Crists' Sky Ranch Airport

As a privately-owned airfield (also known by FAA identifier SN22), the exact reason for closure is not officially documented. However, the most likely reason is the personal decision of the owner, Robert Crist. Small, private airfields often close due to owner retirement, the high cost of maintenance and insurance, liability concerns, or the sale of the property. There is no evidence to suggest it was closed due to a major accident, military conversion, or for immediate land redevelopment.

The site is currently private property and is not used for aviation. Satellite imagery of the location shows that the faint outline of the north-south grass runway is still visible, though it is not maintained for aircraft use. A large building, likely the original hangar, and an adjacent private residence still exist on the west side of the former runway. The land is now part of a private residential and agricultural property.

Crists' Sky Ranch was a private general aviation airport that served the local flying community in and around Crete, Nebraska. It featured a single, unpaved turf runway, approximately 2,600 feet long and oriented north-south (Runway 17/35). The airport was used for recreational flying and primarily handled light, single-engine aircraft. The owner was reportedly an antique airplane enthusiast, making the field a likely home base for vintage aircraft and a gathering spot for local pilots. It did not handle commercial or military operations and its significance was purely within the general aviation community.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Crists' Sky Ranch Airport. Given that it has been officially closed for approximately two decades and the land remains in private hands, a return to aviation use is considered extremely unlikely.