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Living with Your Airplane

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author visits Spruce Creek, a "fly-in" community, which surprisingly exceeds his initial low expectations, proving to be an immaculate and vibrant place.
  • Spruce Creek is characterized by unique living arrangements where residents, many of whom are aviation professionals or enthusiasts, have homes with direct taxiway access and private aircraft hangars.
  • The community fosters a lively and engaging social environment, with residents described as bright, articulate, and worldly, all sharing a deep passion for aviation.
  • Impressed by the unique lifestyle and camaraderie, the author reflects on Spruce Creek as a highly appealing and distinct option for his own retirement.
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You can’t go to a party in Florida where I live and escape a conversation about real estate or hurricanes. There’s no doubt that the state is still adding to its population base and the interaction between the growth, the weather and the price of real estate makes for an underlying hum of concern. One of the things I like about where I live is that I’m just seven minutes from the airport where we keep our airplane. Our back yard has a terrific view of Tampa Bay and the airplanes headed for 36 Left at Tampa International Airport. This is the closest I’ve lived to an airplane I’ve owned in 35 years of paying hangar rent.

There are even more intimate living arrangements, though, and I’ve started to think about them. Specifically, what about living at an airport? I had never been to a “fly-in” community until a friend called and invited my wife and me for a visit featuring a “gathering” and a night’s stay. We jumped eagerly at the possibility of seeing a new living arrangement.

FLYING Staff

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