Would You Live in an Airpark?

[Guest Bendorn]

If you were looking at buying a block within a Airpark Development, what would you be looking for?

 

• Minimum Land Size?
   
   
  
• Price?
   
   
  
• How many blocks within development?
   
   
  
• Facilities?
   
   
  
• Runway... Sealed or Grass or both?
   
   
  
• Annual Maintenance fees?
   
   
  
• Onsite LAME?
   
   
  
• Rules, ie. VFR only? Residents/Guests only?
   
   
  
• Commercial entities? Flight School?
   
  

 

Hit me with all your thoughts, even if they're dreams......!!

 

Ben ;)

 

 

[hihosland]

Access to non aviation amenities, shops, restaurant, pub, bank, fuel, beach/golf other recreation facilities, because to make an airpark work you need to make it attractive to the non aviating members of our families.

 

Davidh.

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

Most importantly don't forget noise levels. Its all good a well loving the sound of a big radial taking off once a week when you visit but don't come complaining to me when we are running them up at 630 in the morning and coming and going every hour. I can see this being a big problem with the Whitsunday airport.

 

 

[bushpilot]

I think there can be different levels of airpark facility - with the 'top' level having many of the services mentioned by the previous posts, down to a more basic level - with:

 

* Grass taxi-ways and strip

 

* Taxi access to each house block i.e. all blocks with airstrip frontage

 

* Housing blocks of minimum 1500sq metres, providing space for individual hangers

 

* Shared refuelling facility

 

* Space for visiting a/c parking

 

And not much else. By keeping infrastructure to a minimum, it should be possible to do this type of development, with say 20 building blocks for a premium of only 50% or so over a similar residential development, without a shared airfield. [20 blocks at 1500sq m = 30,000sq m total + 16,000 sq m for airfield (800m x 20m) ]. The infrastructure costs for the building blocks - drainage, water, power, etc., should be about the same as the grass airstrip infrastructure - surface improvement/ compaction, drainage, etc.

 

 

[Guest disperse]

it's a price thing really !!! I won't be spending 1.5mil anytime soon. So a small semi rural block with access to a shared grass strip.

 

And being able to buy in as cheap as possible (extra money for building a pool). oh yeah a windsock would be good:laugh:

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

I'd be looking to secure the future of my investment by seeking guaranteed protection against noise complaints from people who move in near by knowing there is an operating airfield already there.

 

 

[Spriteah]

My thoughts

 

Don't make it too big. Leave land for expansion but intially no more that 40 blocks. Design it so that the runways are a few hundred metres from the housing as is the visitor parking, workshops and fueling.

 

Need to be able to build hanger on your block and access same.

 

Day time operation mainly.

 

Small shop (wont support a big one).

 

All staff 6ft attractive single women.....:) Not much to ask.

 

 

[Mazda]

Now you've got me dreaming ...

 

I'd like blocks & houses of a variety of shapes and sizes, not "Edward Scissorhands" sameness. Acreage would be nice so I could keep my horses there. Otherwise just a small block but with other shared facilities onsite - things like stables :), sporting fields, tennis courts, swimming pool, maybe a shop or bar.

 

A friendly atmosphere and like minded people. Aircraft noise wouldn't worry me. A sealed runway with grass on the sides would be good, cross strip if possible, then the interesting tailwheel aircraft would go there. Lights would be good.

 

Nice outlook. I'd like a view. Maybe some water and some nice green fields.

 

It would need some facilities in the town. A place to find employment - and if not, the airport would need to be all weather, have an instrument approach, and I'd have to get an IFR aircraft so I could get to work. (As long as I could find somewhere to work near another field, and have a vehicle parked at that field).

 

Somewhere like Jumbolair in the US would be nice (see here: http://www.jumbolair.com/) Yes, that is where John Travlota lives. I wonder if we'll have something like this in Australia?

 

 

[Guest airsick]

Here is a Google map image of John Travolta's house on the Jumbolair estate.

 

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=ocala&ie=UTF8&ll=29.278239,-82.11761&spn=0.005306,0.010471&t=h&z=17&om=0

 

 

[Guest Bendorn]

What about distance from Capital City or large towns?

 

 

[Flyer]

15 to 30 mins flight time (100knots) to a major regional would work for me.

 

No lumps of cumulus granitus around though please....

