Aviation Community Rallies To Save Florida Airport From Closure

An adjacent airpark could be left with no airport.

Monday, September 05, 2022 at 04:58 AM ET

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Residents of Tarpine Airpark, just south of Panacea, Florida, live adjacent to Wakulla County Airport (2J0), which may be closed soon. [Image: Wakulla County]

Key Takeaways:

Wakulla County, Florida, is expected to vote on September 19 to close its sole public-use airport (2J0), which would revoke its license and declare the property surplus.
This closure threatens the long-standing runway access for 47 homes at the adjacent Tarpine Airpark, whose HOA has offered to take over the airport despite county allegations of neglect and refusal of improvement grants.
Aviation advocacy groups and other airport officials are strongly opposing the closure, emphasizing the significant economic, social, and recreational benefits the airport provides to the community.

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Living in an airpark where the runway is in your backyard is a dream for many pilots, but it can quickly turn into a nightmare when your access to the runway is denied because the strip is owned by someone other than the homeowners. That’s the situation facing residents of Tarpine Airpark just south of Panacea, Florida.

The airpark is adjacent to Wakulla County Airport (2J0). On September 19, the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners is expected to vote to close the county-owned, public-use airport.