For most pilots, flying is something you schedule your life around. A weekend hobby squeezed between work obligations and family commitments. But tucked into 4,200 acres of gated, pecan tree-lined property southwest of Fort Worth, Texas, a residential airpark community is making the case that it doesn’t have to be that way.
Cayla McLeod, host of the Plane + Pilot Podcast, recently flew a Cirrus SR20 from Burnet Municipal Airport up to The Landings Airpark at Pecan Plantation to see the development firsthand. She sat down with Mike Murphy, sales manager for Patten Properties (the third-generation land developer behind the project) to talk about what makes the community tick, who’s buying in, and why the window to do so is closing fast.
The story of Pecan Plantation starts long before anyone was taxiing to a runway.
“The same family has owned Pecan Plantation since 1947, and during that time, it was the largest active pecan orchard in the nation,” Murphy said.
Real Estates Development began in the early 1970s, when the family started building out infrastructure and amenities before a single home went up. The aviation component followed in the 1990s with the community’s first airstrip, OTX1, and the demand for runway-adjacent living only grew from there.
So many people wanted to be involved in the airpark, according to Murphy, that another airpark was built about fifteen years ago: 66 Tango Echo, a 3,100-foot paved runway, with a 300’ displaced threshold recently added. Additionally, a new concrete parking area was added with tie downs for overnight guests and friends.
Complete with automatic lights and a brand-new self-service fuel station offering 100LL, that second runway is the centerpiece of what Patten Properties calls “The Landings East,” the aviation-focused residential section of the broader Pecan Plantation community.
The Landings East offers prospective buyers something that’s increasingly rare in the airpark world: flexibility. Homesite lots along the taxiway range from roughly three-quarters of an acre to just over an acre and a half. Buyers can bring their own builder, construct a custom home with a minimum of 2,000 square feet, and erect a private hangar (minimum 40 by 40 feet), all connected directly to the concrete taxiway.
“Taxi directly from your home right to the paved runway, and you’re out and about for the day,” Murphy said.
Unlike many developments that impose aggressive construction timelines, Pecan Plantation doesn’t pressure buyers to break ground immediately. Murphy noted that the pre-construction phase is wrapping up, with most infrastructure now in the ground, meaning buyers can purchase today and build on their own schedule.
The entry price point is turning heads, too. Airpark lots on the taxiway start at just $189,900.
“For that type of price point and what you get here, it’s arguably the best value in aviation,” Murphy said.
A wide range of aviators have chosen to call Pecan Plantation home. Situated just outside of Dallas-Fort Worth’s Bravo airspace, roughly an hour from both Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and Dallas Love Field (KDAL), the community draws a broad cross-section of the flying population.
“We’ve got military pilots. We have commercial pilots. We have private pilots, and a range of aviation enthusiasts,” Murphy said. “It’s really a mix of everything. It’s a wonderful aviation community.”
That community is anchored in part by what Murphy describes as an incredible EAA Gold Chapter on the property. The chapter helps drive a steady calendar of fly-ins, hangar parties, cookouts, and car meets that keep the aviation social scene active year-round.
“Most airparks give you either great flying or great living, but Pecan Plantation gives you both,” Murphy said.
That “great living” isn’t an afterthought. Pecan Plantation is a full-scale residential community with roughly 3,200 existing homes spread across its acreage. The development sits about 15 minutes from the historic Granbury town square, which Murphy described with affection.
“It feels like Mayberry to me,” Murphy said. “It’s like hometown USA. There’s always something to do here.”
The property itself features four restaurants, including fine dining at the clubhouse, a hotel for visiting guests, a shopping village with a grocery market, pharmacy, bank, gas station, and even a car wash. Security, fire, EMS, and Care Flight services are all part of the package. The entire community is gated, and 15 miles of Brazos River frontage and access to the 8,400-acre Lake Granbury round out the outdoor recreation options.
A resident could tinker in their hangar, fly their airplane, hop on a golf cart, and take the dog to a vet appointment without ever leaving the property, according to Murphy.
Patten Properties has been developing roughly 1,000 additional homesites across a range of neighborhoods since partnering with the Anthony family about three years ago. Options range from half-acre building lots to 10-acre ranch properties where owners can keep horses, and access to equestrian and walking trails right out your back door.
If you’re keeping an eye on this airpark, inventory is running thin. Of the approximately 250 airpark homesites originally available, roughly 220 have already sold. That leaves just 30 lots remaining, and Murphy said the company is running a land sale to close out the airpark section entirely.
Patten Properties is making it easy for interested buyers to see the property for themselves. The company offers what it calls a “VIP tour”: prospective buyers can fly into 66 Tango Echo, get picked up at the runway, stay at the on-site hotel, enjoy dinner at the clubhouse, and spend as much time as they need exploring the community. The Information Center is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Murphy’s team can be ready to meet a fly-in visitor at the runway within an hour or two of setting an appointment.
“The Landings East at Pecan Plantation lets aviation be a lifestyle and not just a hobby that you have to schedule your time around,” Murphy said. “You can fly when you want, live comfortably when you’re not flying, and be surrounded by people who value both.”
Visit AirparkLand.com for more information, or find Patten Properties at Booth 4060 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this year. The community is also active on Facebook and Instagram.
