QUESTION: How are the runways on most residential airparks classified by the FAA? Public, private, restricted, etc.?
ANSWER: The majority of the residential airparks for which we have obtained information have asked FAA to list them as private. Many publicize themselves as private and landings are by prior permission only. Obviously these are attempts to minimize exposure to risk from nonresident pilots. Covenants of the development usually can spell out such things and they can be publicized throughout the area. Enforcing those restrictive covenants is something entirely different and difficult in most instances. Some states offer a lower tax rate on open areas like airports if the owner will list them as private-owned but open to the public. goes The tax break can be considerable, but you also lose some potential privacy.