In Europe, airfields are not publicly or municipally funded, but operated as businesses. The only source of income is from fees for landing, nav service (for IFR), parking, hangarage, fuel sales etc.

I think the main reason for the relative high cost is not inefficiency or gross profiteering, but the relative low level of activity compared to the US.

En-route charges in Europe currently apply only to aircraft above a certain size (2.3T IIRC), who file IFR flight plans. The system of billing is fairly well automated and seems to me a reasonable way of passing the cost to those that benefit from the service.

I enjoy flying in the US with the freedom and relatively low cost, but it does seem to be partly at the expense of ordinary taxpayers who benefit relatively little. As the overall system works well enough, I won’t rock the boat.

I had one about 25 years ago, and it was good cheap fun flying, if not particularly fast.
From memory it was an RAF48 aerofoil in the centre section (48′ chord). Plagiarized by Ken Rand for the KR1 and KR2.

The Mk14 in the first photo, I saw at Camarillo last week looking very good, but still undergoing restoration. It wasn’t in the flying display. I can post a current picture if you’re interested.

A few years ago, a colleague of mine was flying OS survey flights which involved flying several very accurate gps tracks moving across a few hundred metres each time, generally on clear cloudless days.
The so-called satellite views of Google maps etc are obtained in a similar fashion and updated periodically.
I think a Cessna 310 was used in the case I recall.

She put on a good show at Reno last week, but Strega left everyone in its wake.

Or, for a flavour of the whole event go to http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t50/alberym/Reno%202009/ and hit slideshow on the right if you’ve a few minutes to waste.

Official information is on AIC 09/08 which you can download if you register on the EADS site. Pasted from there (formatting lost):

Aerodrome Location and Elevation Licensee:
Coonagh, Co. Limerick
EICN
52 39 59N
08 40 55W
2NM West of Limerick
6 ft
Mr. D. Lehane
Portdrine,
Cratloe
Co. Clare
061 357126
061 326600
085 1382386
Landing Area Facilities Ground Services
Runway 10/28 Lighting Nil Fuel Mogas
Dimensions 416m x 9m Radio 129.9 MHz Hangar Yes
Surface Bituminous Customs 48 HR Pn
(outwards only)
REMARKS:- Prior Permission Required.
Notes:
i. Only experienced, fully licensed pilots with recent currency in light aircraft short
field techniques will be granted permission to use the airfield.
ii. Prior to use, pilots intending to use Coonagh aerodrome should seek a local
briefing from a flying club instructor through http://www.limerickflyingclub.com
iii. Movement of aircraft confined to runway and taxiway.
iv. Caution : Narrow runway width may give the illusion of longer runway length
and the runway may appear further away then it really is.
v. Obstacles penetrating the 28 and 10 approaches and the transitional surfaces for
Runway 10/28, including a mobile object on the road.
vi. Short field operations are the norm.
vii. All circuits should be flown to the south of the Shannon River at 800 ft avoiding
built up areas. Pilots are reminded of the proximity of the P9 and the Shannon
Control Zone.

I helped a chap do such a conversion a few years ago. Effectively I just had to bring him to the standard required for the NST and GST for SSEA and cover the basic instrument flying etc.. About 5-6 hours did the job if I remember correctly.

As its the addition of a class rating rather than an initial issue, I believe you could do the training at an unlicensed field too.