(RIVER RANCH, FL) Westgate Resorts broke ground recently on the taxi-ways and two of the model homes at its unique Westgate River Ranch Aviators Club, located at the Westgate River Ranch Resort. Designed as a fly-in destination, the Aviators Club will feature 151 luxury homes with attached airplane hangars and taxi access to the existing 5,000-foot paved and lighted runway.

The two model homes, named the "Saratoga" and the "Bonanza," were specifically designed to meet the needs of the aviator family. The Saratoga model is an open floor plan design perfect for entertaining friends and family. This model has three bedrooms and three full bathrooms, including a spacious master bedroom that over looks the lanai and pool area. The kitchen is functionally perfect, with ease of access to the formal dining room and the leisure area.

The most striking feature of the two-story Bonanza model is its full-length covered porches at the front and back of the house. Stone fireplaces in the living room and master bedroom add a touch of warmth and style.

According to Westgate Resorts President and CEO David Siegel, the models offer a wide range of features custom tailored to the needs and tastes of pilots.

"We enlisted the input of quite a few private pilots," Siegel said. "People who are passionate about flying and the freedom that it brings you. The ideas and insights we received from these pilots were instrumental in determining how we designed the details of the models and the amenities at the Aviators Club."

The Westgate River Ranch Aviators Club is a unique community of luxury homes, custom-built with adjacent hangars. Each home will have convenient taxiway access to a runway that features medium-intensity pilot control lighting. The project’s strategic emphasis is to design a lifestyle experience perfectly tailored to affluent pilots and plane owners. To that end, an Executive Pilot Center adjacent to the runway will feature a state-of-the-art weather center, as well as a recreation area and clubhouse for homeowners. Aviation fuel and maintenance will also be available on site.

The prime benefit offered by the Aviators Club, however, is its location as part of Westgate River Ranch, a sprawling dude-ranch-style resort that sits on 1,700 pristine acres of Florida wilderness, and is surrounded by more than 100,000 acres of conservation land. Its rustic charm recalls an era when cattle ranches stretched from one horizon to the other.

Owners and guests at Westgate River Ranch enjoy a variety of uniquely rustic activities, including Championship Rodeo at a 1,200-seat rodeo stadium. Held every weekend, this is a sanctioned event where cowboys earn points towards the world championship held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Westgate River Ranch also offers a full-service marina on the Kissimmee River, providing boaters with access to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Shopping, dining, fishing, horseback riding, trap and skeet shooting, and a petting zoo are also available.

Future plans at Westgate River Ranch call for construction of an 18-hole golf course and a water park, featuring a lazy river, water guns, slides, tree house, and countless hours of enjoyment for the entire family.

"The construction of our models is a key milestone," Siegel said. "The Aviators Club is a phenomenal concept. Based on the feedback we’re getting from the community of pilots out there, people are intrigued and want to know more. These models will do much more than satisfy their request for more information. They’re going to be amazed at how the property takes shape."