Airpark Dreams

Although growing up in the flight path of KATL and one of the busiest GA airports in Georgia, Falcon Field (KFFC), could be seen as an upcoming aviator’s dream,  a certain 11-year-old and 9-year-old would view this living situation as being far from ideal. 

Olive and Archie Hubner are living a life most grown-up aviators could only dream of. Their parents, Leigh and Kamilla Hubner, who are natives of Australia, are some of my closest friends, and they just so happen to own a home with a runway in their backyard at Mallards Landing Airport (GA04) in Locust Grove, Georgia. Located just 37 miles southeast of KATL, Mallards Landing is a residential airpark community comprising a 4,500-by-100-foot grass runway, horse stables, tennis and pickleball courts, a pool, and, of course, an aviation-themed playground. 

But if you’re a Hubner kid, that’s certainly not enough. Daily go-cart “Top Gun” moments down the taxiway is the status-quo. “I especially like racing dad when he is in the Extra,” said Archie. 

“As a kid I remember watching pilots living with their planes on Australian television, ‘And in America you can live with your plane in the backyard,’” said Leigh, as he imitated the narrator in his best non-Aussie accent. “And I’m thinking, ‘those crazy Americans’. Of course, they’ve got a plane in their backyard, it’s America. Never did I think I would ever get to see that, feel it, or let alone live it.” 

Although several pilots seek out airpark homes, that’s not how the story goes for the Hubner bunch. Leigh, a thrill-seeking, adrenaline-junkie cameraman, was on the hunt for a Christen Eagle to take his aerobatic flying to the next level.

Not just any Christen Eagle. “I didn’t want the typical white-and-rainbow color scheme,” Leigh said. “I wanted something unique, so I found a black-and-gold one listed in Georgia. We were living in Los Angeles at the time for work, so, of course, the one I wanted popped up on the exact opposite side of the country.” Always seems to happen.

After landing at KATL to check out his dream Eagle, Leigh picked up a rental car and punched the address into his GPS without paying much attention to just where he was going.

“As I turn into the neighborhood entrance, I look at a house with a plane in the driveway, and the house next door had a plane sitting in their driveway,” he said. “And I thought, ‘Where the hell am I? These people have airplanes at their houses?’”

Kamilla, who was home in LA taking care of two kids under 2, called Leigh that evening to ask about the Eagle. To her surprise, the airplane was just a passing remark in the conversation.

“Babe, forget the plane,” said Leigh. “You aren’t going to believe where I am. This is the greatest place in the world.” 

Although they did end up shaking hands on the Eagle, the airplane never did find its way back to the Hubner’s home in California. Instead the Hubners found their way to the airplane. After a short in-person visit with Kamilla and a subsequent solo trek to knock on a door that would change the course of their lives, the Hubners dropped everything, bought a house (which Kamilla never even got to see), and moved to Georgia. 

“The house didn’t even matter,” said Kamilla. “I saw pictures, but that was it. We were buying the lifestyle. Everyone was so welcoming. We were taken out for lunch, drinks, and afternoon tea. Everyone was so excited to welcome new people and to spend time getting to know us. It was so rare to find.” 

Eight years later, that same Southern hospitality is still alive and well at Mallards. 

“If you’re sick, you’re going to have food coming out the wazoo,” said Leigh.

Added Kamilla: “If someone has a baby, has surgery, or just has a cough, they’ll have a meal train in place for two months.” 

They say it’s all about the unique atmosphere.

“The average person, unrelated to aviation, likely never experiences what we have here,” said Leigh. “It takes a village, and most people to some degree have some sort of village, but it’s typically made up of family and friends, maybe in the same town or the same state, but our village is literally doors away.”

The Mallards setup has been a gift to the Hubners, who are raising young children a world away from their family in Australia. But it has also been a lifesaver in the aviation department as well. 

“There are daily emails that go out with simple things like recommendations for a plumber, but then there’s emails that say, ‘Does anyone have a three-sixteenth-inch, some bloody tool you’ve never even heard of’,” said Leigh. “There’s probably only five of them in existence. Ten minutes later, another email pops up saying thanks and that they got one. It’s wild.” 

In addition to the meal trains, welcoming personalities, and random tools, Mallards is also known for more traditional airpark events such as fly-ins, chili cook-offs, and, of course, flour bombing competitions. On the quirkier side, Mallards has developed traditions unique to their airpark. One rite of passage in particular is being “flocked.” 

“If your birthday ends in zero, then you are flocked with a bunch of pink flamingos in your front yard,” said Kamilla. “For the longest time ever it was just adults getting flocked, but as more kids are coming into the neighborhood, it now includes 10-year-olds, so all the kids can’t wait until they turn 10. But you never know when it’s coming or who is going to do it. It is shrouded in secrecy.” 

One aspect of Mallards that is not shrouded in mystery is the airpark’s notoriety for unique aircraft of all shapes and sizes, everything from warbirds to gliders, and even homebuilt helicopters.  

“Who knows what you’ll see?” said Leigh. “There will be a squadron of Bird Dogs out practicing formation, then a T-6 and a bunch of Stearmans that appear out of nowhere.”

Added Kamilla: “We have to say to the kids that this is rare to see this many cool planes in one place.”

And the children do notice. 

“It’s hilarious, [when] we will hear something flying over, Arch will run to the window and say, ‘Ugh, it’s just a 182,’” said Leigh. “Dude, it’s a plane in our backyard. That’s amazing, but he’s become such a snob, always expecting to see T-6s, Corsairs, and Mustangs.” 

Although it might be uncommon to hear an 11-year-old girl say that their favorite part of living in their neighborhood is “swimming in the pool and watching airplanes at the same time,” according to older sister Olive, it is within reach. The Hubners bought their house for a reasonable price and found it on a traditional real estate website. That avenue is becoming increasingly difficult as the airpark lifestyle becomes more popular and publicized through social media. 

The Hubners point out that if it is your dream to live with your airplane, make sure to network within that specific community and make your intentions known. 

“If something comes available, it goes out on the neighborhood email first,” said Kamilla. “That’s how a lot of the sales happen.” 

Added Leigh: “You might see something come up on Barnstormers or Trade-A-Plane, but by the time it is posted, it might be too late. Most of the time it is someone initiating that conversation, and when the time comes, the home will go to those people first.” 

I dared to ask the Hubner gang if they would ever think of selling, but you can probably imagine the response.

“Even if we won the Powerball, we wouldn’t move,” said Leigh. “How many people can genuinely say they wouldn’t move if they won a billion dollars? Don’t worry, there will be signs I won a billion dollars. The hangar is going to be very full, but we’re not moving.”