A Stunning Aviation Community in the Florida Keys
Location and Pedigree Create a Stunning Aviation Community in the Keys
Summerland Key Cove Airport provides a unique combination of air and sea.
By Grant Boyd
May 30, 2022
Anyone who knows real estate knows that location is key. Those who call Summerland Key Cove Airport (FD51) in the lower Florida Keys home are intimately familiar with this time-tested realty concept.
The site’s location is what enticed its initial developer, Henry Hudgins, to purchase the parcel of land. The $100,000 purchase, at the time in 1947, consisted primarily of “uninhabited wilderness.” This previously desolate chunk of land has since been transformed into what it is today, which includes both the airport, as well as surrounding homes and infrastructure.
The decision to incorporate marine facilities into the ocean-flanked community was an easy one. But including a runway was a little less intuitive. The decision to do so was largely inspired by Henry’s wife, Mary, who was a pilot and aircraft owner. As a result, residents of the fly-in community enjoy not only near year-round sunshine, but also backyard access to the ocean and a private asphalt runway.
Matt Stettner, a recently retired naval aviator, has called Summerland Key home since 2014. It is easy to tell from his open appreciation for the community that his time as a resident has been truly enjoyable.
“I’m never leaving because I love it here. I have a runway in my front yard, a canal in my backyard, and I can shovel money in either direction. The runway is about 120 feet from my driveway, so I just pull out the plane and go fly. It is really nice,” Stettner said.
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Story credit: Flying Magazine; https://www.flyingmag.com/location-and-pedigree-creating-a-stunning-aviation-community-in-the-keys/