Community/Residential Air Parks

[Panama Jack]

Over the years I have often lived in quiet envy of some friends south of the 49th Parallel who live in community airparks- where their garage houses their aircraft and going flying means just a short taxi from their home to the runway. These airparks don't seem to be all that uncommon, with prices accessible to the devout with an upper middle-class budget.

North of the border, though, I haven't really seen any. I know that private strips are a thing if you live in the boondocks and inherited a large plot of land that has been in you family for a century, or maybe have an income and budget to support a $8 million rural home.

I am wondering why there aren’t more such aviation communities? Is it merely a lack of property developers connecting with potential buyers, or some higher obstacles?

Love to hear your thoughts, as well as identification of any airport communities that exist in Canada.

[Heliian]

Winter maintenance would be a nightmare.

[all_ramped_up]

There's Cable Head Airpark in PEI. (CCA3)

https://cablehead.weebly.com/

[PilotDAR]

We stayed at Cable Head many years ago, and had a great time. My wife and I flew across to the Magdalen Islands for the day.

I've known a number of attempted starts at air parts, they did not seem to catch on. Their used to be one north of Nobleton, just off the old Kleinburg VOR, but it seems that all the home owners lost interest in flying, as they kept the houses, but closed the runway. Guelph airpark is a similar example from early days.

And yes, I can say from a lot of experience on the tractor and excavator, runway maintenance is a lot of work! I estimate that I work 8 - 10 maintenance hours for every hour I fly from my runway - you have to really want it!

[Pacqing]

There is one South of Sherwood Park AB. with a grass strip. It might be the Twin Island as showed up on google maps.

[digits_]

North of the border, though, I haven't really seen any. I know that private strips are a thing if you live in the boondocks and inherited a large plot of land that has been in you family for a century, or maybe have an income and budget to support a $8 million rural home.

In the prairies you can have a decent house and runway with hangar for less than 400k. Land is cheap.

Alternatively go live next to a lake and buy a float plane.

[goldeneagle]

I think another big part of it is, lots of folks have a house on a lake, with a dock. Want an airplane at home, buy on the water and you wont need to deal with all the hassles of runway maintenance etc. Floatplanes tied to a dock in front of the house are not uncommon, and pretty much kill the market for that airpark.

[goldeneagle]

Alternatively go live next to a lake and buy a float plane.

hehe, you posted while I was typing.

[PilotDAR]

Sure, buying a place on the lake, and a floatplane is great too, but it's a different approach than a community around a runway. Though anything is possible, some things which are fairly practical at a land aerodrome, are greatly more challenging on the lakeshore. Hangars are fairly easy near runways, not so easy by the lake. Landplanes only sink in their spot during a few weeks in the spring, but they don't sink far. Floatplanes can sink anytime the water is not hard. If you want to fly back to the airport (for fuel maybe), having an amphib would be nice, though by the time you've paid for it, and insured it, the lot near the runway is looking more affordable again!

Both ways of doing it have their benefits and detriments - which is why there are floatplanes at home at the lake, and homes around runways - just understand the practicalities of each....

[digits_]

And yes, I can say from a lot of experience on the tractor and excavator, runway maintenance is a lot of work! I estimate that I work 8 - 10 maintenance hours for every hour I fly from my runway - you have to really want it!

What do you use the excavator for during regular maintenance?

[PilotDAR]

What do you use the excavator for during regular maintenance?

Burying big O pipe, keeping the ditches open, picking the rocks which grow with the frost, that bang my mower blades - and, generally having fun at 2 knots! I said it was work, I didn't say that I didn't enjoy it!

I was going to go splashing today, but it was so windy, the excavator looked less vulnerable to the wind!

[pirocco]

Few in Alberta, Lachute. Drummondville And Beloeil where you can have an hangar with living space.

[7ECA]

I believe Vernon, BC, had a proposal for live in hangars - no idea what came of it.

Princeton, BC, is rumoured to have proposed some sort of community/residential setup as well. As I recall, the idea died due to a lack of interest - although a lack of funding is probably as likely.

And then you've got the smaller airports where people have been trying to unofficially have their in-law type suites in hangars, now finding out that the airport is under the thumb of their municipal/local government and that they'll be evicted if a "residence" is found.

[GoinVertical]

Like others said I think winter maintenance and probably weather in general make it a more difficult proposition up here. Also a much smaller GA population.

Anyone know of any good size fly-in communities in the USA where they get regular snowfall in the winter? All I know of are in nice-weather-year-round states, but I haven't really looked into it.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

https://www.bifold.com/fly-in-communities.php

https://www.airparkmap.com/

These sites have more listings for fly-in communities than you can shake a fist at.

[ctmorawetz]

There's a few fly-in communities around Chicago, which gets a lot of snow and has cold winters.

If anyone wants to start an airpark east of Toronto and west of Trenton, let me know! I'll invest and move in.

[jakeandelwood]

I think Mable lake in the B.C. interior is live at airpark or a fly in resort anyway. The nice thing about a live in airpark is all your neighbors enjoy airplanes. I imagine if you bought a place on a Lake and parked a float plane there you'd have at least a few neighbors that would hate you, especially if you had a C185.

[jspitfire]

Hudson Island in the Gulf Islands shares a strip from end to end right down the middle of the island. Last I talked to someone there was over 10 years ago and it didn't seem like many residents used the strip though.

[SkySailor]

Few in Alberta, Lachute. Drummondville And Beloeil where you can have an hangar with living space.

What "few" are in Alberta?

[Tailwind W10]

What "few" are in Alberta?

3 that I know of:
Twin Island Airpark near Cooking Lake. Grass runway with acreages around it.

Okatoks Air Ranch. Unclear to me that there's any live-in hangars there, though certainly homes backing onto the runway.

SkyPort at Wetaskiwin airport. I live in my hangar here. Biggest problem here is stupid-expensive property taxes. (full commercial tax rate)

For the most part it appears various levels of government throughout Canada haven't the slightest idea that aviation can be recreational, so all aviation zoning is commercial, with the associated tax rates and prohibition of residences on commercially zoned land. In Wetaskiwin, city council has tacitly allowed "Security Suites" to be occupied 365 days a year, as a workaround. At the same time they bumped "Airport Commercial" zoning to the full 'non-residential' tax rates of the rest of the city, which tripled the tax rates I was expecting, and the existing hangars around the airports got tax rates bumped up equally. I suspect similar problems exist all around the country.

Gerry