Aero estates offer a unique living experience for airplane enthusiasts
August 15, 2011, 04:11 pm
Residents of Brookridge Aero Estates in Chicago, Illinois, are a unique group of aircraft enthusiasts who reside in a subdivision specifically tailored to their hobby.
Despite rising fuel costs and the recession cutting into flight time for many enthusiasts, these neighborhoods continue to see popularity and relatively steady occupancy, as even those enthusiasts who don't fly themselves enjoy being around the airplanes, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"It’s a very appealing lifestyle," Ben Sclair, who publishes General Aviation News, told the source. "These communities might not be robust, but the ones that are there are doing pretty well for the most part."
The communities, called air-parks or aero estates, have been around for more than 60 years, and there are more than 625 of them in the United States, according to the news source. The first examples were typically populated by commercial airline pilots who also flew privately. Once a staple of exclusively rural areas, today many are popping up in suburban areas as well.
As of March 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration had issued 195,650 private pilot's licenses, which allow pilots to fly for personal transportation or business.
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