Homebuilt WW1 Antique Aerodrome

Not sure where to put this or if there is interest, but I am trying to build a modest aerodrome, hoping to keep in a WW1 theme to match a Sopwith Camel replica. My budget is somewhat modest, so we started with 11 acres open farmland outside of Dayton, Ohio. While typical minimum RFC standards were a field 1250 x 1250, a field of 300 x 1600 was chosen with a mowed landing field of 1600 x 150 feet - enough for most all WW1 replicas to operate easily. The field was initially in corn, but was drug and Fescue 31 grass was seeded on the landing area. There is a treeline down one side, and the approaches are clear over bean fields. Clear at least when we bury a power line running down the road next month. The first call was to the township zoning inspector who gave the go ahead for the landing field. Next calls were to Ohio DOT/Av and the FAA regional airports office in Michigan to register. Amazingly, the FAA takes even the smallest registered landing areas quite seriously as far as safety is concerned. A long process, but the folks at the FAA were accommodating and tolerant of my not knowing anything. Ohio DOT/Av were great as well - very friendly and helpful. So, again keeping with the 'somewhere in 1917 France' theme, the modest airfield was registered with a very common French name: Aerodrome Les Noyers. I had researched RFC/RNAS aerodrome buildings in France, and came up with initially starting with a wooden technical shed (hangar) and a small watch office based on the Stow Maries Pilot's ready room. Stow Maries is a WW1 aerodrome in Kent, that has completely survived being isolated in the rural English countryside. There would also be a small French farm cottage to live in to keep with the ambiance of being "over there". The aerodrome will ultimately also have a replica Bessoneau tent hangar, but that is in the next couple of years. The 50 x 40 hangar and the watch office were built in cedar planking after a stone drive lined with Poplar-like trees was laid going up to the aerodrome. This tree-lined drive will hopefully be reminiscent of those many French country roads of the early 1900s. In keeping with the name 'Les Noyers', an orchard of walnut trees will be planted in front of the cottage. The watch office interior, complete with wood stove and 1915 Victrola and period maps, acts as a nice 'hang out spot' for visiting aviation enthusiasts. the hangar houses the Sopwith and has room for a future project BE2c. Feel free to check out the Facebok page under Aerodrome Les Noyers for notams and announcements. I post some more details about the mechanics of building and running a small (tiny) antique airfield if there is interest, and hope to see you all someday for a spot of tea!

lt keeps looking better and better all the time!

The Camel looks so authentic (as always) that it could be mistaken for some CGI magic.

Glad to see a new airfield.
I proposed an antique Aerodrome be built on the south side of our county airport (Port Townsend WA. 0S9)to enhance the "Victorian Seaport" image that draws tourists. Something like Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York.

Looks great! Count me in as a future visitor.

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Originally Posted by martymayes

Looks great! Count me in as a future visitor.

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Ditto!

Thanks for the posts everyone. Hope to have a fly-in picnic next Spring with the Sopwith flying, and as suggested, will have something with the DPR next fall at the USAF Museum.http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c.../123crop-1.jpg

My wife and I wanted to build a place similar to this with a small 1200 house on it for the 2 of us. In Northern California, we have found that doing anything like that for all practical reasons is impossible. Unless we move to deep northern counties far away from healthcare and the like, it cannot happen here. Even the rural agricultural counties require a "Major Use Permit" for a private grass runway. That process alone takes 2 years and $25K up front with no guarantee it will be granted.

It is too bad that one of the places, California, that has a great number of young people and great weather for flying is so inhospitable to people who want to create places that would appeal to the young, aviation wise, as opposed to the locked industrial camps that pass as airfields here in most of California.

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Originally Posted by JDD

My wife and I wanted to build a place similar to this with a small 1200 house on it for the 2 of us. In Northern California, we have found that doing anything like that for all practical reasons is impossible. Unless we move to deep northern counties far away from healthcare and the like, it cannot happen here. Even the rural agricultural counties require a "Major Use Permit" for a private grass runway. That process alone takes 2 years and $25K up front with no guarantee it will be granted.

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I am basically trying to do the same. The small farm cottage is a modest 1300+ old European type for just me. It is on a long driveway lined with poplar type trees resembling a rural French country lane as it leads past the cottage and on up to the Airfield. I wish you the best, and you're always welcome here in Ohio.

My wife tends to go to the exotic real estate listings and look around. Several years ago, she found a 17-century French chateau/manor for sale. A number of buildings, previous owners rented the hall out for conventions. Had a half-km long grass strip.....

Finally sold, last year. Damn.

Ron Wanttaja

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Originally Posted by rwanttaja

My wife tends to go to the exotic real estate listings and look around. Several years ago, she found a 17-century French chateau/manor for sale. A number of buildings, previous owners rented the hall out for conventions. Had a half-km long grass strip.....

Finally sold, last year. Damn.

Ron Wanttaja

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Very cool place. A half kilometer is right at 1600 feet. Very cool wife. :)

WOW. Very cool snj5. Nicely done.

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Originally Posted by rwanttaja

My wife tends to go to the exotic real estate listings and look around. Several years ago, she found a 17-century French chateau/manor for sale. A number of buildings, previous owners rented the hall out for conventions. Had a half-km long grass strip.....

Finally sold, last year. Damn.

Ron Wanttaja

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Similarly, but on more of a peasant scale, we are building a small northern French/Normandy-inspired farm cottage on the poplar-lined drive to the aerodrome. There will be an orchard of English walnut trees about the house, in keeping with the name. There has been an amazing amount of things to learn in doing all of this, and my friends tease me that I am building a theme park. If you want to drop by, just send us a note on the facebook page. www.facebook.com/AerodromeLesNoyers http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps7b611bfe.jpghttp://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps5a92242c.jpg

Just returned from Le Bourget and found these, may be of some help. ;-)

Mark

P.S. I volunteer for the USS Midway and San Diego Air and Space and the free museum at Le Bourget is excellent.

