by Dick Coffey

Hangars are often thought of as garages or warehouses for aircraft. Ideally, they would contain nothing more than sheet and stamped metal, fabric and composite materials assembled into something that flies. There would be no volatile fluids, oil-soaked rags, electricity or heat sources. Of course, the reality is quite different: The modern hangar is large container equipped with multiple ignition sources, a plentiful supply of aviation fuel, dangerous projectiles and highly valuable—sometimes one-of-a-kind—aircraft. While aircraft hangars do not spontaneously ignite, taking scores of aircraft with them, the relatively few examples do come with high price tags. …