According to Ernest J. Gentle’s Aviation and Space Dictionary, an airpark is defined as:
“A little used term for an airport at which flight operations of small aircraft are conducted.”
An airpark is simply a small area often near a business or residential area which is used for private planes. The concept of airpark began in early 1944 and the first airpark was Sierra Sky Park in Fresno, California which was established in 1946.
Purpose of an airpark:
- Parking private planes
- Parking for residential communities: residents own their own airplanes and park them in hangars attached to their homes.
Few examples of other airparks:
North South Airpark is a private-use airport. It is located northeast of the Central business district of Vancouver, in Clark County, Washington, US.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blackbird_Airpark_(14527199572).jpg
Spruce Creek is the only residential airpark in the world. Also, it is one of the largest and most famous airparks. Spruce Creek is a unique and fascinating place where flying is a way of life and the sky’s the limit.
Term related to airpark:
Hangar
The word hangar comes from Middle French Hanghart meaning “ enclosure near a house”. Hangar is a building or other suitable shelter for housing aircraft. It is built of metal, wood, or concrete.
The hangar of airline is used to perform a range of maintenance tasks, including repairs, inspections, and refurbishments. Aircraft such as Boeing 737, Airbus A319, A320, and A321, Boeing 747 are maintained in British Airways hangars present in Cardiff, Glasgow.
Image: David Martin| Wikimedia Commons
The Hangars at Old Sarum Airfield in Salisbury, Wiltshire are historic aircraft hangars built during World War I. They were built in 1917 and 1918 by German prisoners of war and the Chinese Labor Corps.
Airpark Vs Airport Vs Aerodrome
Sometimes the word aerodrome and airport are used interchangeably. However, these two terms are distinct from an airpark. Here are some of the differences between these three terms.
| Features | Airpark | Airport | Aerodrome |
| Definition | Residential area with a runway for resident’s aircraft. | Focused on commercial and passenger flights. | Board term for any flight operation site. |
| Usage | Residents can park aircraft in hangars at their homes. | Typically has runways, hangars and passenger facilities. | Includes airports, helipads, private airstrips, etc. |
| Location | Usually located in suburban or rural areas | Typically located near cities or major transportation hubs | Can be found in various locations, including rural areas |
| Infrastructure | Combination of residential infrastructure with aviation facilities such as hangars and community runways | Extensive infrastructure to support large-scale operations, including air traffic control towers, maintenance facilities, and fueling stations. | May have basic infrastructure, depending on their size and usage. |
Another related term to airpark, airport, or aerodrome is Airstrip. Mingbo Airport, which was an unofficial airport that was constructed in the Everest region by Sir Edmund Hillary, is often referred to as an airstrip as well. The following is a picture of the Mingbo Airstrip in its present form.
As this airstrip was located at a precarious position with a runway that was less than 500 meters, in an altitude of around 15,000 ft, it could we be classified as a Short Takeoff and Landing Airport (STOLport).