Cost of having your own runway?

Matthew K said:
Any idea how big his dozer was/what's necessary?
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I am no 'dozer expert, but it was not a real big one; inclined to say that it was a D5K, but uncertain.

Unfortunately, while he overcame every challenge with creative solutions, it was cancer that stumped him, and we lost him earlier this year.
 
psween said:
Can't help with cost to establish or pave, as 7MN3 has been here since 1978 and we only bought it in 2011, but there is nothing like having a runway for a back yard. We have about 2700 x 80, with power lines 400' from the north end. Previous owner had a Baron here, after owning a string of Bonanzas. We've had guests in everything from a Jabiru LSA to a Piaggio P.136. No issues with well maintained turf. Currently based planes are a C150, RV-10, and a Dakota. My friend with a Lancair won't land here, but most GA can. Mowing takes a couple hours once a week, using a 6' mower. Well worth it. Legality really comes down to state law and local zoning, so very location specific. For us, snow is the biggest problem. We don't have a way to remove it, so that means relocate the plane to another airport for winter, or don't fly for 3-4 months (or fly a super cub on skis, like another neighbor). My profile pic is our place, drop in any time after the snow melts for a visit, it's on the charts.

Patrick
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Wow, when you look it up the whole area looks like a large grid. Might be easy to get lost if you don't know the area. Your runway looks like the only grass on that plot haha. Do you farm that land next to it?
SCCutler said:
I am no 'dozer expert, but it was not a real big one; inclined to say that it was a D5K, but uncertain.

Unfortunately, while he overcame every challenge with creative solutions, it was cancer that stumped him, and we lost him earlier this year.
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Okay, I'm trying to figure out what I'd need to tow a dozer that could push dirt for a runway. I think the D5K is 22,000lbs.

Sorry for your loss.
 
For crying out loud....... want to save money on building your own strip? The solution ain't rocket surgery folks......

Get a helicopter......:yes::lol::lol::lol:

I would love to have a backyard runway.

And holy necropost......
 
Zeldman said:
For crying out loud....... want to save money on building your own strip? The solution ain't rocket surgery folks......

Get a helicopter......:yes::lol::lol::lol:

I would love to have a backyard runway.

And holy necropost......
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No kidding on the old post. I thought I revived a thread from 2013, nope 2006. Btw I think it's cheaper to make a 100k runway and have a 100k or less plane than a 500k+ heli.:D
 
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Zeldman said:
For crying out loud....... want to save money on building your own strip? The solution ain't rocket surgery folks......
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Find a local logger, sell the good trees for lumber and the rest for pulpwood. A runway 75' x 3000' is just over 5 acres of land. Then you'll also want a few hundred feet of clear approach on both ends. Trust me, a 75' wide slot in the trees isn't that much space, but a 75' wide strip of asphalt in a larger clearing is a lot of runway to land on.

Better make the opening in the trees 100' wide, which will push the land involved up to 6-2/3 acres plus the approaches. Lots of wood to sell. The lumber folks should clean it up nicely, and the money will go a long ways towards making a smooth area in the middle to land on. Don't forget to plan for drainage after rain.

Oh, you'll need something larger than your home riding mower to tend it, too. A 6' wide finishing deck is great, if you've got a tractor to pull it. I've seen people mowing their large yards with a pull-behind mower with it's own engine, running pretty good speed, pulling it with a 4-wheeler. Equipment and upkeep, like with a plane, will become the larger expense over time, so select your equipment with care.
 
Hank S said:
Find a local logger, sell the good trees for lumber and the rest for pulpwood. A runway 75' x 3000' is just over 5 acres of land. Then you'll also want a few hundred feet of clear approach on both ends. Trust me, a 75' wide slot in the trees isn't that much space, but a 75' wide strip of asphalt in a larger clearing is a lot of runway to land on.

