For me, living in an airpark just makes sense. As an aviation journalist it allows me to commute via airplane when I head off in pursuit of stories. I leave from my driveway and return to my driveway, just as if I’d take my automobile. Except the round trip en route time is ever so much shorter.
Across the lake from me in Pine Shadows Airpark in North Fort Myers, Fla., my neighbor Mike Whitty commutes to work, too. He flies a Dassault Falcon 7X that is based 200 miles to the east. Depending on the weather he flies to work in his Piper Twin Comanche or, if conditions are benign and he’s got a little time, a classic Cessna 150A. He, too, enjoys the ride to work a lot more than when he didn’t live in an airpark.
Just around the corner, retired corporate pilot Chris Kelly had the best deal of all. His boss allowed him to take the corporate Swearingen Merlin home after each trip. I always knew he was back by the distinctive sound of those Garrett TPE331 engines on touchdown.
Florida, Texas and California are pockmarked with airparks. In Florida, Daytona’s Spruce Creek and Miami’s Aero Club are known for celebrity homeowners, but the Sun Belt doesn’t have a monopoly on airpark living. Some of the nicest, high-caliber developments in the U.S. are tucked into mountain valleys, east and west. These range in size from diminutive communities of a dozen homes or so to sprawling urban landscapes with mixed condo, duplex and single-family housing. Amenities vary among communities, but range from golf courses to full country clubs with tennis and equestrian facilities and full-service aircraft maintenance and FBO services.
In the last 20 years the airpark living idea has caught on in Europe, and more recently, Asia. There are airparks in Switzerland, France, the UK and even Phuket, Thailand.
“We have fun!” Mike Ciochetti, developer of Heaven’s Landing Airpark (Booth 4938), located in Clayton, Ga., told AIN. His airpark hosts a WannaGoFast classic racecar weekend, an Aircam fly-in, holiday parties and barbecues at the club house and more. At 169 home sites, Heaven’s Landing is considered a midsize development.
Want to know more? In memory of the guru of all airparks, Dave Sclair, General Aviation News editor Ben Sclair maintains www.livingwithyourplane.com, a great place to start your research. Or stop by the Heaven’s Landing booth here in the exhibit hall. You’ll know it by the angels...pretty informative angels, at that!
