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TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

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Ordwood

Joined: 28 Jan 2021
Posts: 4
Location: Devon

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:06 am Post subject: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Do we have any owners on the forum who keep their aircraft at home on a regular basis.

We’ve just bought a Tri-gear and are trying to make the final decision on where to keep it.

Fully appreciate that it would involve rigging/de-rigging on every flight day but the difference in cost is substantial.

Would be interested in personal experiences.

Many thanks

SteveIvell(at)pestproof.c
Guest

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:20 am Post subject: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Hi Peter



FWIW I used to fly a Rans S6 many years ago which had folding wings/tailplane. It was the only way we could get hangarage.



It was a relatively simple rig/de-rig and it was a the airfield but it really took a lot of the joy out of flying. It also meant that when you might go flying locally for an hour on a nice summers evening  the whole rigging issue clouded that.



As Bud Yearley regularly reminds us flying aircraft isn't cheap and penny pinching is a recipe for disaster. 



All things considered I would never consider keeping an aircraft at home. If I couldn’t afford it I would buy a share in a syndicate machine or find another cheaper way to fly such as paramotor, paraglider, hag glider.



Kind Regards



Steve Ivell

G-STES

Mob: 07971 128842

E-mail: steveivell(at)pestproof.co.uk



--

JonathanMilbank

Joined: 14 Apr 2012
Posts: 388
Location: Aberdeen area

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 2:44 am Post subject: Re: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Peter, Having built my Europa Classic mono 25 years ago and converted it to trigear about 8 years ago, I couldn't agree more with Steve. Rigging and de-rigging not only take much of the fun out of the activity, but also bring attendant risks.



On one occasion in the early days, a fellow group ownership member and I somehow managed to rig one wing with the flap drive pin misaligned with the socket in the cross tube and took off together with considerable flap asymmetry. Fortunately the landing, which was deliberately performed at higher speed to maintain roll control authority, didn't result in wingtip damage, even though the outrigger folded up.



On another occasion a different group member took off with the pitot tube disconnected, however he used the GPS as a substitute ASI while facing into wind to ensure that he didn't stall on the approach to landing.



On yet another occasion a group member was rigging a wing with hands not completely dry, so the wing slipped from his grip and the wingtip was damaged.



There has been at least one fatal accident in the UK, which I believe was caused by frequent rigging, to the extent that a bush inside a tailplane disbonded resulting in the tailplane migrating off its drive pegs in flight, causing the aircraft to pitch violently as seen by an eye witness, which broke an essential component in a wing root. Other Europa people have a different take on this tragedy, but I'm very sure that frequent rigging was the cause.



Please keep your Europa rigged in a hangar and hopefully find someone to share the hangarage costs. Perhaps consider a full set of covers, which aren't the very best solution, but better than constant rigging/de-rigging.

budyerly@msn.com

Joined: 05 Oct 2019
Posts: 286
Location: Florida USA

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 7:12 am Post subject: Re: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Peter,

I only store my aircraft at my shop.  I find the trigear to be quite tall at the tail and not unlike the mono, the trailer has to have special rigging to be convenient.  



With a very experienced rigger I can arrive at the airport, rig my plane within 30 minutes, or pay for hangar storage in a bulk hangar.  I chose the latter.  Hauling the plane, on a flatbed trailer is possible, and I do pull the wings and stabs to take it to my shop for annuals and upgrades/repairs.  Otherwise I find, the trip to the shop, the hookup and transport, then unload and configure, preflight and log the reassembly (yes you should use the checklist and log the plane was disassembled as it is considered major work and somebody should acknowledge the aircraft was returned to service IAW the POH and all controls verified) to be time consuming to the point of why fly.



The garage at home must have a door and ceiling high enough to clear the tail, then there are wing racks, the trailer must be quite wide to fit the gear, and an electric winch and wing racks are needed on the trailer.  I hope you live on a farm with a large barn and door as most residential garages do not have that much clearance.



Not worth the effort personally to do for once a weekend flying.  In a group that is normally flying together, (Like Gliders) where all hands are available (as they have to wait for a tow anyway) and are there to assist, I could see that a possibility.  However, alone or only with one friend to assist, he may feel like required labor and soon become disenchanted.