Better make the opening in the trees 100' wide, which will push the land involved up to 6-2/3 acres plus the approaches. Lots of wood to sell. The lumber folks should clean it up nicely, and the money will go a long ways towards making a smooth area in the middle to land on. Don't forget to plan for drainage after rain.

Oh, you'll need something larger than your home riding mower to tend it, too. A 6' wide finishing deck is great, if you've got a tractor to pull it. I've seen people mowing their large yards with a pull-behind mower with it's own engine, running pretty good speed, pulling it with a 4-wheeler. Equipment and upkeep, like with a plane, will become the larger expense over time, so select your equipment with care.
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A local I know has a airfield that has 2 grass runways. One is 3000x50, I believe the other is the same, maybe a little shorter. He uses a nice big air conditioned kubota with at least a 12' pto mower(maybe larger) to maintain them. He does have about 60 acres to mow though along with other uses for the nice expensive tractor.
 
Wow, when you look it up the whole area looks like a large grid. Might be easy to get lost if you don't know the area. Your runway looks like the only grass on that plot haha. Do you farm that land next to it?

Yup, one big grid, easy to get around if you're local, but have had outside visitors need to circle a bit to see the strip. We don't farm it but my in-laws do, and the RV-10 that lives here belongs to my FIL.
 
Zeldman said:
For crying out loud....... want to save money on building your own strip? The solution ain't rocket surgery folks......

Get a helicopter......:yes::lol::lol::lol:

I would love to have a backyard runway.

And holy necropost......
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Or tundras
 
They usually haul those front end loaders on a semi trailer. You can tow a backhoe behind a 3/4 ton pickup, and it COULD be done with one of those tractors (take the backhoe off). Take a look at the CAT 950. Whatever your excavator has that rents reasonable. You're going to have to have something to mow it with unless you pave it. I wouldnt recomend gravel.
 
Hank S said:
Find a local logger, sell the good trees for lumber and the rest for pulpwood. A runway 75' x 3000' is just over 5 acres of land. Then you'll also want a few hundred feet of clear approach on both ends. Trust me, a 75' wide slot in the trees isn't that much space, but a 75' wide strip of asphalt in a larger clearing is a lot of runway to land on.

Better make the opening in the trees 100' wide, which will push the land involved up to 6-2/3 acres plus the approaches. Lots of wood to sell. The lumber folks should clean it up nicely, and the money will go a long ways towards making a smooth area in the middle to land on. Don't forget to plan for drainage after rain.

Oh, you'll need something larger than your home riding mower to tend it, too. A 6' wide finishing deck is great, if you've got a tractor to pull it. I've seen people mowing their large yards with a pull-behind mower with it's own engine, running pretty good speed, pulling it with a 4-wheeler. Equipment and upkeep, like with a plane, will become the larger expense over time, so select your equipment with care.
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This post reminded me of this picture I took a while back... lol

i-3TCJxrb-X.jpg
 
Just buy an old government drone facility like Dave Fletch at FletchAir did (TS36).
 
Couldn't you build hangars and airport facilities to offset costs? Hangar space is pretty difficult to get around here.
 
A Case 450 (or better yet a Case 455 with a 4 in 1 bucket) would be light/small enough to be delivered by most flatbed trucks. It's maneuverable and can remove the average size stump. I assume that leveling the land includes both removing and adding dirt/fill to get it level. If that's the case, you may also need a dump truck. If you rent a dump truck and front end loader the truck can pull the loader to the site. I recommend air conditioning for any heavy equipment because, if nothing else, the insulation helps with the noise.
 
wbarnhill said:
Out of curiousity, what would the general cost be to make an area of land suitable for personal flying use? Basically I'm wondering if I had an area of mostly flat ground, what cost am I looking at to ensure the turf is adequate for GA operations? And a step further, what would it cost to have a paved runway of your own? Let's say about 2500x75.
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Looking forward to hearing how your project ended.
 
