The Story of the New SGC Hangar

SGU Hangar Project – Status at 7^th November 2004

The club fleet is in. The private fleet is in. Lots of gliders have been moved in and out lots of times Everything seems to work ok. A few months behind schedule but we're there! There are some photographs of the project on this website and Kevin Hook has lots more.

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SGU Hangar Project – Status at 19^th October 2004

At last the expected good news. The doors have arrived and been fitted.

With luck, we will transfer the club fleet to the new hangar over the weekend.

Regards,

Kevin

SGU Hangar Project – Status at 20^th September 2004

Following a visit to D W Thomson's premises last week , we are pleased to report that 50% of our hangar doors appear to be complete and awaiting

delivery. There is still some work to be completed on site prior to door installation, but it seems likely that we will see doors being installed around the turn of the month.

Whilst the delay to the project has been embarrassing and inconvenient, it has given us the opportunity to complete our own internal fit out and wiring work with both good access and more than adequate natural lighting. This time has also been used to complete other important self help tasks such as laying paving slabs and reinstating the ground around the building. We have also had our drainage and fire water reservoir installed by Meiklem Drainage during this period. We are very pleased with the results we have achieved with electrical fit out, wheel guides and wing supports.

We are looking forward to installing the club fleet in the hangar in early October, and trust that we will not have too much difficulty persuading the building inspector to issue a completion certificate.

To all those who have helped with the recent phases of the project, please accept our most sincere thanks. In particular, the club owes a great debt to former member, Kenny George who has put an immense amount of effort into designing and overseeing the electrical installation within the building.

Undoubtedly, we will encounter unforeseen difficulties as we commence full use of the building, and we hope that all members will bear with us and offer their assistance to help iron out the teething problems.

Kevin Hook
John Williams

SGU Hangar Project – Status at 22^nd April 2004

Steel fabrication and galvanising completed at the end of March, delivered on site on April 8th and erection completed only 1 week later. Steelwork photographs here.

SGU Hangar Project – Status at 10^th December 2003

Due to an unexpectedly mild spell of weather at the beginning of December all of the groundworks for the new hangar have been completed unexpectedly quickly and ahead of schedule. Because of the long dry spells of weather lasting throughout the Summer and Autumn the South Field turned out to be much drier

than usual and this too helped progress. Much of the work has been done by club members with professional supervision and assistance to help with the setting out and machinery operation. At the end of only 1 week the foundations and concrete pads for the steelwork have been laid, the floor membrane installed and a layer of ballast spread over it. See the hangar photograph gallery for some views of the works in progress. The steel is not scheduled for delivery until Spring and so work will now come to a halt for the winter.

Architects drawings of the hangar are on display in the clubhouse lobby opposite the noticeboard together with artist's impressions of the various aircraft in their allocated positions. Plans of the South Field show the final positioning of the hangar and the (relatively small) impact which it will have on the runway area.

SGU Hangar Project – Status at 28^th September 2003

As you are aware the new hangar project was delayed because the initial quotations for the work were greater than anticipated.

We have now obtained a quotation from another contractor, applied some reduction to the original specification and now plan to carry out some of the basic ground works ourselves, under professional supervision. With a small additional investment from the private owners, this brings the estimated costs to the SGU close to the originally budgeted figures.

Your board has therefore decided to proceed with this project to provide you with much safer aircraft accommodation, improved access to our fleet, modern hangarage and an opportunity for integrated redevelopment of our main building complex in the future.

This is being achieved without prejudice to the programme of replacement of capital assets which will shortly be outlined in our 10 year forward plan.

A contract for the steelwork will be let very shortly. Ground works will commence within the next few weeks, and erection of steel on site will begin at the beginning of April 2004. In order to provide access to the works, owners of trailers will be contacted shortly and advised where trailers can be parked during the works. On completion, it is intended to reinstate the trailer park with improved access and ground conditions. This will allow access for the grass cutters to keep the trailer park tidy in future.

Clearly this project will benefit from the full cooperation and support of the entire membership to bring it to a successful completion.

Remember, this is your club and it will be what we make it together.

signed
B.M.Cole-Hamilton
For your board of directors
28^th September 2003

SGU Hangar Project – Status as at 30^th May 2003

Background.

 The project, with support from the Board and with up-front cash from many private owners/syndicates has now received a number of tenders for construction. The tenders have shown costs greatly exceeding those budgeted, particularly for the groundworks element.  The Board still hopes to be able to proceed with the project by finding cost savings and/or additional funding, but is firmly opposed to major borrowing.  Planning permission and a building warrant have now been successfully obtained. 

On 23^rd May, a meeting was held with all those who had put up cash in anticipation of a promptly built hangar.

Emerging Views

After considerable discussion the following broad views emerged:-

• It was understood that the price per bay would increase, small increases (up to c.20%) could probably be tolerated, larger increases above that would lead to some syndicates dropping out
• Cost increases should be accompanied by an increase in the lease period
• No-one wished to drop out at this stage
• It was more important to get it right than to over-press the timetable
• The way ahead should be for the club to set down its requirements for hangarage of club aircraft, and to offer that same standard to private owners at cost.  i.e. there should be no intent to reduce the specification down to a level believed at the time to be “affordable” when it was likely that the total life costs would increase as a result.

Proposed Club Requirements

• A building life of not less than 40 years
• A secure building, reasonably vandal-proof to likely risks
• A clean and weather tight building which would minimise deterioration of aircraft and would provide a condensation free environment which was much better than a trailer
• A building having a floor surface which was smooth enough for easy (ideally for one person)  removal or replacement of a glider.
• Dimensioned and designed to make hangar rash easily preventable

What does this mean?

• Metal doors
• Lighting (principally for security)
• A floor of either black-top or compressed stone (concrete and earth too dusty)
• Cladding un-insulated at first so long as it can be retrofitted without serious cost penalty if experience proves it to be necessary
• Enough hard standing outside the hangar to make moving aircraft in and out easy

A revised specification to meet these requirements is currently being priced by a new contractor who has extensive experience of hangar construction.  The revised drawings may well require to be re-submitted for planning and building control.  It is unlikely that we will be in a position to start construction in less than 3 months time, and quite possible that we will not be able to start until next spring.

KDH, BCH, JDW, 07/06/03

page last updated on 7th November 2004 ©2003-2004 and the

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