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  #1  
Old 05-27-2016, 10:11 AM
MeAndMyToys MeAndMyToys is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Hillsboro,OR
Posts: 136
Default Merritt Island

Hello Merritt Islanders!

As I near completion of my RV-7 my wife and I are thinking of relocating somewhere warmer.

Merritt Island has come up a few times in the discussions.

So level with me, what's up with the Mosquitoes!

What else should we know, don't sugar coat it, she doesn't read the site.
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  #2  
Old 05-27-2016, 12:14 PM
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Location: Peachtree City, Ga
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Default Merritt Island

Heat
humidity
tourists

everything rusts
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  #3  
Old 05-27-2016, 01:38 PM
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n82rb n82rb is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: fort myers fl
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heat, humidity, and bugs are what we tell them to keep the yankees from moving here.

yes it is hotter than OR, but it doesn't rain every day. except in the summer, but thats only in the afternoon. bugs and humidity are not bad unless you live inland. if you are near the coast it is not bad at all.

the biggest thing to get use to is that the highest place in the state is 100 ft and it is not the lush green you are use to up in the NW.

i do prefer the west coast of the state though.

bob burns
N82RB RV-4
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  #4  
Old 05-27-2016, 01:48 PM
YellowJacket RV9 YellowJacket RV9 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Clearwater, FL KCLW
Posts: 1,281
Default

Like anywhere, FL is a tradeoff. I live on the west coast; mosquito's are really not that bad at all anywhere near the coast. Maybe for a few minutes around sunset on a still evening.

When you are out on the boat on Christmas day in a T-shirt, Florida is wonderful. When you step out of your car and start sweating before you get to the hangar door in July, you understand why so many people are snowbirds, even though we love to make fun of them. The coastal areas are definitely more tolerable in the summer though as we usually have a nice seabreeze.

On the flying front, tons of neat places to explore within an hour or two RV flight, however, you might start to miss some of the variety, and even get tired of staring down at white beaches and blue water all the time, believe it or not.

Because of our location on a peninsula, you have less options within a certain range, and most of them are in or near florida. What that means is that if you were based in say, Georgia, you could be a few hours flying time away from either the mountains of NC or TN, the beaches of FL, GA, or SC, or other parts of the gulf coast. You're also a few hours closer to the rest of the country. In Florida we are close to lots of neat things, but they are almost all IN Florida. Bahamas are cool but paperwork and fees sound like a pain. Being a short hop from Key West is nice.

I would love to somebody live in NC and be within reasonable flying distance of most of the East Coast.

Chris
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  #5  
Old 05-27-2016, 01:54 PM
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Pat Hatch Pat Hatch is offline
 
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Location: Vero Beach, FL
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Default Merritt Island

You'll have the absolute best view of the SpaceX blasting off. Merritt Island is probably the closest airport that isn't in the restricted area. Got one going in a couple of hours.
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  #6  
Old 05-27-2016, 03:25 PM
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Lived in Merritt Island for about five years, loved it! I started my flying lessons there but only had a few hours before we moved back north so can't say much about the flying. We loved the beaches and if your pool is screened in the bugs aren't bad and the alligators stay out. (you gotta have a pool) Just my opinion but south Merritt Island is the best place to live in the area but the prices go up the further south of the causeway. The west coast is nice but there's no surfing or rocket launches.
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  #7  
Old 05-27-2016, 07:36 PM
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n82rb n82rb is offline
 
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Location: fort myers fl
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeM View Post
Lived in Merritt Island for about five years, loved it! I started my flying lessons there but only had a few hours before we moved back north so can't say much about the flying. We loved the beaches and if your pool is screened in the bugs aren't bad and the alligators stay out. (you gotta have a pool) Just my opinion but south Merritt Island is the best place to live in the area but the prices go up the further south of the causeway. The west coast is nice but there's no surfing or rocket launches.
or any of the TFR's that go with launches

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
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  #8  
Old 05-28-2016, 04:18 AM
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turbo turbo is offline
 
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Location: Stuart, FL /Hartford, CT/Virgin Gorda,BVI
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i have never heard of anyone worried about the mosquitos in florida.
great wx year round. take a break in the summer and head north.
there is no place like stuart though.
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  #9  
Old 05-28-2016, 05:26 AM
APACHE 56 APACHE 56 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: MERRITT ISLAND, FL
Posts: 360
Default KCOI

I'm not sure what you are referring to when you ask about the mosquitos. Maybe the writings about the Space Center of the early days. There isn't an abnormal mosquito issue here..."noseeums", that's another story.
As for the weather it is tropical and your Oregon body will be out of sorts with Florida July and August. I moved here from Santa Cruz, CA in 1994 and have no desire to move back.
The real issue for you will be getting a hanger and if you are planning on moving get your name on the hanger list now; you'll only have a 7 year wait. Of course if you hang out at the airport there's always an unofficial sublease popping up. The general rule here is if someone is making a profit off subleasing we turn them in; if they are just hanging on to the hanger at cost out of nostalgia or somesuch well that's ok. The Titusville Cocoa Airport authority has three airports: Merritt Island, Space Coast (Titusville) and Arthur Dunn. I think the other two have a faster availability and some folks rent there waiting for KCOI to produce.
If you need more info you may contact me and I'll try to help.
Don
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  #10  
Old 05-28-2016, 11:10 AM
MeAndMyToys MeAndMyToys is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Hillsboro,OR
Posts: 136
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Thank you all for your replies, we still are not sure what we might do.

Ahh, the Hangar Waiting list, good point!! I had forgotten about that but do have experience. When I was @ Chandler AZ it was a 9 year list, kept my hangar sub leased for 4 yrs just in case I wanted to return. Guess I better pick some possible locations and get on some lists.

The wife and I are now just thinking about buying a Vacation Home that will be converted to Retirement Home in the future.

Thanks again
Brenden & Brigette
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#74163
N17BJ
RV-7 Tip Up slow build
200HP IO-360-A1B
Hartzell CS
Working on wiring and Fw Fwd
Got my RV-7 tail kit for X-mas 2012
Guess the Wife's on board!!
Dues paid 3/11/2019
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