He passed down his passion for flying to younger members of the family, and both he and his teenage son began flight training at the same time. His next youngest son has recently started training for his private certificate, and there are three other sons who could also follow the same path. 

In only a few short years since returning to the skies, Manda has purchased an aircraft of his own and an asphalt airstrip in Missouri. But having an airstrip wasn’t the reason he purchased the property.

• READ MORE: Oregon Airpark Development Aims to Create Access to ‘Outdoor Playground of the West’

“My wife and I own a landscape company up here in Kansas City [Missouri] and as part of that company, we grow sod,” Manda said. “Three years ago or so, we bought 130 acres from a guy…and developed a sod farm. We were looking to expand our operation further and…[the guy] was looking to sell more of his property. We ended up buying the house and the airstrip along with 75 more acres.” 

The airport has been around since 1979 and sports a new name following the transition, Blue Cedar Landing Airport (43MO). Manda said that maintaining the airport requires minimal additional attention to his company’s existing operations on the property. He envisions his privately owned airfield will be a vibrant GA-focused outpost and has plans for future fly-ins.

That’s why Manda is excited for other pilots to come and enjoy the airstrip as much as he and his family. 

“We mow our sod once a week, and when we do, we just mow a little bit more and mow up to the runway,” he said. “So, because I have those fields around me that I will never develop or plant trees on, it will always be a wide-open area. That gave me the thought to have a fly-in where people can just park their airplanes in the grass. We could do flour-bombing competitions, food trucks right next to the airplanes, and other things you may not be able to do at a municipal airport. We will do different things to bring people together and support aviation.”

Manda decided that a large farmhouse that came with the second land purchase would make for a good short-term rental, bringing another option for pilots looking for a place to stay the night alongside their aircraft. 

“We looked at doing something different that not a lot of places can do, so we decided to make this house a Vrbo for really anybody, but I’m definitely going to cater it to the fly-in community,” he said. “It’s a great place for three or four couples to meet up and have something to do. They can fly in and keep their airplane here and rent the house that’s literally 100 yards from the 2,430-foot-long-by-30-foot wide asphalt runway. And we will have a car that they can get on Turo to get around the area.

• READ MORE: Idaho Luxury Fly-In Development Poised for Takeoff

“The house is about a 15-minute drive to downtown Lee’s Summit, where there is tons of stuff to do. There are shops, restaurants, and dining, like a little brewery and a wine bar. It’s situated about 10 minutes away from downtown Pleasant Hill, where there are eclectic shops, restaurants, and Rock Island Trail, which connects to the Katy Trail, which at 240 miles long is the longest developed rail-trail in the country. We have teamed up with a bike shop so people can rent bikes, since it’s hard to fly with a bike.”

The 7,300-square-foot home sleeps up to 20 and rents for an average of $800 per night. Manda is adding a separate one-bedroom option to the property that will be priced more economically, $200 per night on average. He believes that the addition of this smaller rental and an available on-site rental car will entice more aviators to consider flying in.  

“On the property we also have a little pilots lounge that we are currently finishing and will be named ‘The Stables Event Space at Blue Cedar Landing,’” he said. “It will be an event space for rentals up to 150 people. When the space isn’t rented, it will be open for pilots that fly in during the day and want to have a coffee or just get together.”

Blue Cedar Landing is located 11 nm south of Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport (KLXT).

The post New Turf for Blue Cedar Landing appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Richter joined forces with longtime friend and business partner Jordan to create their Planecave venture. The two met more than 25 years ago when they were both working behind the camera in Hollywood. Since then, they each had their own successful entrepreneurial careers.

Jordan’s foray into a novel business venture ultimately led to inspiration for the airplane hangar development firm.

“Steve had gone off to Hawaii to start a shark diving business,” Richter said. “It was sort of a fledgling tourist operation that he resurrected and was very successful with. He sold it two years ago and was traveling the country. When he went to Alaska, he fell in love with backcountry flying and immediately bought a plane.”

Jordan began initial flight training at the north central Oregon airport. Only a week after receiving his private pilot’s license, he joined Richter on a trip around the country. 

“That was really the beginning of Planecave, because we started talking about how difficult it is to find hangars up where he is [on the Oregon-Washington border] and down here as well [in Los Angeles],” Richter said. “Steve said, ‘If you want to look at this and develop this, let’s talk about it because we have a long waitlist at every airport around here. And no one is building hangars.’” 

• READ MORE: Oregon Airpark Development Aims to Create Access to ‘Outdoor Playground of the West’

The duo decided to tackle the apparent nationwide hangar shortage, starting with KDLS first.

“Steve knew the airport manager and had learned about the waitlist, and that the airport has space to build hangars—but didn’t have the funds to do so,” Richter said. “[It was] the same problem we discovered at many airports all across the nation and it became clear to us why that problem exists.”

The pair’s plan to tackle the hangar shortage at the airport is different from how others have solved the problem elsewhere, according to Richter. They believe that aviation infrastructure is prime for outside investment. 