Outside storage should only be done in a sheltered area with appropriate tie downs and excellent covers for the aircraft to prevent birds, water and filth from covering or damaging/nesting in/on the plane.  Wash and polish often to protect the finish.  Covers help limit sun exposure to protect your glass that may not have a thick, UV protection paint.



Just my thoughts,

Bud Yerly

stevenwpitt(at)me.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 8:12 am Post subject: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Peter,



May I add my pennyworth.



To preface, I am based in Southern England, ground fees at Fairoaks are £180 plus per month (outside), hangar space is unavailable and exorbitant.



I agree with the comments that rigging and de-rigging does take some joy away from an element of spontaneity in Europa flying even though with a second pair of hands it is an easy and quick thing to do (10 to 20 minutes is about my average). This is about the same time that it used to take me to remove the covers, put them somewhere to dry, clean the parts that need cleaning, check that nothing has been pinched or damaged, and generally checking over the aircraft ready for flight (which you are doing when you rig the plane anyway).



My own experience was that I enjoyed having the plane at home over winter - it meant  not worrying about storms or vandals, or paying for a waterlogged airfield when I could not fly anyway. Also it gave me the opportunity to fettle, alter, service etc. in the comfort of my own garage, a double UK garage with a roll up door which was designed with a Land Rover Discovery in mind, so high enough for the tri-gear tail.



I was based at Popham for some years and though I loved it and it gave me some great flight opportunities, I found that leaving it rigged for the summer months was sufficient for me and worked out cost effective for me.



After 15 years I still have a beautiful looking aircraft, plus a fully equipped covered trailer, with winch, mains electrics, and all that my Europa needs. I am fortunate that I have space alongside the house for the trailer, and a big enough garage to get the fuselage in for servicing.



At the end of the day you need to weigh up all of the facts that relate to you - can you (do you want to) fly all year, can you store the trailer/aircraft, are ground fees added to your flying costs affordable. 



Hope this helps.



Steve Pitt

G-SMDH



 	  Quote: 	
		   On 27 Sep 2021, at 16:12, budyerly(at)msn.com wrote:

 

 

 

 Peter,

 I only store my aircraft at my shop.  I find the trigear to be quite tall at the tail and not unlike the mono, the trailer has to have special rigging to be convenient.  

 

 With a very experienced rigger I can arrive at the airport, rig my plane within 30 minutes, or pay for hangar storage in a bulk hangar.  I chose the latter.  Hauling the plane, on a flatbed trailer is possible, and I do pull the wings and stabs to take it to my shop for annuals and upgrades/repairs.  Otherwise I find, the trip to the shop, the hookup and transport, then unload and configure, preflight and log the reassembly (yes you should use the checklist and log the plane was disassembled as it is considered major work and somebody should acknowledge the aircraft was returned to service IAW the POH and all controls verified) to be time consuming to the point of why fly.

 

 The garage at home must have a door and ceiling high enough to clear the tail, then there are wing racks, the trailer must be quite wide to fit the gear, and an electric winch and wing racks are needed on the trailer.  I hope you live on a farm with a large barn and door as most residential garages do not have that much clearance.

 

 Not worth the effort personally to do for once a weekend flying.  In a group that is normally flying together, (Like Gliders) where all hands are available (as they have to wait for a tow anyway) and are there to assist, I could see that a possibility.  However, alone or only with one friend to assist, he may feel like required labor and soon become disenchanted.

 

 Outside storage should only be done in a sheltered area with appropriate tie downs and excellent covers for the aircraft to prevent birds, water and filth from covering or damaging/nesting in/on the plane.  Wash and polish often to protect the finish.  Covers help limit sun exposure to protect your glass that may not have a thick, UV protection paint.

 

 Just my thoughts,

 Bud Yerly

 

 

 

 

 Read this topic online here:

 

 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=503291#503291

kennethatkinson178(at)bti
Guest

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 2:44 pm Post subject: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Peter,   My mono is kept at home in an enclosed trailer and I rig by 

myself. It was first flown in 2008 and now has 640 hours. Rigging, 

derigging and transporting in its' purpose built, insulated trailer with 

wing and stabilator cradles has not caused any obvious wear or problems. 

I usually trail it about 8 miles to my local airfield.



Previously I did the same with my Rand KR2.This was designed to have 

removable wings with automatic aileron connection and one man rigging 

aids and a purpose built trailer. I flew this for 8 years and 300 hours 

with no problems.



