Freeper Owned Airstrips

01/04/02 | Dead Dog

[Dead Dog]

Any other Freeper Pilots out there have experience establishing an airstrip on their own property? This has to be one of the greatest expressions of freedom and independence in out times. It also runs against the grain of busybody county officials nation wide.

Please share your experiences or or comments here.

[Dead Dog]

I would suggest getting a T-bird, with a tail dragger landing gear setup and oversized tires

I wouldn't fly anything other. Unless it is a jet or retracts for a very good reason. Otherwise
TAILDRAGGERS FOREVER!

IMHO

[mamelukesabre]

Well then, add oversized tires and you can land anywhere. Forgetabout runways.

[Dead Dog]

It is usually a land use issue, involving permits. I agree, it should simply be a matter of parking an airplane on a 40 acre lawn..but someone decided they should have jurisdiction over what we do on our property...regardless if physical changes are made or not.

I've found 800X8's are more than enough for most grass strips (rolled pasture). 600X6s should work just fine with a little care.

[mamelukesabre]

Unless you are close to an airport, I don't see what they can say about it. They might be able to bar you from flying over their property, but I doubt it. You aren't giving flight lessons, are you?

With a T-bird, you don't even need a liscense, so they can't threaten to take that from you.

Exactly what are they arguing? Land use? you aren't using the land for anything except your own personal aircraft, right? You aren't earning income with your aircraft, are you?

[blackdog]

Podiatric cuisine is tasty tonite. A brown loafer in size nine. Gender assumtions are so risky.

[blackdog]

I guess you could land and take off from your property without doing it in accordance with federal, state, and local laws/regulations/rules or whatever you want to call them. Of course your insurance company will no longer cover your $80,000 toy. IFR arrivals and departures are ruled out. Oh yeah, that idiot that tail looped or collapsed his nose gear on your property sues you for all you're worth, your homeowners/farmowners policy will no longer cover you since you are flying aircraft from your property, and your neighbors hate you because ultra lights continuously buzz a two stroke screaming shreek much like a banshee because they found a new guy with a patch that won't have 160 kt metal running up their posterior.

I still have my property rights, but I felt I had a greater interest in protecting my property, not just my rights. My property includes potential liability, my assets, and my life.

[abner]

Don't worry about it. That's what I get for having the screen name I do. LOL!

[mamelukesabre]

No noisier than dirt bikes, chainsaws, assault rifles, hobby cannons, homemade fireworks, hot rods......They can't keep you from doing all those things, and if they try...F them, do it anyway! If your insurance company drops you, F them! Take your business elsewhere.

[blackdog]

None of those which I care to be in earshot of my neighbor. As for my Hunter S. Thompson immitation to blow stuff up, fire my Contender 30-06 handgun at old refrigerators in my front yard, run dirt bikes, ATV's, or my 454 GTO with open pipes, those left me when I found there is an uncommonly high number of goobers out there who do just those things and of whom Darwin has not removed from the gene pool. They do all those things because they were taught no better. Not to imply that your equipment and toys are not music to everyones ears, I am sure they are.

[wardaddy]

I used to just "borrow" them....LOL.

[Squantos]

My initial flight instructor was an F-4 pilot that was farming out his skills to our USAF areo club. He taught me every emergency skill he'd learned like using the door's of my 172 as rudders if the rudder jamed / broke etc etc . Taught me how to land with just a trim tab , throttle and the doors in worst case.

All kinds of Kewl what if 's . Even told me if I was ever lost to fly down low enough to interstate to see exit signs etc to get my bearings .

My point being is he never covered making my own airfield. I have used a whole lot of private airstrips,grass, dirt and one lane asphalt etc etc and I believe if the airfield is for private use only the only license required is for any fuel facilities one may have. And if that is an above ground tank I think even that epa thang is moot. I believe a good preparation , maybe some unicom activated lighting and an air sock is all that ya need if your in a rural area. Now in the burbs or more populated area I'd think some BS sound ordninance may apply.......

Just guess's of course based on what I've seen. Stay Safe !

[Dead Dog]

I'm not sure what they can do, but I would guess they would foreclose on the land and remove the owner at gunpoint.

Basically, County governments have usurped the power to do this. Basically making property rights null and void. Karl Marx is sporting post mortem wood of this.

[Cultural Jihad]

BTTT

[Dead Dog]

Believe it or not, once you get a conditional use permit to even land a plane on your property, they allow you to have fueling and maintenance facilities. All this on land zoned EFU (Exclusive Farm Use). Pretty cool. This is in Oregon.

From what I understand, they don't screw with you much. They just charge $75.oo for some dude to survey it and verify the dimensions match a minimum, or the performance of the aircraft and process it with the FAA for airspace infringements. And your good to go.

You then have to register annually, for free and they send you the form..post paid. This is all well and good, but it makes me nervous when they can sit up in there glass tower and make the decision for me. It is no longer my right, but a tentative privilege. Just like driving.

[mamelukesabre]

Sounds to me like you are way too worried about your immage.

Maybe you should do a poll in your area and see what kind of beleifs and ideas are acceptable and then conform to them. Then you are sure to always be in the majority and be popular and can avoid all kinds of disputes.

[tpaine]

A nephew of mine in Minnesota started landing at his farm a year or so ago, built a pole barn for the plane, and to my knowlege hasn't even asked the county for 'permission'. - Why would you?

Unless your landing/takeoff headings, -- and the noise, - would bother your neighbors, why should anyone else care? -- Check with them, then do it..

[firewalk]

bttt

[Dead Dog]

The county has a process set up for this activity. I'm not sure exactly how they get authority over this, or wether it would stand constitutional muster, but I don't have the resources to fight it.

Legislation by Litigation.