Farm Strip Regulations

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paul330
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Farm Strip Regulations

Post by paul330 » Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:50 am

Can someone give me some guidance or point me to the right documents concerning the regulations for farm strips? I have been told that provided it is used for less than 28 days a year then no planning permission or approval is required and it is simply necessary to register it with the CAA. I can't believe it would be that easy!

Presumably, in any case, it would be necessary to get planning permission to erect a hangar.
Paul Marskell
RV-10 ZU-IIZ
At Mercy Air, White River, RSA

Bearhawk Bravo QB under construction

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Rod1
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Post by Rod1 » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:19 am

Hangar? A barn for agricultural use, such as keeping a mower in. Might be space in the corner for an aircraft though…

Rod1
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paul330
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Post by paul330 » Thu Aug 28, 2008 2:34 pm

OK, I get the idea - and it needs a big wide door to get the "mower" out!!

Anyway, just seen amazingly and co-incidentally that someone has just started a thread on exactly this issue so I'll get involved in that.
Paul Marskell
RV-10 ZU-IIZ
At Mercy Air, White River, RSA

Bearhawk Bravo QB under construction

Will Greenwood
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Post by Will Greenwood » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:01 pm

Hi Paul, firstly it will help if you own the land you are flying from. The law states you can come and go from your own land as you please. The change of use(flying) will come under the 28 day rule, as far as I know there is no requirement to inform the CAA of it's use. You should inform your insurance company though, that you operate from a grass airstrip.
If you intend to fly abroad then you should find out who your local small ports officer is(customs) and keep a movements book anyway from the start, so they can check it, and you can prove the use of the strip if you operate for 10yrs or more without any problems.
If you do get a letter from the council, state that it is your own private landing ground and that you use it for 28 days or less a year. As far as using an agricultural building to "shelter" you aircraft, be sure that 60-70% is still used for agricultural storage, then you are still "legal". Good luck and enjoy flying from your own back yard !!

Regards Will (airstrip owner for 22 yrs)

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Brian Robe
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Post by Brian Robe » Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:26 pm

Hi Paul.
You dont need any documentation to use a field to fly an aircraft from.
You do need the permission of the landowner. You need a strip of land long enough and without obstructions for you to be comfortable landing and taking off from. I reccomend that there are no roads nearby, no footpaths across the strip and no obstructions to aircraft opperation on the ground or in the near vicinity. Once you have chosen you strip and tried it out inform the nearest airport of your presence and ask them to inform the military and the police who will visit you at some time in the future.
The farm building (hangar) should be as inconspicuos as possible and the very best efforts should be made to make friends with anybody who lives or works within a one mile radius of your strip as they will notice you and word gets around very quickly. You can legally use that strip up to 28 days a year even if you get complaints but the complainers will probably stop you ever getting permission to change the lands use to airfield.
I started a strip five years ago near Hexham and I love flying from it and have made some good friends in the process. Best of luck

paul330
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Location: White River, South Africa

Post by paul330 » Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:11 am

That's all great info. What are the implications concerning nearby military airfields? I know I am well inside the MATZ and MAY just be inside the 2nm civil ATZ. Obviously I would liase with the SATCO but is there any legal impediment?

Also, do I understand that I can put up a "farm" building without planning?
Paul Marskell
RV-10 ZU-IIZ
At Mercy Air, White River, RSA

Bearhawk Bravo QB under construction

mike newall
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Post by mike newall » Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:29 pm

You cannot put up a farm building without some form of consultation with your local planners.

You don't need planning permission provided it satisfies the requirements of permitted agricultural development - available on your local planning website and discusses things like location, purpose, construction, siting, proximity to roads, footpaths and airports.

You do need, and this is important a certificate of permitted agricultural development.

If you erect one without and they find out, you will then be required to submit full planning permission and guess what - this will be refused.

Bitter, yes.
From first hand experience, yes.
How many appeals ? - 3 including to Bristol.

We eventually struck a deal in a slightly different location - I lost the 15 Mtrs of concrete underneath the original, however, I now have a very nice 30' x 40' 'agricultural building' which I share with the farmer !

tnowak
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Post by tnowak » Fri Sep 05, 2008 8:18 am

A friend of mine has a private strip in (or on the boundary of) Odiham ATZ. He operates without problems but calls by telephone or radio before departing. I think you just need to talk to the military ATC and agree on "ops procedures".
TN

Pete
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Post by Pete » Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:58 pm

These large tent like structures don't need planning perm, and can be just as weather tight as a hangar.

Or you could do like they do at the south pole, dig a hole, pop the plane in the hole & cover it up :)
Peter Diffey
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John Brady
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Post by John Brady » Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:23 pm

I fly out of RAF Benson and there are several strips within the MATZ and we all get on very well. Talk to the SATCO about any potential problems and come to an agreement about any notification. Here, some people phone in (they get the ATIS as well) and others who are closer call on the tower frequency before take-off. RAF stations like to be part of the local community and that includes being pally with strip flyers. If your military airfield has a flying club, ask if you can join and then you can be "one of them"
John

Pete
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Post by Pete » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:19 pm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7618675.stm

anybody know anything more about this ?
Peter Diffey
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Dave Hall
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Post by Dave Hall » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:30 pm

Something about Welsh students in hotels as there aren't places for them in university Halls? Maybe the link is wrong or changed?
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Pete
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Post by Pete » Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:07 pm

ah sorry cut and waste error it was the upfield farm item I meant to post

Thanks for the update Ron, I kinda guessed that there was more it it than was on the beeb web site.

Was that the strip where the Europa that crashed after the stabilater failed a year back was based ?
Peter Diffey
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JohnMead
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Upfireld Farm

Post by JohnMead » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:43 pm

Welshman ;
I think your chronology is a bit out. I seem to remember that KB moved the strip to Upfield when the barrage flooding put paid to the old strip at Goldcliff.




[quote="welshman"]If you go onto the BBC wales site you will find a report re UPFIELD FARM, which is owned by an LAA inspector, it is a strip on the Gwent levels about 5 miles from the new severn bridge. This strip has been granted planning for private flying since 1995 but in recent years ther water levels have been altered so that birds that were driven from Cardiff bay when the barrage was built had a new wetlands home. The result was that the grass strip became flooded for most of the year and the owner put in a concrete runway on the surface of the field, no soil was excavated so that no licence was required for the operation. The being

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