I just built an air strip in the shape of an X in all four of the cardinal directions, the run ways are 5,000 feet long with a 500 feet circular turnaround on each end, by 250 feet wide,to have room for plans to taxi and refuel, 18 inches thick reinforced concrete with 9 inches of black top, along with the landing lights and such i paid 2.8 million for mine and it's not open to the public, just the few guys and gals i know who fly too.
 
Matthew Thomason said:
I just built an air strip in the shape of an X in all four of the cardinal directions, the run ways are 5,000 feet long with a 500 feet circular turnaround on each end, by 250 feet wide,to have room for plans to taxi and refuel, 18 inches thick reinforced concrete with 9 inches of black top, along with the landing lights and such i paid 2.8 million for mine and it's not open to the public, just the few guys and gals i know who fly too.
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:rofl:
 
Matthew Thomason said:
I just built an air strip in the shape of an X in all four of the cardinal directions, the run ways are 5,000 feet long with a 500 feet circular turnaround on each end, by 250 feet wide,to have room for plans to taxi and refuel, 18 inches thick reinforced concrete with 9 inches of black top, along with the landing lights and such i paid 2.8 million for mine and it's not open to the public, just the few guys and gals i know who fly too.
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Wouldn’t that be more of a + than an X?
 
Matthew Thomason said:
I just built an air strip in the shape of an X in all four of the cardinal directions, the run ways are 5,000 feet long with a 500 feet circular turnaround on each end, by 250 feet wide,to have room for plans to taxi and refuel, 18 inches thick reinforced concrete with 9 inches of black top, along with the landing lights and such i paid 2.8 million for mine and it's not open to the public, just the few guys and gals i know who fly too.
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Yeah, forget prevailing winds and just pave a solid 10 acre square.
 
There is a private runway with 15 acres and a building site for sale near Red Feather Lakes in Colorado for $350k. Its 25C0, calling it Crystal Lakes Airport now. Its about 40 miles NW of Fort Collins.
 
Matthew Thomason said:
I just built an air strip in the shape of an X in all four of the cardinal directions, the run ways are 5,000 feet long with a 500 feet circular turnaround on each end, by 250 feet wide,to have room for plans to taxi and refuel, 18 inches thick reinforced concrete with 9 inches of black top, along with the landing lights and such i paid 2.8 million for mine and it's not open to the public, just the few guys and gals i know who fly too.
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And Elvis flies in regularly, I bet
 
coloradobluesky said:
There is a private runway with 15 acres and a building site for sale near Red Feather Lakes in Colorado for $350k. Its 25C0, calling it Crystal Lakes Airport now. Its about 40 miles NW of Fort Collins.
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That's not the ... (had to go google maps browsing for this) Laramie River Dude Ranch? I found that one year while hunting. Pretty impressive!
 
No this is near Crystal Lakes and Red Feather Lakes. Different place.
 
coloradobluesky said:
There is a private runway with 15 acres and a building site for sale near Red Feather Lakes in Colorado for $350k. Its 25C0, calling it Crystal Lakes Airport now. Its about 40 miles NW of Fort Collins.
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Hmmm. 4225' of dirt runway, at 8,440 MSL! That's up there.

3CO0 near Delta was recently for sale as well - 3 runways, 2 homes, $375K. Listing was removed a couple months ago, but it doesn't indicate "Sold".
 
Maciej said:
This is one of those moments where you don't realize how badly you're about to get owned...
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OK, I'll play. I design airports for a living. 5000 x 250? An A380 can land on 150 feet wide. Only aircraft that would need 250 feet wide is Stratolaunch, and 5000 is not adequate length for that. 500 foot turnarounds? No reason for that dimension. A simple Aviplan (nee PathPlanner) run will show that. 9 inches of asphalt over 18 inches of concrete? No reason to accept the mx costs of asphalt when you have just put in concrete, which has much better lifecycle costs. Not to mention the reflective cracking issue. Almost certainly no reason a wind rose analysis would show the need for two perpendicular runways. So if someone actually did this, holy cow they got snookered.

