To my knowledge there are 3 operational Fly-in communities in France, two just north of La Rochelle and one at Biscarrosse. As for other countries I dont know.
two reasons , planners and nimbys. I think there have been a couple under consideration, one in east anglia and another in the SW, but they were shot down by the planners. Also old airfields tend to be used to park the over-supply from the car industry - it makes more money I suspect!
The problem I see is that you go to the airport to get away from the wife/neighbours/house etc. If you live AT the airport, then you can't get away from these things and if you piss someone off then it could become a little troublesome.
I know of one being built in south-east Spain, not far from Murcia. My guess is they are mainly aiming this at affluent people (who also have an aeroplane) as second/holiday homes. Last time I saw the website it showed the runway had been completed (1200m tarmac).
I was not sure where to put it, so I did first JetBlast, but I think this is the proper one.
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Thanks for the info on Bratton, Muffin. Another of my life's mysteries solved!
As for fly-in communities, I've always been jealous of those such as the ones on the West Coast of the US, with their own radio operated security gate on the taxiway, 5 beds, 3 car garage at the front and two aircraft hangar at the back, nicely rounded off with a pool. Jealous of their weather as well
Jealousy is not an attractive trait, I grant you, but I do it so well
It appears to be coming along very slowly. I was in contact with the developers about a year ago; despite being at all the air shows, they didn't really want to reply to correspondence. Perhaps they just wanted people with a suitcase of cash - the Spanish property market has been like that for a while.
They were developing some 700 properties around the airfield - this is more than the sum total of aircraft owners (ones that have any money, the min plot+house price was GBP 200k) in the whole of Europe.
Also a major international airport was planned just a few miles away.
This region is being heavily developed for the ex-Brit fish and chips / pint of bitter crowd.
I don't think large air parks will work in Europe. The French ones are much smaller, more expensive (GBP 400k+) but a lot nicer.
If you have the kind of money to afford a place like that (that's SERIOUS money), either as main residence or second home, where would you spend it Spain? Arizona? Or Telford?
I have often thought about selling up, moving off to the USA, buying 40 acres of land in Arizona for $15000, build my 7000 sq foot house, with 3 car garage and hangar, building a runway, buying a good aircraft, and having no mortgage.....and still having change to spare from my house sale.....
I was intrigued by the reports of the fly-in community near Le Touquet / Boulogne / Calais, having heard about it at St. Omer as well as Fly Stimulator’s link above. Monday was a nice flying day, so armed with the Pilot freebie landing voucher for Le Touquet, a quick visit was in order.
They had some fliers for the project on the counter at Le Touquet. These have a form on the back to fill in if you are interested (you are invited to register and comment without commitment). On the return I routed back via Verchocq. Fortunately with the co-ordinates in the GPS(s) as it’s not that easy to find. At present there’s no development other than the existing farm strip and flying club. I’d not sought PPR so didn’t land, but it appears to be a 600m grass strip, sloping up towards the west.
Hopefully it will be a more economic proposition than Spruce Creek or Vendee, as they repeatedly mention microlights. Anything heavy might have problems with the short grass field. According to the flier they plan to extend the strip to 710m. There are also a couple of adverts from companies building wooden chalets etc, another indication that it might not be too expensive (relatively!)
I think you'd find that in Arizona your brain would turn into jelly only marginally slower that it would do so in Spain
I've been there, can vouch for your property prices, but there is nothing to do there. Nothing except take thousands of pictures of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, Monument Valley (that's into Utah, where property is even cheaper...)
Retirement in Spain is for people who are mentally finished and are ready to spend the rest of their days sitting in the sun and drinking wine or whatever, chatting to their chums from Chelsmford, watching East Enders on Sky TV.
WKW
The Murcia air park is like that too. The runway is there and that's more or less it.
and quick-t empered 
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