EnglishAl,
You mention the "friendly farmer". I am a farmer and can vouch that we ARE a friendly bunch but please believe that things aren't as rosy as they might seem to the rest of you.
Farm incomes are down by 70% and if we can still fly then we are very lucky. You might think that farmers with their own private strips are very lucky. I suppose we are in a "flying sense" but you would not want to be in our shoes at the mo'.
Our whole lives seem to be spent trying to minimise financial losses at the moment and the last thing we are interested in is a local PPL looking for a home for his/her mount unless it rewards WELL. Yes, we do fly from our private strips and believe me, many of them are being watched by the NIMBYS to make sure that the 28 day rule is not being exceeded.
I operate frok my own 650 m grass strip near Newbury and have spare hangarage that I would gladly rent out for a samll fee BUT I cannot risk losing the right to fly from there due to extra take offs/departures.
Please, someone, tell me, what is this world coming to when we are dictated to by the people who know nothing. We go about our hobbies in an innocent way and someone always seems determined to drag us down.
I would love to accomodate you Englishal. Sadly, due to the backyard "moaners" I can't afford to.