Siljan Airpark the only Airpark in Northern Europe

Located at the beautiful Lake Siljan, in the county of Dalecarlia, where some of the most picturesque nature in Sweden is found. Only 4906 miles (7894km) from Ridge Landing Airpark, Sijian Airpark comprises three elements:

  1. The Siljan Airpark Museum with Siljan AirPark Flying Circus inspired by Ol’ Rhinebeck
  2. The Siljansnäs Flying Club
  3. The ”Village”

airpark museum

Siljan Airpark Museum

airpark flying club

Siljan Flying Club

airpark village sijan

Sijan Airpark Village

The flying club goes back to 1959 and has always been a meeting place for home builders.  For the last 25 years the club has been hosting a fly-in for home builders in August, the museum pivots upon home building since the beginning of the 20th century, and so far 11 of the plot owners in the village have built their own airplane and thus confirm the home builder tradition attached to Siljansnäs Airfield.

sijan village airpark

Sijan Airpark Arial

Siljan AirPark is located in the middle of everything, which means that within one hour of flight you have mountains as well as cities, wilderness as well as civilisation. At least 15 other smaller airports are within reach of one hour, and it doesn’t take you much longer to cross the border to other countries such as Norway, Denmark, Finland, and even the European continent is within reach.

How Siljan AirPark was born

During the 90’ies Carl Rönn (pic.) was well known as the guy from Tullinge, a small Stockholm airport, who made youngsters who were tired of going to school go back to school by building airplanes together. During the 2nd half of the decade Carl Rönn initiated a project where he was to take care of this group of youngsters in the region with his airplane building project. The young people were forced to learn math, English, Swedish and other key subjects in order to be able to build an airplane. In that way motivation to study these subjects increased rapidly. The airplane in the project built by the youngsters was a Fisher  Celebrity – designed to look like a classic biplane from the twenties. About 2 years after the construction work started the plane actually flew, a great day for all the involved persons. After this success Carl Rönn tasted blood and wanted to continue working with the idea. Unfortunately a political resolution closed down Tullinge Airfield and Carl was forced to find another base to work from. It was not long, however, before he was offered the chance of relocating his activity to the county of Dalarna and start a similar but larger project in collaboration with the Siljansnäs Flying Club.

sijan 2001

Sijan Airpark in 2001

The work started in 2001 and the central goal was the building of a flying theatre where all the oldtimer airplanes that where being built in all the social projects around Dalarna were to operate and to be part of the performances. Carl kept working with different types of social projects like the one with the school fatigued young people, primarily to finance building the flying circus but also to operate it in the future. Only a few days after his arrival in Siljansnäs Carl Rönn was also eagerly sketching on Siljan AirPark – a unique area including arena, scenery, restaurant, office space and the flying club. The vision also included a flying community, which after numerous re-drawings comprised 45 plots all connected to the airstrip. The revenue from selling plots financed the necessary expenses for establishing electricity, water, sewerage, roads, asphalt runway and all the different investments needed to transform the forest into a village.

The first proposed layout was presented in 2003 when the formal detail plan and legal work started as well as securing land and marketing the idea. Almost all plots where sold by December 2005, and the actual work could start with cutting down trees, making roads and excavating for water and electricity. The asphalt runway was opened by midsummer 2006 and the very first house construction commenced already in august. The Siljan AirPark Homeowner Association was formed in November 2006 at which point it took over the work of developing the Airpark village.
In august 2009 the AirPark was formally inaugurated after the final work with the taxiways had been completed.

Airpark Construction as of 2014

airpark sijan layout

Sijan Airpark Layout

The village comprises 45 plots i.e. 44, plus 2 owned by the plot owners’ association, SAPS. Those two plots cannot be sold but are for recreative purposes such as playground for the kids.

We have a well working infra structure, tarmacs, gravel roads for cars, and a mandatory fire  pond.

As there are very few restrictions concerning building the result is very varied! The only restrictions is red colored roof and building materials in colours that blend in with the surroundings. We have been building everything from a humble Dalecarlien 150 year old cottage to modern “dream come thru” and everything in between.

Some plot owners did everything themselves. Some let local craftsmen build the frame and took over from there. And some ordered house and hangar built. Many buildings are the log-house type which is an ancient and still very common building tradition in Dalecarlia.

sijan airport homes

sijan airpark runway

sijan homes

Twenty three plots are finished either with resident and hangar, residence and hangar combined, or just a house and a parking lot for the aircraft which is the solution for the smaller plots of only 500sq metres. Eleven plots are under construction, nine plots lies unexploited, and five plots are for sale. One of the plots for sale includes a log house and hangar that takes three aircrafts.

sijan aviation

europe aviation

european airparks

european aviation homes

airpark homes europe

The frontier-spirit in aviation and Airpark construction

To live in an airpark you must be ready to recognize that our one and only common interest initially is flying and aviation. And you will also see that this is the place where you can make at least some of your dreams come through as long as your roof is red colour!! That taken care of 10 different nationalities have accomplished to build a thriving community and a prospering social life in close relation with the flying club and the museum.

Variety is also seen in the types of aircraft flown and parked at the houses and hangars: from trikes to helicopters, sea-planes, autogyro, homebuilts like RVans, Lancairs, and Glasairs, a couple of ultralights, a good old PA28, a Cessna, an AN2, and one twin-engine a Piper Aztec. We even have a hot-air-balloon pilot among us, but his balloon is normally stationed in Stockholm.

airplane home

aviation homes

One of the most beautiful airparks on the planet

This is how we frequently and boldly name Siljan AirPark . All year round it is a wonderful playground whether you fly or not. We are blessed with surroundings that call for out-door life all year round. Wildlife literally on the runway…

airpark wildlife

 

birds airpark

…And a generous nature that offers fish, berries, mushrooms for you to pick up – if you can find it!

fishing airpark

 

aviation homes

snowing sijan airpark

Lots of space for visiting friends…

sijan airpark dinner

… always a helping hand if you need it…

– and after a day of hard work on the fire pond taxiway Yankee offers plenty of space for a common barbecue as a reward

After a period of adaptation we now consider Siljan AirPark and ourselves as part of the local community. We use local craftsmen, shop locally, use local facilities and make local friends and acquaintances.  Local members of the flying club are more and more taking part and sharing our arrangements and events as we are theirs. Bringing so many cultures together is an enriching experience. The vision is that an increasing number of the airparkers turn their airpark home into their permanent residence and the place from where they work.

sijan airpark sunset