So...thinking of starting my own airport...please shoot down my idea.

[skunkertx]

I've had this crazy idea of starting my own airport. The reason is not only because I've always wanted to, but I believe there is a demand for one in an area that is near some popular sight seeing areas and a place where the hangars are full at all the nearby airports. Each airport has a waiting list for more hangars. With more and more people teleworking from home, they are also moving out to the rural areas.

How many acres would I need? How exactly do you make a living (noticed I said "living", not "profit") with building an airport? 10 hangars at $200/month rent doesn't seen too enticing as expenses would surely be that, if not more. Perhaps some of the acreage can be sold/rented for a few houses.

Anyone here ever started their own airport?

[Snert]

Start with a large fortune.

[OldYellow]

Perhaps some of the acreage can be sold/rented for a few houses.

Think long and hard about that option. Gary

[aktango58]

You might be better off looking for land to lease/buy at existing airports and putting hanger in to rent or lease.

On the other hand, if you have a big chunk of land, and the thick skin to fight through the neighbors telling you no, and dealing with the local government; next you look at liability issues...

No snow in that area, but you will need to mow/maintain or make it hard surface which is costly.

One thought would be to check out Boerne Stage Field and talk to them before you go further...

Did I mention the problems include having a bunch of outlaws from north of the Red River may show up and eat your food, drink your beer, buy your gas and shoot your pigs??????

Another airport to talk to is the Patomic airport in Washington DC. My understanding is that they stay open just to send a message to the government that he can do it. It is a big issue with the feds, but they have not been able to shut him down... he as a great web site somewhere.

[skunkertx]

Probably better just buying some land,put a grass strip in it, build a house and then put up a few other hangars for people.

[aktango58]

still might deal with the Red River outlaws...

But the more formal it is, the more pita it is.

[DW]

How to make a million dallars building an airport----start with two million

[ndill]

I hope you have a strong stomach and deep pockets, on the other hand having your own airport were you could never be ramp-checked would be priceless.

[brown bear]

Check out this one , they seem to be doing something right.
http://www.stearmanfield.com/
Doug

[scout88305]

Skunkertx, You would know the aviation climate down there better and the particular needs of the area but what strikes me are the number of airplanes for sale and the number of empty hangers at the public use airports near me. There are many more aviators getting out of the game than getting in. I would hate to compute the average age of a/c owners on the nearest 2-3 airports. I cringe to think of the planes that will be inherited by non flying non caring family members of aging pilots. I run out of fingers counting the aircraft that are not flying and or out of annual because the aging pilot refuses to pay X dollars for a gallon of gas. $6.44 a gallon here for those silly enough to pay that. A 73 year old C180 owner asked me the other day where I flew to. I said "just around counting the active eagle nests". His response was: "if I want to look at the county I'll climb a "step ladder". Meaning the only reason to pull a plane out is for travel or specific business; not for a recreational flight. That is the jaded attitude around here for most of this aging group. Nobody around here are filling there shoes. If a plane sells it departs the area for good and the hanger lies vacant or becomes kayak storeage for the Subaru driving Obama bumper sticker fanatic. 12 a/c for sale here now and 5 have already recently sold and disappeared forever from a home base that was home to thet a/c for 30-50 years and had maybe 2-3 pilots own it. The torch isn't being passed. The younger generation also has more to worry about in my opinion and flying is way down the bucket list at best... That is the climate around here unfortunately..

[RaisedByWolves]

i would love to get the "torch" passed to me, but its just too damn expensive. the best i can hope for is people let me put gas in there planes. i was talking to my dad saying unless i buy a wreck and re build, i will probably never own my dream cub. as of right now that is..

Tom

[scout88305]

Tom,
I know of 8 planes sitting now that belong to 68 year old or older pilots. A 180, 172, 170, a wagabond, a 7FC Champ, a PA-11, a 7EC and 7ECA. All these gents have sons or daughters with grandchildren living in close proximity to access these planes. The greenlight is there. They could take the reins and papa would be proud to, as I said before, pass the torch...Priorities and the rutts of life I think are working against aviation. By the time bills are paid and children are outfitted with hockey gear and enrolled in summer hockey camp to compete with the kids down the street going to camp, the decision comes down to difficult choices. The Grandkids actually show interest but the instruction and fuel and time and expense erode any fruition of a pilots certificate.

[Douten]

There is always something that needs doing around the airport/airstrip, so when your buddies are going flying you will be mowing the grass or fixing ruts someone else made and most of the people will complain about hanger rental fees being too high.