 

Regards

 

Phil

 

 

[drkgld]

Airpark

 

If you were looking at buying a block within a Airpark Development, what would you be looking for?Ben ;)

I'm living in an airpark that has (or will have) -

 

Size - 3-acre blocks (front cleared, backing onto bush)

 

Price - $50,000/acre

 

How many blocks - 10 blocks in Phase 1, maybe a Phase 2 with 10 more blocks

 

Facilities - town (pop. 28,000) is 10 minutes drive

 

Runway - 900m grass runway

 

Maintenance fees - none yet (only for grass cutting, common facilities, etc.)

 

Onsite LAME - one block owner is LAME/flying instructor

 

Rules - no GA, owners' and guests' aircraft only

 

Commercial entities - one kit manufacturer, possible ultralight flight school in future.

 

Derek

 

 

[drkgld]

I'd be looking to secure the future of my investment by seeking guaranteed protection against noise complaints from people who move in near by knowing there is an operating airfield already there.

Ah, the story of Hoxton Park, where I trained. That's the problem with suburban sprawl and living near a city. I don't think there can be any guarantees, but an airpark in a semi-rural area would offer better protection since there are fewer neighbours, more open space and less demand for housing subdivision.

 

Derek

 

 

[Guest smenkhare]

my main decision maker would be, can i get to work on time if i lived there.

 

 

[Kev]

Derek

 

This airpark (Yengarie) sounds good to me, where can I find more information?

 

Regards

 

Kev

 

 

[Kev]

I would be looking for:

 

1) somewhere where the scenery would be good to fly over (used to coastal views).

 

2) be able to build a brick home rather than live in a converted shed.

 

3) small set-up. Not bothered about facilities on-site, as I think if you share a strip with like minded people you would make your own facilities i.e. BBQ at your house etc.

 

4) shops not too far away (for necessities) and places within driving distance to visit (when the weather stops you flying!)

 

Kev

 

 

[drkgld]

my main decision maker would be, can i get to work on time if i lived there.

It depends where you work. Yengarie is a little far to commute to Bankstown ;)

 

But (assuming you work in aviation) Maryborough Airport (15 kms) is planning a commercial pilot training school, Hervey Bay (45 km) has scheduled jet flights. Then there's Gympie and Bundaberg, also within easy fly-to-work distance.

 

Derek

 

 

[drkgld]

DerekThis airpark (Yengarie) sounds good to me, where can I find more information?

 

Regards

 

Kev

Kev,

 

I've sent you a PM about it.

 

Regards,

 

Derek

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

Ah, the story of Hoxton Park, where I trained. That's the problem with suburban sprawl and living near a city. I don't think there can be any guarantees, but an airpark in a semi-rural area would offer better protection since there are fewer neighbours, more open space and less demand for housing subdivision. Derek

Derek I thought the real threat to HP was not noise but the development value of its land?

 

In terms of noise protection I'm sure that a council LEP could help an airpark protect itself from inappropriate adjacent development (assuming the council was supportive of the airpark).

 

 

[drkgld]

Derek I thought the real threat to HP was not noise but the development value of its land?In terms of noise protection I'm sure that a council LEP could help an airpark protect itself from inappropriate adjacent development (assuming the council was supportive of the airpark).

Flyer40,

 

True, but the threats reinforced each other.

 

In this case, I think the council (and the company they sold the airport to) colluded to use complaints about noise from residents as an excuse to close the airport and realise its land value. Council was allowing development to get closer and closer to the airport until it was right up to the airport boundary, so the outcome was foreseeable even though people who bought property there knew full well that it was going to be noisy and should not have had valid grounds for complaint.

 

As you say, a council that was more aviation-friendly could easily have acted differently.

 

Derek

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

The company you refer to who part-own HP along with BK and CN is - Mirvac - a property developer. It's outrageous that the government allowed this to occur.

 

I think the lesson to be learned is that AOPA/RAAus and other industry bodies should start donating large sums to political parties now that it's been proven this is the only way to exert influence.

 

 

[drkgld]

The company you refer to who part-own HP along with BK and CN is - Mirvac - a property developer. It's outrageous that the government allowed this to occur. I think the lesson to be learned is that AOPA/RAAus and other industry bodies should start donating large sums to political parties now that it's been proven this is the only way to exert influence.

Yeah. Allowing a property developer to manage an airport is like asking a fox to watch the hens. In this case, they were allowed to eat one (HP) if they promised to leave the other two (BK and CN) alone.

 

One thing's for sure. Property developers have more money to donate than AOPA/RAAus does -- even if they tripled our annual fees to pay for it.

 

Derek