private airports

[KG]

Hi all,

I'm sorta thinking about buying some property.. maybe an old farm with a long, flat field.... and landing airplanes there. Not as a commercial venture but just to be able to land in my back yard. Have any of you done this? I'm wondering what is required, if anything. Can you just start landing in your hay field or do you need to call the Feds and get some kind of approval to make it an airport? I'm just speculating at this point but I wanted to find out as much as I can before I buy a farm.
Thanks, Keith

[GAHorn]

There may be local considerations depending upon state/county/municipal law...but generally if you have a large enough property you can simply do it and enjoy it. No requirement exists for using your private property as a landing area, unless you wish to declare it open to the public. The FAA wegsite has an info sheet on such issues if you wish to pursue the latter.
The Texas Dept. of Transportation also has an excellent pdf file for downloading if you want to look at some of the considerations for design and development. http://www.prachapter34.com/farm_ranch_ ... irports%22

My own strips are 3500 X 150 turf, and 4200 X 150 with a center-strip which is asphalted 25' wide right down the center for rainy-day and nite-use. (I have lights and reflectors on the 4200 strip.) They are satisfactory for the airplanes I've used on them so far, up to a Twin-Bonanza.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

The Feds don't licence airports, states do.

In NJ you CAN"T land ANYWHERE that isn't licenced EVER unless you have an emergancy or no people in high places.

In PA you are allowed to use an unlicenced landing area INFREQUENTLY. What is the definition of INFREQUENTLY will depend on who in the PA Aviation office you speak to. The highest number I've heard in 2 takeoffs and landings a year. If more than it has to be licenced. Of course if no one complains then no one is counting either.

[KG]

Thanks Guys,

I'm thinking of doing this in Tenn. I guess I'll have to find out if they have a Dept of Aviation and give them a call to see if they have any restrictions.


Keith

[flat country pilot]

We live on a farm in North Dakota and keep the 170 in our yard. This is great, very convenient and when not flying it only takes 15 minutes to walk back, check the hangar, plane and my trap line. I prefer having the plane here and want it no other way.

Did I mention my trap line? If you have never lived on a farm or owned acreage larger than a city block, you need to consider the amount of time it takes to maintain a farm and farm yard. Mice would rather live in my hangar than run from hawks out in the open field, therefore I run a trap line in the hangar. We have farm cats but I don’t want them on the plane so they have to patrol outside.

My airstrip takes up 5 acres and we mow about 6 acres in the farm yard. That is 11 acres of mowing grass. I don’t like mowing grass in bad weather so that takes away from flying and fishing time. We also have several buildings which require maintenance. You also need to control weeds on the airstrip and gofer holes. Gofer holes don’t seem to bother tail wheel airplanes but badgers will dig to catch gofers and badger holes are tough on landing gear and pickups.

I can go on and on. My point is two fold. I love living here, keep the plane here and intend to keep it this way. But I live here first and keep the plane here second. I don’t believe I would buy acreage just to keep the plane in my back yard. If you have not lived on a farm before, you will find many projects that you do not want. I would however live in an airpark where there is power in numbers and several people take on the maintenance.

If you are buying a place in the country any way, then go for it! Here in ND I don’t know of any landing restrictions for fields or roads. There are farmers landing on the road and tying the plane in their yard. I don’t know what our laws are pertaining to this, but no body seems to care.

Here is a link to a picture of our airstrip.

http://www.popularaviation.com/PhotoGallery/4308.JPG

Bill

[GAHorn]

Thanks Guys,

I'm thinking of doing this in Tenn. I guess I'll have to find out if they have a Dept of Aviation and give them a call to see if they have any restrictions.


Keith

Ironically, David Fulton, the Director of the Texas Dept. of Aviation (A subsidiary of the Tx DOT who provides the previously posted reference work on private strips) is the former TENN. Dir. of Aviation. He's a good friend.

