An Investigation into the Effects of the Hangar Queen Program

Command hangar queen (HQ) programs were established to prevent aircraft from becoming permanent parts donor aircraft. These programs helped eliminate the practice of creating aircraft hulks that would never fly again. HQs are measured by the number of days an aircraft remains on the ground without flying. These thresholds were based on anecdotal beliefs/evidence and were not standardized between the commands, even for like aircraft. The HQ program was/is a driving factor in returning aircraft to flight. This paper focuses on the effects of the different command HQ thresholds on aircraft maintenance for fighter aircraft.