Wyoming Housing Development to Offer Access to Afton Municipal Airport

“My dad was Theodore Howard Heap, who was a very successful corporate litigator and also started Air Oregon in 1977 with one of the founders of United Airlines,” Heap said. “I was going towards my private [pilot license], but my dad died when I was 19 years old. I lost my direction for a bit but then got into excavation. I really wanted to be an operator, but they told me to ‘operate this first’ and handed me a shovel. There are many ways to operate a shovel, which I learned, and worked my way up from being a laborer to project manager and estimator.”

Heap would ultimately carve his own path, founding a real estate development company that he named Third Eye Development. Past projects undertaken by the company have included RV parks, hangar projects, and more.

Now, a pilot and aircraft owner himself, Heap has turned his attention to a development at a publicly owned, public-use airport in Wyoming. The project is at the southwest corner of Runway 34 at Afton Municipal Airport (KAFO) and consists of five estate-sized lots, which allow for horses. 

“Afton Sky Ranches is my first airpark ever,” he said. “We are made up of only five very exclusive and private lots, ranging from five to almost 10 acres each. We feature a pilot-controlled, 100-foot-wide gate, which allows for jets with wingspans of up to 80 feet. Each lot has city services, irrigation water rights, and your choice of high-speed gigabit fiber service.”  

The project began in earnest in mid-2022, at which point there were several obstacles to make the land sale ready. One of the key aspects was that being on fee simple land adjacent to the airport, Heap would require through-the-fence approval from the FAA in order for aircraft to have access to the runway. 

In early February, the project received this necessary approval—a process that took several years—with the support of several engineering firms, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and other parties. This nod was the last piece of the puzzle that Heap was waiting on before formally letting others know about the project. 

“[We are] breaking ground in April [and] finishing it by August,” he said. “The reception [when the project was announced] was overwhelming... with several hundred private messages, posts, and likes in just the first 72 hours. We had no idea how hot this market was going to be. The exclusivity factor and the 7,025-foot-long runway allowing for larger aircraft than competitors is playing a pivotal role in our success.” 

There are numerous reasons the fly-in community is attractive to potential residents. Many are central to its location in Afton, a town of roughly 2,000 residents in western Wyoming near the Idaho border.  

“Why did I choose Afton? I was doing research and going through all of the places that would be the most unique, have the most things to offer, and be the most successful,” Heap said. “I looked at several airports, and Afton made the most sense. I looked at Driggs [Idaho], Pinedale [Wyoming], and others. This airport was interesting because it’s the alternate for Jackson Hole Airport (KJAC) and has western Wyoming’s only 7,025-foot-long runway.”

Having a runway capable of accommodating an aircraft of any size was a critical component in Heap’s decision to choose this airport over others. It is an important consideration for discerning buyers, who likely will consider the fly-in community based on this factor—in addition to the town being an attractive recreational destination.

“The area around Afton Sky Ranches is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts,” Heap said. “If you draw a line for 100 miles in all directions, there is the world’s best fishing and world-class trophy hunting. There’s Yellowstone [National] Park. There are several ski resorts within an hour and some of the best powder within 15 minutes. We also have some of the best snowmobiling around.”

Heap also credits Afton Sky Ranches’ intentional design for being another attractive element to potential buyers. 

“This airpark has a quarter-mile private drive with a gate,” he said. “It is surrounded by farmland and will be surrounded by other [similar] developments, so you’re not going to have to look out your front door into your neighbor’s house. There will actually be separation, and I think this draws high-end clientele. We really focus on exclusivity, uniqueness, and privacy.” 

The hard work that was required to get this development to where it is now has given Heap the energy to consider its future growth, as well as pursue projects at other airports.

“I am developing a fully gated airpark in Coeur d’Alene, where I’m building my own runway,” he said. “The future airpark will have a 6,000-foot-long-by-75-foot-wide runway, with private hangars and homesites of no less than 5 acres per lot. We are hoping for a target of 33 private residences.”

Heap  also provided more detail about his plans to create a new fixed based operator in the Pacific Northwest.

“I am also building an FBO at [Ontario Municipal Airport] (KONO) in Oregon, with a restaurant and a big fuel station,” he said. “We will have two hangars. One will be 120 [feet] by 100 [feet] with a 100-foot-by-30-foot hydraulic door. This will allow for up to a Gulfstream G450 to be housed inside of it. Our second hangar will be 100 [feet] by 100 [feet]. We are hoping to use this hangar for aircraft sales and [bring] a Rotax repair station to the Northwest.”