By Iyna Bort Caruso
The gated community of Raven’s Run in S.C. has the usual upscale amenities: tennis courts, swimming pool and a clubhouse. And one unusual one — a private airstrip.
Last year, Marcie Jacobs and her husband, Steve, of Charleston, S.C., bought a two-acre parcel in Raven’s Run where they intend to build what Marcie calls their “forever house.” They even have a name picked out for their home-to-be, Aviator Island, as it’s surrounded by water. For now, it’s where Steve parks his Citabria aircraft in a nested T-hangar.
Some estates are approached through mile-long driveways. Others are approached from heights of 10,000 feet. Never mind multi-car garages, these fly-in homes have hangars and helipads. In some areas, roads double as runways.
In 1941, the first “airpark” opened in Carmel Valley, Calif. Aviation journalist Dave Sclair is credited with coining the term and defining it as two or more home sites adjoining or easily accessible to a runway. The number of airparks has climbed to between 625 and 635 in the U.S., according to his son Ben Sclair, publisher of General Aviation News and Livingwithyourplane.com. Another eight to ten are under development. Most are in rural areas where rules and regulations are fewer.
Ben grew up on an airpark in Spanaway, Wash., and lived there until he left home for college. “It was fantastic. You fly home, open the hangar, walk in the house and have a bite to eat. I thought everybody lived that way.”
Jumbolair Aviation Estates in Ocala, Fla., may be the best-known fly-in community. Homeowner John Travolta parks his jet there. Every residence at Jumbolair is sandwiched between a street and a taxiway. The paved runway, at 7,550 feet, is the largest private one in the country.
“Developing an airpark is a bit of a challenge,” says Paul McKinley, who runs airpark.com and is the developer of Cross Country Estates, an aviation community in Georgetown, Tex. “In a typical subdivision, lots sell out in two to three years. In a successful airpark, it’s more like ten years, so it has to be a labor of love.” McKinley bought the property for Cross Country Estates in 1991. He developed it into 24 lots with a 2,500-foot runway. The last lot sold earlier this year, though he is no longer associated with the development.
Europe’s first airpark opened in France in 1996, but the concept is slow going there, says McKinley, due to higher fuel costs, tighter aviation restrictions and the fact that “it takes a fairly strong upper middle class to support an airport community.” Nevertheless, Germany is opening its first, Müritz Airpark, in the Mecklenburg Lake District.
Elsewhere around the globe, fly-in homes at the new Phuket Airpark in Thailand are now under development. Pilots will be able to land their aircraft on a 2,625-foot grass airstrip and park their planes in mini hangars attached to their villas. New Zealand is welcoming to aviator homeowners, but helipads are more common than hangars, says Julian Brown of New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty in Queenstown. “Some rural or high country station properties do have airstrips for light aircraft, but generally we use helicopters to access island properties off the coast or to access properties in the mountains or in remote private locations.” International buyers are increasingly accessing major airports by private jets and then helicoptering in to their homes, he says. There are few government restrictions and “stunning scenery makes the flights spectacular.”
Having one’s personal aircraft outside the front door is more than an amenity. It’s a lifestyle game changer. For executive road warriors, it’s seen as a necessity. Aviation buffs see it that way, too.
James Lyons, of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty in Atlanta, Ga., counts a number of fly-in communities as well as private estates with helicopter pads in his territory. “I see the demand more and more with elite buyers,” Lyons says. “I never heard of it 10 years ago. Now folks are requesting it.” While the market for fly-in real estate remains small, Lyons says the properties typically garner at least a 10-15% premium. A home with aircraft accessibility can start under $1 million but $2 million and higher is more typical. “The ability to walk out your door and take advantage of the world is priceless,” he says.
For the Jacobs, the property at Raven’s Run was love at first flight. It represents freedom, the ability to go wherever they want at a moment’s notice. But first and foremost, it’s a home. “It’s not just where you keep your plane,” Marcie says. “We love the community and the cultural activities it offers.” The complex is ideally located for their lifestyle, a short drive from Charleston and minutes from the beach. “As my husband says, ‘It’s the dream.’”