RE: Need ideas for finding a flying filed? PLEASE HELP!
Please forgive if these suggestions appear to be mute for you, i.e., "been there done that".
Why do you have to insist on a lease? We here in Clarksburg have had our field for over 30 years. It is a recovered coal strip mine on the top of a hill. We have no lease. What we do have is the good graces of the owner that has lasted over 30 years and 2 generations. There is another club in our area, Fairmont, that has the same arrangement and have been there almost as long.
Someone above made a suggestion that sounds like the way to go. Canvas the farms and large landowners. Be ready to assure them that safety is paramount in this hobby and that you have more-than-adequate liability insurance available to cover the land owner. If you have a copy of your previous field site insurance bring that with you. Let the owner know you will abide by their wishes when it comes to noise, e.g., not fly before noon on Sunday. Try to convince them that your presence on their land may even be benificial, i.e., keeping birds away from their fields. Most import, assure them you will be responsible for the upkeep of the property you utilize.