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Leeward Air Ranch

KatanaPilot

Well Known Member
I'm looking for anyone at Leeward Air Ranch willing to spend a little time either via email or on the phone with our HOA President. He would like to talk with you about your "reinforced turf" runway.

Our runway here at Mallard's Landing is not holding up well with the excessive rain this past year and the greatly increased traffic we are seeing with many new flying neighbors. So the Board is looking at options to improve the grass surface we have.

Please email me at krea dot ellis at gmail dot com and I will pass along your info.
 
INterested!

My runway is generally closed once the winter rains come - gotta wait till ~March to get back in the air. I'd like to hear the results of this query!

Thanks!
 
Just give Kent leeward a call. His number is on their web site. Him and his dad built the air park.
 
the soil is so sandy that heavy rains disperse very quickly. that along with a good crown and proper grass and you have year round fun. i have taken off after a heavy thunder storm on a 4,000 ft runway with no problem. not that i wasn't trying to be stopped down by some huge puddles.
 
the soil is so sandy that heavy rains disperse very quickly. that along with a good crown and proper grass and you have year round fun. i have taken off after a heavy thunder storm on a 4,000 ft runway with no problem. not that i wasn't trying to be stopped down by some huge puddles. leeward is one of the most impressive runways. WIDE and long.
 
Grass runways

Unfortunately the type of soil that you have can be the biggest determining factor in a successful turf runway. If it drains too well or not well enough, you have problems. Wet soils are more problematic in the winter months since there are not enough degree days to dry out the turf.

Turf is fragile. Look at what the large spectator crowds do to golf courses at PGA tournaments. Regulate the usage of your turf. Limit operations to a single TO and landing per sortie. Use nearby asphalt runways for multiple landings for currency and practice. Mandate that all taxiing be done off the centerline if you don't have a dedicated taxiway.

Turf variety choice is critical. There are many new varieties that repair themselves faster than older varieties.

My conclusion: Turf runways are great to visit. But they can be difficult and expensive to maintain, so I'd very carefully investigate the soil characteristics and quality of the turf before I'd invest again in property with a turf runway.
 
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