This is beginning to pop up on the local L.A. media. Jennifer Aniston wants to build a personal 3200 ft runway at her Bel Air mansion.

Just out of curiosity, I really don't think this is remotely possible, but willing to hear from people who know more than me. Can you just plop down a runway if you own a nice chunk of land? I can't possibly be that simple.

On Curbed L.A. now:

Is Jennifer Aniston Building a Private Plane Runway in Bel Air?

From the often entertaining, rarely accurate British gossip press comes "news" that Jennifer Aniston is planning to spend "$1 million to have a 3,200ft. runway installed at the mansion she and Justin [Theroux] have been renovating in Bel Air … 'Jen says it will be worth every penny to cut hours off the flight times,' an insider told British magazine Heat." Sure, of course it will be. And the A. Quincy Jones house that Aniston bought in early 2012 sits on more than three acres (it has its own vineyard), but it's still in the middle of Bel Air, the neighborhood known for its insular snootiness and its wealthy old Nancy Reagan types (including Nancy Reagan). Is there any possible way on earth they'd allow a jet to land on the regular--a mile above Sunset and practically in the Hotel Bel-Air's backyard?


personally this is the Entertainment Media in overdrive...but still, um, interesting

http://la.curbed.com/

[Edited 2013-10-28 19:20:35]

Well, google says 3 acres = 130680 square feet. 130680/3200 = 40'. So, the only way it could work is if the lot was 40' x 3200', which is highly unlikely - it would also leave little room for a house, or a vineyard  

How could a runway be built that doesn't interfere with BUR, VNY, and SMO traffic? And are the commutes to those airports really that bad from Bel Air? Is 3,000 feet enough for a private/biz jet? Does the FAA still have to sign off on private airstrips?

I think this is just gossip and has no plausible chance of occuring.

I would say it is about as accurate as the Jennifer Aniston-is-preggo stories that have been tabloid fodder for years.

I would assume that a runway like that would be strictly VFR ... wonder if she thought of that? LOL

Lots of acreages here have their own strip, albeit simple grass strips but would be nice to have  

Wouldn't a helicopter just be easier?

What the hell is she going to land on a 3200' runway, a Piper Cub? Surely none of the private jets that she would want to fly in there. If you look at the aerial view of her house, it appears the entire back side of the property is a rather steep incline, so I'm not even sure if it's physically possible.

Quoting LittleFokker (Reply 2):

I would assume it would interfere with the LAX TCA.

Quoting 777STL (Reply 6):

Hahahahaha exactly what I was thinking.

There is no place flat enough in Bel-Air to build a runway except maybe on the LA country club golf course. She doesn't have enough money to buy that. Flattening a mountain top would be laughed out of a planning commission meeting.

A heliport is doable, and I think that local laws are preempted by the feds if that is what you want to do. There is a closed AIr Force station a few miles east in Laurel Canyon, but it never had a runway. Interesting story. Look up "Lookout Mountain Air Force Station". I grew up nearby and never knew what it was.

I think the house is on Airole Way. Take a look at the terrain on google maps.

Are we sure it isn't a 3,200 micrometer strip....   

Quoting longhauler (Reply 5): What the hell is she going to land on a 3200' runway, a Piper Cub? Surely none of the private jets that she would want to fly in there.

3200 feet is long enough for some of the smallest bizjets.

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 10): 3200 feet is long enough for some of the smallest bizjets.

Not if there is a mountain at both ends.

Can you build a runway with $1,000,000 including all the facilities and FAA compliances?

I'm tired of seeing her promote Smart Water on billboards all over L.A. Although this news made me laugh, it's nice to see her aspire to do something different.

And yes, anywhere from Sunset to LAX is a pain in the arse! And I do mean ANYWHERE.

This should probably have stopped at Reply 1.

guy next door used to take off from his yard, so... sure, anything is possible.

the political catfight would be fun to watch if she gets serious about it.

This is not a real story. Its absurd.

Van Nuys airport which caters to more private planes then any other airport in the country is 9 miles away and you don't even have to get on a freeway if you don't want to. It actually handles more airplane movements then all but 25 airports in the world (I know it sounds ridiculous). Santa Monica airport is 11 miles away.

tortugamon

Well say someone has 3000-5000+ acres, not in Bel Air obviously, but say Colorado or Iowa...how hard would it be to get approval for say a 10,000'+ asphalt/concrete runway? Cost is one thing, approval from authorities is another. Private WB taxiing to a country house?  

With the proper "JAn-scaping" she could take her personal landing strip wherever she goes.....   

Jennifer Anniston can land in my runway any time  

There are communities with private airport with taxiway to villa. Can't she buy a villa there.

Two words: Noise complaints

I think it's because BradJolina have one!

Quoting Pellegrine (Reply 17): Well say someone has 3000-5000+ acres, not in Bel Air obviously, but say Colorado or Iowa...how hard would it be to get approval for say a 10,000'+ asphalt/concrete runway? Cost is one thing, approval from authorities is another. Private WB taxiing to a country house?

