What does a Volkswagen with Wings, a Gorilla, and Steak have in Common?
Have you ever tried to write about a boring subject? It can pose quite the challenge.
One must take a topic, think of a unique angle and then somehow make it so interesting that their blog goes viral and people start paying them the big bucks to write about aviation related topics.
Probably not going to happen. But lets at least try…
The topic of discussion is a hangar. Not the thing you put your clothes on, or eat at a steak restaurant; and not even the guy who pulls the rope. This is about the warehouse type building that stores aircraft.
Earlier this year, Euro Jet acquired hangar space at Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport in the Czech Republic. Anyone who flies through Eastern Europe knows that just finding hangar space any where can be as challenging as trying to write an interesting blog about a hangar.
The Euro Jet hangar can fit aircraft as large as a G V. or Global Express and as small as three Cessna Citations or a Volkswagen with wings. The hangar is heated and compliments a full offering of services at our Prague location that currently includes a VIP crew lounge, crew car, discounted transport and hotel rates, and a ramp side lounge that is currently under construction.
I digressed….
So what else can I write about a hangar that is interesting?
For many years I traveled around the world overseeing a VIP operation that allowed me to view hangars that were very unique and interesting.
Here are some of my favorites.
1. Air Force One Hanger - Camp Spring, Maryland USA
Located about 20 minutes outside of Washington, DC no hangar combines so well all the James Bond like elements of security, discreteness, and sleekness. For those unaware, the United States Air Force operates four aircraft used by the President with a SAM (Special Air Mission) tail number that also happens to be the call sign unless the sitting President is physically on board. When the President enters it changes to Air Force One. The hangar stores two Boeing 747-200s retrofitted in a BBJ style configuration, a Boeing 757-200 in a relatively similar interior, and a Gulfstream IV.
2. NASA Hangar at Moffet Airfield, Mountain View, California USA.
Situated about 50 minutes south of San Francisco, this hangar gives a whole new meaning to the term overwhelming. Simply, it is huge. Designed for the space shuttle, it is hard to imagine a hangar bigger than this one.
3. Eco Friendly Hangar at Bob Hope Airport, Burbank, California USA.
Anyone lucky enough to go into this hangar will be exposed to how it is possible to spend an endless amount of money and get in return a stunning hangar space. The hangar was originally designed for a BBJ, but now hosts a smaller Executive Jet. It is considered environmentally friendly and has all the latest gadgets and high tech gizmos throughout that are deemed good for the earth. Though most amazing is how such an environmentally friendly space is several thousand square feet in size and whose only purpose is to store a private jet.
Head scratch.
Some other honorable mentions:
- In Kigali, Rwanda we visited a hangar called the Silverback hangar that featured a large picture of a Gorilla on the outside.
- In Seoul, South Korea the US military did an outstanding job at Osan Airbase decorating a hangar in camo before a “Salute-the-troops” event.
- In Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA, the Pan Am hangar hosts a wide variety of old Pan Am aircraft on display. It has been some time since I was there, so I am not sure if that all still exists.
I commend all of the above for taking what is an industrial storage space and turning it into a creative area to not only store aircraft but give some real character that deems it unique from the rest.
Over the next few months the Euro Jet hangar will be undergoing some significant changes and we look forward to showing it off both on this blog and our website. So standby for those.
While I am not going to promise any Gorilla pictures or old Pan Am aircraft, I will ensure that they are practical developments that only assist our customers in a positive manner.
Plus we will do what we can to keep it interesting.
So maybe an aircraft hangar can be as delicious as the steak and stylish like the clothing it holds up.
However, we will not compare ourselves to the guy who pulls the rope. We plan to “hang around” a long time.
