Your own 15 acres on a newly developed private mountain airpark in the Sierra Nevada’s for only $100K with only $20K down!

Sounds like something you’d be interested in? Me too. Let me introduce myself. My name is Anthony and I’m a backcountry-loving, airplane-camping, grass strip-searching pilot like the rest of you guys. I’ve lived and worked all over the world working as a pilot/mechanic flying in the bush or otherwise and when it’s all said and done, despite all its political problems, I still love my home state of California and one day, would like to have a beautiful slice of Heaven -while I’m still here on earth- on an airpark somewhere in our gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountain range.

And, as the FAA/funding woes/out-of-control lawyers and litigation continue to shutdown or make prohibited many of the great strips or small airfields that we love to fly into, I believe that part of the way to protect our flying is to control more of our ownership over the airfield access that is being undermined. Hence, I am a big fan of airparks (and the associated land ownership) and the (albeit niche) control they give us over our passion of aviation. I have lived on an airpark in Tennessee in the past while working there, and know the many benefits of the community and space that being on an airpark gives, but now I want to find one in my home state of California.
But, do the research on a California strip to buy or airpark to find an empty lot in that meets all the needs/wants, and you will find it either a) hard or nearly impossible to find, and b) if found, probably prohibitively expensive for most people to purchase and maintain on their own. Especially when factoring in the expenses of already developed pieces, the profit the previous owner would like to make, and the cost/acre when buying small parcels vs. the value/acre in buying a much bigger tract of land.

On the other hand, in looking around, one can see a lot of 200, 400, even up to 1000 acres+ pieces of raw land in and around the Sierra Nevada foothills that offer great value for the money when you break it down to a per acre price -usually less than $3500/acre! Therefore, building a strip from the start on a large tract of land, offers a community of airpark owners the advantages of:
• relatively large parcels of that larger land mass for a much lower price/acre than anywhere else,
• possible owner financing without dealing with the difficulties of a bank to carry the loan for raw and unusually used land (not a lot of ‘comps’ or comparables for the banks to use when you’re talking about an airpark lot loan),
• the choice of how, where, and what we want this airstrip community to look like.

So here is what I am proposing and would like to open to the community of backcountry pilots like yourselves for feedback and participation:
1. Getting together a group of about 15 motivated and committed people (actually positions) to pool our funds for an initial down payment on a large tract of land (200, 400, even up to 1000 acres+) somewhere in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains to essentially ‘condominimumize’ the land with the airstrip being the common area. The land should have:
a. good road access
b. access to electricity for the community,
c. the right to build one or more water wells to support the community
d. hopefully have some nice body of water on it (lake, river, etc) to enjoy

2. Pool our fully-refundable deposits into a holding escrow account that requires all 15 positions to sign on before releasing. (There would have to be a small non-refundable deposit to pay for the escrow fees.)
3. Then organizes ourselves/our finances in the most appropriate way depending on the seller’s flexibility (i.e. will the seller be willing only to finance the whole group as one large owner, or will they be willing to finance the positions individually?) This may mean creating some sort of LLC or not depending on the financing arrangement…
4. Find a piece of land with motivated seller willing to owner finance it over at least 10 years with this substantial down payment (15 positions x $20k/each = $300,000).
5. Arrange an agreement for the airstrip design and ongoing maintenance.
6. Arrange lot lines and divide the land.
7. Arrange a small and uninstrusive governing body and monthly fee to care for the strip and other community common areas.
8. Commence airstrip construction!
9. Commence building your dream backcountry airpark home on your plot of land.

I expect this process to take at least a year from start to finish. But good things often require time to develop. I invite all feedback, opinion, and comments. Some of you may have more experience, or better knowledge in certain areas of the process. Please do lend your input. We would need a clear business plan with transparency for all involved parties as well as clear plan of a attack with obtainable goals along the way.

Of course, there’s many more things to be inserted into this plan, but you understand the rough concept: a place where a community of backcountry pilots like ourselves can own our own land and homes, and share that beauty, adventure, and space with the friends and family in our lives, while preserving a slice of our aviation freedom.

Anthony Longobardo
[email protected]

Too bad your requirement is for this to happen in California..




I am thinking about selling my private airport, and it has ALOT of advantages already going for it to simplify your dream.

1 - Located in the most tax friendly state in the USA.

2 - Unlike Idaho, California and alot of other states, we do NOT have personal income tax.

3 - Located in the most business friendly state in the USA.

4- We are the least populated state in the USA.

5 - Just 41 air miles to Jackson Hole, home to 1 million+ dollar an acre property.

6 - Close to PInedale for all you shopping needs, but far enough away to give you seclusion

7 - Located on a county maintained road that is plowed during the snowy months.

8 - 80 acres, WITH a FAA approved 3000 foot new runway installed and active.

9 - Low property taxes,,, they are a whopping 120 bucks a YEAR....

10 - Located between the Teton mountain range, the Wyoming range and the Wind River range for spectacular views in all directions.

There ALOT of other advantages, but to keep this post short I wll add you get all 80 acres and the airport for just 3,500 an acre... Split it up in whatever increment you want... Or buy the whole for just yourself and operate an A&P business out of it.

Google earth 2WY3 and see it from above, and read about it here...


http://www.airnav.com/airport/2WY3

The only thing wrong with the deal is it is NOT in California..

No doubt about it, that's a beautiful area!! Find some like-minded aviators and sell some lots my friend. A group with a vested interest in their own property is a powerful force!

Better buy up the land around your proposed airpark, too. All it takes is one whacked out neighbor to complain about airplane noise, lead/Jet A pollution and the potential of a catastrophic airplane accident

On top of that, I can't imagine what the tax and liability insurance would be for the airpark in the Sierras of CA. Maybe not so bad if it were a "Ranch Airpark" with cattle and sheep?

Cost wise, I would honestly say an airpark in NV, ID or WY would be much more attractive.

You do have a good vision and the plan sounds great, but might take a lot more than just a year to move forward. We all know how swiftly City and County official like to approve and work on things like this

Good Luck!