Aircraft Hangar Basics
An aircraft hangar may look on the outside like a big garage for an airplane. There’s a lot more that happens inside that big garage. Also, depending on the size of the hangar, there may be activities that depend on the proper design. Maintenance is one of them. And in some instances, it has to do with how the facility is housing the aircraft. Proper temperature control and access to different areas of the aircraft is critical. There are also supporting facilities to consider, such as:
- Offices
- Restrooms
- Sewage treatment facilities
The Qantas A380
So there are a lot of aspects to consider in the design of an aircraft hangar. We recently designed the biggest aircraft hangar at LAX. The Qantas A380 aircraft hanger. The Qantas A380 is one of the biggest aircraft in the world right now. And if you look at it in person, you see how big it really is. You see how difficult it could be to reach different parts of it. You would also see the need to design the maintenance infrastructure in a certain way. You need to be able to look around and maintain parts of this aircraft while it’s inside the hangar.
Much goes into the design of an aircraft hangar. It is much different from a garage for a plane. Of course, there are hangars like that and that’s all they do. So there is a spectrum in terms of what is going to occupy that hangar. That determines the facilities and infrastructure you need to design within.
Pilots and Aircraft Hangars
Pilots like myself consider a hangar a safe haven. It is a place where us pilots like to go and spend time on our own. The pilot and the plane. And, a lot of people forget that pilots spend a lot of time with that plane on the ground. Not only flying it but also understanding it. Also, they depend on that plane to keep them safe. When you have a connection with something that keeps you safe, you develop a bond. Also, this is the case with many pilots. So when inside an aircraft hanger, a pilot wants to see some of the supporting facilities.
These include things like:
- Electric power
- Refueling
- Lighting
- Restroom facilities
- Flight planning services
Also, in doing a pre-flight inspection of a plane you must make sure that you have the right tools:
- Compressed air
- Oil filters
- Oil testing kits
- And more
There is so much kept within the aircraft hangar for the operation from a pilot within that facility.
The Fullerton Municipal Airport
It’s been a privilege to work in some of these facilities related to aerospace and aviation. This is because when we work with a client, the client may not always know what they want. They know they want a facility to house an aircraft. Or they want a mission control building or a control tower, but they don’t know where to start.
So, one client example we have is the Fullerton Municipal Airport. We’ve been able to help them with the design of their terminal building. We also designed support facilities that provide education and the services of refueling. And facilities for critical tenants, such as the California Highway Patrol.
When they approached us in the design of their terminal building, they did not know where to start. Also, they knew that they had a makeshift type of terminal building that was close to 100 years old. But they did not know where to start with a new one. So, we spent time developing a master plan to help them develop the facility. And helped them understand how this facility should sit within their airport. Also, how it could evolve with time. And the way the users would use their facility could change.
That includes users such as:
- Workers within the airport
- Pilots
- Passengers
A Feasibility Study Has Tremendous Value
Providing a feasibility study for the aircraft hangar was a tremendous value to them. Not only in the design of their terminal building. Also in the future expansion and growth of the airport. So, we try to work with them like that and to draw out the information. And this is important in dealing with aerospace and aviation clients.
