rvanstory
Well Known Member
I am terribly frustrated with our local airport management and was hoping someone out there has advice on what (if anything) I can do about it. First the backstory.....
When I started my build in Feb. 2017, I called the local airport to get on the T-hangar waitlist. From experience, I knew it would take a long time to get a T-hangar for the RV-10 I was building. When getting ready to attach the wings, I was told I was not yet eligible for a T-hangar. I was able to use a friends T-hangar to finish the build. During that time I met 2 pilots that had T-hangars at the airport that had waited MUCH less time than me to get one. One was on waitlist 6 months, the other 2 years (compared to my 3.5 years at the time).
Needless to say, I was FURIOUS! How did I get passed up when I so badly needed a hangar? How did these pilots get put in front of me for hangar space? When I confronted the airport manager his explanation was that the "list" was destroyed by an ex disgruntled employee. So, they really had no ideal who was on the list, or when. I found this to be a very suspicious excuse since I was never told I wasn't on the list, simply that it wasn't my turn yet. If the list got lost, why wouldn't this news of a destroyed list be shared with me during any of our previous communications???
However, the manager agreed that I was now, finally, "next on the list" and I would get the "next available hangar". Then, last week, I met another new pilot at the airport who just got his T-hanger after 3 years on the list (compared to my 4 years now). When I confronted the airport manager again, his excuse was some lie about this particular hangar space being wider than than the others and it was needed for the tenants wider wing-span. (I later measured the hangar, it was the same standard dimensions as all the other T-hangars, no wider at all.)
So, here's my question. Do I have any recourse or leverage? Other than more city staff, is there anyone that can help me? Does FAA have an avenue to hold airport management staff accountable for preferential treatment?
I'm caught between a rock and a hard spot. Raise h - - - with his boss (city manager), FAA, city council, etc... and possibly NEVER get a hangar. Or is there a way to hold airport staff accountable for their practice of giving hangars space to who they see fit?
Any help and/or advice would be appreciated!
When I started my build in Feb. 2017, I called the local airport to get on the T-hangar waitlist. From experience, I knew it would take a long time to get a T-hangar for the RV-10 I was building. When getting ready to attach the wings, I was told I was not yet eligible for a T-hangar. I was able to use a friends T-hangar to finish the build. During that time I met 2 pilots that had T-hangars at the airport that had waited MUCH less time than me to get one. One was on waitlist 6 months, the other 2 years (compared to my 3.5 years at the time).
Needless to say, I was FURIOUS! How did I get passed up when I so badly needed a hangar? How did these pilots get put in front of me for hangar space? When I confronted the airport manager his explanation was that the "list" was destroyed by an ex disgruntled employee. So, they really had no ideal who was on the list, or when. I found this to be a very suspicious excuse since I was never told I wasn't on the list, simply that it wasn't my turn yet. If the list got lost, why wouldn't this news of a destroyed list be shared with me during any of our previous communications???
However, the manager agreed that I was now, finally, "next on the list" and I would get the "next available hangar". Then, last week, I met another new pilot at the airport who just got his T-hanger after 3 years on the list (compared to my 4 years now). When I confronted the airport manager again, his excuse was some lie about this particular hangar space being wider than than the others and it was needed for the tenants wider wing-span. (I later measured the hangar, it was the same standard dimensions as all the other T-hangars, no wider at all.)
So, here's my question. Do I have any recourse or leverage? Other than more city staff, is there anyone that can help me? Does FAA have an avenue to hold airport management staff accountable for preferential treatment?
I'm caught between a rock and a hard spot. Raise h - - - with his boss (city manager), FAA, city council, etc... and possibly NEVER get a hangar. Or is there a way to hold airport staff accountable for their practice of giving hangars space to who they see fit?
Any help and/or advice would be appreciated!