On Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 2:40:32 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Maybe this is a good opportunity for some of us to share some stories of our experiences.

The "Private airport, or Field?" thread reminds me...

Decades ago when I was just a little glider pilot, I flew my Ventus B
in the nationals at Harris Hill. And as the weather there often dictates,
found myself about to outland...

A nice cornfield beckoned, adjacent to a private strip.
The cornfield looked better, but a I thought I could squeeze into the narrow
mowed bit of the airfield. And my insurance policy had just been updated
with a higher deductible for outlandings (not private listed airports).
So, I chose badly...

Late on final it was clear I'd made a mistake. Tried to get it down and
stopped in the wide-mowed turn-around at the end of the strip, but failed
to get it slowed enough. Ground-looped and dinged an aileron.

The owners were incredibly hospitable, fresh baked cookies and such.
But presently "there's another glider coming" !!
First I called on the radio, but got no answer.
I ran out into the middle of the strip and gestured frantically
towards the adjacent cornfield. The glider kept coming.
I kept waving and jumping about. The glider turned final towards me.

I thought, now, I've seen groundloops from above, from the side,
from the rear (and of course from the inside, aarrrgggg).
But I've never seen one from directly in front.
So I just stayed in the middle of the runway and watched.
It was Herbie, flying an ASW-20 Rudy had provided. Floppy wing,
well bowed with the landing flap and deployed spoilers.
Herbie touches down, hits the brakes, and the wing starts to unload
and droop. It actually takes a while before the wingtip finally lowers to
catch the grass, then the groundloop quickly turns and stops the glider.
Quite a spectacle.

What bozo here hadn't thought about, however, was:
In a groundloop, if the pilot fails to get the stick hard forward,
the tail digs in. In this case a glued on rubber skid.
This was before the days we got modern and learned about tailwheels.
The rubber stretches a fantastic amount before it peels off,
at which instant the skid rebounds and flies off.
Damn near killed me - missed my ear my inches as it whizzed by at warp speed.

Herbie was really ****ed.
Why didn't you call me on the radio?
I had, before running out.
Of course I didn't hear you, I turned the radio off!
Didn't you see me waving?
I thought you were just saying hello...

Anyway at least he didn't damage anything!

Private airports over the years have served up lots of surprises:
live stock, mowed narrow, interesting light installations to dodge,
and of course "no airport here any more"...

Be careful out there,
See ya, Dave "YO"