I see where David is coming from here! Been there! Yes, we all agree that having a hangar to put the bird you own in is preferable to any other option. No argument there! But, you still need to be able to rent or own a hangar and still afford to fly every now and then. Some budgets are just that tight (I KNOW mine is).
Storing your aircraft outside doesn't have to mean doom and gloom. It does mean paying more attention to detail, such as locating and fixing water leaks, keeping drain holes clear, keeping the bilges clean, and keeping the surfaces free of heavy snow, etc. My 1970 model spent 30 years tied down outside in a northern climate. You've seen the pictures I've posted. The paint wasn't pretty, but the airplane is SOLID! The only excessive corrosion I found was the result of dissimilar metals in contact with each other and intergranular corrosion that can exist in any extruded aluminum product regardless of exposure to the elements. Yes, there is a little surface "frost" inside the wings from being stored outside with snow on the wings, but it doesn't hurt anything. 30 years of hangar fees would have bought another plane, or at least several good paint jobs! I'll take mechanical condition over appearance anytime, and the price was right!
The biggest advantage to a hangar is protection from severe weather (my biggest ownership fear), not protection from any other normal exposure. Having a place to work on the plane out of the weather, or store things inside is just a matter of convenience, but not a necessity. Storing a plane outside doesn't guaranty structural and mechanical deterioration. Neglect, on the other hand, might!
