Retirement location

[gsxrpilot]

2 hours ago, kpaul said:

Wait, does that mean I shouldn't bid on the AGL annual at the Summit?  I would hate to get in between you and your "personal" MSC

Hahahaha... same situation bidding on the SWTA annual. I gave my "personal MSC" owner, JD, a ride to the Mooney Summit last year in my Mooney. It pays huge dividends having a relationship with the right MSC. 

Truth is, JD and I would be good friends even if he had nothing to do with airplanes. Just good people.

[Bunti]

On 6/27/2018 at 5:38 AM, Shiny moose said:

I know its still 4.5 years away but I have to start looking and making decisions. We are looking for a place to retire with our Mooney. Airpark, or great community with a great airport. Any information will be helpful,  Some of our considerations.

 

I also suggest to consider Spruce Creek. We even have a German language website for your wife and her German family. Also you find tons of photos on the website. Checkout: https://spruce-creek.de

If she wants to fly to Germany, she can fly direct from Orlando (one hour driving) or from Daytona with a stop in Atlanta or so (KDAB is 20 minutes driving or 7 minutes flying from 7FL6).

In Spruce Creek, there are about 1500 buildings and approx. 500 airplanes. Due to the size, even non flying people find a lot of things to do.

You can walk/bicycle in the secured community for miles and if you like to kayak, there is a dock in the community. From that dock, you can paddle to the Intracoastal Waterway. And from there into the ocean.

In our area you still find lots of wooded areas, where you can walk or bike.

In Spruce Creek everybody is very frinedly and helpful because everybody believes that he or she lives in paradise.

We like the weather very much because in summer it is not that hot and humid as at the Golf Coast or in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. In winter the temperatures are still ok. Even after a cold night, the days are usually warming up.

Spruce Creek has a paved runway and a private GPS-approach. The new version of the approach will also be available at night. So you can leave and come back any time you want, even on a day with IFR weather.

 

This photo had been taken during the yearly toyparade in December. The golf cart was built from an original Boeing 747 engine. The builder / owner is a Boeing 747 captain.

Aerial view of Spruce Creek. In the background you see the Atlantic Ocean.

[flyboy0681]

7 minutes ago, Bunti said:

We like the weather very much because in summer it is not that hot and humid as at the Golf Coast or in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area.

Come on, who are you trying to kid? I spent two years in the Daytona Beach area and it was just as hot and humid as the rest of the state. Looking at your area now and mine, we are within two degrees with the same amount of humidity.

[Bunti]

You are correct, right now it is the same. Over the year,  we see often a few degrees more in the south. And my impression was very often after I landed my Mooney in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda or in the Miami area that the air  felt less comfortable than in our area. But everybody feels different. 

[HRM]

On 7/3/2018 at 2:29 PM, flyboy0681 said:

Come on, who are you trying to kid? I spent two years in the Daytona Beach area and it was just as hot and humid as the rest of the state. Looking at your area now and mine, we are within two degrees with the same amount of humidity.

In Florida, it boils down to breezes. The coast gets the breezes (and also the brunt of the hurricanes). Orlando is fairly pleasant because it is very green and has a lot of lakes.

As you age, and we are talking retirement here, you do not want the sun, which is very unfriendly to aging skin. Then there is the summer flying, which amounts to being baked in a steam oven until you can get into the air and face-to-face with the thunderstorms 

[flyboy0681]

2 minutes ago, HRM said:

In Florida, it boils down to breezes. The coast gets the breezes (and also the brunt of the hurricanes). Orlando is fairly pleasant because it is very green and has a lot of lakes.

As you age, and we are talking retirement here, you do not want the sun, which is very unfriendly to aging skin. Then there is the summer flying, which amounts to being baked in a steam oven until you can get into the air and face-to-face with the thunderstorms 

By the time one is ready to retire, the skin damage was already done decades ago.

You nailed it on summer flying however.

 

[Marauder]

By the time one is ready to retire, the skin damage was already done decades ago.
You nailed it on summer flying however.
 

I hear ya! Wish I didn’t use so much Crisco growing up.




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[ArtVandelay]

I fly very early morning, less storms, less heat, less bumps.
Do airparks normally have restrictions? I assume if they have lights then nighttime flying is allowed?

[Bunti]

9 minutes ago, teejayevans said:

I fly very early morning, less storms, less heat, less bumps.
Do airparks normally have restrictions? I assume if they have lights then nighttime flying is allowed?

Here in Spruce Creek (7FL6) in Florida you can fly all day and night. The runway has lights and  a PAPI for both directions.

Our GPS approach was restircted to daytime only for a while because of too many trees near the approach sector. Now the trees have been cut or removed and the FAA will give us the night GPS approval for runway 24 back during the next weeks. 

If you want to depart IFR and you are unable to stay in VMC after takeoff,  you can call Daytona Approach via phone and get an IFR clearance before takeoff on the ground.

[Oldguy]

21 hours ago, HRM said:

Then there is the summer flying, which amounts to being baked in a steam oven until you can get into the air and face-to-face with the thunderstorms

This summer, I am not seeing anything different across much of the US.

[13scrappy]

I am less than 2 years from retirement and looking for a more perfect place than my current home of Tucson.  I would only add the requirement of world class medical facilities within an hour to my list and south or southwest instead of southeast.  Tucson already fits the criteria pretty well, but for some reason I have a crazy idea that I would like to try living close to a large lake, river or stream.  