Bill is correct in that many-times folks don't realize the upkeep a runway requires. I spend at least 5-10 days a year maintaining my two runways (25 acres), pulling/destroying young mesquite sprouts, prickly-pear catcus sprouts, filling armadillo holes, and mowing the runways. I enjoy it, however, as I see it as a time to reflect on inner thoughts and peace (and listen to NPR so I can keep up with whatever is irritating ARDave lately.)
For planning purposes 3500 X 135 runway will be about 10 acres, if you can get lucky enough to find such an odd-shaped piece of land. It'll take about 6 hours on a real tractor/mower to get it cut if you don't have difficult terrain/trees/gullies/rocks/ etc to deal with, and depending upon what grasses and climate you live in, you'll do that about 5-6 times a year. (That 6 hours does not include the time spent working on the tractor, changing it's oil a couple times a year, standing around in the hangar admiring the "old-iron" with a cold beer, and other such activities.)
Keeping the runway mowed requires at least a real tractor and shredder/mower...not one of those toys sold down at the big-box store.
Unless you're willing to spend some money on those items you'll be reduced to hiring it out or renting equipment, both of which are not entirely satisfactory. One of the mistakes (I feel) that some newbie tractor shopppers do is think they need a new green/yellow or orange/red foreign-made replica of formerly American-made agricultural tractors. They'll spend anywhere from $10K-$25K for that setup. Or,... they'll shop the used market and spend at least $5K on a used setup that someone else is beginning to experience maintenance issues with. Both routes can get pretty expensive.
A 50-year old Ford N-series tractor with bad paint and rusty shredder will do the same job for $1500-$2K. Those old N-Fords are tough, hard-workers for very little money. Don't go looking for a freshly-painted "restoration"... those are usually not "restored" in the sense that restored airplanes are.... most internal parts are "working" but not truly restored....and the outside appearance is all replica sheet metal work and new paint. The most important issues are mechanical condition, brakes, hydraulic/3-point lift and tires. (The early N-Fords were the first American built tractors with modern 3-point lifts which can use the now-common 3-point implements. Otherwise you'll be dealing with a whole new set of issues with pull-equipment and goofy implement set-ups that don't match up and can't be supported. The 9N was introduced in 1939. The 2N, 1942. The 8N, 1948. Get it? Any of them will do a fine job mowing runways using about 1.5 gallons of gas per acre. Cheap.)
If you get into this arena, PM me and I'll give you a link to a good N-Ford website support group/discussion forums with a pleasant group similar to this one.

[KG]

Thanks Guys,
I'm pretty well familiar with farms.... familiar enough to know I don't want to be a farmer! My Dad's family had a dairy and that is a lot of work. And my Mother's family spent the last hundred years or so trying to scratch a living out of the red clay in Georgia.

If I do pursue this I'll be looking for a fairly level pasture or hay field that hopefully won't require too much to maintain other than mowing.

I have looked closely at some of the airparks in my area. I still might go that route but they have gotten so expensive (and some have so many restrictions on what can be built) that I thought I would investigate the possiblity of just owning my own field.

If I get far enough into this that I need to buy a tractor, I'll follow up on your Ford advice George.

Thanks for the ideas... Keith

[AR Dave]

flat country - If you cut a swath beside that runway, for our tents, we could have a fly-in. "If you build it they will come". The first time I saw this pic of your place, I just sat back and looked at it with some of my coworkers. We don't want to hear about the work, just the romance of living the "Little House on the Prarie" American Dream That picture is like looking through a window into America once upon a time!

[cessna170bdriver]

Thanks Guys,

I'm thinking of doing this in Tenn. I guess I'll have to find out if they have a Dept of Aviation and give them a call to see if they have any restrictions.


Keith

There weren't any restrictions on private airstrips in Tennessee when I built mine in 1989-90 about 6 miles north of Manchester. I wrote the Dept of Aeronautics, and they just said go for it. They said that if I wanted the public to know it was there, I could register it, but if not, no big deal. Rules change over time, so things may not be so easy anymore.

The strip ended up 1800 ft down the middle, 75 ft wide with a 200 ft wide clearway, with low power lines along the road on the south end, and an open pasture on the north end. The runway itself came out to about 3 acres and took about 45 minutes to mow with my 60" turf mower on the back of my Massey-Ferguson 35.

I was in Manchester last November and drove out to find the place (48 acres, house, barn) for sale... for about 5 times more than I sold it for in 1993. The property was being advertised as a private airport, and appeared to be well maintained and usable, but there was no hangar or airplane around so I assumed is not being used.

Miles

[flat country pilot]

Dave thanks for the nice words. Like I stated above, I love living here and intend to stay. You want to hear just the romance so I’ll tell you just a little.

We live in the house that my wife’s grandfather built in 1926 when they started this yard. We are the third generation to live here and work this farm. Last night we drove home from Bismarck pretty late, 1hr drive, despite a cloud bank in the north we watched the northern lights dance all the way home. Brewing my coffee this am, I watched a doe and fawn pick apples from the trees 40’ from the kitchen window. 90% of my hunting is done within 5 miles of our yard and half of that time I walk from the yard and don’t even start a vehicle. Last year I shot a decent buck 500 yards from the mail box. In the winter we cross country ski in our trees, even bought a track setter from West Yellowstone to pull behind the snowmobile. My wife has a 1 acre garden that is pretty awesome, I like to go and eat tomatoes, beans, peas and straw berries till they come out my ears.

