Buchan Airport is owned by the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners. The County Administrator is designated as the owner and Public Works is designated to manage and collect fees for the airport.  It is governed in accordance with Ordinances dating back to January 1978, when Sarasota County received the airport, its underlying property and features from Mr. Peter E. Buchan, a Sarasota resident. 

Frequently Asked Questions

 What qualifies as an airport user?

• In accordance with Sarasota County Ordinance 99-014 only aircraft possessing a Certificate of Airworthiness issued by the United States or appropriate foreign government will be permitted to use the airport.
• Any flying device or method that does not adhere to the above is not permitted on the airport.  This includes, but is not limited to: gliders, hot-air balloons, parasails, ultra light vehicles, sky-diving activities or similar aviation activities or other modes of flight. Powered parachutes possessing a Certificate of Airworthiness are allowed to use the airport.
  

What qualifies as a user fee or tie-down fee?

• Tie-down fees apply to any aircraft tied down or remaining on Buchan Airport for a total of seven days or more during any month.  The seven days do not have to be consecutive but are comprised of any combination of seven days during any month.
• User fees shall apply to each aircraft that uses Buchan Airport during any given month and which is stored, tied down or otherwise housed at an   off-site location (not on airport property).
• When more than one aircraft is stored at an off-site location, monthly fees shall be paid for each aircraft at that location using Buchan Airport for taxiing, taking off, landing or temporary storage at any time during the billing month.

How much are user fees?

In accordance with Sarasota County Ordinance 99-068:

• Sarasota County Ordinance 99-068 establishes user fees as:
  • Aircraft tie-down fee is $30 per month, plus applicable sales tax, for 
    each tie-down space.
  • Airport user fee is $30 per month per aircraft, no tax.
• An aircraft owner may choose the option of paying in advance the annual aircraft tie-down or airport user fee of $350 a year per aircraft (a discount of $10 for the year).
• No aircraft owner shall be required to pay both an aircraft tie-down fee and an airport user fee for a single aircraft during a billing month.

Who collects user fees, and how are they used? 

• Sarasota County Public Works collects the fees as part of its management of the airport.
• Fees are collected as revenue to offset the maintenance of facilities, grounds and infrastructure at Buchan Airport. Currently, the fees collected  contribute less than 10 percent of the annual maintenance cost. Public Works spends an average of $45,000 annually to maintain Buchan Airport and collects approximately $3,200 annually in user or tie-down fees. 

What are the insurance requirements for users (both tie-down and off-site)?

• Section 9 of Sarasota County Ordinance No. 99-014 requires that all aircraft owners who are required to pay airport tie-down or user fees shall provide Public Works with proof of liability insurance protecting the general public in an amount not less than $500,000.
• When the expiration date for the insurance approaches, pilots are required to file copies of their renewed policy with Public Works Center.

Is there a “counter” that monitors how many planes land and take off each day?

• In November 2020, a Virtower system was installed at the airport that can monitor use, not only at Buchan but all over the State of Florida.  Reports can be generated at any time for a select period of time that shows the aircraft landings or takeoffs and includes the “N” tail number of using aircraft.  As the airport is on United States aviation maps designed as X36, any pilot meeting the requirements for use of the airport can land, take-off, and perform touch-and-go at Buchan Airport.  The US Military is exempt from rules and can use the airport as it chooses.
• The airport is checked daily during the five-day work week, excluding weekends and holidays, for planes that are tied down, and a Census Report filed monthly.

Are there plans to have more tie-down locations?

• The 2003 Buchan Airport Master Plan called for additional tie-downs on the northeast section of the property, south of Buchan Park; however, the Board of County Commission adopted a policy in 2008 to maintain the airport in its current state, therefore there are no plans to install additional tie-downs.

Will Buchan Airport ever be used by Sarasota County as a “staging area” during a declared emergency?

• In the event of a Catastrophic incident and a declared Board of County Commission emergency, the Buchan property may be used to store vegetative, construction, and other debris.  The runway will remain open for relief efforts and use by the general public during these times of emergency.
• In 2017, following Hurricane Irma a staging area for debris was setup at Buchan, North of runway 12/30 for several months to eliminate the long-hauling of debris that was being collected.  It was disposed of using tub grinders and hauled away to the County landfill after grinding into mulch.