“What we’ve come up with is an innovative, newer approach, where we don’t just look at one property necessarily,” he said. “But we look and say, ‘How do we create a product that we can sell to someone who wants to have a return and wants to have very little to do with the investment?’ It’s what we call in the real estate world a triple net investor, and I have some of these types of investments for that very reason. You don’t have to deal with the property very much and essentially just buy the value of the lease.”

The two rows of hangars have been approved by the airport and the ground lease is awaiting final sanctioning by city and county authorities. Construction is expected to begin in late August, with a targeted completion date in October. 

“There is potentially a 40-year ground lease for this development—20 years plus two 10-year options,” Richter said. “There is very high demand, very low supply, and very low [expected] vacancy based on that. And it’s a business that’s very difficult to disrupt. No one is going to come up with some new digital technology that’s going to disrupt how you park your airplane. All of those things pointed in the right direction, and it seemed like this idea could have legs on that basis.”

Roughly 35 pilots were on the waitlist at the airport, with 18 new hangars planned to be created. Each nested T-hangar will be 42 feet wide with a 12-foot-tall door (four of the hangars will be slightly larger). 

Richter said that reception from aviators in the area has been positive, despite the limited marketing from the Planecave team to date. Interest has also come from outside the aviation community, including traditional investors looking to learn more about this niche of real estate. 

• READ MORE: Florida Rental Offers Escape With Oceanfront, Airstrip Views

“Right now, we’re intending to, unless we find a single investor who wants to finance the entire project, syndicate the project to several parties,” he said. “There are networks that exist [to attract real estate investors], but this is a unique and new product that people are not familiar with. So, it takes a little bit more education on our part, and we really have to educate investors on why we think this is a good investment. I’ve talked to a whole bunch of them and most seem to immediately get it.

“I tend to say, lLook, it’s like self-storage on steroids. People don’t give up their self-storage facility once they have it, and people definitely don’t give up their hangar once they have it. That makes a really good pitch to investors, and they see the opportunity, the high demand and low supply. They see the value in the 40 years of steadily increasing revenue with low vacancy.”  

The Planecave team’s goal is to initially satisfy the demand for hangar space at Columbia Gorge Regional, with its sights set on pursuing additional projects in the future.

“Everyone else seems to be concentrating on one airport, right?” Richter said. “It may be the guy who needs a hangar but can’t get one and decides to start a project. We think there is a real opportunity to repeat this over and over again. To serve the market at other airports and keep going. The feedback we are getting seems to support that.

“Hangar projects are an attractive investment property for investors that want to come in and buy a finished product that is stabilized with tenants, and that has a good outlook into the future in terms of the lease lengths, rents, and vacancies.”

The post Hangar Shortage Spurs 2 GA Pilots to Launch Development Project appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Linda Goering, from Bend, Oregon, feels that Goering Ranches Airport (50OR) is the perfect location for an airpark that will attract aviators from near and far.

“We started building the runway…in 1984 on what was a 200-acre property,” Goering said. “As we saved money, we bought more and more pieces, so that we ended up with a square mile surrounded by thousands of acres of BLM [Bureau of Land Management] land, yet just minutes from downtown Bend. So, it’s totally private around us, and we can’t really be encroached upon, which is important for a private airport. There are 360-degree panoramic views, including the seven-peak mountain view of the Cascades.”

Bend, a town of roughly 100,000 and home to Epic Aircraft, is touted as both a great place to visit and live. Recreational highlights range from local shops, restaurants, and golf courses to hiking trails, museums, and resorts.

“Bend has become one of the most desirable resort towns to live in this country, located along the Deschutes River in Oregon,” Goering said. “It is known for the great weather, natural beauty and year-round outdoor activities, often being called the outdoor playground of the west.Mount Bachelor Ski Resort is just minutes from town, and the crystal-clear water of the Deschutes River offers kayaking and floating the river even right through downtown. The numerous high lakes of the Cascades offer endless mountain camping and hiking opportunities.

“It is a beautiful mountain getaway with a cosmopolitan downtown appeal. The historic Old Mill District offers an outdoor amphitheater with summer concerts, more than a dozen riverside restaurants, premier shopping, a 16-screen movie theater, and many signature golf courses. Bend is known for its local 22 breweries in the area. The downtown area is filled with art galleries, boutique shopping, spas, and all types of restaurants, many with outdoor seating.”

Goering explained that the 40 year-old airport is protected into the future, so she, her husband, and others will be able to enjoy it for many years to come.

“In Oregon, we have the Airport Protection Act, which [means], if you can prove you’ve had an airport in existence for a certain amount of time, you’re pretty much protected [from it being closed],” she said. “It’s a nice little safety net. Our runway runs from north to south and is hard-packed gravel and is a little bit longer than a mile [at 5,500 feet]. My husband has flown 690 Commanders and all kinds of other planes into here.

“When we started, we got our county approval, then state approval, and finally FAA approval. Our dream has been to see if we could do an airpark. It has been a lot of work doing that, because Oregon has a lot of land use laws and state goals you have to meet for anything you do.”

In 2006, the couple began working to get approval for a fly-in community. A considerable amount of work has been done since to overcome the zoning hurdle and ensure the feasibility of an airpark.