Previously I flew a Clutton Fred for 13 years  and 300+ hrs. I initially 

used an open trailer to transport this folding wing aircraft but 

eventually built an enclosed trailer for improved protection and to 

simplify storage at home.



All these trailers were towed behind a campervan. An enclosed trigear 

europa trailer can end up too heavy to legally pull behind a smaller 

vehicle? My trailer and van are just legal ie  less than 3500kg train 

weight!



All the above aircraft and trailers were designed to be rigged and 

derigged!  Eric Clutton designed the Fred to be folded,Ivan Shaw 

designed the Europa to be deriggable and kept at home and Geoff 

Bailey-Woods designed our KR2s to be deriggable.



If you have a handy airfield with good hangarage use it and don't worry 

about the cost! One possibility may be to derig at the airfield and 

store in a container or purpose built hangar.This avoids the regular 

trailering.



Cheers Ken.



On 27/09/2021 10:06, Ordwood wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Do we have any owners on the forum who keep their aircraft at home on a regular basis.

 Weâ€™ve just bought a Tri-gear and are trying to make the final decision on where to keep it.

 Fully appreciate that it would involve rigging/de-rigging on every flight day but the difference in cost is substantial.

 Would be interested in personal experiences.

 Many thanks





 Read this topic online here:



 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=503286#503286




	


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clivesutton

Joined: 23 Jan 2013
Posts: 187
Location: KENILWORTH

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 1:20 am Post subject: Re: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

If i may offer a view:



I've owned and operated both a TriGear and now a Mono from airfields some 20-30mins drive from home.  Hangar space was not available at either (and still isn't), and the charges are eye-watering here in the UK anyway.  



So parked outside rigged during the flying season under covers and then trailered home over winter has been the best compromise i've found - and i echo Steve Pitts comments/reasoning on that.  TriGear trailering was a bit clunky but i borrowed one each year, the Mono trailer solution is much better so i bought one - and it even fits inside a single UK garage on its trailer (Ivan thought of everything).



Spend the money you would otherwise spend on hangarage or year-round parking fees on a good set of covers and a trailer I say.  You get flexibility of location and peace of mind in the poor weather - and the chance to tinker and improve your aircraft during those long dim winter days.



Finally, in my view ground handling during the rigging/de-rigging process offers a much greater risk of damage to the aircraft than anything you will do when flying, so minimising it to twice a year seems logical.

wdaniell.longport(at)gmai
Guest

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 3:38 am Post subject: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Just adding my 5c.My tri goes together fine....9 times put of 10.

The 10th time it takes 3-5 attempts to get the wings one and up to a couple of hours.   It seems to be something to do with ones mental state.  Invariably if one is in a hurry she doesnt cooperate.

I keep mine in a hangar.

Will



William Daniell

+1 786 878 0246



On Mon, Sep 27, 2021, 05:09 Ordwood <peteordwood(at)gmail.com (peteordwood(at)gmail.com)> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  --> Europa-List message posted by: "Ordwood" <peteordwood(at)gmail.com (peteordwood(at)gmail.com)>

 

 Do we have any owners on the forum who keep their aircraft at home on a regular basis.

 We’ve just bought a Tri-gear and are trying to make the final decision on where to keep it.

 Fully appreciate that it would involve rigging/de-rigging on every flight day but the difference in cost is substantial.

 Would be interested in personal experiences.

 Many thanks

 

 

 

 

 Read this topic online here:

 

 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=503286#503286

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ordwood

Joined: 28 Jan 2021
Posts: 4
Location: Devon

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:47 am Post subject: Re: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Firstly I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has taken time to share their thoughts and opinions, I’ll take them all onboard.

As I’ve been flying for over 30years and a group member for the last 3 years I’m acutely aware of the cost of flying and also the issues with being a group member, it was the latter that helped me make the decision to become a sole owner.

The aircraft is currently hangared but sadly not at my local field, a 55 minute drive each way does lengthen even the shortest of sorties.

In an ideal world having the aircraft permanently rigged and in my local hangar would be fantastic but sadly currently not an option , I’m hoping to negotiate a hangar spot for the summer then perhaps keep the aircraft at home in an enclosed trailer (space to store not an issue at home).

The final decision needs to work for myself but I appreciate everyone’s input.

