The Jet Set

The new maintenance hangar now nearing completion at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport has aluminum standing seam roofing. The unusual material was specified because every ounce counted in the design of the huge cantilevered roof structure. The 16.5 million hangar is owned by the city of Charlotte and will be occupied by USAir now that the airline has merged with the originally proposed occupants, Piedmont Airlines. The hangar has been described as large enough to house nine jets at a time, although no one believes USAir will try to prove the point. The building, scheduled for occupancy in February, is not yet completely programmed. One factor is the recent merger, which occured after construction had begun. Although USAir will probably make some changes, the structural engineers designed the hangar primarily for heavy maintenance.