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FL Airports - Where Should I Look?

Dad's RV-10

Well Known Member
I'll post this in the central section but please don't limit your replies to only central FL;

I've been casually looking for fly-in community property on which to build a hangar home. I'd really prefer to build because I don't want or need a 4000+ sq ft house and I'd rather not do another renovation and still not have what I want.

Maybe I'm looking for a unicorn but I'd prefer to live near the coast and near a nice town that has restaurants other than just Chili's and Applebee's. I don't want to be 20+ minutes from a supermarket or a Home Depot. In a prefect world, I'd like at least two acres.

What I've found is that fly-in communities in FL that have land available tend to be very far from everything. And the fly-in communities near civilization are already built-up, many with old, large homes that need a ton of work and often on small lots.

So, I'm starting to consider instead looking for property that is a short drive to an airport where one can own (build or buy) a box hangar. I'd like to own a hangar that is large enough for at least two planes, so I'm not interested in renting a small tee-hangar for the rest of my days.

I haven't done a lot of small plane flying in the recent past so I'm really not familiar with a lot of the general aviation airports in FL.

Any thoughts and suggestions on active airports where one could build or buy a hangar, in a part of the state that's not too far from civilization?
 
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Florida is obviously ripe with airpark communities, but a few in my area I can comment on would be FA40, Hidden Lake, which is in New Port Richey, a bit north of Tampa. https://www.hiddenlakeairport.com/Residential-Information. I have not landed here, but the location probably meets a lot of your criteria, close to the water and civilization.

Also in the Pasco County (north of Tampa) area is Pilot Country (X05). Maybe a bit farther from amenities, but not too far out.

Just two of many options but it's a start.

Chris
 
Florida is obviously ripe with airpark communities, but a few in my area I can comment on would be FA40, Hidden Lake, which is in New Port Richey, a bit north of Tampa. https://www.hiddenlakeairport.com/Residential-Information. I have not landed here, but the location probably meets a lot of your criteria, close to the water and civilization.

Also in the Pasco County (north of Tampa) area is Pilot Country (X05). Maybe a bit farther from amenities, but not too far out.

Just two of many options but it's a start.

Chris
Thanks. I'm familiar with both. FA40 is the closest runway to where I live. I am on their tee-hangar waiting list. But there are just about no vacant lots available at FA40 and honestly, I'm not too keen on staying in Pasco.
 
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I'm afraid that is a unicorn in today's Florida real estate environment. Anything close in is built out, and coastal land is way too expensive for anything new to sprout. Development is exploding here, and it's all shoulder-to-shoulder linear homes packing as many as they can into the clear-cut and fake lake acreage. (with the requisite giant entrance, gate, and deed restrictions).

You'll have to decide if location trumps new.
 
I'm afraid that is a unicorn in today's Florida real estate environment. Anything close in is built out, and coastal land is way too expensive for anything new to sprout. Development is exploding here, and it's all shoulder-to-shoulder linear homes packing as many as they can into the clear-cut and fake lake acreage. (with the requisite giant entrance, gate, and deed restrictions).

You'll have to decide if location trumps new.
Yes, that's why I'm trying to see if there are any established airports (not fly-in communities) near civilization where I could build or buy a box hangar.
 
Apopka?

Apopka has hangar lots for sale and I’m pretty sure you own the land unlike a lot of airports.
 
X04 Apopka

Apopka has hangar lots for sale and I’m pretty sure you own the land unlike a lot of airports.

Correct. At X04 (public use, private airport) in Apopka you own the land and pay an HOA fee quarterly that maintains the runway and surrounding grounds. Hangar lots are generally for 50x50 and 70x70 or for you and ALL your friends 100x100.

The lots have all been sold atleast once and are in private hands with a bunch that have not been built on yet. While the land is considered industrial there are more than a few people with lofts that live there full time.
 
Northwest Florida Beaches International (KECP) may be worth looking at if you do not mind building a hanger that will eventually pass to the airport authority at the end of a 20-year land lease. Seven new large hangers (jets and large twin turboprops) have been built in the past two years. Lifestyle ranges from the high end 30A area (Seaside, Rosmary Beach, ...) to rural country hide-a-ways. Panama City Beach is 15 minutes away with most major retailers/restaurants and an on-going development boom for new housing. St Joe's RiverCamps on Crooked Creek is worth checking out if you want to build a house and is also the closest waterfront development to the airport.

With a 10,000 ft runway, airport ops are targeted at commercial airlines and the turbine crowd who have weekend houses on 30A. Recently got a laugh listening to a visiting GA pilot ask the tower why the turbines were getting preference when he was there first. I almost keyed the mike to welcome him to ECP. 360s on the downwind or extended downwinds that go outside the Class D airspace for GA are not unusual here.

We do have a gated fly-in community at Sandy Creek, however as you have observed it is a 20-minute drive to anything from that location.

John Salak
RV-12 N896HS
 
You did not mention what price range you want to be in. That is a key consideration. Also keep in mind that many have the perception that Florida is a low tax state and that’s not really correct especially if you are a new arrival because of how the property tax system functions. Consider looking in SC and GA. If true overall low taxes are a goal look at TN.
 
Another reason to move to Florida, Sunset over the Gulf (7 Jan 22 at 3,500 ft, Panama City Beach in the background).

BTW, FL has no state income tax unlike GA and SC. My property tax bills in GA and FL are not much different, neither are anywhere near what we fled from in PA.

John Salak
RV12 N896HS
 

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