I'm considering buying a big (80 acres or more) flat piece of California land, planting a 50 foot by 1500 foot rectangle of grass and using it to takeoff and land my (and only my) personal airplane.

I can get no consensus from governmental agencies regarding whether I can do this, or if not, what ordinances would prohibit it.

Some counties define "airport" as any place where aircraft takeoff or land, and, as such, would define my grass strip as an airport, and therefore require it to have a special use permit.

Other counties have no mention of such things in their ordinances. Of course, I can't buy a 5-acre lot in a luxury subdivision and takeoff and land my helicopter there (or can I?) because there's bound to be some ordinance prohibiting it.

My question is this: can I (and if so, why?) or can I not (and if so, why not?) buy a piece of land in California, make a grass strip for my own personal use (not calling it an airport, not marking it, not registering it with any agency) and takeoff and land there without fear of governmental interference?

I bet this doesn't have an easy or clear answer

Do it and don't say anything. Just try to not piss anyone off. The more people you ask about it the more NO's you will hear. Private property is private. Too bad I am not Mayor.................

Buy 80 acres in another state that does not have all the government BS.

Good idea. Don't stay in Kalifornia. Too many people here. Buy the land,Land your plane and don't make a "runway" until someone stops you..The better you conduct your operation the longer you will be living the dream.Your immediate neighbors are key.

Go for it.

Do what my buddy did in a similar situation and offer all your neighbors & their kids & grandkids an airplane ride. The offer goes a long way toward preventing complaints, even if they don't take you up on it. Low passes (usually by others) can screw all that neighborly goodwill up in a big hurry, so be sure to tell all your pilots buddies to restrain themselves.

Eric

what county

Take off from california, land elsewhere... problem solved.

qmdv wrote:what county

El Dorado or Placer, however, any county within 200 miles of SFO would be suitable

Three words: County zoning laws.

http://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/planning/z ... g1_def.htm

I live in prime agg land. Check out conditional uses. No landing field just short pasture.

Tim

Or you could just come buy 5 acres on our strip and get the hell out of California

Last time I checked, Nevada is going to be blue state. And Harry Reid, what is up with that.

Tim

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:Three words: County zoning laws.

You're right on... I wonder how all these strips in California, not shown on sectional charts or in Airnav's database, but shown on topo charts as "Landing Strip," are able to be used...

I am sure that a lot of those strips on topo charts are old. If there is an existing strip on private land before a county ordinance is passed, you are sort of grandfathered in.

There is a dairy behind my place that has been thee for at least 80 years. They do not have a use permit.

It is the new guy that has to jump through the hoops.

I do not know what other counties require.

Tim

Tim, you're right. The ones on the topo charts have been there since at least the 1950s or 1960s. The zoning ordinances certainly didn't exist then...

What ya really need to do is buddy up with one of the planners that will have to approve your strip...they can give anything the okay if they want to. My wife sees it all the time...she is city planner.

What I sometimes see is you fight it out with the planning board for a couple of years, final get your conditional use permit...

...and then are blindsided by the county supervisors/board/commission who 1) Usually have complete authority to overrule the planning commission and 2) Are political animals and read your neighbors letters

Mr. Scout, check your PMs...

Getting friendly with a planning commissioner is a great idea (I'm already friendly with one) but, it's true... the Board of Supervisors can override any planning commission approval or recommendation.

I'm gonna see when the last special use permit for an airstrip has been issued for my county. I bet a long time ago...

You should go on the Caltrans website (department of aeronautics) and find out what is necessary to get a private airport approval. Caltrans has jurisdiction for airports in CA. If your neighbors don't object and your zoning doesn't prohibit it, I would think you could have a private strip. If your isolated, just go for it until someone tells you no.