FAA Compliance Hangar Inspection Juneau, Alaska

The FAA knocked on my hangar door yesterday Dec. 12, came in and took several pictures. Attached is what he saw: my two Cessnas (current annuals), my mostly complete experimental project, and other stuff. I own the hangar (40' x 60') and lease the land.

Juneau International is undergoing a compliance inspection as a result of accepting lots and lots of grant money. I'm worried and suspect Juneau International will end up like Glendale, Arizona has.

How do we get back the good old days of friendly gatherings, barbeques, and open hangar doors?

Jon, 2 observations based on your hangar picture. You should apply to be on "Storage Wars" or "Hoarders"; and I believe you should consider yourself very fortunate that the FAA didn't call in the fire or health departments.

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Originally Posted by Floatsflyer

Jon, 2 observations based on your hangar picture. You should apply to be on "Storage Wars" or "Hoarders"; and I believe you should consider yourself very fortunate that the FAA didn't call in the fire or health departments.

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what? looks like good space utilization to me:)

Looks good to me,
Any snooping with their snapping?

When the FAA comes "knocking at your hangar door" your NOT supposed to let them in. If they have a legal reason to need entry, make them get a warrant.

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Originally Posted by pacerpilot

When the FAA comes "knocking at your hangar door" your NOT supposed to let them in. If they have a legal reason to need entry, make them get a warrant.

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Originally Posted by pacerpilot

When the FAA comes "knocking at your hangar door" your NOT supposed to let them in. If they have a legal reason to need entry, make them get a warrant.

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Totally agree...except...

..."in May 1999, Congress directed the FAA to conduct land use inspections at all airports with lands acquired with federal assistance. "

This is a long-ish document, so I did not read it all: http://www.faa.gov/airports/resource..._6b_chap21.pdf

One of the examples they give as being non-compliant with airport land use is parking an RV (the rolling house kind) in a hangar. Pretty similar to what Jon has going.

This Congressional directive can't be completely condemned as bad for aviation. It is the same one that is used keep local municipalities from turning airports into non-airport things like storage facilities and dumps (!). So, it has some good to it. But does it allow FAA to walk into a privately-owned hangar without warrant? I don't know.

If the lease Jon mentions is with the airport authority or municipality and if the airport used federal funds for land acquisition (and possibly other dollars for improvements), then probably somewhere in the lease contract is a stipulation about being compliant with FAA and Congressional mandate, and this probably includes some verbiage about having to open the door if the FAA comes calling. But I don't know.

Maybe Jon should discuss this with whoever it is that he sends his lease check to, and ask them for some clarity.

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Originally Posted by pacerpilot

When the FAA comes "knocking at your hangar door" your NOT supposed to let them in. If they have a legal reason to need entry, make them get a warrant.

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Yes we need to exercise our rights. I leave my hangar door open but that does not give anyone the right to walk in. Maybe I need to mount a sign that says something to the effect. Door is open but no one allowed in without permission, or something like that.

But yes do not roll over, make them jump through hoops just as they want to make you jump through hoops.

The FAA going to clean up the whole state of Alaska. I doubt that, not enough time or money or people to do that.

This mans hanger looks fine to me.

Tony

P.S. Jeff good info and I too agree with what you say. Even at our little privately owned strip the hangers looked like a place to put boats and tractors before I came along. A couple airplanes that had not moved in over 20 years. Today we have folks flying and using the hangers for...Airplanes..The hangers looks so much better with airplanes in them. IMHO.

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Originally Posted by 1600vw

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P.S. Jeff good info and I too agree with what you say. Even at our little privately owned strip the hangers looked like a place to put boats and tractors before I came along. A couple airplanes that had not moved in over 20 years. Today we have folks flying and using the hangers for...Airplanes..The hangers looks so much better with airplanes in them. IMHO.

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Weellll, I'm not saying that I agree with how FAA is interpreting the Congressional mandate. Preventing the local municipality from using airports as dumps and storage facilities: YES!

Everything from there on out gets gray.

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Originally Posted by Jeff Boatright

Totally agree...except...

..."in May 1999, Congress directed the FAA to conduct land use inspections at all airports with lands acquired with federal assistance. "


But does it allow FAA to walk into a privately-owned hangar without warrant? I don't know.

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Their direction to conduct inspections must still, nevertheless, not be in violation or contravention of any laws or supersede your constitutional civil rights and freedoms. Case in point by example: The property tax dept. has the right to inspect your home for upgrades or any enhancements that increase it's value for the purpose of tax assessment. You do not have to let them in your home under any circumstances.

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Originally Posted by Floatsflyer

Their direction to conduct inspections must still, nevertheless, not be in violation or contravention of any laws or supersede your constitutional civil rights and freedoms. Case in point by example: The property tax dept. has the right to inspect your home for upgrades or any enhancements that increase it's value for the purpose of tax assessment. You do not have to let them in your home under any circumstances.

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Excellent example, even if it's one that brings back bad memories for me! :eek: