Living with your airplane part 2: Residential airparks
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Living with your airplane part 2: Residential airparks
Last installment we talked about having a private airstrip. This post we are discussing living at an airpark community.
Honestly, this is a deeper level of immersion than most of us are accustomed to. Friends of mine report that it’s an amazing experience to live at the airport with their airplanes surrounded by like-minded people. Image a neighborhood where everyone is into flying – nirvana!
Real estate at some of these airparks can be quite expensive, but there are plenty of reasonably priced ones around too. You do have to watch out for add-on ‘fees’ that can be onerous at some locations.
I have also heard that some of these communities have some ‘social nuances’ that you need to deal with or at least be aware of. I’m sure the vast majority are really welcoming and inclusive to all their residents otherwise no one would live there.
They come in all shapes and sizes, from grass strips to paved runways with instrument approaches. The big ones like Spruce Creek, is practically a self-contained city right on the airport. There is so much going on there that you can hardly keep up. Most residents don’t bother making the trek to OSH as they practically live it 24/7. I have been there a couple of times and it’s amazing. I was leaving a friend’s house one day and turned the corner only to find a T-6 Texan in someone’s front yard undergoing some maintenance. You can’t image how big a T-6 is until you park it in front of your house. You don’t see that everyday!
Like I mentioned in our previous conversation, the ability to live with your machine is something I can only dream about because the rest of my family wouldn’t be so enthused. But for those of you who can, it could literally change your life.
by Brent
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a fellow spends all of his money at an airpark, and then pulls his
Bonanza out of the hangar by hand?? I have a Powertow 60 that I’d like to sell him!!
Glenn,
That’s funny! And the airpark where the photo was taken was out on the left coast $$$$.
Brent
Your observations about private runway and airpark living are interesting . However after accomplishing the dream I have a slightly different take on the entire matter. For starters, most people are not motivated to drop by for a visit unless the runway is 3500′ and hard surface. It never stops baffling me why people have stopped enjoying landing on 2000′ sod runways. The offer stands to you if you can manage it.
Yes that can be issue on more ‘challenging’ runways.
My dream to live on an airpark finally came true, or should I say nightmare, this airpark is one of the worst airports I have ever flown out of, if you are not in the clique, then you will be not liked, four wheelers, dogs,all run on the runway uncontrolled, I have had to go around numerous times due someone or some loose dog on the runway, it is a free for all.
Unsafe flying is rampant. Nothing is done to make for a safe environment.
This place is another accident waiting to happen
There seems to be a common theme on airparks that the few want to control the majority big egos at play
I will never live on another airpark again too much politics and safety issues
that is a reason that my airpark home is 15 minutes from the airport. No hassles, other than an occasional accident on the freeway while in transit. Life has enough restrictions than having them where you live.
I lived at an airport community for 5 years and absolutely loved it. Yes, there can be fighter pilot egos to deal with, but most of them are much older guys who can’t take a punch but respect someone who can. So if they start bullying people and causing problems, I just ask my wife to go beat them up! After she actually does, they are so embarrassed by the event that they never cause any more trouble!
I agree, there are a lot of people who are scared to land on grass. I had a Mooney 201 and had no problem. We always kept the runway well rolled and smooth. I would not want to land my Lancair on it, but pretty much anything built before 1980 would have been designed to land on grass.
The best thing about it was the unwritten rule that if visitors were welcome, your hangar door was left up and if not, you shut your hangar door. Everyone’s hangar doors were up most weekends. And with this system you could tell right away, who preferred privacy.
Since there were several airport communities in the area, there was always a fly-in party somewhere to go to every weekend. The wife loved it; the kids loved it; and I loved it.
Those communities never get old; the dynamics of the people plus the never ending aircraft and projects too see and take part in. Everyone is excited to share their projects, and even get (or give) a helping hand as well. Makes for a great community.