And building 2 x 5000 feet of 250-foot-wide runway plus turnarounds plus lights for $2.8 million. Nope. You're off by probably a factor of 15 to 20, depending on site work.
 
weilke said:
Before you start grading, look into those pesky goverment regulations:


- soil conservation/forest conservation/resource protection zones. Before you start grubbing, make sure you can do that. Rules are a lot more lenient if your property is a 'farm' and you are building a hay-field. :fingerwag:. If you have any kind of vernal streams or seasonal wetlands on your property, make sure you fill them in and plaster them over before any busybody from the county can find them :D (one landowner I know got fined $60k for replacing a culvert that had been washed out with a larger one. it was found out when he cleared some trees on his land and the residential neighbors called the police that 'someone was cutting down their trees':mad:). By the way how some of these regs are structured, you would think that 'silt' is the equivalent of nuclear waste.
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Friends..... this is the singular most important comment to this discussion. I farm for a living and own farm land. Just because you may own land you are not allowed to do with it as you please. Laws are on the books that prevent the disturbance of HEL [ highly erodeable land ] or wetlands. What constitutes HEL or wetlands will make you scratch your head. Now we have the WOTUS [ Waters of the US ] in front of us that will impose even more regulation. Thankfully the current administration is trying to undo WOTUS. By the way, WOTUS was made law by the Obama administration without a single vote from congress.
 
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NordicDave said:
Yeah, forget prevailing winds and just pave a solid 10 acre square.
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I had a friend whose Dad was a WWII British fighter pilot. Started flying for the RAF in 1938.
We were talking over a pint one evening and he told me that at the beginning of the US involvement in the war, American runways killed almost as many British pilots as the Germans.
British fighter bases were just a big square of turf. No such thing as a crosswind takeoff or landing. Just taxi out face it into the wind and go. Repeat on landing.
He admitted to tearing the gear off more than one Spitfire before borrowing an American pilot and a Tiger Moth to teach him how to survive in a crosswind.
 
Ken Ibold said:
OK, I'll play. I design airports for a living. 5000 x 250? An A380 can land on 150 feet wide. Only aircraft that would need 250 feet wide is Stratolaunch, and 5000 is not adequate length for that. 500 foot turnarounds? No reason for that dimension. A simple Aviplan (nee PathPlanner) run will show that. 9 inches of asphalt over 18 inches of concrete? No reason to accept the mx costs of asphalt when you have just put in concrete, which has much better lifecycle costs. Not to mention the reflective cracking issue. Almost certainly no reason a wind rose analysis would show the need for two perpendicular runways. So if someone actually did this, holy cow they got snookered.

And building 2 x 5000 feet of 250-foot-wide runway plus turnarounds plus lights for $2.8 million. Nope. You're off by probably a factor of 15 to 20, depending on site work.
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I was alluding to the fact the poster in question is in a position to be able to accomplish a project, whether or not they got the specific details wrong is an entirely different discussion. Your response was questioning the credibility of the existence of the field as a whole, which is what I was pointing to.
 
Ken Ibold said:
OK, I'll play. I design airports for a living. 5000 x 250? An A380 can land on 150 feet wide. Only aircraft that would need 250 feet wide is Stratolaunch, and 5000 is not adequate length for that. 500 foot turnarounds? No reason for that dimension. A simple Aviplan (nee PathPlanner) run will show that. 9 inches of asphalt over 18 inches of concrete? No reason to accept the mx costs of asphalt when you have just put in concrete, which has much better lifecycle costs. Not to mention the reflective cracking issue. Almost certainly no reason a wind rose analysis would show the need for two perpendicular runways. So if someone actually did this, holy cow they got snookered.

And building 2 x 5000 feet of 250-foot-wide runway plus turnarounds plus lights for $2.8 million. Nope. You're off by probably a factor of 15 to 20, depending on site work.
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Heck, I don’t design airports for a living but even to me those dimensions made no sense at all. The alleged cost also seems extremely low to this casual observer.
 
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