The Cessna 120-140 Association Forum

So it looks like I've found my 140 I'm waiting for the pre-buy and then will be going to get her... So I'll be renting a new, well new to me, hangar. What basic supplies should every pilot outfit their hanger with? I plan on getting:

Bag of rags
Extention cord for heater
Extra Oil

But I'm sure there is more basic supplies I should have around... All my flying has been rental or in my club so theres not much to do besides putting em away and pulling em out... But now that she'll be mine I'm sure theres more I'll need...

Congratulations on your pending purchase! The hangar has become my second garage and have found a few things useful so I don't have to go borrowing from neighbors. Certainly not all inclusive, but here are a few things which I did when buying my hangar and finding my 140 it's own home:

A good solid workbench with an old stool
A roll of safety wire - don't forget the safety wire pliers
Windshield cleaner and specific rags just for the 140 windshield
Buckets/containers for oil change and disposal
A good step ladder
Soap, wash bucket, wash wand, extra hose for the hose bib at the airport
Good portable lighting. I like LED as it is cool to the touch.

I also invested in some tools specifically for the hangar. Every Christmas Sears tends to have a sale on one of those three drawer combination sets. They have 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4" basic tools. I added a good torque wrench, a screwdriver set, more open/box combination wrenches, and a good quality adjustable wrench which can go up to 1 1/2" (if I recall properly) for axle nuts, oil filter screen, etc. A good quality deep well 7/8 socket for the plugs is a must, but you must find one that does not get too small near where you connect it to the ratchet. This proved to be a challenge....take a spare spark plug with you to find something which fits. A small compressor and 50' of hose is good with air chuck and a blower tip.

I hope this helps a little...

Joe

Congratulations 8322 on finding the right airplane. Besides the list you have been given, unfortunately my experience is that my hangar can really get cluttered with junk if I am not careful. I wish I had early on subscribed to the axiom "don't buy it till you've missed it twice in a row".

Coffee pot, refrigerator, microwave and scanner. This is for all the new friends you will find when you open the hangar door on the weekend.

Bill

Good point! I have all of these too and forgot to mention them. And that leads to one more idea....I also have several nice lawn chairs for the guests.

Joe

All good ideas! What about a jack if you have to change a tire? Or in honeymoon phase that i am i was thinking of lifting front tires so i never got flat spots...

A jack is a great idea too; I use it yearly to put the skis on and take them off. A few pieces of 6X6 scrap to raise the jack helps a lot and some sort of jack pad to catch the step on the gear leg.

Joe

I seen one "jack" on Youtube for taildragger Cessnas. The guy built a little unit that amounted to a "box" built out of tube steel, with a slide in handle for a lever. Then on back of the gear had bolted on a bracket (using existing bolt positions on it) that had a "round pipe" for lack of better term sticking out an inch or two, there was a corresponding pipe bracket on his lever box, then would slide a big pin in the pipe bracket on the box and into the gear bracket, and then with the push of the lever on the box would lever the plane up a couple inches until it sat flat on the ground. Looked amazingly simple and solid, but being new to ownership (Well getting close more accurately) you can't just bolt homemade brackets onto a certificated aircraft can you, no matter how simple and inconsequential they appear, can you?

Small air compressor air gauge , Towels < bug cleaner, small ladder, oil drip rug or pan (oil breather tube drips) , cleaners, entertainment RADIO just a few

Everything listed so far is what I consider a necessity. But I've not seen mention of a trash can.....a big one, with black plastic leaf bag liners for easy disposal. Also, a push broom and dust pan. (I use an old leaf blower for cleaning the floor). One of the posters in the market section sells jack pads that fit the gear legs nicely. I would not recommend jacking the plane up using the landing gear step. Pilot/owner maintenance is listed in the FARs, so you can do much yourself. Oil changes, spark plugs, tires, wheel bearings, brake pads, etc. That is covered in FAR Part 43, Appendix A, para (c). Not sure what the airport rules are for your location, but mine requires a metal wall locker or metal cabinet to store flammable liquids, (oil, hydraulic fluid, grease, etc.). Good luck, have fun, and safe flying.