WANTED:
I am looking to buy (a piece of) a private grasstrip in WA (1-2hrs drive to SEA) with a buildingsite. It can be also a piece of land suitable to make a 1000ft airstrip out of it.
I like to find a home for my future Maule where I can have eventually a house without looking into my neighbors kitchen window...

Another option would be to team up with a few other likeminded pilots and buy a piece of land/ grass strip...

- Christine

LibelleE4 wrote:...Another option would be to team up with a few other likeminded pilots and buy a piece of land/ grass strip...

I've always thought that this would be a terrific idea, share the cost of a well, access road, fencing, phone, power, etc; but it's economically unfeasable for us at this time. Hopefully there will be a piece of property left when we are able to do it, save us a plot if you can...and as much as it feels like it at the moment I don't mean a gravesite.

If you've done a lot of research, this is probably redundant, but there are a lot of grass strips near Enumclaw. Also north near Snohomish there is farm land that could easily be "stripitized" Another good spot is in the Arlington/ Mt. Vernon area. I'll be spending a fair amount of time up there this summer, so if I can help let me know. This is also a dream of mine so it'll be fun to look.
I just got back from Maui, I love that place. What island are you on?

Christine, a good place to start looking is the "pink pages" of the GA News/Western Flyer. Quite a few airpark/airstrip properties listed,both in WA & elsewhere. Unfortunately, they all appear to be pretty spendy.
For example, right now there's a nice one listed: 38 acres with barn & 2600 sq ft mfd home on the Skagit River (north of Seattle), complete with it's own 1800' grass strip. I've overflown this one many times, it's real nice but IMHO not worth the $1.99M (yes,million!) the owner's asking.
This is one of the most extreme example's, there are others that seem to be more affordable but (again IMHO) ain't none of them much of a bargain. Might (might!) be cheaper to just buy land & build your own airstrip, but then you're dealing with other issues:zoning, permits,irate neighbors, etc.
FWIW land/airstrips in eastern WA & OR seem to be more affordable than western WA/OR, due to the law of supply & demand I guess. Hotter in the summer & colder/snowier in the winter, not to my tastes but some people seem to like it. The open country does kinda appeal to me though, around here you can't see the forest for the trees. Always thought that was just a goofy expression until I moved to western Washington.

Eric

I used to live on a great grass strip North of Bellingham, called Meadow Mist. Check it out if you're ever in the area... usually a lot or house for sale there and for the most part, great people (isn't there always one that's got to try to be the "commander" and make things miserable?? )
JH

That's been my experience too, at least from the outside looking in, these airpark deals always have (at least) one resident,clique of residents,or operator who tries to make life miserable for everybody else. I've heard horror stories about Crest,Kapowsin,Western,Whidbey,& Blue Ribbon in recent years,no doubt there are similar situations elsewhere. Too bad, seems like there's always got to be at least one party-pooper who, instead of moving or just loosening his girdle a bit, decides to ruin it for everybody else. Ah, misery loves company I guess.

Eric

I always thought that it would be good to get a few like minded folks together and buy a small farm in eastern ID or what ever. Dedicate the center for a grass strip and devide up the rest for building lots. You could even get forest property, cut a few trees and put in a strip.

Maybe just a dream.

Tim

Still looking forward to landing at your house and BBQ'ing, Tim.

Is it obvious if a bunch of pilots all make "precautionary" landings at the same time near a farmhouse?

The ditch across the lower half of proposed strip has had the pipe installed and has been filled. The new irrigation systems works great. In a week the pastures will be cut for hay, then we will move a fence to the south about 350 ft to give the strip about 1500 ft between barb wire fences.

Then we have to disk up the high spots where the ditch and fence were and do a bit of leveling, drag a land plane, and plant grass in that spot. Should be able to land on it by the fall. As the work progresses we will keep you posted.

Tim