Texas Couple Unveils Exceptional Airport Holiday Rental
“If we are searching for this form of lodging, then some others should be as nicely,” claimed Megan Stewart when recounting the inspiration for Hangar Stays, LLC, a short-expression hangar and desired destination lodging company at Aransas County Airport (KRKP) in Rockport, Texas.
Stewart and her spouse Cody have operated the business enterprise for the very last 6 months. So significantly, they’ve hosted dozens of airplanes and their owners in their local community on Texas’ Gulf Coast.
This supplying is a succession to a a number of-calendar year journey that started after Cody obtained his private pilot certificate and the family members moved to the Rockport area from San Antonio.
Coming again and contributing to the local community in which the couple achieved and first resided collectively was not a hopeful reality. In actuality, the two have been in a very good position to better the town of virtually 9,000 only a calendar year after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas Gulf area in the summertime of 2017.
“If we are hunting for this form of accommodation, then other individuals will have to be as properly.”
Megan Stewart, co-operator, Hangar Stays, LLC
“Rockport is a major vacationer community with condos, shorelines, et cetera, and was hit pretty really hard. So, we needed to arrive back again and help to establish back again up the financial state in this article.”
Relocating 150 miles south, they in the beginning hoped to carry their Piper Cherokee 140 with them. Quoting the airport manager’s reply when Cody requested whether there was readily available hangar space, he reported, “Get on the list there are around 60 to 70 folks waiting around for hangars in entrance of you.”
“There have been about 9 hangars wrecked during the hurricane,” Cody extra, “so space was tricky to occur by.” Shortly soon after discovering of this difficulty of offer and desire, Cody thought of the possibility to remedy it. His proposed remedy also would give a new source for the nearby aviation local community.
Getting The Area
Right after pitching the option, he was granted the opportunity to use shared hangar space where finally Functions Aviation, a Element 61 flight college, received its start. Because the business’ to start with days of sharing this hangar, until eventually now, it has developed in both scope and dimensions. Acts at this time has 4 aircraft, numerous instructors, a escalating portfolio of serious property investments, and minted a baker’s dozen of new pilots in 2021.
Much of this expansion can be attributed to Cody and Megan’s perception for enterprise, as effectively as their experience with genuine estate investing and development. The latter has enabled them to capitalize on prospects at the airport and positively contribute to aviators in their region and outside of.
How It Commenced
In 2020, the couple ordered a 4,800-square-foot box hangar at the northern finish of the industry. At to start with, the reason of the hangar was to property the flight school’s plane. It had served in that potential right until recently, when the airport acquired a new T-hangar with 12 rentable areas built by Acts Aviation.
With the flight school’s airplanes moved out of the box hangar and into the T-hangar, the question was what objective should the freshly vacated place provide? A standing own want of the couple motivated the answer.
The Stewarts have serious estate pursuits in Colorado. Alternatively than drive, they’ll commonly fly themselves to the closest airport. Megan reported that while traveling saves a considerable sum of time over driving, it nevertheless leaves one thing to be desired—that is, a effortless area to keep.
“Every time that we go on a journey with our two elementary-age kids, we question if there is just about anything like the box hangar [of ours in Rockport]. A area where you can hold your plane and also remain at. Hotels at airports are normally booked and as a family members it would be a lot more handy to remain someplace with much more area.”
Thinking about it some much more, the couple arrived at the adhering to summary. “If we are hunting for this, then many others need to be as nicely.” With this considered in thoughts, they established out to make handy, on-airport lodging a fact at Aransas County.
So, they commenced transitioning the box hangar with existing furnished place towards starting to be a shorter-expression rental. Guest quarters sit at the rear of the hangar.
“The space has a large bedroom with a king-sized bed and an office,” Megan mentioned. “The bathroom is spacious with a stroll-in shower, and the kitchen is outfitted with almost everything you need to have. The living house has a snug couch and a queen-dimension Murphy mattress for any further company.”
The adhering to is also bundled:
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Dedicated office region with desk
- A fueled, smaller SUV courtesy vehicle
- An air hockey desk, hammock, and cornhole boards
With the beds manufactured, towels hung, and dishes place absent, the Stewarts had been ready for the soft opening of this “Hangar Stays” house. The very first visit affirmed their drive to present this hospitality solution at Aransas County.
How It’s Heading
Word started traveling close to about the hangar. The pair states that even with limited marketing and advertising initiatives on their facet so much, just about every weekend has been booked—and many weekdays, too.
The results of the notion involves a industry that excludes the normal public. Owing to area airport and common protection guidelines, only certificated pilots (and their attendees) with a registered tail quantity can e-book a reservation. Furthermore, there is an quantity of liability paperwork to be concluded prior to keep that pertains to the patrons and their plane. Even with the needs that get a bit of time to entire, the advantage of the fly-in accommodations has been unmatched for browsing pilots.
On the traveling aspect, Cody mentioned, “The hangar, with a 59-foot doorway opening, can easily suit one to a few typical aviation aircraft. Or a single large plane, depending on the make and model. The biggest plane that has healthy so considerably is a King Air 200 with winglets. The most airplanes [at the same time within the hangar have been] 3 Piper lower wings.”
Cody explained the response has been favourable.
“Hearing from the corporate pilots that have stayed here therefore considerably, they appreciate it,” he claimed. “But their only want was that there was a further bedroom so that they never have to struggle in excess of which one particular will get the Murphy bed in the residing home.”
The Stewarts took this effectively-understood responses and included it. Relatively than making out yet another bed room subsequent to the current a person, they alternatively opted to purchase an additional box hangar at the airport. Preparing to near on the house in February, it has the sought after second bedroom, but with the included advantage of a “slightly larger sized hangar.”
Getting received enthusiastic and grateful evaluations, the Stewarts imagine there is a lot of runway for this style of support. Whether or not it is incorporating the private touches that encourage attendees to return or obtaining the capacity to host pilots who may possibly not go to Rockport usually, the couple’s working experience consequently considerably has been constructive.
And they hope for competition.
“Our hope is that a lot more of them open up up, so that we have much more areas to go to as a family,” Megan mentioned.