There's an airport here in the KC area loaded with hangars full of old planes that have just sat for years and years. Lots of lost medical cases, one hangar in particular had 4 planes that were all super nice older biplanes - a Pitts and 3 others that I can't remember. Covered in dust and bird poop with flat tires. I can understand hanging on to them - totally - but it is sad to see such great airplanes rotting away. It'd probably depress ME as owner but who am I to talk.
There's an old, OLD Cherokee at MKC sitting on tiedowns in no-man's land. At one point that WAS the tiedown area - just north and east of the control tower. Now the old hangars have been torn down, new hangars built, new tiedown areas along the perimeter fence - and that plane sits by itself in the old gravel area, unmoved, tires flat, struts collapsed, canvas window cover torn to shreds and flapping in the wind - no longer covering anything, bleached by the sun. Little if any paint left on it at all - it sits at an uncomfortable angle and resembles a shipwreck. The husband of one of my students looked up the N-number, traced the owner, got in contact with him. Same situation, old fellow, lost his medical, HAS MOVED TO OHIO - and refuses to sell or do anything with it. Of course it's worth next to nothing. It has sat there for at least 8 or 9 years that I personally know of, out in the elements. I just wonder how much longer the airport management will leave it sitting - more construction projects and hangars loom, so I'm sure at some point it will lose its home.
