NAAA fields inquiries every year regarding obstruction incursions to the airspace around members’ private airports. The FAA only gets involved in obstructions to publicly used airports. Private airports generally are not afforded protection by the FAA. You probably have a lot invested in your airport: hangers, developed runways and loading areas. You would not have much value left if the airport became unusable. Having an FAA designation may provide protection from towers, wind and solar energy development and urban sprawl developments that inhibit aviation operations. For example, in some areas when developing wind energy, local zoning authorities have required setbacks from officially recognized airports, private or public.
Local and state zoning and land use statutes may provide protection. However, local zoning authorities often require evidence that a private airport’s existence is a legitimate claim. Registering your airport with the FAA is one way to establish legitimacy. Having your airport registered may also be useful in litigation against an entity that is putting up an obstruction.
To register a new airport or make substantial changes to an existing airport, a form 7480-1 must be filled out and submitted to the associated FAA Regional Office or online submissions at the Obstruction Evaluation/Airport Airspace Evaluation office.
Do you have a privately owned airport that is already registered? If so, protect it by making sure the FAA does not list it as closed indefinitely in its airport database. The FAA is in the process of removing airports if they have not heard from the manager for several years. For example, in one state alone in the upper Midwest, there are 54 private airports (several are known aerial applicator airports) that will be removed from the database if they do not contact the FAA.
The best way to check and update your airport is through the FAA’s Airport Data and Information Portal (ADIP). Once on the site, click on “Public Login.” If you haven’t done so previously, this site requires you to register as a user. To register, click “Register” at the ADIP site. Once registered on this site, click “Update Facility Data,” then look at the box that lists “Airport Status.” It should say “operational”; if not, make the required changes.
