Custom Doors Help Airport Take Off

CHALLENGE:Sandpoint Airpark is a development shooting for a somewhat unique appeal: it is an upscale residential community that caters to people who love to fl y. The northern Idaho fly-in airpark community, set between Schweitzer Ski Mountains and Lake Pend Oreille, offers a rare opportunity in aviation real estate. It serves as an exclusive prototype home for aviators and their families. The development is comprised of 44 spacious lots and 10,000 sq. ft. of community common area with a recreation center, complete with pool and barbecue area. Part of the appeal of the development is its proximity to an airfield for propeller aircraft. Owners have the option to build a hangar or a residential hangar. But in the spirit of the community, the developers, Silverwing, wished for hangars that reflected the overall aesthetic. “We have 55 × 56 sq. ft. furnished model prototype twin hangar home built with an adjacent sell—more than 3000 sq. ft. for the hangar and 3000 sq. ft. feet for the residence,” says Michael Mileski with SilverWing. “The way we built it, you wouldn’t know it’s a hangar.” With that determined, the developers needed a pretty basic element: a front door. SOLUTION:

Silverwing turned to Schweiss Doors for a custom portal. “My partner did a lot of research and really, the reason we chose Schweiss was that we liked the way the doors were made and the look was really beautiful,” says Mileski. “They were night and day compared to other doors we saw.” The doors have lived up to their reputation. Everyone is pleased with how quickly the liftstraps raise the doors and how weathertight these attractive bifold hangar doors are. More so, the pilots like them because they can get in and out quickly. Schweiss custom-built the upscale bifold liftstrap designer doors so the buildings don’t look like hangars, even though they are the bigger structures in the airpark. Doors were specifically designed with ornate windows to provide a more residential appearance than a typical airplane hangar. The widest and tallest hangars available vary according to the airpark footprint. Some lots are close to a half-acre in size. Of the seven types of models, the biggest one allowable is for a 70 × 75-ft. hangar door. Each fl y-in unit will contain a hangar on the ground floor, with residential space above or adjacent to the hangar. “There are remote back country airstrips and incredible untouched surrounding wilderness. There’s a great ski resort. The city of Sandpoint has everything you want,” says Mileski.

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