…and the true value of hangar ownership
Let it snow!
Well, if you have a good hangar, that is.
You may live currently in the half of the country digging out—or unfreezing—from the effects of Storm Fern (since when did we name winter storms like hurricanes?) and, if so, we hope that your aviation pride and joy weathered the weather tucked safely into a hangar.
If not, we also know the trials of having to stress over your investment sitting out in the cold. Literally.
(A special nod to those who own Air Cams—we know who you are!)
Pilots have posted scenes from the aviation community at large all week on Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit threads showing airplanes covered in the white stuff, or the icy stuff, and with the visible impact of the storm drifting up to two feet in places, there is no number of wing covers that can save an airplane from the elements when that kind of snow and ice weighs upon an airframe. Try shoveling it from your driveway—carefully—and then contemplate what it would take to remove it even more carefully from your wings.
As a point of fact, snow weighs on average 20 pounds per cubic foot. With a wing area of 174 sq ft on a Cessna 182, that’s a lot of weight, especially when you count the stress induced at the wingtips.
And even if your airport escaped the worst of the precipitation, extreme cold has followed in its wake, in successively building high pressure systems marching across the midsection of the country. From Denton (DTO) in Texas to Frederick (FDK) in Maryland, we’ve seen temps below freezing for a week, even ten days or longer. It’s worth noting that when temperatures fall below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, frostbite only takes 30 minutes to set in on exposed skin.
And while it’s certainly no fun (and potentially dangerous) to preflight in those conditions, it’s really difficult—or impossible—to preheat your engine while parked on a snowy ramp. Even if you had an extension cord long enough! And no one wants to put their engine(s) through the stress of a cold start using frigid oil and a weakened, cold-soaked battery.
Perhaps you can pull your bird into a community hangar or the FBO’s space for a warm up and de-ice session. But wouldn’t it be better to bypass that stress altogether with a hangar of your own?
We know the availability of hangars is a pressing issue—in these winter months above all—for many owners. We know because we hear the stories they tell when they approach High Flying Hangars for more information.
Throughout 2026, we will share a few of these stories to help inform you about the decision making process other aircraft owners have gone through prior to selecting a HFH development as the solution to their needs. You’ll find that the cost of hangar ownership in so many instances is far outweighed by the value it represents.
We’ve certainly learned a lot from their stories, and we think you will too.
