fiebichpvApril 6, 2016, 2:07am
My AirBike's New Home
Following the closing of 35KS (Blue Sky Ranch & Aerodrome) where I had hangared for the past 10 years and it served as AirBike Ace's base of operations, the search was on to find another hangar.
Losing a hangar is a traumatic experience that borders on getting out of aviation all together. For some at our community hangar, that is exactly what they did; they "hung it up." Others found alternate locations that were either not convenient nor as economical (or both).
That is partly my situation; I finally found a hangar more than three times distant from my house but less expensive. I now drive 21 miles rather than 6 miles and the rent is $75 a month instead of $95. For now, I will take what I can get.
The photos below describe my new hangar location. It is two miles south of Douglass, Kansas on an existing private grass strip (SN52). You can find it on airnav.com. The hangar is a three sided equipment storage building. The open side is to the West, not a good orientation for an airplane in Kansas.
I have the only working airplane on the airstrip, the property owner is building an RV something. It will be lonely, those of you operating from a community hangar or active airstrip---relish it while you can. I did.
Being exposed to the weather, I continue to use wing and fuselage covers on my plane. Additionally, custom made fixed wheel chocks were necessary to keep the plane from being skidded around by the wind. These chocks straddle each wheel, provide a wheel stop, and are secured to the wall.
Ropes with bungee cords stretch from wall anchors to the wing tie-down anchors. The plane is actually pulled into the chocks and held there.
Airbike Ace now has a new chunk of the Western Front to patrol while protecting the women and children from the erratic invading Huns. High winds and continual grass wildfire have prevented all small plane pilots from flying for the past six weeks. Typical daily winds are 30 mph with gusts to 62 mph. It is safer to be secured to the ground in these conditions.
I thought you'd want to know.
AirBike Ace
Following the closing of 35KS (Blue Sky Ranch & Aerodrome) where I had hangared for the past 10 years and it served as AirBike Ace's base of operations, the search was on to find another hangar.
Losing a hangar is a traumatic experience that borders on getting out of aviation all together. For some at our community hangar, that is exactly what they did; they "hung it up." Others found alternate locations that were either not convenient nor as economical (or both).
That is partly my situation; I finally found a hangar more than three times distant from my house but less expensive. I now drive 21 miles rather than 6 miles and the rent is $75 a month instead of $95. For now, I will take what I can get.
The photos below describe my new hangar location. It is two miles south of Douglass, Kansas on an existing private grass strip (SN52). You can find it on airnav.com. The hangar is a three sided equipment storage building. The open side is to the West, not a good orientation for an airplane in Kansas.
I have the only working airplane on the airstrip, the property owner is building an RV something. It will be lonely, those of you operating from a community hangar or active airstrip---relish it while you can. I did.
Being exposed to the weather, I continue to use wing and fuselage covers on my plane. Additionally, custom made fixed wheel chocks were necessary to keep the plane from being skidded around by the wind. These chocks straddle each wheel, provide a wheel stop, and are secured to the wall.
Ropes with bungee cords stretch from wall anchors to the wing tie-down anchors. The plane is actually pulled into the chocks and held there.
Airbike Ace now has a new chunk of the Western Front to patrol while protecting the women and children from the erratic invading Huns. High winds and continual grass wildfire have prevented all small plane pilots from flying for the past six weeks. Typical daily winds are 30 mph with gusts to 62 mph. It is safer to be secured to the ground in these conditions.
I thought you'd want to know.
AirBike Ace