Renting an airplane hangar?

So I have been looking for a local to rent out his barn or detached garage for less than $200.00/mo and it dawned on me that I need to expand my search.

I was looking through CL today and almost fell off my stool.

http://lansing.craigslist.org/prk/1567978127.html said: $190 Private Airplane Hangar (Capital City Airport) Only 1 available at Capital City Airport. Concrete floor , Electric lights and power supplied at no additional cost, 40' x 11' sliding door for entry. 845sq feet of storage. Ideal for plane, general merchandise. extremely secure with key card for entry. Do not let your toys sit out in the winter weather, you cannot rent this much square foot of storage for this price ,anywhere else. ideal to split with a friend Please call 517 290 5632

I am considering pulling the trigger but i want to talk to the community airport up the road to see if they are any cheaper.

Am I crazy in thinking this is an excellent idea for a Challenge cave?

Nope, you're not crazy. Hangars are great for car projects, provided they're convenient.

I've promised myself a converted hangar after I collect my Lotto winnings. There's an excellent test area nearby most hangars also...mind the airplane traffic, though.

Are you kidding me!? A 12x20 self-storage shed costs $120 around here. That is a steal (unless all of them cost that there). Here that is $650/mo and you pay the bills.

Being a real blue collar area a lot of the amateur pilots have given up their planes for easier to store hobbies. I don't know if this is going rate or a teaser.

845 sq ft is enough to build 2 cars side-by-side easy... and if you can rent one of those MaxJax portable lifts & a rotisserie... you could be a god. Not a flimsy god with an old book and no evidence in 3 millennia to support you existence... but a REAL GOD cranking out miracles that we all can witness.

You really have no choice.

EDIT: This should be spoken aloud in Powerthirst commercial guy voice

And I was informed today that I am getting a "raise"... No one in the building has ever heard those words so I don't know if it was a phrase lost in translation.

I am calling tomorrow.

Definately do it. We keep my dads 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo, my 2 FV's, and 1 FV chassis all in an airport hangar. It's actually half a hangar, a plane couldn't fit in there, but it's big enough. If we need room, we just roll one car out and have more room to work on the car we need to work on. And we put aluminum shelves on 2 sides to keep miscellanous parts on. And we built a large overhead shelf to put tires and bodywork on.. Not quit tall enough to walk under, but we have the FV chassis under it with a trans turned throwout bearing side down, so it sits upright. DO IT!! Steven

They can get a bit cold, but they are solid. Most theives don't mess with airports. Get some of those foam padded bits, some pickett fence and you got a playpen in the corner.

Go at least look at it.

Investigate to be sure that "getting a raise" does not equal "getting the high hard one."

Damn, this would be awesome. I can't find ANYTHING in the DC area.

what this 'raise' thingy you speak of? Good to hear someone getting good news though! Get the hanger and host a BBQ in the spring.

I know two people that would show up.

Don't forget, airplane guys tend to own sports cars, too. Think of the possible Challenge finds you can discover through networking! Leave the hanger door open and see who walks in.

"You know, I have this old...."

I am thinking that I might do a little silk screening on the side as well to offset the costs of the place that I get.

I have left a message for the guy, waiting to hear back from him.

John Brown wrote: I am thinking that I might do a little silk screening on the side

I hear that black tees with wolves (preferably baying at the moon) are a hot item. If you can have more than one wolf... that is badass.

I actually was going to do one as a send off for GRMers if I decide to do this. I have no space for them where I am at and it gives me a reason to rent a garage.

Tried that here in my little College-town burg. At first they were receptive....then they did a 180 and nixed any "automotive related storage".

Tom Heath wrote: I've promised myself a converted hangar after I collect my Lotto winnings. There's an excellent test area nearby most hangars also...mind the airplane traffic, though.

A few years back, this whole facility was for sale: Dolaca

A couple of buildings and hangars, taxiway, and runway.

Originally a WWII auxilliary airstrip, it had been used as a drag strip and autocross venue.

Then, storing bumper crops of cotton brought more money in than racing did, then ... nothing.

With a little lottery money, it could be a fine place to live.

Careful, you could wind up with a GRM club house....

You might want to check with the airport to make sure it is OK to use the hanger if you are not going to put a plane in it. I suspect based on the price that it will not be a concern (probably not a lot of demand), but there are areas (e.g. California) where people have to be on a list for YEARS in order even be able to rent a hanger.

Not only is it a good place to work, but you will likely run into some other hanger dwellers that have some interesting skills (aviation industry types).

In reply to aircooled:

Would RC planes count?

John Brown wrote: I am thinking that I might do a little silk screening on the side as well to offset the costs of the place that I get. I have left a message for the guy, waiting to hear back from him.

1. Rent then becomes a business expense.

2. Charge 2 other people rent and your space becomes free. Be creative here. Landscapers and the like often need a safe place to store their E36 M3e, and they'll be less likely to be finger berkeleying your stuff when you're not there.

3. If you've got other guys in there, even if they're your buddies, lock your tools up, and have the "Shop Rules" clearly posted on a dry-erase board.

I did an environmental assessment on a part of the local city owned airport. Many of the hangers had cars in them. Some were used only for aircraft repair. The rent is reasonable to me and there is even a long waiting lsit ot get a hanger. There was some real interesting stuff in some of the hangers.

that is not bad.. I rent a 20x30 section of a barn for 220 a month..