For a pilot, can there be a better lifestyle than living with your plane?
I don’t think so.
As a kid, I grew up on an airpark. Shady Acres (3B8) in Spanaway, Washington, to be exact.
On one end of the home, we had an indoor pool (it is Washington after all). On the other end, a hangar. In between was our home.
I haven’t lived there since I was 18, but the idea of Shady Acres brings back wonderful memories.
Back in the 1980s my Dad, Dave Sclair, started a list of other residential airparks. As more airparks were found, the list expanded.
Today, in the United States, there are roughly 700 airparks, that I’m aware of.
If you’d like to see that list, point your web browser to LivingWithYourPlane.com.
You can filter by state, runway surface, instrument approach, as well as ownership and use status, public or private.
The website is getting some long overdue attention, but is still in development. That said, the primary and basic features work.
If you find an error, don’t hesitate to let me know.
When you can walk from your home to your airport and aircraft in just a few steps, you are living the ultimate aviation lifestyle.
And if you aren’t in the market for an airpark home, it doesn’t cost anything to dream.
Yes it is a great feeling to go flying whenever you wish
I was gifted in the same manner. I own a farm in central MANITOBA Canada
and own a cessna 150 the pleasure of flying whenever your heart desires
Crest Airpark near Covington is now Norman Grier, of course most still call it Crest.
If you have a radio on and set to 123.00 you will hear variations on a theme, such as “Norman Grier traffic”, “Grier traffic”, “Norman traffic” and even “Grier/ Crest traffic” as well as “Crest traffic”.
Fortunately, everyone seems to know they are all referring to the same airport!
Ben,
You did it again, great article. This is like getting the Sears Christmas catalog as a kid in the 50’s. A dream site for Aviation enthusiasts and pilots.
Thank you Buddy
And I see there’s a golf course within walking distance of Shady Acres. That would be a match made in heaven for me.