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Runway yes or no [UPDATE]
Kevin wrote:
The decision to approve or deny a private runway (in Idaho) is based on the planning and zoning committee. This is amazing to me that a group of regular folks who know nothing of what it takes for an airplane to take off or land AND ALSO, the planning and zoning committee will not accept any responsibility or liability if their decision was wrong and planes crash. It sounds as if the Planning commission is strictly ruling on the principle of whether they want a runway in their community or not, and are not ruling on the safety aspects. They are leaving the safety aspects up to the person designing the runway. Seems perfectly reasonable. |
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On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 10:36:03 -0500 (EST), "Kevin"
wrote: The decision to approve or deny a private runway (in Idaho) is based on the planning and zoning committee. This is amazing to me that a group of regular folks who know nothing of what it takes for an airplane to take off or land AND ALSO, the planning and zoning committee will not accept any responsibility or liability if their decision was wrong and planes crash. My opinion: If you are putting up a private runway, it should be your business. The planning and zoning board gets involved only because they are involved with any kind of land use within your community. If you want to open your runway to the public, then *you* (not the planning board) have, and should have, the responsibility that it be safe for its intended purpose. Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA) |
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The runway/property owner also bears the liability responsibility.
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Kevin wrote:
[snip] FAA - The FAA has no interest in approving or denying a private runway on private land outside city limits or maybe even inside city limits. (In the state of Idaho) the Dept. of Transportation has an aeronautics division. That department has guidlines on runway construction which is 2000 feet length plus one third of the elevation. The Dept. of Transportation also insists they do not approve or deny a private runway on private land. In addition, they say a person can make a runway any length they want and their dept. will not oppose it in any way. The decision to approve or deny a private runway (in Idaho) is based on the planning and zoning committee. This is amazing to me that a group of regular folks who know nothing of what it takes for an airplane to take off or land AND ALSO, the planning and zoning committee will not accept any responsibility or liability if their decision was wrong and planes crash. [snip] You just said the Department of Transportation sets the runway guidelines. -Agent1 |
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James Robinson wrote in message ...
Kevin wrote: The decision to approve or deny a private runway (in Idaho) is based on the planning and zoning committee. This is amazing to me that a group of regular folks who know nothing of what it takes for an airplane to take off or land AND ALSO, the planning and zoning committee will not accept any responsibility or liability if their decision was wrong and planes crash. It sounds as if the Planning commission is strictly ruling on the principle of whether they want a runway in their community or not, and are not ruling on the safety aspects. They are leaving the safety aspects up to the person designing the runway. Seems perfectly reasonable. SLightly off topic. In private airstrip law does the air over the adjcent farmers corn field belong to the airstrip? Meaning is there an air easement concept that would prevent the building to appear to close the airport? I have a feeling that the corn field used for the approach is like trees maybe. The airstrip will close when the area builds up? Douglas Eagleson Gaithersburg, MD USA |
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In private airstrip law does the air over the adjcent farmers corn field belong to the airstrip? Meaning is there an air easement concept that would prevent the building to appear to close the airport? Evidently the rule that you can't block access to a runway applies only to public-use airports. The guy with a runway on his own property, for his own use, had better make sure he can clear any obstacle the neighbors might reasonably construct (or allow to grow). all the best -- Dan Ford email: (requires authentication) see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com |
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On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 10:36:03 -0500 (EST), "Kevin"
wrote: I started a message thread a month or two ago asking for information whether a person is allowed to build a runway. I think one or two users may have stated the answer but at the time it didn't seem realistic. Here is what I found out: FAA - The FAA has no interest in approving or denying a private runway on private land outside city limits or maybe even inside city limits. If it's "Private" they do not care and have no jurisdiction as far as the runway is concerned. They do have jurisdiction over the aircraft that might use it though. They do not say who or what may use the airport. (In the state of Idaho) the Dept. of Transportation has an aeronautics division. That department has guidlines on runway construction which is 2000 feet length plus one third of the elevation. The Dept. of Transportation also insists they do not approve or deny a private runway on private land. In addition, they say a person can make a runway any length they want and their dept. will not oppose it in any way. As others have said, the key is private. The runway is not open to public use. The decision to approve or deny a private runway (in Idaho) is based on the planning and zoning committee. This is amazing to me that a it's pretty much the same in Michigan. group of regular folks who know nothing of what it takes for an airplane to take off or land AND ALSO, the planning and zoning committee will not accept any responsibility or liability if their decision was wrong and planes crash. Their decision has nothing to do with how the runway is used. A farmer can set aside a strip of hay field, keep it mowed and call it a runway. When I talked to the FAA it was interesting they did tell me there is nothing to stop me from putting a tall antenna tower on the edge of my property. Ofcourse that is not the answer and would only contribute to the hazards. And... they may not be correct. It depends on the zoning. Here we have set back rules meaning I may not put up anything tall enough to fall on my neighbors. OTOH I can go to 80 feet with no engineering or permit required. Speaking of antennas and towers. If you take off from the old Houghton Lake airport (The one on the SW corner of the lake, not HTL) there is a very tall tower right off the end of the runway preventing either a straight in or straight out. You have to go around the thing when coming in, or going out to the NW. After Planning and zoning make their decision it does go to the commissioner. And if a person wanted to feed lawyers I guess they would be your friend til your money's end and make it look like they were on your side. Unless your neighbor decides to run a crop dusting operation it's doubtful you'll hear much out of him any way. Course I guess he might be able to afford a DC-3 and go camping. It's a great short field plane, but the operating costs are tad steep for most of us and you probably would hear him taking off over your place. Last fall I followed a friend home. He has a farm on the south side of a town about 25 miles from here. He has been using the strip regularly, but it is private although maintained year round. He just doesn't have the equipment to keep it free of snow all the time in the winter. The local FBO bout went out of his tree when I told him about landing there. He thought that was terrible. I told him that other than a bit bumpy it was a good strip. At that point he took off about insurance and safety and.... He couldn't understand me taking the equivalent of an old Bonanza into a short, sod strip. (I didn't need a third of it.) The Bo makes a good short field plane, it just doesn't handle large bumps well. What dictates the airplanes that can use a strip are the laws of physics. If he has a 2000 foot sod strip there are only certain planes that can safely use the strip and of those some will depend on the pilot's skill. The insurance companies will also limit whether planes insured through them will be covered when landing there. Contrary to what seems to be a general belief among the public (non pilots), most pilots shy away from any strip that isn't at least two to three times longer than needed to easily land and take off. My insurance says only that the strip be maintained year round and used regularly. The main point is you are not talking about an airport and in particular you are not talking about a public airport. You are talking about some one using their land for their airplane. (and maybe a few friends) The FAA cares only that he fly in a safe manner, not whether he lands on a 1500 foot sod strip, his back yard, a hay field, or a 10,000 foot paved strip. The township (parish), County, and state may, or may not have rules regarding a person using a strip of land for a runway. If they do not have specific restrictions there is probably nothing to stop the person for using however much land they want for a runway and they can take it right up to the fence line. If I had enough room out here in the county I could easily put in my own strip. Actually there is one less than two miles from me and I know he uses it, but I've never seen it in use. We used to have a strip kept mowed short in one of our fields within the village limits of Breckenridge (MI). I used to land over there quite often (in days gone by). There was another pilot who lived 7 or 8 miles south. He'd fly over and then walk into town. I'm surprised that he even has to ask the county or township unless they have a specific ordinance. Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member) (N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair) www.rogerhalstead.com |
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