“This ultimate destination airport development took many years to get this exclusive zoning in place,” Goering said. “It was created to provide one of the longest and most private airport facilities on the West Coast of the United States. We hired land use consultants, attorneys, and others and created this really cool zone called a ‘rural aviation community,’ a ‘RAC zone.’ The purpose of the RAC zone is to provide for private aviation and aviation housing uses within the community.”

Now that the correct zoning is in place, with the provision for clustering (cutting down on infrastructure costs), the Goerings are still planning to have their property become a fly-in community. But they have taken a step back and determined that an experienced airpark developer can better execute their vision. 

“For years, my husband has bought and sold airplanes and got into the ag aviation business,” she said. “We rebuilt turbine Thrush aircraft here, put Garretts on them. We put out about two and a half planes a year. So right now, that’s really the only things on the property, our house and hangar. There are various ways to develop this property within the approved RAC zone, depending on the intended use of residential and or aviation industry use or both. All sites would have runway access, common areas, and open spaces throughout—including walking and biking trails, a community gardening area, and outdoor gathering space for all to enjoy.

“The goal of the development…is to recognize and appreciate the existing beautiful character of the land while providing and supporting aviation activities and related uses. With a PUD (planned unit development) being put in place, zoning will allow homesites to be clustered, yet some sites could be platted as large as 80-plus acres if desired. We’ve had a lot of interest in people wanting to buy lots. But we have to have the developer in place before selling lots. This is the ultimate destination where dreams take flight it is finally ready to market.”

The Goerings plan to continue living at the private airport and keep their home and business hangar, meaning they expect there will be up to 30 homesites available for development.  

The post Oregon Airpark Development Aims to Create Access to ‘Outdoor Playground of the West’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Fly-Inn [provides] short-term rental accommodations for pilots only,” Carmichel said. “Every property owner has to offer three things. One is a way to land, whether it’s a runway, grass strip, a pond for floatplanes, or even a helipad. Number two, there must be a way to secure your aircraft once you’ve landed. And number three is the most important because how many times have you landed and had no way to get around? So, every host is responsible for saying right in the listing how you’re going to get around.”

Kenya Hodson, vice president of the website and Carmichel’s daughter, noted that soon the website will feature accommodations from around the world.

• READ MORE: Idaho Luxury Fly-In Development Poised for Takeoff

“The point of Fly-Inn.com is to take the guesswork out of planning,” Hodson said. “You can now go all over the country because you don’t have to worry about where to stay, how to secure your aircraft, or how to get around once you land. This makes it really convenient for pilots to go on adventures and enjoy places they have never seen before.”  

Most of the site’s more than 50 current listings have direct runway access. But some are within a short drive from a local airport.

Fly-Inn has been several years in the making and was first unveiled to the aviation world at the Buckeye Air Fair in Arizona and Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, earlier this year.

“What makes us unique [from other short-term accommodation listing sites] is that we market only to our tight-knit community of pilots,” Hodson said. “We are very protective of our exclusive community. We have everything from campsites to homes with a lazy river in the Florida Keys, to mansions with their own private strips, to homes inside hangars. A quick look through our listings shows there’s something for everyone and more hosts are adding listings all the time.

“This is the third version of the website, and it took a long time to get this one done. There’s so much legal stuff behind it. It took years and a team of lawyers and developers to get everything buttoned up tight so that we can provide the service. We have all these different things that we’re going to keep adding to make it better and better, and our motto, one of our slogans people love most is, ‘You squawk, we wilco.’

“With that mindset, we are constantly integrating what our hosts and guests ask of us. We aim to continually improve the technology and to progressively add more features that will make general aviation travel planning easier and more fulfilling.”

Carmichel said that the reason pilots are so excited about Fly-Inn is that they have been waiting for this service for a long time. The inspiration behind the website was that flying adventures with her husband in their planes were limited. She really wished there were more options than just flying to the nearest FBO just because they offered a courtesy car.

Her solution was an online repository of short-term rentals she could turn to make traveling fun and interesting again.

“For hosts, it’s absolutely free [to list their properties on the website,] and we really want to provide this service to everyone with short-term accommodations for pilots,” Carmichel said. “Hosts receive several benefits when they list a property on Fly-Inn.com. First is the clientele. Because guests have to be able to fly and land an aircraft on these properties, we market to pilots only. Being a pilot requires a certain mentality. We all understand each other here and share a common mindset. This is a major benefit to hosts because you get a pretty good feel of whom you will be trusting your home to..

“Second, hosts have a variety of potential ways to earn. The platform allows hosts to list unique offerings besides accommodations. Hosts offer toys like boats, ATVs, and even other aircraft. Some hosts offer a fully stocked pantry and refrigerator when the property is in a remote location. There are so many possibilities.

• READ MORE: Lucky Ducks: Locating Community at Mallards Landing

“Third, hosts get to contribute to our community by contributing to our pool of listings. More listings mean more places they can fly to themselves. Fourth, hosts get to make friends. They find that they instantly have things in common with their guests simply because they are aviators.”

Lastly, hosts have a dedicated point of contact with Fly-Inn. Carmichel and her right hand, Hodson, strive to personally be on every phone call with their hosts and guests and make sure everyone feels included, and above all, heard.

