I worked on clearing the airstrip about 2 hours today. Progress is certainly being made. I stopped at a local equipment rental place on Saturday and learned that I could rent a tracked Bobcat skid-steer with a bucket for $225 a day. If I pick it up at closing time on a Friday, I don't have to return it until they open on Monday. I think this is what I'll do instead of hire someone with a bulldozer. Here is what the airstrip looks like at the moment:
The start of runway 24.
Midpoint of runway 24. Those trees at the end will be removed to provide clear access to the end of the runway.
Midpoint of runway 6. There will be some fill required on the right side near the end. The higher side of the clearing will be cut away to provide the fill and eventually the runway will start very close to my front yard. All the trees that will interfere with the runway will be removed on both sides.
These trees at the end of runway 24 will all be cut down. As you can see, I've already started.
As it stands right now, without any cut or fill, it appears that I'll have 300 feet with both ends clear. It will certainly be tight on both take-off and landing but I believe it will be do-able!
posted by Rusty UL @ 9:01 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
The pictures seem to show some minor hills, bumps, etc. Is that the case? Something the bobcat would just blow right through and level it out?
As far as bumps are concerned, I'm sure there are many. Hills? There is one hill, you can clearly see it. Low on the south, high on the north. I don't think the Bobcat would blow right through it, but with much effort, I could cut the hill away and use the material for fill in the low spot at the end of 26. I'm sure a box blade will be required to smooth things all out after the Bobcat.
I can't wait for the RustyUL Ranch Fly-in in 2011!
Well done sir. Sometimes the hardest part is getting started.
E
Yeah, well there won't be any fly-in, at least in the near future. I'll be glad to put you up for a few nights Enrique if you are brave enough to fly you plane to my location! Of course, if you want to trailer it, you could do that too! I'm about 500 miles closer than Mark Smith's place!
Sounds like a plan to me.
E
I may be the first to land there! Maybe I'll fly over tomorrow for photos. This weather lately sucks. Jim and I were going to fly over for pix last week, but he got stuck in a field a few miles east of your place, and he couldn't get out til a farmer cut the grass a bit, then it was almost dark.
Bert
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