The Big Bear Hangar & SUV

First Rule of Fight Club…

Don’t talk about Fight Club. Or, in this case, Flight Club.

If you have a pilot friend that would be interested in using the hangar/car, please just intro them to me. Please don’t broadcast this hangar arrangement. This is my personal hangar at Big Bear, and my personal car. I’m not running a business / making money on this. The airport technically wants all airplanes that go into the hangar to be registered with the airport and list Big Bar Airport as insured, and wants to know about all people using it, etc. So – please do not broadcast that you are using my hangar. Don’t ruin it for me/everyone else. Treat the stuff like you would treat your own stuff. Please.

There’s a calendar below that shows availability. It should be up to date. If you want to grab the hangar, just text me the dates and I’ll put you on the calendar.

This page is best viewed on a computer/laptop – it will render on a phone, but may not look the greatest.

Hangar N-11 (North)           

Here’s the skinny – it’s a big T-hangar – 42′ wide, 35′ deep, and a 10′ door. It has electricity; if your plane has an oil heater, feel free to plug it in. Inside of the hangar is a 2012 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring SUV. It’s got third row folding seats (making it a 7 passenger car) and is all wheel drive (AWD). I’m asking $50/day for the hangar and car use together. If you only want to use the hangar and not the car – you’ll have to put the car somewhere. If you only want to use the car – that’s fine… still $50/day. Venmo me at my email address or cellphone number.

Pictures of the hangar, the car, and locations are in a gallery below after the calendar. You can click on the image, and that will open a larger version of it. If you click again on the image, it will open a full-size version of the image.

Explanations on where to find the hangar, how to get in, and how to leave the airport with the car are also below.

How to Find the Hangar…

There are multiple images below that attempt to show where the hangar is and how to get there. Please review this all and ask any questions prior to going.

There are three large white hangar buildings located in the Northwest portion of the airport. They are circled in red to the left (you can click on a bigger version of the image below). Of the three white buildings, Hangar N-11 (the hangar in question – the one you’re trying to get to) is located in the Eastern-most building (the one on the far right as you look at the image from above), and Hangar N-11 faces North (on the North side of the building). It is denoted by the blue dot in the image on the left.

So, when flying in, you will exit the runway to the North, and then likely taxi West to the group of three white hangar buildings. Taxi BETWEEN the middle white hangar building and the right-most hangar building. Take a right on the other side, and taxi down mid-way until you see “11” on the right. That’s the hangar. Shut down and go open it.

 

Congrats, You Found the Hangar…      

There’s a lockbox hanging on the door. The code is “2811” on the middle row of the lock. Inside is a key. DO NOT LOSE IT. It unlocks the padlock on the hangar door. You can open that door, drop the bolt for the door into the ground so it doesn’t blow closed in the wind. On the other side of the hangar is a similar door, and that one locks from inside with a bolt through the latch (it’ll make sense when you see it). Unlock that door, swing it out, and drop the bolt into the ground. Then, you can pull each of the remaining bolts/stakes up for the hangar doors, and then slide each half of the hangar doors to the side. It’s a pretty dang easy hangar to open – but there ARE a lot of bolts/stakes. The wind can get pretty nasty, so please make sure to re-set all of those bolts before leaving once you close the doors.

The Mazda CX-9

The SUV should be hooked up to a trickle charger. If the hood is closed, the latch for the hood is in the middle, and it moves to the side for the hood to come up. Disconnect the Alligator clips from the battery (when you bring it back, please don’t forget to hook the trickle charger back up, and just leave the hood down gently – don’t close it all the way).

The key for the Mazda should be on the left side of the car as you face it, on the ledge on the hangar wall – the Mazda keyfob is attached to a wine cork. This is the only keyfob I have for the car so PLEASE do not lose it. There is a white key card for all of the gates at the airport that INSIDE the car in the front center console Please don’t take this key card out of the car. You may use the card to get in and out of all gates at the airport. IMPORTANT – when you go through a gate, you MUST stop on the other side and wait for it to close. If you don’t, it’s a good way for all of us to lose privileges for driving on the airport.

The car should be full of gas. It should also be relatively clean. When returning, please refuel the car, and if you got it real dirty – please take it through a car wash and vacuum it. If the tire pressure sensors go on (it’s cold in Big Bear, and that can change tire pressure), it’d be awesome if you took it to air it up. Also please talk to me if you’re going to use the car for anything more than driving around Big Bear. The car is in good shape, no check engine lights, and the AWD works well. There are several scratches and a dent on the front – don’t worry, I know that. I DO NOT have chains in the car right now. My intention is to get some – but they are not in there yet. You won’t need chains for driving around Big Bear Lake, but if you leave Big Bear on the mountain roads, you may need chains (again, talk to me before taking the car out of Big Bear).

The insurance and registration is in the glove box. If you get in an accident or you get a ticket, or anything else, it is YOUR responsibility. Please don’t ruin this for anyone else.

Getting Out of the Airport

There are gates located throughout the airport – and the white keycard in the Mazda should open any of them that have keypads. Simply hold the white keycard up to the keypad. The closest gate to the hangar is gate 8A. It is located on the North side of the airport, about midfield. If you drive East on the taxiway that is on the South of the Hangar, you will see the gate to your left, immediately before the big open parking area. Coming back to the airport, the gate is located at the intersection of Wendy Ave & W Meadow Ln. Google Maps navigating to 384 W Meadow Ln, Big Bear, CA 92314 should bring you right to the gate.

Driving around the airport – drive slowly, yield to all airplanes, and do not cross the runway in the car. There are roads inside of the airport property that go past the thresholds of the runway that you can use to drive to the other side of the airport if necessary.

Make sure you install all of the bolts/stakes to the hangar and LOCK the hangar before you leave – and return the key to the lockbox.

Other Details & Logistics

  • RESTROOMS: There are restrooms (both men’s and women’s) that are located on the East side of the middle white building. So – from the Hangar N-11, walk to the West until you get to the end of the white building the hangar is in, and you should see the entrance to the restrooms on the next building facing you.
  • SNOW REMOVAL: There is a snow shovel inside of the hangar. There’s also a broom. Please take the time to remove the snow in front of the hangar that the plow doesn’t get. I would really appreciate it if you keep the hangar tidy.
  • RETURNING: When you return to the hangar, take your plane out, put the Mazda back in, and please hook it up to the trickle charger. Ensure that all of the bolts/stakes are into the ground, and both hangar side doors are closed and locked. Everything (the car keys, the white gate key, and the hangar key) should be put back where you found them – detailed above.
  • TRASH: Please do not leave trash in the Mazda or in the hangar. Go find a trash can to use.
  • PERSONAL STUFF: This is my personal hangar. I do have personal stuff in there (snowboard, equipment, etc.). Please don’t screw with it.
  • AIRPLANE PRE-HEAT: The hangar has electricity. Feel free to hookup your oil heater or other pre-heat to it. I am intending to purchase an airplane pre-heat unit to leave in the hangar from Aircraft Spruce if this works out. My airplane has a Tanis system, so I don’t need it – it’d be solely for others to use. 
  • COMMUNICATION: Please tell me if something doesn’t make sense here. My cellphone number is 612.578.7147. If something breaks, or you can’t figure something out – let me know. Once using the hangar/car, if you think there’s an easier/clearer way to explain this stuff, please let me know! If you find that the person before you didn’t put things back where outlined on this site, or left the car less than full on gas, or left things dirty – please tell me, and I’ll remove them from being able to use the hangar in the future. Please don’t be that person.