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Buckingham supervisors will hear a proposal about a private airstrip when they meet in September. Planning commission members gave their unanimous approval during a Monday, Aug. 26 meeting, seeing no impact to other residents in the area. 

The project would be built at 2697 Gravel Hill Road in Dillwyn, by property owner John Demaio. 

He needs a special use permit to build the private grass airstrip and airplane hanger, because his property is currently zoned Agricultural (A-1). That means the zoning ordinance doesn’t allow an airstrip without approval from supervisors. Demaio told commission members on Monday that he had no plans to let other people land at the site. It was being designed to just house his plane,a Cessna 182P. 

“I have a house in Florida,” Demaio said. “I’d like to be able to roll out of my house (here), (get) into the plane and go (down there) at any given time.” 

This topic had come before the planning commission once before this summer, but members were leery of moving forward without a permit approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On Monday, Demaio said he filed a permit with the federal agency, but still had not heard back from them. 

The commission’s concerns were alleviated during the public hearing, thanks to Morgan Dunnavant. The former county supervisor has also worked with the FAA as a commercial and private pilot. Dunnavant stated that the FAA is backlogged, when it comes to applications. The Herald reached out to FAA public relations, but had not heard back as of press time. 

Dunnavant, meanwhile, explained that when it comes to private airstrips, the FAA simply wants to keep track of all those currently in operation. For example, you can encounter gliders at certain times of the day at the private strip in Amelia County. Knowing that, the FAA can provide information to pilots, so they know to avoid the area. 

‘The dream of every pilot’ 

But above all, Dunnavant was there to support Demaio’s request. 

“The dream of every pilot who has an opportunity to do so and own their own plane is to have it at home,” Dunnavant said. “To have a little patch of grass smoothed out enough where they can land and take off at their leisure, at their residence. If you look at it in that scope, it’s no different than any one of your private driveways.” 

He pointed out that what Demaio was asking for would not affect any other resident in the area, as it would only be used for the man’s own private plane. Dunnavant also argued that the constant tractor trailers driving down Gravel Hill Road currently will make more noise than Demaio will with his plane. 

Those arguments were echoed by Jerry Watts. The president of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Watts has an airstrip similar to what Demaio is asking to do, set up near Abilene. 

The planning commission agreed, with just a few requirements attached to the recommendation. First, right of ways and roadway shoulders won’t be used for aircraft parking around Gravel Hill Road. Second, the property will be kept neat and orderly. Third, all federal, state and local regulations will be followed. And fourth, all commercial aircraft will be banned from using the site or being stored there. 

Moving forward with private airstrip

Demaio accepted all of those conditions and the planning commission unanimously recommended sending it on to the board of supervisors for a decision. The request will go before Buckingham supervisors during their Sept. 9 meeting, which starts at 6 p.m.