Attachment 3190


Attachment 3191

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Originally Posted by CAVU Mark

Just returned from Le Bourget and found these, may be of some help. ;-)

Mark

P.S. I volunteer for the USS Midway and San Diego Air and Space and the free museum at Le Bourget is excellent.

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That is terrific -- thanks!!!

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Originally Posted by CAVU Mark

Just returned from Le Bourget and found these, may be of some help. ;-)

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Here is our modest start in the Aerodrome Watch Office. The 1915 Victrola currently is playing the 1913 recording of "Archibald, Certainly Not!" by George Robey. http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...psa279faf2.jpg

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Originally Posted by snj5

I am basically trying to do the same. The small farm cottage is a modest 1300+ old European type for just me. It is on a long driveway lined with poplar type trees resembling a rural French country lane as it leads past the cottage and on up to the Airfield. I wish you the best, and you're always welcome here in Ohio.

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My mother was born and raised in Cleveland in what was the old Greek, Jewish, Italian, and everything else neighborhood around Clark & 25th. Being born and raised in Northern California, I often wonder if I would be more happy someplace else where the governmental crap that has become California has not yet flowed to.

If it was not for the fact that our health care is basically tied to Northern California when we retire, I would give it some serious consideration.

Some day I will make a point of visiting your airfield.

Best, James.

The French farm house is coming along..., well, a French farm house that has to meet modern building codes, have heat, a/c and indoor plumbing. It's at the end of the polar lined French country road (in Ohio) on the way to the Aerodrome. The Camel is together and just waiting some minor repairs and upgrades. Interestingly, about every couple of weeks we have folks call up and want to come out for a visit. They've either read the online EAA article or found the Aerodrome facebook page: www.facebook.com/AerodromeLesNoyers . The invitation is still open to all enthusiasts of WW1 aviation - stop by for a spot of tea and make some new friends!

Lookin good Russ. Now if I can find one of those horizon blue French uniforms to wear, I'd love to fly my N 17 into your field one day. Of course, I have to finish it first.:cool:

Dale

You are proof that dreams can become reality.
Love what you are doing. Will try to get there some day.
Here is a photo of our 1915 Morane Saulnier N replica.
Hope you like.

Joseph W. Lilley
President Western North Carolina Air Museum

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Originally Posted by joseph W. Lilley

You are proof that dreams can become reality.
Love what you are doing. Will try to get there some day.
Here is a photo of our 1915 Morane Saulnier N replica.
Hope you like.

Joseph W. Lilley
President Western North Carolina Air Museum

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Is that a Tailwind in the ceiling, near the door opening?
Details? (In another thread, to avoid a threadjack, if you want...)

To the OP, that place looks awesome!
Sure would like to swing by there sometime.

Thanks to dogged persistence, the power lines at the end of the runway are now buried, leaving clear approaches over bean fields on both sides of the 1600' x 150' landing field. Thanks to he Aerodrome's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AerodromeLesNoyers we have met some wonderful WW1 enthusiasts and builders who have dropped by the field to say "hi". The USAF Museum actually brought over some English and a Scott here on an aviation touring holiday.

On Armistice Day we planted red Belgian poppy seeds along the meadow by the landing field.

The French farm cottage is slowly coming along. I am learning it is a challenge to build a classic French farm cottage affordably and also meet modern building codes!

We also have had our first WW1 replica visit: Joe from Phillipsburg flew his wonderful scale Nieuport 12 into the Aerodrome and we had a great time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8inUIf2nxm4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB9UUt4DFvo

All Great War aviation enthusiasts are welcome to drop by! Just send me a note on the Aerodrome Facebook page and we'll arrange to meet you!

Winter comes to our modest Aerodrome!
No open cockpit today!

www.facebook.com/AerodromeLesNoyers

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Originally Posted by snj5

Winter comes to our modest Aerodrome!
No open cockpit today!

www.facebook.com/AerodromeLesNoyers

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Depends on how badly you want to fly....
http://www.bowersflybaby.com/stories/ice.jpg

Ron Wanttaja

Thanks for posting your project snj5, it has been a delight reading your progress and the other contributors. I would love to fly-in this coming year but it's a ways from me, but maybe! Back in the 70's I took a flying job and was stationed at DAY. On off days I would give flight lessons and had the opportunity to fly into some really neat small airports in the area. It's good to hear your effort will be a positive force in the Dayton communities, things were going down hill for the Dayton metro when I left in the 80's. I wonder if the float plans are still flying down on the muddy.

I recently received blessing from the FAA for a private dirt strip outside my door. Funny, it only took 3 months and that included the recent government shutdown. Here in Navajo County, things are much different than some congested areas of the country. Arizona DOT doesn't care what I do up here, and the only hoop I have left is the Special Permit from the County ($450.00) and that shouldn't be an issue (famous last words!). Actually tomorrow we will be clearing the north end of fallen juniper trees.

Anyway, seeing the photos and reading of your progress and success is inspiring to me and I look forward to following your thread. No doubt, with DAY, Wright Patt, and the museum nearby, there is a lot of aviation history, and I think your aerodrome theme fits in very well with the Ohio countryside.


Best Regards.......George

A couple of photos from our 8 plane WW 1 fly-in and a holiday photo of the Aerodrome ( FAA designation 50 OH )
Happy New Year everyone! Hope to see some of you at our Labor Day WW 1 Aero-Picnic.

https://www.facebook.com/AerodromeLesNoyers