Our little town of Turtle Lake is like a Norman Rockwell painting. The hardware store installs what he sells for no extra cost and he will fix things for people. The guy at the gas station checks your oil and window washer fluid while he fills your gas for you. Full service because his dad and grandfather did it that way and that’s the way he will keep it. The regulars in the café don’t even order any more, she just feeds those guys and everybody is happy. When I buy supplies in town, I tell them what I am taking, they write it down and send me a bill at the end of the month. No signature and no receipt, just trust.

But this all comes at a cost. Not necessarily monetary, but hard work and long hours. People see the good things about living here but have not experienced 18 hour days for weeks on end. Leave the house at sun up and come in after sunset. “Little house on the prairie” some days, but on those days we are just as dirty as a coal miner. People come here from a city and buy a farm yard not realizing the amount of work they are taking on to maintain it. An 80 year old house like ours, even though it has been remodeled a few times and is up to date modern, just takes constant maintenance. Those Quonsets in the picture are filled with farm equipment, trucks and or grain. I am always buying tires, batteries and oil.

Enough already.

I have thought about a small local fly in. I have friends who land here or just do touch and gos to practice over the trees. It is tradition here to have a party any time some one puts up a new building. We have not for the hangar yet, but if/when we do, I’ll post it here and hopefully get some 170s in. We’ll set the tents up in the back yard.

Bill

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Bill what you describe I can't even imagine growing up and living 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia PA. It sounds very much like the old Mayberry TV show with Andy and Opie.

Of course you live without a lot of things we take for granted. One thing that comes to mind is the 3 privately owned state of the art doppler radars I check when I need weather. These all cover the same area and are owned by the big three CBS, NBC and ABC TV stations in Philadelphia. There are many states or large areas of the country, and you may live in one, that have NO radar. This is in addition to the national radar coverage used by NOAA and others.

Still I'd love to experience a few weeks of your 18 hour days. OK maybe a few days would be enough.

[flat country pilot]

Bruce,

You have a lot that we don't. Good shopping for my wife, fine cultural events, endless fine eating establishments, etc... We do have decent weather radar, but you probably have the same ones I do. My closest METAR/TAF is 50 miles away. So I look to the western sky a lot.

Yes we have Andy and Opie, some Norman Rockwell, but we also have the Dukes of Hazard and plenty of red necks. During the hunting season we get alot of want to be Terry Redlin types, the red necks love those guys.

We try to get to Minneapolis a couple times a year, Portland and Seattle are also good destinations for us. We have fun in the cities but I think I will stay here.

Bill

[Joe Moilanen]

I seeded my new airstrip today, I think it is just going to be a long narrow pasture for long narrow cows...

Joe

[AR Dave]

Thanks for sharing that flat country! I've just about decided that one of the things I'd like to do someday, is tour America, visiting 170 members. One could really see a lot doing that. Wouldn't it be neat if someone flew around the country updating the forum with their adventure or writing a book. This is a neat group of folks.

[Bill Hart]

I saw this on AVWEB this morning

Field Of Dreams Shot Down -- Rural Airport Closed
Build it and they will complain? Tiny Culleoka, Tenn., doesn't face the same urban pressures as fast-growing Bakersfield and, ironically, that's why Harry Askey has been forced to close the private airstrip he's been using for 13 years. Askey claims that when he asked Maury County officials if an airstrip was allowed on his 80-acre property, he was told it was fine with them. "They said, 'You're in a rural area. You can do what you want to do. You can have a private strip,'" Askey told the Columbia Daily Herald. However, Askey never thought to check that assurance and it's come back to haunt him. Newcomers are trickling into the area in pursuit of a quiet country lifestyle and a neighbor recently lodged a formal complaint against the airstrip. That's when county officials determined that Askey's property was in a zone that doesn't allow airstrips. Askey's been through the local hoops but the FAA can't help even though it's a federally approved landing strip. "It's a legal airstrip from the air up, but the Zoning Board controls the ground," Askey said. "The FAA says I have to settle with them." And it would appear the majority of residents and the local mayor would prefer Askey and his friends do their flying at the local airport. "We've got our own airport down here, which is a regionally approved airport with a lot of federal and state aeronautical funds in it and local tax dollars that we are very proud of," said Maury County mayor Jim Bailey.