The duo is looking forward to all the other aviation events they are attending throughout the year as an exhibitor, including EAA AirVenture in Wisconsin, the International Seaplane Fly-In in Maine, Triple Tree Aerodrome Fly-In in South Carolina, Wings and Wheels in Utah, and Texas Antique Festival of Flight, to name a few.  

The post GA Flight Planning Website ‘Takes the Guesswork Out’ of Finding Next Destination appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The northern Idaho city, which is home to the Daher Kodiak manufacturing facility, was intentionally chosen as the site for the exclusive fly-in community due to its idyllic setting and abundant recreation options. 

Scott Wolfe, a member of the community’s development team, provided FLYING with an update on the airpark project.

“I guess that it was about 18 years ago now that finding a place to live where you could encompass flying, skiing, boating, and basically everything outdoors was the goal, and Sandpoint was definitely the perfect place to do that,” Wolfe said. “We are located in a great spot. The area has lakes with boating, water skiing, and other water activities. Lake Pend Oreille, one of the largest lakes in the western U.S., is about 10 minutes away. It’s so big (1,158 feet deep at its lowest point) that the Navy uses it as a submarine testing site. And SilverWing is situated about 15 minutes from an excellent ski resort, Schweitzer Mountain. There’s lots to do around here and Sandpoint is a great small town.”

The SilverWing community boasts two homes, including one that was recently finished and is currently for sale.

“The land that was chosen was adjacent to Sandpoint Airport, a public airport, and once it was confirmed that the development could be built, the papers were signed,” Wolfe said. “From there, the model was built, the utilities were put in, and the streets were paved. But change is not always easy, and sometimes it takes a little patience.” 

He addressed why more homes have not been built in the nearly two decades since the project was first conceptualized.

“There were a few hurdles that the development team encountered,” he said. “There was speculation of insolvency, rumors that SilverWing lost the RTTF (residential through-the-fence) agreement, and a multitude of other things—none of which are true. With the legal issues that the development faced now a thing of the past, what was initially envisioned can finally move forward.”

While working to overcome these obstacles, the development team simultaneously sought to improve on its initial vision for the property. 

“I’ve gone around the country for the last three years visiting different airparks of all different types and talking with the people that live there,” Wolfe said. “I wanted to know, ‘What are the things that are working well in your airpark? What are the things that aren’t working well? What would you do differently? What would you like to see changed?’

“The biggest complaint that I have heard from people is that what was originally envisioned or intentioned didn’t turn out to be what transpired. People were sold on an idea. ‘Hey, let’s go live at the airport. We’ll live there and we’ll build a house that’s going to be awesome.’ Sounds like a good idea. Then they just sell you a lot and turn you loose on builders, architects, and everything. Well, not every architect understands hangar homes.”

The simple fact that aviation real estate is unique spurred there to be prescribed construction guidelines within the SilverWing development. 

“How we have it set up is that once you decide that you want to live at SilverWing, you meet with our architects,” Wolfe said. “They give you a four-page questionnaire to see the types of things you want in a home. They also include your aircraft needs. Some people have one plane and others have three. So, they design a few different options that completely fit all of the criteria for the buyer to choose from. We take a deposit and fund the build all the way through and sell a turnkey house at the end.”

This way, according to Wolfe, every residence is finished once started and in a timely fashion. He is also proud to note that the SilverWing team isn’t a large developer that is coming in, buying up land, building homes, and leaving. Rather, he said SilverWing is in it for the long haul and invested in the community’s future.

“We will have to face the people that we sell to and are very much concerned and care a lot about the fact that these people are going to be our neighbors,” he said. “And everyone that is involved in SilverWing is either a pilot, an aircraft owner, or both—and that is the most important thing. We all understand that desire to get up into the sky and building our lives around this very special passion.”

Every lot in the airpark is on fee-simple land with a deeded RTTF agreement with the airport, providing use of the runway 365 days a year. Wolfe advised that homeowners are not involved in maintenance or expenses of the airport whatsoever, outside of an annual $150 annual assessment. 

The project’s site plan outlines the potential for up to 44 homes, although it’s possible that some buyers will combine multiple lots to build larger residences or have more free space.

Wolfe, who acts as the project’s broker, noted that the newly finished home is 6,180 square feet in total—half of which is hangar space, fronted by a 48-by-15-foot Schweiss door. The four- bedroom, four-bath home is being sold fully furnished, down to the furniture and linens. It’s a move-in-ready property with everything you could want in a new hangar home—except for a plane, of course.

For more information about the fly-in community, visit SilverWing’s website or see them at EAA AirVenture in late July at booth No. 1081 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The post Idaho Luxury Fly-In Development Poised for Takeoff appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“It’s a crazy story how we got here at Mallards Landing,” said Hubner of the fly-in community south of Atlanta. “My wife and I lived in Los Angeles, where I had a Decathlon out in Van Nuys. But I was keen to get a Christian Eagle and had been looking around, when one popped up in Georgia for sale that I really liked. I agreed to look at it, and I blame the era we live in where you put an address in the GPS and just follow it until you get there. So, I didn’t actually stop to notice the plane was at an airpark.

