Oneida, Tennessee – Big South Fork Airpark, an aviation and equestrian community adjacent to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area 50 miles north of Knoxville, has completed Phase 1 of their development, announcing properties available for sale.

Gary Gallagher, Bill Armstrong and Tom Donald of the Big South Fork Airpark began planning the community in 2006.
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The Gympie Times in Australia is reporting the “Kybong aerodrome (map) is set to enter the 21st Century, with council approval of a plan which will ultimately lead to a residential airpark, where flyers can keep their aircraft in the garage, along with their cars.”

The Red Deer Advocate (Alberta, Canada) is reporting that officials in Mountain View County, Alberta will consider developing an airpark on Sundre Airport. From the story:

“Airparks have proven successful elsewhere. Twin Island Airpark, 20 km southeast of Edmonton, and Okotoks Air Ranch, 50 km southeast of Calgary, have offered similar opportunities to those who like to keep their heads in the clouds. The idea has proven popular in the U.S., where more than 600 airparks have been developed.”

By Brent Blue, ThroughTheFence.org

The FAA has consistently justified most of their opposition to “through the fence” residential hangars as being related to noise complaints. They have frequently stated that the FAA has spent $1.8 billion to buy land to mitigate noise sensitive neighbors. However, the FAA has never delineated residential hangars from residences which have no airport connection.

In order to find out exactly how much of a problem noise has been for the FAA from hangar home residents, ThroughTheFence.org asked to FAA, through the Freedom of Information Act, for two items related to noise.
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The AOPA, in a letter dated December 18, has asked the FAA for more flexibility in its “proposed ‘one size fits all’ approach to airparks and other residential through-the-fence (TTF) operations at public-use airports”. A story posted to AOPA Online notes:

“The new FAA guidance acknowledges no acceptable residential TTF agreements, a statement that AOPA considers a significant departure from the agency’s past policy.”

John McArdle, mayor of City of Independence (Oregon) and Gregg Del Ponte, the acting director of the Oregon Department of Aviation have both gone on the record in favor the through-the-fence agreement at Independence Airport. A story at StatesmanJournal.com turns the spotlight on the FAAs efforts and actions to do away with through-the-fence agreements at federally funded airports.

I don’t typically include advertisements in the content area of Living With Your Plane, but this is a rather intriguing ad with some additional information below:

“FREE 3-acre lot to the first person to move with your plane to our airpark at www.OzarkSkies.com. $50,000 value. Identifier: 05AR. Contact Bob Rutz, 479-665-2887.”

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The Experimental Aircraft Association is asking members (read story) “who have real-world experience in through-the-fence operations” to log into its Oshkosh365 social media website to provide “feedback and constructive comments” that will help craft EAAs official response to the FAA.

The Walton Press is reporting that Bill and Jim Patterson are adding a 50-lot airpark to their private strip outside of Monroe, Georgia. From the story:

“The proposed subdivision, dubbed Appalachee Bluff, is eventually going to include more than 50 lots — each with a 2,400-square-foot home, including 30 overlooking the runway itself — as well as hangars, a riverside view for 12 lots and, of course, an airstrip running down the center of the entire design.”

Idaho’s “Bonner County is moving forward with a plan to buy out the developers of a controversial residential development at Sandpoint Airport with federal funds,” according to a story in the Bonner County Daily Bee.

Under the proposal, 95 percent of the buyout cost would borne by FAA and the remaining 5 percent would be funded through the Panhandle Area Council or some other funding source that has not been identified yet.