 

[amillet]

Do not consider the Nortwest. It rains all the time and is cold and there’s already too many people 

[Shiny moose]

We found  a map  depicting the average humidity of the US. , looks like SE Georgia, South Carolina and southern parts of North Carolina have less humidity than most of the eastern US. I need to spend some time there and visit different places. Any suggestions 

[KLRDMD]

16 hours ago, teejayevans said:

I fly very early morning, less storms, less heat, less bumps. Do airparks normally have restrictions? I assume if they have lights then nighttime flying is allowed?

Some do, some don't. The two I'm familiar with in AZ, SkyRanch at Carefree (18AZ) prohibits takeoffs before 6AM, don't know about their night time limitation. La Cholla (57AZ) has no prohibitions on flight times.

[HRM]

7 hours ago, Oldguy said:

This summer, I am not seeing anything different across much of the US.

Frankly, Southeast Texas is worse. My MO is to go down to the hangar NLT 7 AM and be back on the ground by 9 AM. 

[nels]

On 7/5/2018 at 5:52 PM, HRM said:

In Florida, it boils down to breezes. The coast gets the breezes (and also the brunt of the hurricanes). Orlando is fairly pleasant because it is very green and has a lot of lakes.

As you age, and we are talking retirement here, you do not want the sun, which is very unfriendly to aging skin. Then there is the summer flying, which amounts to being baked in a steam oven until you can get into the air and face-to-face with the thunderstorms 

I like your choice of words....”it all boils down to”. Haha

[Wayne Cease]

We found  a map  depicting the average humidity of the US. , looks like SE Georgia, South Carolina and southern parts of North Carolina have less humidity than most of the eastern US. I need to spend some time there and visit different places. Any suggestions 

Less? How could there be more? A typical morning here the humidity percentage is in the mid 90's. I run in the morning and my dri-fit shirts are dripping wet when I'm done. No way I'd wear cotton t-shirts for running in the summer, as they'd weigh too much by the end.



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[Mooneymite]

I am not telling ANYONE the best place to retire.  As soon as I do, a gazillion old people will move there and ruin the place!  

[Shiny moose]

8 hours ago, Wayne Cease said:

Less? How could there be more? A typical morning here the humidity percentage is in the mid 90's. I run in the morning and my dri-fit shirts are dripping wet when I'm done. No way I'd wear cotton t-shirts for running in the summer, as they'd weigh too much by the end.



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Running!!!! I said retirement location not running location. Looks like your near hotlanta, its really sweltering hot there

[Shiny moose]

8 hours ago, Mooneymite said:

I am not telling ANYONE the best place to retire.  As soon as I do, a gazillion old people will move there and ruin the place!  

Please tell me , I’m younger than some and wont tell anyone.

[glafaille]

One should pay particular attention to those things that are impossible to fix when selecting a retirement locale.  

At the top of my list is:

1. Climate, climate, climate

2. Reasonable cost of housing

3.  Low taxes 

4.  Access to cheap airline flights so I can travel out, and friends and family can easily travel in.

5.  Medical facilities, we are healthy now, but who knows what the future holds.

6.  Recreation options.  Needs to be a fun, vibrant area with lots to do.

I live in a very hot and humid place now and don’t care for it.  Therefore, in retirement I am seeking a dry, not too hot climate.  Most of my retirement possibilities are out West.

Edited July 8, 2018 by glafaille

[ArtVandelay]

One should pay particular attention to those things that are impossible to fix when selecting a retirement locale.  
At the top of my list is:
1. Climate, climate, climate
2. Reasonable cost of housing
3.  Low taxes 
4.  Access to cheap airline flights so I can travel out, and friends and family can easily travel in.
5.  Medical facilities, we are healthy now, but who knows what the future holds.
6.  Recreation options.  Needs to be a fun, vibrant area with lots to do.
I live in a very hot and humid place now and don’t care for it.  Therefore, in retirement I am seeking a dry, not too hot climate.  Most of my retirement possibilities are out West.

I don’t understand #4
You own an airplane!

[AH-1 Cobra Pilot]

1 hour ago, teejayevans said:

I don’t understand #4
You own an airplane!

But look at what kind of plane!

[glafaille]

First of all the Grumman is about as fast as your basic C model Mooney.

It’s nice to live close to good cheap airline service because:

1.  Friends and family can easily visit

2.  I want to travel to places not easily flown to in a Grumman or Mooney.  Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Hawaii, etc.

3.  Some day we all have to hang up the spurs.  Doesn’t have to mean you quit traveling.

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by glafaille

[Shiny moose]

18 hours ago, glafaille said:

One should pay particular attention to those things that are impossible to fix when selecting a retirement locale.  

At the top of my list is:

1. Climate, climate, climate

2. Reasonable cost of housing

3.  Low taxes 

4.  Access to cheap airline flights so I can travel out, and friends and family can easily travel in.

5.  Medical facilities, we are healthy now, but who knows what the future holds.

6.  Recreation options.  Needs to be a fun, vibrant area with lots to do.

I live in a very hot and humid place now and don’t care for it.  Therefore, in retirement I am seeking a dry, not too hot climate.  Most of my retirement possibilities are out West.

I like your list better than mine, except I have to look east(wifey)