How to open a bi-fold hangar door

[jergar999]

I work for a 135 charter company, doing air ambulance work. This morning, I got paged for a flight, went to the airport, and the plane wasn't sitting out. I went into the hangar, only to find the whole line crew scratching their heads. The hangar had been hit by lightning, and the motor that twists the bar the cables coil around was fried. Has anyone ever opened one of these doors manually? Is there some way to safely jack them up? I am open to any suggestions, as it will take at least a day or two to replace the motor, and we can't afford that time out of service.

 

[EagleRJ]

Sometimes there are holes on the rotating shaft that runs the length of the door. You can use two screwdrivers or metal rods in them and slowly raise the door. The motor may have provisions for a hand crank, too.
You could also lift the door with a forklift and hang it by a tow strap or something while you get the plane out.

 

[Cardinal]

Yeah, you're kinda screwed, but a forklift is really your best option. As an aside, I'd say it's much more likely that the controller that sits next to the motor is fried, rather than the motor itself. If you're gutsy you might try "jumping" the motor's contacts with a cannibalized extension cord. It shouldn't matter which way the motor starts turning, it'll eventually wind em up. If you got seriously desparate you could start with an automotive floor jack and multiple lengths of lumber, but that's pretty sketchy. Call Erect-A-Tube, they're pretty good about shipping hangar parts on an urgent basis, and they might have some ideas in the interim: 1-800-624-9219