Negative opinions would be appreciated

[Chuck Irby]

I am considering the purchase of a piece property (just over 11 acres and almost square) with an older, but pretty nice house and a couple of out buildings. It has a 165 foot by 791 foot pipe line right of way that crosses it.

My primary interest in this property is to down size dwellings and to have a property suitable for flying off of. I still haven't heard from the pipe line company officially, but I do have a tentative yes, that flying onto and off of their right of way will be okay. The property is sloped enough (the length of the pipe line, not the width) that it will drain very well, but cause no problem for landing or taking off.

As I see it, the primary advantage is that the pipeline right of way on the two adjoining properties will always be open, except for maybe a few cattle on the property to the West, and an electric fence at that one boundry. The pipe line right of way crosses the property at an angle (runways 06 and 24) that makes it 791 feet from the east boundary to the west boundary.

My primary reason for this post is that some of you may have experience with a similar situation and know of something negative that I have not thought of. Your comments would be very much appreciated.

Thank you, Chuck

[KDOG]

Your own airfield? What can be negative about that? go for it!

[GyroRon]

I wouldn't buy property to fly off of without the runway area being YOUR property. I say keep looking and maybe you will have to buy some wooded property and get busy with a bulldozer, but at least the property AND runway is yours and no one can tell you not to fly off it.

[Chuck Irby]

Kevin, Thanks for your thoughts. However, Ron's reply is more in line with the replies I am hoping to get from others on the forum.

Ron, the property would be mine, but the owners of the pipeline have a right of way accross the property. They will always have the right to maintain their interests accross this property. It's extremely rare that they ever have to dig in this property. But they do have, and always will have that right.

[jawbrey]

hey chuck my dad owns a peice of property w/ simialar right of way for at least 15 years he has grown peas/ watermelons in the right of way with no trouble from the gas co although that may diff/ for other companies check your email

james awbrey

[scottessex]

Can you fly the Dominator in and out? That is all that matters, then we could have Irby Days! Olny if you have a good prerotator!

[barnstorm2]

Sounds like a great scheme. I tried looking for abandioned rail road property to do something simular. I never found a real estate agent willing to help me look though

Sign me up for Irby Days!

[Harry_S.]

Chuck, I don't see a problem with the right of way. I flew pipeline patrol around the St. Louis area; the line ran thru all imaginable terrain, public, private and Fed owned land. A lot of farmland as well.

If the price is right...go for it. You may want to check the County records for land use changes.

[Friendly]

Chuck, the right of ways must be maintained. if not trees come up and cause problems to power lines and access for vehicles to service the pipe line. As far as I know the right of way is just that , it is a right of passage and not permanent structure may be errected that would prohibit the passage or obstuct the utilities passing through. I used to mow right of ways for a utility company. They spend a lot of money to maintain them. If you use it for a runway it will be maintained for free. It will not need erosion work either so they will probably be happy with the deal. But you want the negative so.. if it is government controled they may spend 120,000 dollars to cement the surface and then another 120,000 to jack hammer and doze it up in plies to prevent the public from access to reduce their overall liability.

[rehler]

Chuck, I sure recommend you do some test flying on another similar field and mark the usable length (I assume it would be around 600 feet long usable) to make sure you can take off safely. I know I couldn't get off that short unless it was paved and I had some wind - but my gyro is not a efficient as yours.

[Rando]

I agree with Ken, longer IS better!
Seriously, I would be concerned about not enough runway. I prefer a minimum of 1,000 feet. It is nice to have even if you never use it.

[GyroRon]

I was just concerned that the property was the gas company's and that they could later on, tell you not to fly off it for fear of a possible lawsuit. If that can't happen then why not!!!

[PW_Plack]

Chuck,

Is this an above-ground pipeline, or buried?

If the gas company has an "easement," it means the property is still technically yours, and they shouldn't have any worries about liability. Could you lay out a runway immediately adjacent to their easement? If you can make this work out, it sounds like you might have a guaranteed clear approach and departure path where you'd have no people or structures to fly over, forever.

[gyroguy]

Chuck,

What's the prevailing wind? Is it across the long dimension of the property? If so, wind effectively makes your runway longer.

What about trees? They have them in Mississippi, I think. How close are the closest ones, how tall are they, how far from your property line, and where in relation to the wind? Trees produce wind rotors, or sometimes dead air, downwind. Same deal with buildings.

Are there any streams or intermittent streams or soft ground in the springtime? If so, do they cross the area you'd plan to use for a runway? Walk the area and look for dips, soft gravel/sand, boggy ground, etc.

Do you have the equipment to keep the property safe for flying? Brush-hog, tractor with lawnmower attachments, etc? Can you maintain the equipment yourself?

What about the neighbors? You can take off from your private ground, but you'll be flying over theirs. Some people hate engine noise. How close will you have to fly to your neighbors' homes/barns on approach, after takeoff, in the pattern? Any problems with getting too near to their homes/barns?

Look at a map and see what's around the property. Your property doesn't exist in a vacuum. What's nearby, within 1/2 mile? Within a mile? Any problems there?

Hope this helps! I gave up and found a lot on an airpark. Somebody else paved the runway. It's a wonderful solution for me! (P.S. If married, you've got to have a WONDERFUL wife.)

[Chuck Irby]

Wow guys, you really came through for me. This is a very important decision for me.

I really appreciate all of your responses. Like you, I haven't been able to come up with many negatives either for me and the Dominator. The 791 feet is more than enough room for me to take off and land (All of the lines are under ground).

However, thanks to your responses, I am not nearly as turned on to this property as I was. The primary reason is that some people require more runway than I do. I was hoping that my son and our friends who fly FW UL's would be able to use this strip also.

Thanks to your responses, I see now that most of the heavier gyro's probably wouldn't be able to get off the ground before hitting the next door neighbors electric cattle fence, especially if the wind wasn't right.

Also, since many of the UL FW's can't get down as readily as we can, and the fact that they require a lot more roll after touch down than we, few if any FW's would be able to land on it.

Kevin, Ron, James, Scott, Tim, Harry, Mark, Ken, Randy, Paul and Kerry, I sincerely appreciate you helping me as you have with your excellent replies. I now believe that I should continue to look for a piece of property that will allow for a longer strip.

Tim, your idea about the abandoned Railroad property is a great one.

Thanks again, guys. You really came through for me.

Very sincerely,

Chuck Irby