• READ MORE: Retiring from the Military With GA Benefits

“I just thought I was going to an airport. So, when I drove around the corner following the GPS and pulled into a neighborhood where there were planes parked in the driveways I went, ‘What the hell is this? This is awesome!’”

Hubner decided to hang around a little longer than necessary after shaking hands to purchase the aircraft. He wanted to see more of Mallards Landing. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this. Everyone here was super hospitable, right from the start,” he said. “It was late in the afternoon, and we jumped on the golf cart and went for a cruise. I was just thinking, ‘Holy heck, this is the coolest place on Earth.’ I loved it so much. That was my introduction to Mallards Landing.”

It was such an intriguing place that he wanted his wife to see it for herself.

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“Kamilla rang me and asked about the plane I had looked at,” he said. “I said, ‘Forget the Eagle, babe, this is the coolest neighborhood in the world. Then two weeks later when I came back to look at the Eagle again, Kamilla came with me.

“She agreed, like, yeah, this is something else. So, we started looking and there were no houses for sale here. We were clicking on every house to work out what was going on and saw one where we could see that six months earlier it had been listed for sale, that they’d removed the listing. We just went and knocked on their door and said, ‘Look, this is just a strange question, but we see you were trying to sell the house but now it’s not for sale.”

Fortunately for the Hubners, the gentleman provided a number that was in their price range. So shortly after visiting the community for the first time, they moved across the country to Georgia in November 2017. And the Christian Eagle Hubner purchased never left Mallards.

“One of the big highlights is the community here,” Hubner said. “The neighborhood itself is great in the sense that, OK, yes, there’s the runway, there’s flying, there’s the horse stables, the big pool, tennis courts, and a playground for the kids. But if you actually do get involved, there’s really, really amazing groups of people here. We saw this pretty early on and it’s a real community energy.” 

A recent milestone event for one of the families in the community showcased how the residents in Mallards are quick to come together and support one another.

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“One of our new neighbors just recently had a baby,” he said. “Instantly, there’s a whole group that started meal trains and for the next, who knows, two months, they won’t need to cook a meal. And if you break something, you send out an email and someone in the neighborhood will have that tool, or part, or screw, or whatever it is. I feel pretty confident saying everyone here knows how amazing this place is.”

The community is very active, with a healthy mix of aircraft that includes a number of vintage tailwheel aircraft, including Stearman biplanes, T-6s, and Bird Dogs. Mallards hosts two fly-ins per year, with spot landing contests, flour bombing, Young Eagles flights, food, comradery, and more.

Hubner said that he and his wife have to remind their kids, who have only ever lived at the airpark, how unique it is to have a runway in their backyard. 

“Another thing we are super thankful for, having visited other airparks, is that we’ve got a really active community on the flying front,” Hubner said. “We’ve been to some airparks where maybe they’re a little older crowd and only two or three residents fly. Mallards Airpark has an energy to it and maybe 80 to 90 percent of our residents fly. And if you saw this video I posted, the kids are in their little jeep ripping around and racing a Stearman down the runway as it lands. Like, how is this real? You know, it’s just nuts, and we pinch ourselves daily of what we have here.”

You can see a glimpse into Hubner’s airpark life on Instagram @hangar145.

The post Lucky Ducks: Locating Community at Mallards Landing appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

After considerable introspection, Zeigler began turning his hopes into reality, translating years of untouched savings into a quarter-share ownership of a popular single-engine trainer, a Piper J-3 taildragger, and 1-acre lot at an airpark.

“I found out about airpark communities a few years ago, and it always seemed like something that was financially out of reach for me,” Zeigler said. “I thought having a hangar of my own with an airplane in it sitting right next to a small runway would never be anything more than a daydream..”

• READ MORE: Belize Air Ranch: Selling a Slice of Paradise

Zeigler’s 20 years military career has allowed him the time to decide his next steps. 

“As a career military service member, I’ve been well cared for and financially secure for 20 years now, yet I had spent that time compromising myself in that arrangement,” he said. “COVID gave me a lot of time to think about that. I spent a considerable amount of time locked down in quarantine and teleworking between duty stations during the worst of it. “When I began to seriously consider questions of what I’d be doing with my life if money wasn’t an issue, my inner child’s voice started getting louder, and one day I put money down for an undeveloped lot at an airpark in Ellenboro, North Carolina, real close to where I grew up.”

After deciding that living at an airpark in fact would be feasible at this stage in his life, Zeigler dived headfirst into learning more about what he calls a “fascinating subculture of people who live an unconventional existence.” He likens airpark residents to those who live in tiny homes or travel across the country in recreational vehicles and wanted to join this cadre of passionate people.

“One day, I caught sight of an advertisement for a lot at what is now Twin Airpark (8NC2),” he said. “It has a 2,500-foot grass strip with a few conventional hangars in place and a couple of hangar homes at the south end. Finding the airpark and researching the options turned out to be one of the more exciting experiences of my overseas assignment.

