The August issues of General Aviation News will focus on living the residential airpark lifestyle. For those of you who are living the dream, do you have some great photos of your airpark or airpark home that you’d like to share? Any tips for those searching for an airpark home? What about a story or memory that sums up why airpark living is a perfect fit? For those of you searching for a home, which are your favorite airparks? What are the amenities that excite you?
Send your comments and photos to General Aviation News Editor Janice Wood. You can also add your comments below. Thanks!
The first step in Airpark ownership is the decision of purchasing in a live in or fly in community. I have done both. I would put airparks in 3 classifications, high end, mid range and grass hangar communities. All three are good and one will fit every pilots desire. We know about the high end expensive ones with clubhouses, gates and other amenities with expensive annual dues and assessments. They come often with rules and regulations that some would have a problem with. This type of living has advantages and disadvantages and depends what type of personality and how much you can afford or are willing to pay out. The opposite end is the grass strip with some lots with hangars, some with a camper next to the hangar, some with both a home and hangar where people live. These are fun places, often have no restrictions and the airport treasury does not allow much in the way of expenses. Your wife may not want to live there though you would move there in a minute. The fact that your next door neighbor’s car has not moved in 2 years and has the hood up does not bother you does it? If it does you may want to go to the mid range airpark. These have rules, regulations, and restrictions but not some of the heavy costs. You must cut the grass, you can’t leave your boat on a trailer on the front lawn etc. restrictive but not burdensome rules. I live in Mt Royal Airpark in Welaka Florida. This is a community of about 200 acres on the St Johns River.
Amenities include 2 docks on the river as well as a boat launch, riverfront lot and a 3000 ft paved runway. Dues and assessments are reasonable and there are 2.6 miles of paved roads in the community. One road allows hangar apartments on the north side with a minimum of 800 sq ft of living area, the preferred area for part-timers and snowbirds who want the airpark feel without the investment costs of and maintenance expenses. The good is we are 1 hour from everywhere. The bad is we have to drive 1 hour to go everywhere. It is 10 miles to a real grocery store, forget the movies and sporting events. Um…think I will invite a few friends over tonight and cook hamburgers next to the hangar and drink a couple of beers tonight while we watch airplanes overhead.
What is the range of dues, maint fees, and assessments?
Barry,
I assume you are asking me this question about my experience. About $300 yearly on the grass strip I stayed on for 10 years and upwards of $1,000 at Mt Royal. I suspect some run much higher, say Wellington in South Florida or Spruce Creek in Daytona though I do not know their dues. There is an Airpark that will fit everybody that is an airplane addict and wants the ‘live with your airplane’ experience.