Thank you again,

Pete

Roland

Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 334
Location: EDLE

Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:08 pm Post subject: Re: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Hi Pete,



I own a Trigear for more than 10 years now and rig/derig it anytime I go flying. I have a customized enclosed trailer and a rigging aid which enables me to handle the plane completely by myself. I think most of the hassle mentioned comes if not used to the process (I fly very regular every 10-14 days). If you do it that often, rigging the Europa Trigear is a walk in the park. It saves me a lot of money for hangarage, fuelprices at the airfield are higher, prevents hangar rash completely, you can service it at home where you have all tools at hand, have the additional peace of mind for having the ability to rescue it from everywhere when stranded due to a technical glitch, bring it to any shop for maintenance almost completely independent of the weather etc. etc.



I'd do it anytime again. Remember - the Europa was designed from scratch to be kept at home by Ivan Shaw 



Regards

Roland

XS TG 914

D-ERIG

italianjon

Joined: 05 Aug 2015
Posts: 68

Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2021 12:19 am Post subject: Re: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Hi Peter,



I have flown a mono for years, and operated it from a hangar and at home from a trailer. I can share my experiences of both.



Hangar - Just pull her out and fly. Drop of the hat round robins possible. Drop of the hat meetings possible at no-notice.



Trailer - Tedious! Although it is not difficult to rig and derig, which I do at the moment, it is enough of a hassle, that my flying is reduced. There are afternoons I look out at a blue sky and think, "Oh wow, I'll go for a round robin", but then think "OK, pack the car with the rigging jigs, pull the trailer out of the garage to attach it to the car, drive to the airfield, rig the plane on the apron, drive the trailer to a suitable area to leave it out of the way of other airfield users, walk back to the plane, fly.... then do again in reverse" and I lose the motivation. When I have a friend with me, or I am meeting up with other Europa fliers, e.g. DOTHs etc. then I keep the motivation to push through the hassle factor.



My personal preference is hangar, but have a trailer handy! When you need to transport the aircraft, the trailer is available. But, it is more peace of mind, in all of the years I have had the Europa and Trailer, I have only "had" to trailer the aircraft for maintenance support, in a non-flyable condition, once.



I'm on the waiting list for a hangar space at my local airfield, and I am looking forward to the day that it comes!! (But I am starting to think about something a bit further afield for a hangar space also - because I want the "Just jump in and fly" back)



My advice, think carefully about the hassle factor, and can you put up with it. If you can then trailer at home is a good solution.



Best



Jon

Roland

Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 334
Location: EDLE

Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2021 12:48 am Post subject: Re: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC8Iw3bpDTw



Europa TRIGEAR is similar 



Not quite - for handling the wings you'd need a rigging aid.

Ordwood

Joined: 28 Jan 2021
Posts: 4
Location: Devon

Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2021 10:19 am Post subject: Re: TriGear - storage at home vs on an airfield

Thanks for the input, all valid points 👍 	  italianjon wrote: 	
		  Hi Peter,



I have flown a mono for years, and operated it from a hangar and at home from a trailer. I can share my experiences of both.



Hangar - Just pull her out and fly. Drop of the hat round robins possible. Drop of the hat meetings possible at no-notice.



Trailer - Tedious! Although it is not difficult to rig and derig, which I do at the moment, it is enough of a hassle, that my flying is reduced. There are afternoons I look out at a blue sky and think, "Oh wow, I'll go for a round robin", but then think "OK, pack the car with the rigging jigs, pull the trailer out of the garage to attach it to the car, drive to the airfield, rig the plane on the apron, drive the trailer to a suitable area to leave it out of the way of other airfield users, walk back to the plane, fly.... then do again in reverse" and I lose the motivation. When I have a friend with me, or I am meeting up with other Europa fliers, e.g. DOTHs etc. then I keep the motivation to push through the hassle factor.



My personal preference is hangar, but have a trailer handy! When you need to transport the aircraft, the trailer is available. But, it is more peace of mind, in all of the years I have had the Europa and Trailer, I have only "had" to trailer the aircraft for maintenance support, in a non-flyable condition, once.



I'm on the waiting list for a hangar space at my local airfield, and I am looking forward to the day that it comes!! (But I am starting to think about something a bit further afield for a hangar space also - because I want the "Just jump in and fly" back)



My advice, think carefully about the hassle factor, and can you put up with it. If you can then trailer at home is a good solution.



Best



Jon

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