Airport Spotlight: Homeowners Reclaiming Crest Airpark

Kent, Washington, residents unite to preserve the place they love.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, April 20, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Norman Grier Field (S36) is a small airport backed by a passionate community. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

For decades, residents of Flying Acres Airpark faced uncertainty regarding the future of their adjacent airport, Norman Grier Field (formerly Crest Airpark), and their crucial runway access.
The Flying Acres Homeowners Association (FAHA) successfully purchased the 64-acre airport for approximately $3.125 million, with 93 out of 116 homeowners contributing to secure permanent airport access.
Now community-owned and primarily run by volunteers, the airport plans significant repairs and improvements, aiming to ensure its operation "in perpetuity" and resolve previous ambiguities for potential new residents.

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Imagine buying a home because it offered access to an airport, only to later learn the property might change hands and the runway could be lost. That uncertainty lingered for decades at Flying Acres Airpark in Kent, Washington, adjacent to Norman Grier Field (S36), formerly known as Crest Airpark.

In July 2025, the Flying Acres Homeowners Association (FAHA) purchased the airport through New Crest Airpark LLC, an entity created specifically for the purchase and management of the 64-acre property on behalf of the airpark community. According to FAHA members, the airport sale and purchase was decades in the works.