Zorg wrote:
In which (European) countries can you buy a plot of land and use it as an airstrip?
Possible in Poland and there are many.
Only three requirements:
- permission from land owner
- positive opinion from Polish Air Navigation Services Agency with regard to proposed airfield procedures
- positive opinion from local community (mayor, city president)
Example, Śmiłowo EPPS:
Peter wrote:
Under the 28 day rule you have to use the land as-is and maybe remove onstacles slowly, over time, but 60ft trees?
No problem, unless there’s a preservation order. I have a helpful letter on file from the Forestry Commission about trees and aerodromes. PM if you want a copy.
In France it’s reasonably easy provided it’s for your own usage and for your guests’, whose name must be registered with the prefecture. You may not charge your guests for using the field, but you may sell them food, accommodation etc.
Montpezat, La Tranche sur Mer are such airfields. Before landing there with an aeroplane you must obtain permission from the owners and they will register you with the prefecture. To land with a microlight you just need the field owner’s permission.
In Germany, you have to land at or depart from a licenced airfield during its opening hours. Any operation outside these hours and from any other site need approval from the CAA (their regional offices, to be precise).
Commercial helicopter operators get a general permission as long as they adhere to some conditions.
No problem, unless there’s a preservation order
A popular anti maneuver is indeed to apply for a preservation order. A woman living down the road from where we live did that for various trees in the street – just for fun. It’s very hard for the council to refuse such an application. She did it for 2 fast growing crappy leylandii conifers in our drive (anybody can apply for a preservation order for a tree on somebody else’s land). Eventually they started damaging the roof of the house next door, which was very useful 
We got them chopped, but it took over 10 years. Admittedly we live in a “tight” area (AONB etc). Also we live in a village where you get the “village types” like the one above 
I guess this is why farm strip people keep a low profile. You have to minimise the hassle, and minimise it absolutely for the first 10 years.
Not in Europe, but for sale.
Next week I will be landing on this private runway in SA (Timbavati region). It belongs to our friends and services their own family game farm.
A private runway next to a second home is on my bucket list. I am dreaming of calling my wife on the radio to turn on the runway lights or otherwise to be able to turn them on myself. Then to taxi to the house and park it right there.
Definitely doable in Finland and has been done many times. Much like Sweden.
Here’s one the nicest examples: http://tuulikki-vampula.fi
Welcome to enjoy the weather ;-)
For Ultralights you can do it in Spain. But count on 5 years+ of battling burocracy. The main obstacle seems to be doing an ‘environmental impact’ study and getting that approved, but of course there is also the Spanish CAA and municipality/province authorities involved. If you want to allow UL visitors you need to appoint an ‘airport director’ who keeps a record on flight movements.
For anything heavier than UL you can probably forget it. The examples listed above were probably illegal, or (ahem) facilitated by some ‘other means’.. Those other means are going to be a thing of the past (or at least I certainly hope so) as some of you may have read in the news.
Someone I know with a C172 has recently given up on a project. I’ll call him and find out what happened. That call is going to cost me, likely he will use me as a relief valve for letting off steam regarding Spanish burocracy.