[Clay Hammond]

If you want the straight story on owning and operating an airport, especially a grass airport, I would get in touch with Rich and Ginger Davidson at Lee Bottom. The conversation won't be pretty...but hey, we all do it because we love aviation and are hopeless romantics. Right?

I've always felt that to operate an airport and make it work you have to have a healthy based customer group along with good advertising for transients. Any possible profit, albeit meager, would probably come from having a fuel concession and marketing it well.

[floats]

Here's an example of what can be done:

http://www.grassrootsairpark.com/

[rod schrage]

guys,

I don't want to sound naive but I believe that a private airport can be a good investment. A friend of mine has a private airport in western Colorado, because of the TSA presence at a regional airport, he has seen a migration of not only hangar renter's but commercial tenants, as well, and has a waiting list for hangars. He is building a large building for a maintenance facility that has moved from the regional airport.
The bottom line is that there is a place for private airports more now than ever with the regulations that are being imposed at even medium sized airports. You guys are a wealth of information but lets not be totally negative, there is a new generation of pilots out there regardless of their age, who have a ton of enthusiasm and the money to enjoy aviation as it is today.

[Frodo]

Friend of mine put in a 12k gal fuel tank at local municipal airport. The only FBO allowed on the field at the time was gouging an extra buck a gallon for gas and so he started a fuel Co-op which saved everyone tons o'money. Then he made the mistake of teaching one of the local "rich bastards" to fly. Well, parents decided that since junior was useless at everything else, they would pull strings at City hall and get him his own FBO. About 6 months later, they bought 4 of 7 commissioners to "outlaw" Co-ops. So, after 5 years, my friend is out the $250k it cost to install the tank, the other FBO was shutdown by EPA, and gas is over a buck above surrounding airports again. Lesson: Know your local politics!!!!!

BTW, my friend is selling that tank if you know anyone that wants one.

[JP]

Do it. The more time you spend doing things people say cannot or should not be done the happier you will be in life. I base at a "homemade" grass strip airport and it functions beautifully. We all chip in for basic field maintenance, pay hangar rent and keep the fridge stocked. It's an enjoyable, communal place.

[OLDCROWE]

Friend of mine put in a 12k gal fuel tank at local municipal airport. The only FBO allowed on the field at the time was gouging an extra buck a gallon for gas and so he started a fuel Co-op which saved everyone tons o'money. Then he made the mistake of teaching one of the local "rich bastards" to fly. Well, parents decided that since junior was useless at everything else, they would pull strings at City hall and get him his own FBO. About 6 months later, they bought 4 of 7 commissioners to "outlaw" Co-ops. So, after 5 years, my friend is out the $250k it cost to install the tank, the other FBO was shutdown by EPA, and gas is over a buck above surrounding airports again. Lesson: Know your local politics!!!!!

BTW, my friend is selling that tank if you know anyone that wants one.

$250k for a 12k tank/pump installation, (even if buried with leak detection) makes me think he got screwed long before now...

[jaypratt]

Hicks Airfield, T67 Located north of Fort Worth is a success. Several hundred hangers, paved taxiways, paved runway. The land / lot owners own the runway and all comunal areas. We pay a anual fee to maintain the airport, sewer systems, and mowing.
This started as a private land development, there are T hangers and every size up to 110' x 110'. Most lots have hangers built to the lot size. The developer is gone and this is working well. We have CCRs and a volinteer board that keep things going.
One thing that beats other airports is you do not have to build a huge house with an attached hanger that looks like an attached guarage.
One thing we need is a Co Op fuel.

[Frodo]

$250k for a 12k tank/pump installation, (even if buried with leak detection) makes me think he got screwed long before now...

He had it put in to meet the 2012 EPA regs. NOT CHEAP!!! That probably includes all the permit fees and certification costs as well. It is surprising how many people we pay to harass us.

[Kiwi Avian]

If anyone is interested, my home airfield in New Zealand is up for Sale:
http://www.tekowhaiairfield.com/

It was built in the late 1960s by Max Clear, a great Kiwi bloke with a passion for fun flying. He started up a company to build Bantam Microlights of which several hundred were exported worldwide. Max's key philosophy was to make recreational flying affordable and attainable, so a lot was done on goodwill. Sadly Max dies in November last year and his family, although aviation friendly, are not interested in running an airfield. It is a very complex business as the hangars are leasehold, but there are several different lease types - the newer ones have protection clauses covering sale of the airfield, but the older leases don't. Hopefully the leases will make things too difficult for property developers who may want to build houses across it, but it comes down to whoever has the money to buy the place. We really need an aviation enthusiast who can find a way of making it work. I suspect however that any buyer would want it to pay its way, so we think things are likely to get more expensive