Air Chathams have their main operational base and hangar out at Auckland Airport. The facility serves as the airline’s mainland hub, housing its maintenance operations, customer and management teams, and aircraft fleet parking area.
Earlier this year we designed, manufactured and installed (really) large retractable, lightweight screens at the front end of the hangar, so that Air Chathams would be able to close this area off while aircraft were being painted. They also needed the screens to fold up into the hangar roof when not in use.
With the opening spanning around 40 metres wide by 20 metres high, the fabric had to be lightweight but extremely strong, and capable of containing the paint spray mist. We settled on Shadetec 320 to keep weight down but strength up.
The curved roof structure added some complexities, as did working airside, but we loved the challenges and enjoyed the plane spotting opportunities and thoughts of exotic holiday destinations.
