Airpark Homes...Anyone have any feedback?

[Harold B]

Airpark homes. I'm looking for some feedback on drawbacks from living in an airpark. From what I understand the number of recreational pilots is declining so the long term demand will be impacted, it's difficult to sell a home in an airpark due to the limited number of potential buyers, noise pollution from planes, possible environmental issues from fuel, possible safety issues from planes taking off and landing. Did I miss anything?

 

[glenn walker]

Airpark homes. I'm looking for some feedback on drawbacks from living in an airpark. From what I understand the number of recreational pilots is declining so the long term demand will be impacted, it's difficult to sell a home in an airpark due to the limited number of potential buyers, noise pollution from planes, possible environmental issues from fuel, possible safety issues from planes taking off and landing. Did I miss anything?

Yes what you describe are ones located in areas near subdivisions and cities. Some also in deseret areas in Arizona and Nevada not worth any money because flying and owning your own plane is not really a working mans hobby anymore. The same golf outside the wealthy most local courses are not that desirable to live in or by. But there are Air Park Homes located in Wealthy Areas that command Premium Prices and in the Millions for a home. Two located in N California has Commercial Pilots and wealthy people who fly into San Francisco's Airport , park their plane then and get in the 747 they fly or go to work in the city or over to Silicone Valley . There are also corporate guys who fly big name actors and sports legends. So those Parks have no negatives except for the people who cannot afford to buy one and live there LOL

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

People who live nearby and are pilots are not bothered by noise as most civilian planes are relatively quiet compared to say a Learjet or maybe an old DC-3. We had a local chicken company that flew baby birds out in a DC-3 and I could hear it fire up from my house 3 miles away. I heard the cabin itself had from 80-105 decibels even when the cabin was sound proofed. My buddy (RIP) who flew baby birds to LA for shipment to Asia flew an Air King - said he flew more passengers out of Decatur, Arkansas in a week than most major airports. - About 25,000 birds at a time - roughly one ton of baby birds. The bigger planes could fly 50,000 at a time.

 

[Digger88]

We have 1 subdivision here with an airport (runway) and some houses on either side. They sell instantly when they come up.

 

[J Grant]

Airpark homes. I'm looking for some feedback on drawbacks from living in an airpark. From what I understand the number of recreational pilots is declining so the long term demand will be impacted, it's difficult to sell a home in an airpark due to the limited number of potential buyers, noise pollution from planes, possible environmental issues from fuel, possible safety issues from planes taking off and landing. Did I miss anything?

Jet plane or light plane? There are two different kinds here - light plane use is less noise and a shorter runway

I've found the same trend in both though - a mix of people who own planes and some who don't and just like the large lots and privacy of the community. The hangars can be big and ugly though ( well some of them ) if they are no longer used for a plane they use for multiple cars and such - in my experience, it is not like a commercial airport, the plane use is pretty light so it is not continual noise of takeoff and landing - maybe a few times a day if that much - but my comments are limited to the three airpark communities in my area - two are doing well, one community has a problem perhaps unique to it where for some reason the neighbors are always fighting each other and suing each other over god knows what - the other two communities are doing very well, no marketable problems, well maintained etc.
As always it might be local to a specific community within an area-

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

In this area, air park homes are typically sold rather quickly as most are owned by commercial pilots who like to fly home to the less congested areas from the major airports.

 

[Flakey]

The one in my area is between Michelin and BMW. These rarely come on the market. Some are corporate owned. I always thought it would be awesome to hold neighborhood drag races on Saturday night. Imagine pulling your hot rod out of the garage and racing the neighbors. Sitting around in lawn chairs, drinking beer with the smell of burning rubber and nitrous in the air. Too bad they don't allow double-wides.

 

[J Grant]

The ones I've been in are strict about the runways, no vehicles allowed other than planes. They have an HOA to enforce the rules. zoning is for aviation in both the major communities here.

 

[Carnivore]

People who live nearby and are pilots are not bothered by noise as most civilian planes are relatively quiet compared to say a Learjet or maybe an old DC-3. We had a local chicken company that flew baby birds out in a DC-3 and I could hear it fire up from my house 3 miles away. I heard the cabin itself had from 80-105 decibels even when the cabin was sound proofed. My buddy (RIP) who flew baby birds to LA for shipment to Asia flew an Air King - said he flew more passengers out of Decatur, Arkansas in a week than most major airports. - About 25,000 birds at a time - roughly one ton of baby birds. The bigger planes could fly 50,000 at a time.

That describes me. I live inside the traffic pattern of our municipal Airport. It doesn't bother me. actually it is music to my ears. Due to limited ground area the two runways can not be lengthened. Traffic pattern has increased 3 fold since it was reported that nationwide we have a commercial Pilot shortage on the national news. So the peeps with stars in their eyes are flocking to our airport to become pilots. Thats great. Only drawback is the cost to become a pvt pilot is still fairly low. a Few thousand dollars. Here is the problem. The Leap to getting your commercial pilots license is HUGE. My Commercial Pilots license was paid for by Uncle Sam...of course you know how I had to pay it back by agreeing to serve four years minimum. I stayed beyond my four and made a career of it.

So what a new commercial licensee next step is to secure a relatively low paying commercial pilot position as 2nd seat to gain flight hour experience. My neighbor did that and he worked his way up to the airlines. Now he is a trainer for that airline.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

t a new commercial licensee next step is to secure a relatively low paying commercial pilot position

A buddy of mine started as a pilot for an air service - as you said, low pay. But got him enough hours and experience to join a poultry company and fly baby chicks (the $8 apiece kinda chicks that are grandparent stock) to LA, Georgia, etc. for shipment overseas. From there he landed a job with Southwestern Energy while it was still in Fayetteville, AR and became a corporate jet pilot. When SWN moved to Houston he went. Sadly, he was killed on a motorcycle in College Station when a man veered across the road when a wasp flew into his pickup.

Without a doubt the best plane trip I ever took was with Brad on a crystal clear night the day before Thanksgiving. I hopped a flight from Boise City, OK to Guthrie with another good friend and geologist. Brad and "Jimbo" picked me up. I called him to see if he could meet me in Guthrie (about 200 miles from home.) Jimmy was a man scarred by rubella and polio who loved planes. His father was a corporate jet pilot for Gulf Oil and Brad's inspiration to get his commercial license. So Brad always gave him a seat in the plane when he could. I left Boise City as the sun sat in the west and we cruised over the darkening landscape the lights of Amarillo twinkled in the South. We could see Okla City almost immediately, and on the horizon was Dallas to the south and Tulsa and Wichita to the north. It is amazing how far you can see when a front has just cleared the air.

We no more than taxied up to the Guthrie airport gas pumps and overhead came Brad. I was on the ground no more than 5 or 10 minutes. We took off circling over the Masonic Temple in Guthrie, lit up, a magnificent structure. And as we flew we picked out the smoke stacks of the power plants in Muskogee, Chouteau, and Siloam. The Arkansas River was a pale blue ribbon below us. I've not flown a great deal and my experience in small planes has always been good weather, but I knew I'd probably never experience a night and flight like this - a crystal clear night and two of my good friends - both sadly gone. Brad in the accident and Jimbo was found lying beside his fishing pole on the banks of the city lake at only 48 years old. When he didn't show up at home, Evan - a local first responder - knew exactly where to look for him. Jimbo couldn't get a license to fly but he certainly could fish.