• REAR MORE: Finding Freedom by Flying in Alaska

“[At the time] I was stationed at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, working in the same building that many global leaders would frequent. The United States had just withdrawn from Afghanistan, and everyone was watching Russia position forces on the border with Ukraine for their pending invasion. Yet these historic events were overshadowed by the process of staking my claim on this airpark property and figuring out how to build some manner of residential hangar on it.

“It was nice to have a long-term goal again, and life started happening as I was busy making my plans.”

There are new challenges associated with making such a life-changing decision. But Zeigler is enthused by them.

“The hardest part was just pulling the trigger to get the ball rolling,” he said. “That’s been the hardest part so far anyway. I’m sure there’s going to be plenty more [challenging] parts, but I’m happy that I won’t find myself on my deathbed asking, ‘What if?’ or saying, ‘I wish I at least tried that when I had the opportunity.’ I’m at a point in life where I can see the tragedy in such things a little more clearly.”

If Zeigler was to go back and take the jump again, he said he would make his splash bigger. But despite that hindsight, he is excited for his future as he’s made it.

• READ MORE: Florida Rental Offers Escape With Oceanfront, Airstrip Views

“I had been throwing so much of my paycheck into savings ever since joining the military in 2004,” he said. “I had enough saved up to buy the lot outright with no loan. The only thing I regret in the deal was the man selling the lot also offered another acre right next to it for 10 percent off if I bought them both. But I was looking at the savings [and] I had and figured one was enough. I needed something for the structure and flight training when I got back to the States. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been inadvertently setting up a chess board but there are moments when I default to checkers and pass up big opportunities through short sightedness like that.”

Zeigler has roughly two and a half years remaining before he plans to retire from active-duty service in the Air Force. He’s still working to have his personal situation in the right position for when the long-awaited day comes.

Post-separation from the military will be a busy time for him, as he plans to build both hours and a hangar on his lot in North Carolina.  

“My current plan is to make use of my time off duty to learn what I can about real estate investing and keep busy flying every week,” he said. “After speaking with some investors here, I was better prepared for reaching out to contractors about building my hangar to the specifications I’m looking for.

“Opportunities really do present themselves at the airport, and I’ve met plenty of like-minded people within the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapters and the Commemorative Air Force. I also recently encountered a group at the Castroville Airport (KCVB) that travels the nation offering rides to senior military veterans in vintage Stearman biplanes, something of a modern-day traveling circus that’s actively keeping the barnstorming culture alive.

“The pilot I spoke with said they’re always looking for volunteers and are open to training those who pay their dues. I sent an application and look forward to seeing what comes of it.”

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FLYING has previously showcased some of the countries where the concept exists, from Sweden to South Africa and Australia to Costa Rica.

Another Central American nation can be added to the list with the introduction of Belize Air Ranch. The in-development community was created by Darla Zirbes and George Romine, two U.S. citizens who have been living and working in Belize for nearly six years.  

• READ MORE: Finding Freedom by Flying in Alaska

“…We have been here in Belize for about five and a half years, full time,” Zirbes said. “My dad bought the ranch, which is about 620 acres, in 2010. We have about 250 cattle here and have been developing the property [into an airpark].”

In the past few years, the land has changed a lot visually.

“The property was near and dear to Darla’s dad, but unfortunately, he got sick and could no longer take care of it,” Romine said. “At the time, I was working as an aircraft mechanic and in construction, which I had been doing for quite some time. We came down here and started building. We put in the roads, all of the fencing, cleared what needed to be cleared, and got the property and airstrip to where it is today.”

The 2,700-foot-long compacted limestone runway has an identifier of “LAF” and can be found at 17°11’49″N, 88°53’46″W. The initial plan was to build the airstrip for personal use only.

“I’ve been flying since 2000 and am also an A&P mechanic and builder,” Romine said. “We had an airplane here in Belize, and we kept it at another airport with a hangar. Then I thought, ‘Well, let’s just do it right here.’ So, we developed an airstrip in what was once a huge cornfield. It didn’t take long for us to build the runway. We used limestone taken from our property and had excellent heavy equipment operators to assist us. It was completed and approved by the Belize Department of Civil Aviation within a few months.” 

The idea to sell lots came naturally over time, and the current site plan calls for 20 hangar home residences. 

“There are a lot of pilots that come in and out of this area, and I didn’t really put a whole lot of thought into developing it as an aviation community for some time,” he said. “But after talking to some other local pilots and our family, we decided that we wanted to bring like-minded people here that like aviation and the freedom to fly.”

• READ MORE: Fort Worth Area Aviation Community Expands with Second Airpark

The community will emphasize aviation amenities, as well as the laid-back lifestyle afforded in the Central American country. Its picturesque location in the foothills of the Mayan Mountains ensures noteworthy views throughout the community, according to the couple.

The airpark is also completely off the grid at present, with utilities provided by solar systems with lithium-ion batteries for storage and backup generators, and water collection systems. High-speed internet is also accessible through a local  company. This all provides self-sufficient and sustainable living conditions for the airpark residents.

