AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014 - 114

SURVEY

60%

of AOPA members say their
airport has fly-friendly
procedures.

News & Notes
MEMBERSHIP

|

AOPA ACTION

|

KEY AOPA
COMMENTS
ON HANGAR POLICY

What's in your hangar?
Useful spaces for both the aircraft and the pilot

114 | AOPA PILOT November 2014

The current battle over what a hangar
should hold began in 2009 in Glendale, Arizona.
The FAA had been under scrutiny from the
Government Accountability Office for inadequate oversight of airport land use, so it was
no surprise when the FAA took a hard line in
response to flagrant misuse of hangar facilities.
Routine investigations into airport land uses
resulted in findings that hangars were being
used inappropriately. Some local FAA officials
and airport managers have responded by trying
to clear hangars of any and all nonaeronautical items.
"The FAA's proposal is a big step in the right
direction, but it's not quite enough," Pecoraro
said. "We know this is important to our members,
and we're filing formal comments and working
closely with the FAA and friends in Congress to
make sure the new rules reflect the realities of
aircraft ownership."
ON THE

WEB

See the website for more information
(www.aopa.org/hangarusepolicy)

JOHN SAUER

FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, the FAA has taken the
position that hangars at federally funded airports
should be reserved for aeronautical use. By and
large, this has benefitted those seeking to house
their aircraft at those airports.
But in recent years-concerned that the FAA's
requirements had become more stringent-some
airports' efforts to create a "sterile" hangar environment have been extreme, forcing hangar owners and
lessees to remove every tool, drip pan, spare part, or
personal item from their hangars. AOPA and others
have complained, and the FAA has responded with
an updated policy on hangar use, but AOPA says the
proposed update doesn't go far enough-especially
on construction of amateur-built aircraft and privately owned hangars-and is asking the agency to
give hangar owners and users more latitude when it
comes to how they use the space.
"This is an issue that AOPA has been actively
engaged in for many years," said Greg Pecoraro,
AOPA vice president of airports and state advocacy. "The rules for using hangars should meet the
common sense test, and we're going to make sure
they do."

* A hangar should
be considered to be
in aeronautical use if
it houses an aircraft
that is airworthy or
in the process of
becoming airworthy (under active
construction, repair,
or renovation).
* Building an aircraft in a hangar is
an aeronautical use
from start to finish.
* Owners of
private hangars
should be allowed
greater flexibility, as
long as the hangar's
use is primarily
aeronautical and
any nonaeronautical
uses don't interfere
or violate lease
agreements, airport
minimum standards,
or building codes.
* The FAA should
acknowledge other
aviation activities as
legitimate aeronautical uses, including
activities and storage related to skydiving, ballooning,
and seasonal aircraft
needs such as floats,
skis, and wheels.
http://www.aopa.org/hangarusepplicy
AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014
