For Scott Dupuis, having his own hangar is a dream come true. Together with his wife, he built a hangar on a quiet lot at 45AZ Willow Valley Airport, an airpark that he is passionate about revitalizing.
“They built the whole neighborhood to be an airpark,” says Scott. “Then it just got overgrown back in the 70s and turned into a junkyard. A gentleman down the street in the dome house down there bought the airstrip and revitalized it.”
When a meeting at the local airfield led to Scott getting a lot for his own hangar at 45AZ, he set out to build it himself. “My wife and I built this hangar ourselves, just her and I,” he says.
Scott had originally planned his hangar with a different door, but when he saw the quality of a Diamond door, he “immediately cancelled the original order” and ordered a Diamond door instead.
When asked about some of his favourite aspects of the Diamond door, he lists several.
“I loved the look of the welds. The quality of the build was great. It was painted nice… and the insulation package… was very attractive.”
He placed his order and waited for his hangar door to arrive, but when it did, he was intimidated by the installation process. He decided to give the Diamond Doors team a call – and was glad that he did.
“That’s another reason why I love them,” says Scott. “The support was great.”
A Diamond door arrives onsite fully assembled and ready for installation, with a thorough installation manual to simplify the process. With a few questions and great support from Diamond Doors, Scott was ready to weld his door hinges to his hangar frame and install the bifold door.
“The build quality is impeccable,” Scott adds. Arizona is a dusty environment, but after a year of use, his bifold hangar door is as quiet as ever. “It’s just the quietest, smoothest opening door,” he says. “After a year, I would expect squeaks and noises, but [there’s] nothing.”
Overall, Scott was very pleased with his decision to install a Diamond bifold door on his Arizona hangar. “It’s like my centerpiece of my building, and I love it,” he says. “I am very proud of it.”
Learn more about a bifold door for your hangar by visiting our Aviation page. Or, request a free quote for your next hangar door by clicking the button below.
Video Transcript
Hi, I’m Scott Dupuis. I’m in Fort Mohave, Arizona.
I’ve had my Diamond door for about a year now. We’re here at 45 AZ Willow Valley Airport, the only hangar on the airfield.
Originally, the airfield was here back in the 60s, and they built the whole neighborhood to be an air park. And then it just got overgrown back in the 70s and turned into a junkyard. A gentleman down the street in the dome house down there bought the airstrip and revitalized it.
I met him at one of the meetings at the local airfield and talked to him about getting a lot here and he welcomed me in.
So I was lucky enough to get a lot on the air strip.
He just recently passed away, so I’m taking it on now to keep revitalizing it and bringing more aviation down here in the dirt.
I had to have a hangar.
I’ve always rented my entire life. In fact, this is the first time I’ve not rented a hangar. So that has been a dream of mine.
My wife and I built this hangar ourselves, just her and I.
I initially had a different door, but I had a friend at a local airport and he had a Diamond door. I saw the quality of it and I immediately canceled the original order.
I just loved the looks of the welds. The quality of the build was great. It was painted nice. The insulation package that he had gotten was very attractive.
So I called up Diamond to see what we could do, and they were very helpful.
It was quite intimidating.
In fact, I called Diamond Doors, and that’s another reason why I love them – the support was great.
So I called them. I was like, how do I weld this thing? And they just told me, and they sent me drawings on how to weld it. It looked good, so I hit it with the welder.
It’s been hanging ever since, so it’s quite rewarding.
It’s just like the quietest, smoothest opening door, and after a year, I would expect squeaks and noises by now, but nothing. I mean, it’s a dusty environment here. Just the build quality is impeccable.
For me, the differentiator between a steel building and a hangar is the door. I mean, it’s like my centerpiece of my building, and I love it. Absolutely love it, whether it open or closed. So I am very proud of it.
