returned to U-2C configuration, then used for testing instrumentation on early Lansat Earth-observing satellites.

“The program was so successful that she and other U-2Cs were used as earth observation platforms in their own right,” says Wasel. “She was finally retired from NASA operations at Ames Research Center in August 1987 and transferred to Moffett Field Historical Society Museum in 2015.”

The post Museum Spotlight: Moffett Field, California appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

One of my learners made this remark after landing at Jefferson County International Airport (0S9) in Washington. The hangar is a weather-beaten metal structure with lines of square windows at the roofline. You half expect to see the doors being pushed open by men wearing coveralls and newsboy caps so that an open cockpit biplane occupied by a pilot wearing a leather helmet can be pushed onto the ramp.

That’s probably happened, says Lee Corbin, a Seattle-area retired military and commercial pilot and local historian. According to Corbin, the metal hangar at Jefferson County dates back to World War I. It was a pre-fabricated steel and sheet metal hangar known as a United States All-Steel Hangar, built by the Carnegie Illinois Steel Company.

“This particular hangar was originally built at Rockwell Field down at San Diego. With the opening of Seattle’s first airfield at Sand Point on Lake Washington, the Army decided they would send a small detachment of aircraft to have a presence in the Pacific Northwest,” says Corbin. “The hangar was disassembled then shipped north to Sand Point in 1922.”

Sand Point evolved into Sand Point Naval Air Station. The base was used for training and support through World War II, the Korean conflict, the Cuban Missile crisis, and Vietnam. The proximity of the base to the populated bedroom communities for Seattle resulted in the base closure in 1970. Much of the property was repurposed. Today the property known as the Sand Point Naval Air Station landmark district occupies 89 acres. Several of the original buildings are still intact but the open areas that once were runways have become trails and athletic fields. Most of today’s visitors don’t realize that a great deal of Seattle’s aviation history happened at the location.

The metal hangar spent about 10 years at Sand Point and had a few famous tenants, notes Corbin. “We know the Spirit of St. Louis was hangared overnight in September 1927, during Lindbergh’s tour of the U.S. There’s also a good possibility it was used during the three weeks of preparation of the Douglas [World] Cruisers for the Army’s round the world flight in 1924. It remained at Sand Point until 1931 when they disassembled it again and moved it to a newly created Army emergency airfield at Fort Townsend, over by Port Townsend, Washington.”

Jefferson County International Airport (0S9), Port Townsend, Washington, as it is officially known, sports a 3,000-foot by 75-foot paved runway. The airport is listed on the Seattle VFR sectional as an AOE, or airport of entry, which means customs can be cleared at the airport.

The airfield was declared surplus by the military after WWII, and turned over to the city of Port Townsend in 1947. The airport is the home of the Spruce Goose Restaurant, a place where the pie is so good it is spoken of in hushed, reverent tones, even by the aviation-challenged.

Today the metal hangar is still active. It houses Tailspin Tommy’s, an aircraft maintenance shop owned by Scott Erickson, an AP/IA. Erickson purchased the business from Tommy Wacker in the 1990s. Wacker’s was the second maintenance operation to occupy the space.

According to Erickson, there have been some changes to the building over its lifespan at Jefferson County. “There is a stamp in the concrete floor indicating it was poured in the 1930s—it reads July 10, 1930. The hangar is the largest hangar on the field. If an airplane can’t fit in other hangars on the field they put it in here. However, it does have some quirks though, because of its age.”

Erickson says he’s been working with the county, which owns and operates the airport, to keep up the maintenance on the vintage building to keep it safe and usable while simultaneously keeping its vintage look.

“I enjoy being in there doing maintenance alone when it’s quiet. because there has been so much maintenance in that hangar,” he says. “I enjoy getting completely absorbed in aviation… that’s what it is all about. All the pilots come by and visit.”

The WWI Hangar Turned Shell House

On the shores of Lake Washington is another vintage aircraft hangar which you may soon see in a major Hollywood movie: it is the all-wooden hangar built during World War I to house seaplanes that were used to train naval aviators, and it later became a home to the crew team of the University of Washington. The building, located northeast of the Montlake Cut on Union Bay, still belongs to the university.

According to Corbin, the University of Washington was one three universities selected by the U.S. Navy to train aviators during the war. “The others were Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dunwoody Industrial Institute in Minneapolis. These are trade schools that turned out high-quality naval aviation cadets that would go on to naval flight training,” he said.

“What makes this hangar so unique is the fact that it is constructed entirely of wood, making it the only known, all-wood, WWI-era, Navy seaplane hangar remaining in the world,” Corbin continued. “Unfortunately, it was completed after the war ended and only saw service as an actual seaplane hangar for a few weeks as the Navy’s aviation ground school classes finished up by the end of January 1919. But that allowed the opportunity for it to become the most unique shell house in the collegiate rowing world.”

The university is in the process of raising funds to restore the building, and they want to recognize both the military and athletic use of the facility.

“The facility saw about 15,000 volunteers come through during WWI,” says Nicole Klein, capital campaign manager for the Associated Students of the University of Washington. “The building had a metal steel trolley that was used to hoist the seaplane out of the water.”

According to Klein, between 1920 and 1949, the 12,000-square-foot building was utilized by the UW men’s rowing team, and George Pocock, a legendary boat builder, had a workshop in the structure where he built the shells that took the UW team to Olympic gold in 1936 and 1948.

The 1936 team is the subject of Daniel James Brown’s 2013 book, The Boys in the Boat, which has been adapted into a film produced by George Clooney. The story follows the University of Washington men’s rowing team as it moves past collegiate rowing giants Harvard and Yale and ultimately go to the 1936 Olympics. The project, which was announced in 2018 was delayed by the pandemic. Filming was done in Los Angeles, Berlin, and at Winnersh Film Studios in Berkshire, U.K., where a replica of the shell house was built.

According to Klein, “The hangar turned shell house was placed on the National Registry of historic places in the 1970s, and it became a Seattle landmark in 2018.” That was also the year that the ASUW launched a fundraising campaign to restore the building and bring the large wooden structure up to code so that it can be used for rental of public gatherings and educational tours.

WATCH: Historic Shell House, by Alex Chen, videographer

“Many visitors are surprised at how large the all-wooden structure is. The Pocock Shop is a small upstairs loft that was able to produce racing shells up to 60 feet long,” says Klein. “Once the restoration is complete it will be open for tours and event rental, it seats 350. The location on the water makes it a prime location for watching regattas and holding picnics.”

If you would like to help restore the shell house, donations can be made here.

What Can You Do To Help?

There are vintage hangars all over the United States, maybe even in your part of the world. If you would like to preserve and perhaps restore the building there are steps to take.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources. 

Begin the process with your State Historic Preservation Office and check their web page for National Register information, research materials, and necessary forms to begin the nomination process. If the property and or building is on federal or tribal land, the process begins with the Federal Preservation Office or Tribal Preservation Office.

The property’s age (at least 50 years old), and cultural significance and integrity are taken into account.

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