Private Airstrip in North Carolina

swisspilot

swisspilot

Well-Known Member
Today I went to Dean Wings Past Airstrip. It`s a small private airstrip south of Sanford NC. The Owner, Jimmy Dean built it 20 years ago. His house is right on the field, he is crazy about classic airplanes from the 20s, 30s and 40s. Next to the house he has is hangar were he works on his planes.

I went there with my gf to look at a plane I m interested in, the guy and his wife are super nice and even made us a fresh lemonade.

This is why I love GA in the US:

the strip:

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Hangar:

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Taylorcraft:

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Waco:

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Porterfiled:

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Super Cub:

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More Cool stuff:

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That's incredible! I wonder how he determines which toy to play with on any given day? I once went to a fly-in a guy had at his private airstrip. He too restored aircraft and flew acro in airshows. He had buddies fly in with their Fairchild 24s, Cessna C195s, and even a guy with a Travelair. Thanks for the share!
 
Goal in life: a strip like that, a hangar filled like that, and a glass of lemonade.

ahhh, someday...
 
Did I miss it, or is there an identifier for that strip?

I'd love to scope the measurements, etc.

I ran the logistics on a private strip in acreage, cost, etc, once, and it was staggering. Always been a pipe dream of mine.

If there's a better way to do it, I'm all ears.
 
Firebird2XC said:
Did I miss it, or is there an identifier for that strip?

I'd love to scope the measurements, etc.

I ran the logistics on a private strip in acreage, cost, etc, once, and it was staggering. Always been a pipe dream of mine.

If there's a better way to do it, I'm all ears.
Click to expand...

It seems really easy to get a private strip in north Carolina. They just sold an airport south of winston, sugar valley: 2001 built runway with lights and vasi, lake for float plane operations, 7 hangars, mx shop, fuel tank, classrooms and a house for 900k dollars! Not far from there there is a grass strip for sale with an house and river acces but I have ni clue how much it is going for.
 
My grandpa had 12 acres and 1,200 ft of turf, with a dog-leg in the middle. Hanger and a seperate spare parts building and a house. The strip was really, really minimal. He kept the Waco's, a Chief, and a Monoprep at the house, but the Howard couldn't do the 1,200 feet. The runway was east/west with the prevailing winds being north/south so there was always a crosswind. Narrow too and lined with trees on the west end, house at the end of the east end. Basically it was one way in, one way out - take off to the west, land to the east. Only once do I ever remember landing to the west (over the house) and that is because of pretty severe winds from the west and we were racing a T-storm that was approaching. Grandpa said it "kept the weenies and amatuers out" as it was pretty snug (particularly for the Waco's).

Anyway, this is where I spent a lot of my youth. It obviously was not big (like the place pictured) and what the experience taught me was that I never want to own my own strip. You end up spending more time on a tractor than you do with your airplanes. Much better to live on someone elses strip - perhaps a quonset hut hanger with a condo/living quarters built onto it. Owning a strip is one of those things in which the fantasy is much better than the reality...unless you live to mow grass.
 
WacoFan said:
Anyway, this is where I spent a lot of my youth. It obviously was not big (like the place pictured) and what the experience taught me was that I never want to own my own strip. You end up spending more time on a tractor than you do with your airplanes. Much better to live on someone elses strip - perhaps a quonset hut hanger with a condo/living quarters built onto it. Owning a strip is one of those things in which the fantasy is much better than the reality...unless you live to mow grass.
Click to expand...

Excellent point... why start a private strip and sit alone by yourself when you can buy into an airpark and live amongst pilots. Upkeep would likely drive a man bonkers. Unless you had the money to hire help.

Got a flyer in the mail about a new airpark going up north of Dallas. Maybe someday.
 
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