SARATOGA COUNTY — A wind sock in a grassy field is the only indication that small airplanes are welcome to land at a Round Lake airstrip.

It’s one of a half dozen privately owned airstrips in Saratoga County, some of which are relatively unknown to the general population.

The others are in Edinburg, Galway, Northumberland, Mechanicville and West Charlton.

The field off Route 67 near Round Lake and neighboring eight-plane hangar are owned by James and Robin Ferrick.

“These strips are a dying industry,” said James Ferrick. “I started flying when I was 15 and always dreamed of having my own strip.”

Most of the small airstrips were built by hobby pilots in the 1940s and ’50s, according to Douglas Sterling, who manages Plateau Sky Ranch in Edinburg for owner Bruce Brownell.

Brownell’s father built the strip in 1945.

“We have two grass runways and all the flights in and out are private planes used mostly for recreation,” Sterling said.

He said no landing fees are charged by small strips.

“These small strips come in handy when medical helicopters need to make a landing in a remote area,” Sterling said. “There are a couple of dozen of these strips in the [Capital Region].”

Ferrick said he and his wife bought their Round Lake airstrip and surrounding property in 1985. They rent out space in the hangar next to his own amphibious plane.

“My best customer is the Army National Guard out of Albany, not that we get any money from them,” he said. “We do get great private air shows, though.”

He said guard helicopter pilots often do night training in the grassy field and the unannounced visits prove entertaining to watch, especially for his 3-year-old grandson.

“They use night vision goggles for the exercises and this is the perfect location. There aren’t a lot of neighbors and there are no lights here at Round Lake International Airport,” he said with a grin, admitting he has no idea where most of his planes originate.

Whether planes registered outside of the United States land at the airstrip is not documented.

“There’s no air traffic controller here, just a common frequency publicized in the FAA Airports Directory. If I happen to be here and have my radio on, I’ll give any assistance I can. But, most of the time pilots are on their own getting in and out,” Ferrick said.

He said pilots announced their positions and intentions to each other as they approach the strip, which is about 2,000 feet long and 100 feet wide.

“My job is to keep the runway mowed,” he said. “I have about five acres for landings and take offs and another five or so for tie downs.”

Pilots can’t get fuel or visit a rest room at the strip. Those accommodations are available at the Saratoga County Airport in Milton.

The privately owned Heber Airpark in Northumberland doesn’t offer fuel either, according to co-owner Joan Heber.

She said she and her husband, Jayme, decided to install a blacktop runway about 22 years ago and later had an eight-plane hangar built to house their own plane with room to lease.

“My husband got his license and bought a plane with his father and then we built the airstrip,” she said. “Most little strips allow planes to land for free. A lot of our pilots come in for a lunch or a round of golf at the Airway Meadows next door.”

Airway Meadows is a golf course that is also owned by the couple.

She said until two years ago, the airstrip had a fuel tank for pilots, but the expense grew too large for the small operation and the service was discontinued.

The airport isn’t staffed on a regular basis and no records are kept on how many planes visit each week.

“On weekends, we probably get about 10 planes a day,” she said.

For Ferrick, the Round Lake airstrip, like his own plane, is more hobby than business. He works full time as an engineer for the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna.

The Round Lake airstrip was predated by a seaplane base on the lake during World War II.

“The lake was used to train pilots during the war,” Ferrick said. “I use both the runway and the lake. My landing gear is retractable.”

Sterling said all small airstrips appear on navigational maps and nonpilots might be surprised to see how many landing areas are marked.

“Most of the smaller strips are completely private and for the use of their owners. They’re denoted on the map by an R in a circle which means they are restricted,” he said. “Of course, any pilot can use any landing strip in an emergency and we need to know where [the strips] are.”