“We are trying to build a high-end airpark,” Romine said. “The home that we have just completed has 8,000 square feet…. It’s very large, with 3,000 square feet upstairs of living space with an air-conditioned hangar and a 2,000-square-foot veranda. It’s a very nice custom-built home, and those are the kind of houses [we will have] to try to keep it upscale. The idea is, as we sell more lots, to improve the community and airstrip by adding lighting to our runway and to pave it after there are enough people in the community.” 

Belize is a beautiful country along the Caribbean with a diverse natural landscape, from white sand beaches to dense forests. The couple expects that there will be a mix of full- and part-time residents at Belize Air Ranch and points out there are many reasons why it is an alluring place for retirees and others.

• READ MORE: Florida Rental Offers Escape With Oceanfront, Airstrip Views

“What is attractive to Americans and Europeans is that Belize is an English-speaking country, the only one in Central America,” Zirbes said. “You can also own your own property as a foreigner. Also, property taxes are very low. For example, we pay about $1,800 a year for our 620-acre ranch.” 

The first two individuals to purchase lots at the fly-in community are both from outside of Belize—one from Saint Martin and the other from Wisconsin. The couple also believes that the airpark will attract economic development to the region. 

There are many places within a two-hour flight of the airpark. One highlight is Flores, Guatemala, which is a colonial city situated beside a huge lake. Some of the world’s most renowned beaches are also a short trip away, including those in Cozumel, Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum in Mexico.

“And here in Belize, there are a lot of small airports that are affiliated with world-class hotels,” Romine said. “There are lots of places in the area that are exciting places to visit and you can fly your plane into. Just a few examples are Blackbird Caye, the pristine lodges in Mountain Pine Ridge, Chan Chich at Gallon Jug Estate, and Lamani. The islands of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker are about 30 minutes from Belize Air Ranch as well. They have many lodging options, excellent restaurants, and lots to see and do.”

For those considering moving to an airpark in Belize, or just visiting the country, the couple has several options to stay on-site. La Familia Farms Lodge presently has five units with a large pool. Zirbes and Romine said that they can provide detailed information to guests about  Belize to include customs and immigration protocols, whether arriving by the airlines or in a private plane. 

Watch: Landing at Belize Air Ranch:

The post Belize Air Ranch: Selling a Slice of Paradise appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Smith sat down with FLYING to provide an overview of these two projects, which are roughly 18 nm from one another. He explained that the inspiration for the two fly-in communities came from his own experiences spending summers at Wolf Lake Airpark (4AK6) in Palmer, Alaska, and winters at Zuehl Airpark (1TE4) in Marion, Texas. 

“We have already done very well on both projects,” Smith said. “We started first on Skyland, our original project, and then another opportunity came along that my associate [Mathias] wanted to get involved with.”

Skyland Airpark

Skyland Airpark, near the town of Willow, is expected to have nearly 140 hangar homes, cabins, and RV sites when complete. Ninety-nine percent of its lots have direct taxiway access. 

“Skyland Airpark is an extraordinary gated, secure airport community featuring over 187 acres [with] lake frontage, on three lakes, [and] HOA community access to over 200 acres of water,” Smith said. “Skyland also contains over 1,600 feet of beautiful frontage on famous Caswell Creek.” 

These freshwater bodies are a flagship feature of the community. It’s a unique experience overflying Caswell Lake when landing to the south.

“An incredible feature of Skyland Airpark is its floatplane and wheel plane and winter ski runways,” Smith said. “All Skyland lot owners will have private access to the 1,800-foot-long-by-100-foot-wide grass runway, enhanced with 60-foot-wide taxiways. To accommodate planes on floats, there will be a 70-foot-long floatplane dock and community boat launch for all to enjoy.” 

Significant work was undertaken to carve a suitable runway landing site out of the dense birch trees that cover the secluded acreage. Big Caswell Lake, which is 1 mile long and a half mile wide, is from where both float- and ski-equipped aircraft will operate.

Within the development there is a communal park with covered pavilion, picnic tables, fire rings, and barbecue area for resident use only. There is also 40 acres of common use land, which includes a private 17-acre lake.

“Adjoining Skyland Lake is another 16-plus acres of grasslands with rustic scenic trails,” Smith said. “Skyland Airpark is the beginning point for an outstanding adventure of snow machining and four-wheeling on trails that lead to millions of acres of state of Alaska land for take-your-breath-away views, fishing, hunting, riding, and hiking. This will not only be a great investment for years to come but today offers an exceptional lifestyle.”

Smith provided an update on the project, which began in 2022.

“In Skyland right now, we have eight hangar homes that have already been completed,” he said. “So far, we’ve sold approximately 55 lots of the 144 planned. The interest has been very strong. About 40 percent of the people who have been interested in the project so far are pilots. The rest are people that want a good, quiet place on the lake with the quality of the amenities, the hiking trails, and the fishing.”

Baldy Lake Airpark

The second airpark project started in spring 2023 and is marketed with the goal of allowing pilots to “live Alaska’s frontier lifestyle.”

This development, located in Susitna North, is more remote than the other new Alaskan fly-in community. With a total size of 1,400 acres, lots range from 2 acres to 140 acres. The airpark is set to have a 2,000-foot-long grass runway, with floatplane access and winter ski flying.