Usually not hard at all, Texas even publishes a guide on how to do it.

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot...n/avninfo/farm_ranch_airstrips.pdf

Couldn't she just have a helicopter with helicopter pad to get her quickly to LAX?

How often does she fly that she thinks she needs an exclusive runway?

Insert Jennifer Aniston and "landing strip" gag here.

Seriously, who cares?

She should move down to Florida with John T. Plenty of runway down there at .

[Edited 2013-10-29 07:53:33]

Quoting Rhodylee (Reply 1): Well, google says 3 acres = 130680 square feet. 130680/3200 = 40'. So, the only way it could work is if the lot was 40' x 3200', which is highly unlikely - it would also leave little room for a house, or a vineyard

Simple Math. I love it.

Quoting 707lvr (Reply 14): This should probably have stopped at Reply 1.

  

I'm guessing she hasn't checked into the very expensive insurance requirements (not to mention the maintenance and upkeep expenses) to own and operate a private concrete strip. I know of large, multinational agricultural firms who have built their own runways before realizing they were prohibitively expensive to operate as a private entity (not part of public infrastructure). Two local examples here in Iowa are John Deere's roughly 4,000 foot runway in Dubuque, which I believe was only used a handful of times (or possibly never at all) before it was covered with parked forestry implements, and Vermeer's factory landing strip in Pella, which was used during the 60s and 70s but deactivated after that.

Quoting Pellegrine (Reply 17): but say Colorado or Iowa...how hard would it be to get approval for say a 10,000'+ asphalt/concrete runway? Cost is one thing, approval from authorities is another. Private WB taxiing to a country house?

Funny you should mention that.

Here in Iowa, three large corporations in the towns of Oskaloosa and Pella (cities in south/east central Iowa that are about 20 mins apart) are trying to build a new airport between each other to support larger aircraft (both cities aleady have their own airports that are small and constricted for further growth). But the corporations are trying to work through public funding and state/local government so that the airport would be part of local infrastructure and therefore built/operated/paid for by state/fed dollars. Also, when going through the public process you can use eminent domain, which is why this push for a new airport has turned it into a super duper controversial issue in those communities.

Even though there is nothing but farmland where they want to build the airport, that land is still someones farm or someone's home. Also, people in this area are very conservative, and very Dutch - so they hate government paying for anything they don't deem necessary, and they're stubborn as heck too   (my wife's family is Dutch so I can make these assertions with authority, heh)

I don't really think an airport is necessary, but I also don't really care. It is funny though that at least two of the three corporations pushing for the airport (they're all pretty large companies - Musco Lighting in Osky, and Pella Window and Vermeer Manufacturing in Pella) are known for their small government/ultra-conservative political leanings and donations, yet they are supporting a big government-style push to take land from private citizens for a greater public good.

For some perspective from the anti-airport folks, see this website: http://noregionalairport.com/

Quoting Pellegrine (Reply 17): Well say someone has 3000-5000+ acres, not in Bel Air obviously, but say Colorado or Iowa...how hard would it be to get approval for say a 10,000'+ asphalt/concrete runway? Cost is one thing, approval from authorities is another. Private WB taxiing to a country house?

Well, if you slap the word 'private' on it, the FAA doesn't care that much. Also you'd want it to be in a place where you wouldn't need FAA clearance every time you enter its airspace which would be the most likely case in large parts of IA or CO. The locals don't care much either if you have a huge amount of land in a mostly rural surrounding. There's private strips all around the country. Of course if you want insurance coverage there's probably a bunch of hurdles there.

Quoting scbriml (Reply 25): Insert Jennifer Aniston and "landing strip" gag here.

See #18.

Quoting scbriml (Reply 25): Seriously, who cares?

Presumably you do.

Quoting 707lvr (Reply 14): This should probably have stopped at Reply 1.

Yup.

You're doing it right!!!


You're not!!

Quoting AM777LR (Reply 7): I would assume it would interfere with the LAX TCA.

TCA's have been gone for decades, its Class Bravo airspace.

Quoting AR385 (Reply 12): Can you build a runway with $1,000,000 including all the facilities and FAA compliances?

Sure, you could do it for less. There isn't much you have to do to comply with the FAA, the bigger issue is dealing with local regulations. There is no legal requirement to even tell the FAA you're building a runway. Roll some grass in your back yard for a 1000 ft STOL strip, no problem.

-DiamondFlyer

Quoting planespotting (Reply 28): I'm guessing she hasn't checked into the very expensive insurance requirements (not to mention the maintenance and upkeep expenses) to own and operate a private concrete strip. I know of large, multinational agricultural firms who have built their own runways before realizing they were prohibitively expensive to operate as a private entity (not part of public infrastructure).

Never mind agricultural firms - Pratt and Whitney decided to get rid of their airport at their birthplace and corporate HQ in East Hartford, CT for similar reasons: very high costs relative to the low amount of usage. UConn's football stadium now overlaps one corner of the former airport.

