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Pietenpol-List: Old Airports and lack of hangers

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:54 am
by matronics
Original Posted By: greg menoche
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Old Airports and lack of hangershttp://members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/I visited the above website as recommended by Mike Whaley in regard to DJ and other folks having a lack of hanger space and affordable shelter at their respective airfields. It's a really neat website, especially for anyone havingan interest in old airfields. Worth a looksie.Buying a piece of land and establishing your own "legal" landing strip is getting more difficult these days, especially along border states, because of 9-11 and people running drugs from Mexico. (My "airport" is not too far from Crawford, Texas and I bet it's impossible to establish a landing site near thePresident's ranch. And even if you did, you'd have to keep your airplane groundeda lot of the time.) I'm happy that I built my airport in 1995 when there wasn't a lot of hoops and hurdles to go through, but for many people, buildingyou own grass strip and hanger and such isn't an option.I think AOPA and EAA might be a resource for aviators in need of a shelter for their airplanes. Here in Texas, we have a few airport managers (Abilene ABIis an example) where the local airport manager doesn't give a flip about the "little guy" who owns an airplane having something less than two engines and especially something as humble as a Pietenpol. Too many airport managers have tunnel vision on big iron and they want to run-off tube and fabric flyers and old wooden airplanes from their fields. In the past, ABI had a supportive airport manager, but the trend is for new managers only to support corporate andcommercial aviation.In Texas, if an airport is getting money from the state, our Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT Aviation Division) has been very helpful in letting bozo airport managers and FBOs know they ARE NOT supposed to be renting hangers to people who want to shelter their motorhomes, boats or other non-aviationrelated items, if an aviator is in need of a space. I also think that AOPA is aggressive in this regard but I haven't seen EAA taking a lead on this, although they might be, I'm just not aware of EAA efforts to help out in this problem.Sterling BrooksEAA 695308AOPA 01014359________________________________________________________________________________Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 08:59:26 -0800 (GMT-08:00)

RE: Pietenpol-List: Sat in my first Peit today

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:36 am
by matronics
Original Posted By: Galen Hutcheson

Re: Pietenpol-List: Old Airports and lack of hangers

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 9:45 am
by matronics
Original Posted By: Greg Bacon

> Re: Pietenpol-List: update on N74DV

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 12:56 pm
by matronics
Original Posted By: TBYH(at)aol.com
I like what you said there Greg - quite inspirational actually. With regard to DJ's plane being outside, what about some sort of wing covers. I saw a picture somewhere (I think on the Sonex Yahoo site) of a plane with some kind of wing covers on it. I guess it would protect from the UV degradation effects from the sun and maybe even provide some level of protection from hail etc. You could probably have something custom made at a boat cover shop for a few hundred bucks (notice that if you say "bucks" it doesn't sounds quite so bad). At any rate DJ, I think we've all been looking forward to your beautiful airplane taking flight and for you to sell it would probably require some of us to seek counciling from the despair. Don't do it man... don't do it.Eric W.>From: Greg Bacon >Reply-To: pietenpol-list(at)matronics.com>To: pietenpol-list(at)matronics.com>Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: update on N74DV>Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 09:45:07 -0600>>>DJ,>>If you can't find a reasonably close hangar, park it outside, fly it, enjoy>life. Seize the day.>>I was just about to give up my dream of aircraft ownership because I just>couldn't justify the cost. My good friend, Greg Cardinal, pointed out the>fact that you can never "justify the cost" of owning an aircraft that you>don't really need. You become an airplane owner because it's your dream.>Greg's words changed my mind and my life. I've had a Cherokee 140, a >Corben>Jr. Ace, and I'm now the proud owner of the wounded Mountain Piet.>Consequently, after moving home to Missouri, I couldn't find hangar space>close by for my 140. I kept it hangared 1.5 hours away in Macon, MO for>about a year. I decided to find land suitable for a grass strip. I now>live on 75 acres with an 1850 ft grass strip and a pole barn for a hangar.>I can't quantify how much aviation has enriched my life and the people I>share it with.>>Enrich your life! Fly it. Fly it. Fly it. Even if it suffers minor wear>and tear from being in the elements, your life will be way better than if>you never fly YOUR homebuilt aircraft!>>Greg Bacon>Missouri>________________________________________________________________________________