“Like Baldy Lake Airpark, Skyland Airpark has panoramic views of the Alaska Range, including Mount Denali, Mount Hunter, and Mount Foraker,” Smith said. “[Nearby] outdoor recreation includes the best snow machine area in the state, with over 30 square miles of rolling hills in the Talkeetna Mountains.”

In true Alaskan fashion, the community caters to the frontier lifestyle and those who desire to enjoy the beauty of nature.

“The community is located in a rugged, remote area that provides residents with a true sense of seclusion and privacy,” he said. “The rarity of this expansive acreage, a two-hour drive north of Anchorage, its historical richness, and the limitless potential of this property promotes an ideal environment to create and enjoy a peaceful, relaxing rural lifestyle. The pristine landscape and abundant natural water resources allow for a multitude of uses and recreation.” 

The benefits of being off the grid are balanced with modern amenities, such as fiber optic internet. The prospect of living at Alaska’s newest airpark has attracted aviators from in and out of the state, with a dozen lots (out of a total of 140) having been sold so far. 

“What we are finding interesting is that a lot of people love the freedom of flying in [Alaska],” Smith said. “You don’t require permission to land on pretty much any of the airstrips out there or in the rural areas. You just go out and fly—and people really like that. They also love the summers here, so we’re seeing a good influx of pilots from California, Idaho, and Arizona.

“And we are seeing a lot of commercial pilots that have the resources to have a summer home. They’re coming up and they’re buying hangars, so they can have a plane here in Alaska. When they come here [when on break], they stop over in Anchorage, come to the airpark, then go off flying, fishing, and having a good time. Then they go back [to work] after a few weeks recharged.”

The post Finding Freedom by Flying in Alaska appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Nate Altman was first introduced to the island in 2006 when his in-laws started vacationing there. He was impressed with the prime vacation spot since his first visit.

“We are originally from Minnesota, and when we were newly engaged, my wife’s parents rented a house on North Captiva for the month of January,” Altman said. “They did that for two years in a row, and we thought this was the most amazing place. There were no vehicles and it felt remote. Yet, we still had all of the comforts of home. We have rented here a fair number of times and have always enjoyed it.”

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Even as the Altman family grew and life became busier, it was always a priority to spend quality time together. They returned to the island in 2020 and the reintroduction was the inspiration for a new fly-in vacation rental that was completed in April.

“We had always kind of had it in our mind that we would fly in one day,” Altman said. “So, we rented a place here several years ago from a fellow pilot. We came back again, just my wife, me, and our three kids, and fell in love with it all over again. While logistics for this type of vacation are more than a mainland vacation, what you get is escaping the usual Florida spring break crowd and a sense of peace and tranquility not found on mainland Florida.

“There was one final lot on the runway. Although it was earlier than I expected to buy, we pulled the trigger and did it anyway. The feeling of flying to the island is that of being transported to a different country without customs hassles. What we had in our mind for Isle Escape is exactly how we created it.

“Number one, we wanted it to be a short-term rental, for the simple fact that we can’t use it ourselves that often. And second, because we had rented on the island a fair number of times, we knew we wanted a lot where we could see the water. Our runway access lot (with landing rights for visiting pilots) also comes with two golf carts.”

• READ MORE: Fort Worth Area Aviation Community Expands with Second Airpark

Isle Escape is a 365-day-a-year rental. Other than its good weather and being a place that’s easily accessible for many GA pilots, Altman highlighted some of the key aspects of the four-bedroom, six-bathroom, fly-in rental with a 30-by 40-foot hangar. 

“There is also about a mile of trails and most of the island is a bird sanctuary,” he said. “There are two sides of the island, the bayside and the inland side. Sometimes it’s windy on one side or the other. Depending on the day, there’s kayaking available, and there’s always biking on the trails. Then there’s an island club with two large pools, and there are several restaurants in operation. There is also a boat rental facility on the island, which is great for homeowners and visitors.”

Altman said that the reception to the new short-term rental accommodation has been great so far. He added a precaution that the airstrip’s short length can be a challenge but is easily managed by those with short-field experience. 

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“Well, obviously, the short field takeoff and landing, being honed in on those skills and knowing your numbers really close [is important],” he said. “I spent a good amount of time planning before we flew in here for the first time. I went to a long grass strip near my house and actually measured out the exact same distance as Salty Approach’s runway. I did it on a hot day, fully loaded, just to see what my actual numbers were because, as we know, the book doesn’t really tell the truth with your specific airplane. But even with that, I was still nervous the first time. Once we did it, it was no big deal. The runway’s length scares a lot of people but there are no obstacles on either side, which makes a difference.”

Most North Captiva Island visitors, however, access the island another way.

“While flying is the most exciting option, the majority of guests travel by water taxi from Pine Island,” Altman said. “It leaves every couple of hours throughout the day and takes about 30 minutes, which is also a relaxing way to arrive by seeing turquoise water and the occasional pod of dolphins while on the boat. Some guests even take their own boat to the island and rent a slip for the week for a nominal fee.” 

The post Florida Rental Offers Escape With Oceanfront, Airstrip Views appeared first on FLYING Magazine.