Hangar security: access control and what owners expect

An aircraft is a valuable, sensitive asset, and where it is stored is a security decision as much as a shelter one. Owners rightly expect their hangar to keep the aircraft safe from theft, tampering and unauthorized access. Here is what good hangar security looks like, and what to look for when choosing where to base an aircraft.

Layers of security

Hangar security is best thought of in layers. The outermost is the airport perimeter, a secured boundary that keeps the general public off the field. Next is controlled access onto the airside and to the hangar area, through gates that manage who and what comes in. Innermost is the hangar itself, with its doors, locks and access control. Each layer backs up the others; a strong perimeter with weak hangar locks, or good locks behind an open gate, leaves a gap.

Access control

• 1Controlled gates for vehicles and people entering the airside and hangar areas.
• 2Managed credentials, knowing who has access and being able to control it.
• 3Solid hangar doors and locks, and increasingly electronic or coded access.
• 4A record or oversight of who comes and goes where practical.

Lighting, cameras and monitoring

Beyond access, visibility deters and detects. Good lighting around the hangars and ramp removes the dark corners that make tampering easy. Security cameras covering the approaches, ramp and hangar areas provide a record and, where monitored, an active watch. Owners increasingly expect at least camera coverage of the hangar environment as standard, and value fields that take it seriously.

What to look for

When choosing a hangar, look past the structure to the security around it: is the field's perimeter secure, is access to the hangar area controlled, are there good lighting and cameras, and how is access managed day to day? A hangar in a well-secured, access-controlled field protects your aircraft far better than a bigger hangar in an open one. GFTS Hangars provides hangar storage in Southwest Florida with attention to access and security, see hangar insurance and liability for the coverage side, and preparing an aircraft for long-term storage for protecting a stored aircraft.

Frequently asked questions

• What security should an aircraft hangar have? Layered security: a secured airport perimeter, controlled gates managing access to the hangar area, and solid doors, locks or access control on the hangar itself, backed by good lighting and security cameras. Managing who can reach the aircraft is the core of it.
• What should I look for in a secure hangar? Look at the whole picture: is the field's perimeter secure, is access to the hangar area controlled, are there good lighting and camera coverage, and how is day-to-day access managed. A hangar in a well-secured, access-controlled field protects the aircraft better than a larger one in an open field.
• How is access to hangars controlled at an airport? Through layers, a secured perimeter, controlled vehicle and pedestrian gates onto the airside and hangar area, and locks or electronic access control on the hangars themselves, often with managed credentials so only authorized people can reach the aircraft.

Hangar space in Southwest Florida

Talk to us about buying, leasing or storing an aircraft, and we will walk you through the options for your aircraft and your budget.