It's basically tamped-down layers of money on top of more layers of money. And labor.
I mow probably 5-10 hours for every hour of flight time I log off my backyard turf strip. You have to love mowing, or else you should do like Mel and pave over it with hundred dollar bills in the form of asphalt.
Livin' the dream...
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.... Wisdom can be funny
That is too funny Bill. Nice strip BTW. Have you thought of goats and cows?
I can tell 2nd hand story of a guy who set up his own grass strip, built his big house with a barn for his wife's horse's, got it zoned, even had plans to sell of lots along one side of strip with runway access. He was a senior Captain and had lots of money. He was flying off the strip for awhile with his Baron. Well then neighbors got involved. They said drugs were being flown off the strip etc... Wild lies, but whatever. He now has his house and strip he can use, but he is the only one who can use it. I think he was able to sell off some land but access to strip was cut off. I wanted to buy a lot on this strip, build hanger and house.
USA use to be littered with small strips all over the country 1930's until 1980's. Most of them are gone. As land gets more valuable, the founders pass on, strip gets sold and become condos or industrial park. Sad. One of my favorites was Martha Lake Airport Park S13 in Washington State. Another is Merrill C. Meigs Field KCGX was unilaterally closed by the "brain trust"
of Chicago. It was probably one of the best known GA fields in the country. The public doesn't realize how valuable GA is, a bonus to community.
Martha Lake Airport Park S13 - I had my plane at S13 in the mid late 80's. It was less than 1 miles as the crow flies from my house, 2.5 mile driving. The airport community was a small tight knit group. It was a fairly short runway with some obstacles (although they topped the trees and made a clearway), but 1700 x 50 hard surface is not an issue. The builders (circa late 1950's) and owners (Ed and Dorothy Hunter) made this strip virtually by hand their selves, and they built it up over their life. Ed passed in the 70's from a car accident. Dorthey was determined to keep the airport going after Ed's death, and she did. I use to knock on her door, to bring my T-hanger rent check. She lived on the airport in a house with wrap around windows with view of runway. She passed in 1998. I had already moved away at that time. The heirs (kids) did run it for a short time, but sold the property to the country for $3.6M for 30 acers. Good part it was not sold to developers and is mostly a park now. To give you an idea of the change in this area and Settle area in general, the house I owned nearby, I bought for $74K (1800' ranch), 2 car garage, regular subdivision lot. My wife and I sold it 7 years later for $124K about 1994. I checked Zillow awhile back? It is valued at $600K. WHAT THE... House is still the same. Google built a HQ high-tech campus to crush free speech (ha ha kidding). So you have kids getting out of school who can code making $90K. The great part of WA State is GREAT FLYING in and around Olympics, Cascades, San Juan Islands, where there still are small strips that allow you to walk into town for lunch at the harbor. If you have not flown the West Coast plan on going to NW WA State, the best months are July thru Sept., low rain chance and perfect temps between 56 and 75.
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/WA/Airfields_WA_Seattle.htm#martha
Another home grown airport nearby I believe is still in operation is Harvey Field, Snohomish - S43.... I also had my plane there when I got a twin. Similar story of family (The Harvey's) starting airport. It has maintenance fixed and rotary, training, fuel, restaurant and skydiving Ops. There are wires on final so watch for those. They did massive airport upgrade from Google, so they may have buried the wires on the south end but apparently the North End still has power lines. When landing to the North it was cross the orange balls and chop the power and dive for runway. There was no VASI at the time I recall due to obstacles. I use to point out to my students NOT to fly into strange airports at night, unless they had a VASI. I don't land at strange airports without some approach guidance VASI or ILS. The AFD should list wires, but a moonless night approach is basically an instrument approach.
http://harveyfield.com/History.aspx
http://harveyfield.com/Gallery.aspx
Rant Switch off, Stepping off Soap Box....
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/WA/MarthaLake_WA_70s_Caddy.jpg