Just three months after Akai Estates, a 44-acre gated community of luxury residences in Southwest Ranches, Florida, made headlines in April 2022, a Chicago executive purchased a $15 million crib there before construction even began. Its modern design penned by Portuguese architect Vasco Vieira in partnership with local creative Jiro Yates wasn’t entirely what made it appealing to the buyer: each of the 16 residences at Akai Estates sits on two acres of land with access to the community’s helicopter pad.

The helipad, which owners can reserve on a dedicated website from anywhere around the world, according to co-listing agent Jill Hertzberg of the Jills Zeder Group, speaks to an emerging trend around fly-in communities. “With Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties experiencing record growth, interest is surging,” Hertzberg tells Robb Report. “This is the ultimate answer for getting you where you need to go—fast, easier, and without the hassle of traffic.”

Such has been the draw of fly-in and airpark communities across the U.S. for nearly the last eight decades since Sierra Sky Park in Fresno County, Calif., was established as the world’s first in 1946. “It would allow aviation-oriented families to experience the dream of having an aircraft in their own yards and the camaraderie of neighbors with similar dreams,” a marker at the site reads.

In addition to homes with custom-built hangars set near the 4,000-foot-long runway, residents can enjoy recently updated amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, eight tennis courts, and a luxury clubhouse. “We are not a retirement community,” says Patricia Ohlsson, former pilot and sales associate at Spruce Creek Fly-In Realty, of the site where the 14 miles of taxiways that serve roughly 500 aircraft based there have been repaved over the last five years.

Today, nearly 700 airparks and other private residential communities with fly-in options and other leisurely amenities that rival Spruce Creek’s speckle the U.S., a database run by Living With Your Plane shows. Texas has the most with a total of 84, followed by Florida with 80. 

Rather than sift through the multitude of airpark websites, enthusiasts can filter available fly-in real estate to match their preference via sources like Trade-a-Plane, an aviation marketplace that’s logged everything online from aircraft parts to services since 1997. The marketplace shows over 125 listings, including a $16 million Wyoming estate by architect Von Weise Associates that includes a mansion-sized hangar. 

Elsewhere, Florida’s Wellington Aero Club features 240 custom homes and a runway paved in 2015, while North Carolina’s Mountain Air and Wyoming’s Alpine Airpark place luxury homes among idyllic natural settings. A 24-acre Pennsylvania estate with heated hangars and a 480-acre Wisconsin spread with a 3,000-foot-long runway are two of this year’s biggest fly-in listings.

Grease fans may have also heard that actor John Travolta’s longtime residence at the Jumbolair Aviation & Equestrian Estates in Ocala, Florida, was relisted with a reduced asking price in September. First listed in 2019 for $10.5 million, it’s now priced at $500,000 less. Jumblolair offers America’s longest private runway, plus an equestrian center with a 16-stall barn and a 20,000-square-foot arena.

Ultimately, what’s spiking interest in these communities is convenience. Post pandemic, South Florida saw a surge in luxury real estate sales due to the region’s accessibility via private aircraft. Private aviation also saw a noticeable bump there in 2022 as a result of wealthy buyers looking to avoid public transportation. With that said, it continues to be a hotspot with flexible travel options for private flyers.

“I have worked with multiple buyers who want to be able to fly in for the weekend and go to their condo and fly back out,” Marc Fitzgerald of Sotheby’s International Realty told the NY Post. Being able to forego a potentially long drive to and from the local airport saves time for those who’d rather park their PJ in the driveway or backyard. 

Two downsides might be aircraft noise and exhaust fumes, and zoning restrictions can limit new development or the expansion of a home. And, private plane ownership being a fairly niche market can make airpark homes and estates a bit difficult to sell. Still, for those with the urge to frequently take to the skies, you can’t beat the convenience or the opportunity to live among other aviation enthusiasts and skilled pilots.