Building a runway that is 10 metres wide and 1,600 metres long (approx 5,250 feet) is fine if you need to land large aircraft or a small jet. A 747 needs a minimum of 7,500 feet and could do it in as little as 6,000 feet if empty and under favourable conditions.
If you only want to land a small aircraft like a Cessna 172 you probably don't need anything like that size of runway.
The distance needed to take-off varies from aircraft to aircraft and is dependent on factors including altitude above sea level, gross weight, runway slope, air pressure, temperature and headwind. A good length for most small fixed wing aircraft for average conditions would be about 3,000 feet. The width of the paved area could be as little as 3 to 5 metres with additional cleared space of grass, soil or gravel on either side. Assume 5 metres.
1 foot = 0.348 metres, so 3,000 feet equals 915 metres.
The cost of building a runway will depend on the work required to prepare the surface and the type of surface used. The cheapest surface is grass, although this requires constant maintenance and may become unusable in winter. A strong, long lasting surface is concrete and a smooth, durable surface is asphalt, both of which could be used all year round.
Assuming an average cost of $60 per square metre for a cheap asphalt runway, the calculation for the cost of laying your own runway would be:
$60 x 915 x 5 = $240,000
The main factor here is the cost per square metre for laying the pavement. Pavement/asphalt contractors will quote that for you based on your particular circumstances.
If you only want to land a small aircraft like a Cessna 172 you probably don't need anything like that size of runway.
The distance needed to take-off varies from aircraft to aircraft and is dependent on factors including altitude above sea level, gross weight, runway slope, air pressure, temperature and headwind. A good length for most small fixed wing aircraft for average conditions would be about 3,000 feet. The width of the paved area could be as little as 3 to 5 metres with additional cleared space of grass, soil or gravel on either side. Assume 5 metres.
1 foot = 0.348 metres, so 3,000 feet equals 915 metres.
The cost of building a runway will depend on the work required to prepare the surface and the type of surface used. The cheapest surface is grass, although this requires constant maintenance and may become unusable in winter. A strong, long lasting surface is concrete and a smooth, durable surface is asphalt, both of which could be used all year round.
Assuming an average cost of $60 per square metre for a cheap asphalt runway, the calculation for the cost of laying your own runway would be:
$60 x 915 x 5 = $240,000
The main factor here is the cost per square metre for laying the pavement. Pavement/asphalt contractors will quote that for you based on your particular circumstances.
