A Home and a Hangar in Paradise
Photo courtesy of Justin Heitman
If you’re in the area, Whitsunday Airport is well worth a visit especially next Sunday (May 3) when a mini-airshow will celebrate the launch of airport owner Jeffrey Ruddell’s Whitsunday Aviation Village Estate (Yes, WAVE.) The RAAF’s Roulettes will stage two formation aerobatic events, supported by displays by local operators including aerobatics, vintage aircraft and parachuting.
Mr Ruddell, a Whitsunday region cane farmer and enthusiastic aeroplane/helicopter pilot, has been working on the $75 million residential airpark project since he acquired sole ownership of the airfield in 2001, and has now developed it into a fully self-contained 24ha private gated aviation village estate with 57 freehold land blocks and 30 leasehold commercial opportunities. 26 of the 40 blocks in the first release have already been sold, and local builders expect to begin building the first five or six hangar homes the day after the opening.
Most buyers already own an aeroplane, and Mr Ruddell says some are potential Cessna Mustang owners.
The 1400m asphalt sealed runway and sealed dual taxiways leading directly to residents’ architect-designed and innovative ‘hangar homes’.
And all of that comes with a sensitive preservation of the surrounding tropical rainforest. A key design element of WAVE was the strong focus on landscaping to ensure the village is in keeping with the natural environment and to minimise noise from the runway.
Existing mature trees have been incorporated into the master plan, a plant nursery has also been established at the site, and there are currently 15,000 trees and shrubs ready for planting, says Mr Ruddell:
“This is such a beautiful part of the world and we are making every effort to keep it that way. We’re enhancing natural creeks and building small bridges across them for residents to enjoy the tranquility. By the end of construction, we will have planted over 20,000 native and tropical plant species – all in consultation with environmental scientists. To date I’ve visited over 50 airparks in the USA, and have taken the best bits of each to incorporate into the WAVE master plan.
“With this research, and working with expert engineers, we’ve designed an airpark that offers the ultimate lifestyle for those just as passionate about aviation as myself. And what we’re creating will certainly give the best airparks in the US a run for their money.”
Visiting pilots will remain welcome and are also catered for with tie-down facilities, ramp security, use of a passenger terminal and modest airport usage charges. Fuel (jet A1 and Avgas) pricing will remain competitive, there’s an on-airport licensed café, and there are plenty of off-airport transport and accommodation options. For airport information, special flight procedures and everything else you need to know, just visit www.whitsundayairport.com.au
At last, a GA airfield owned by a GA pilot. Well done Jeffrey!
