Is there any difference between landing at an abandoned runway (possibly with “X” at each end) and landing on any other bit of private land?
Obviously the answer will be country-dependent.
I think legally speaking the fact that the land you chose to land on what USED to be a runway is irrelevant. You need the land owner’s permission to land on any private land regardless of the surface type.
Peter wrote:
Is there any difference between landing at an abandoned runway (possibly with “X” at each end) and landing on any other bit of private land?
In Germany, I reckon it makes no difference legally if you do either of those – or land at a fully functional airfield a minute after it closed for the day.
In England it’s a civil wrong (tort). Where a trespass concerns some use of the land without causing damage, any damages would be measured in relation to the value of the defendant’s use. In Scotland it’s a right, to be exercised responsibly.
It’s either an airfield (in the legal sense) or it’s not. Dutch law makes no difference in disused airfields/airports or any other slab of concrete. I once made an off airfield landing with my glider in Germany on what later turned out to be a disused Agrar-Flugplatz (airfield used for cropdusters), it being a glider it caused no problems anyway.
As others have said, a non-active aerodrome is, aeronautically speaking, just another bit of real estate. In decent countries, at least. The pilot/owner/operator in this story had a hard time, though, getting the plane back to the skies. Took a couple of months ISTR.
In an emergency, or if i needed to do a precautionary landing – I’d do it any time. But it’s clear that that would be an off-airport landing, in Germany.
Flyer59 wrote:
In an emergency, or if i needed to do a precautionary landing…
In Germany it is perfectly legal to perform a precautionary landing anytime and anywhere. You are allowed to take off on your own after a precautionary landing but you must supply your name, address and insurance details to the landowner first in any case. Whether you caused obvious (to you) damage or not.
Theoretically, one could also land on a disused airfield, but for that the permission of both the landowner and the local aviation authority is required. Pretty much standard for some helicopter operations.
That’s actually what i meant.
The problem in the uk at least may not be the landing but the departing as we have seen at plymouth very recently.
However, i dont know of a reason not to land anywhere with the land owners permission, other than if it causes endangerment. Clearly the pilot must satisfy himself of the ground conditions, which may not always be easy. Without permission its trespass. If its a forced landing follow the debate on plymouth which reached various conclusions.