Quoting Revelation (Reply 29): Also you'd want it to be in a place where you wouldn't need FAA clearance every time you enter its airspace

The address of the house places it right on the edge between a 5000-10000 ft shelf of the LAX Class B and a 3000-4800 shelf of the BUR Class C. Certainly could blast out of there VFR and pick up IFR with SoCal or call SoCal Flight Data on the landline to get IFR clearance and a wheels up time before you taxi out.

Quoting timpdx (Thread starter): Can you just plop down a runway if you own a nice chunk of land? I can't possibly be that simple.

It is in Australia. Wellcamp Airport is a new, privately funded and developed airport being built near Toowoomba, Queensland. They got council approval, and off they went.

John Travolta has some kind of setup at his spread in Florida so, I guess anything is possible. Jen, if you read this, has always felt you were hot and are currently hotter than ever. I fell in love with you when you were in that Godawful TV adaption of Ferris Buehler. If it was up to me, I'd grant it to you.   

Quoting DTW2HYD (Reply 20): There are communities with private airport with taxiway to villa. Can't she buy a villa there.

Or she can buy a closed military base and name it for herself, like this U.S. television evangelist. He bought this former Marines base near Fort Worth, Texas where his two Citations (including an X) are based.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Copeland_Airport

See the "Facilities" section here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Copeland

[Edited 2013-10-29 17:31:21]

Quoting glideslope (Reply 30): Quoting 707lvr (Reply 14): This should probably have stopped at Reply 1. Yup.

She was probably having a quiet drink with some friends one day and said "Gee, it would be nice to have your own airport".

Quoting RickNRoll (Reply 38):

Her airport IATA code could be KLEG or LEG   

Who really cares about Jennifer Aniston and her desires for her own airport?

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 37): Or she can buy a closed military base and name it for herself, like this U.S. television evangelist. He bought this former Marines base near Fort Worth, Texas where his two Citations (including an X) are based.

Good idea. Also, she can buy VAB @KSC and pay per runway use. Help NASA. Or just buy a V22 Osprey and help the test program. Lot of patriotic ways to deal with middle age crisis.

Does she have her own jet? Cant imagine her flying around in a Mustang, Phenom or Eclipse...

Quoting DTW2HYD (Reply 41): Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 37): Or she can buy a closed military base and name it for herself, like this U.S. television evangelist. He bought this former Marines base near Fort Worth, Texas where his two Citations (including an X) are based. Good idea. Also, she can buy VAB @KSC and pay per runway use. Help NASA. Or just buy a V22 Osprey and help the test program. Lot of patriotic ways to deal with middle age crisis.

Or she could move to Alabama and make an offer to buy the airport in Anniston (ANB) from the city, and delete one "n" from the name. The 7,000 foot runway should be plenty for any bizjets.
http://www.annistonal.gov/airport/

Obviously some internet troll got that story in the mix, and some gullible type bought it. 3 acres won't cut it. You have to be an excellent pilot and hit the numbers spot on every time to get a small bizjet into 3,200ft. It is done, few pilots can do it. Last I heard Brangelina was running around in a Cirrus SR22..........probably where the troll got the idea. Lots of piston singles can fit into that length or even shorter runways, and there are private strips all over the country.........you sure won't see one in B Hills..................lol.........

Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 23): Usually not hard at all, Texas even publishes a guide on how to do it.

Wow, thanks I'll have to read this when I have the time.

Quoting planespotting (Reply 28): I'm guessing she hasn't checked into the very expensive insurance requirements (not to mention the maintenance and upkeep expenses) to own and operate a private concrete strip.

I want to know more about this. Especially the insurance reqs. This is one area where I have little knowledge.

Quoting Revelation (Reply 29): Well, if you slap the word 'private' on it, the FAA doesn't care that much. Also you'd want it to be in a place where you wouldn't need FAA clearance every time you enter its airspace which would be the most likely case in large parts of IA or CO.

Good to know. You'd need FAA clearance in large parts of Iowa or Colorado though? Is that a real inconvenience? I'm not talking near Denver or Des Moines...

BTW, I thought John Travolta sold that Florida house adjacent to the runway, not sure though.

Quoting DiamondFlyer (Reply 32): Sure, you could do it for less. There isn't much you have to do to comply with the FAA, the bigger issue is dealing with local regulations. There is no legal requirement to even tell the FAA you're building a runway. Roll some grass in your back yard for a 1000 ft STOL strip, no problem.

Thank you for your answer. I was very interested about that, as I imagined a "runway" made of asphalt/concret with NAV aids, lights, etc.

I know it's cool to knock celebrities but I love Jennifer Anniston !



Funny beautiful and a good actress, she really is a ray of sunshine in a sometimes dismal world.

Quoting Max Q (Reply 47): Funny beautiful and a good actress, she really is a ray of sunshine in a sometimes dismal world.

Have you been watching the same shows I have, she has ugly legs and is not that great an actor. Even so should she need her own airport even though she can't fly her own plane or own her own plane?

Quoting brilondon (Reply 48): Have you been watching the same shows I have, she has ugly legs and is not that great an actor.

Don't know.



To each his own.