Now that I have my Private Pilot Certificate, I’ve decided rather arbitrarily that I’m going to try to visit every airport in NJ. According to www.airnav.com there are some 46 airports in NJ. Leaving aside Newark and Teterboro for the moment, that leaves 44.
Done:
- Caldwell (KCDW): The airport I trained out of, and have gotten most familiar with. Controlled Class-D airport with a fair amount of traffic. There are three flight schools on the field, so the people in the tower seem to be accustomed to student pilots coming in and out, and are helpful and quite forgiving.
- Lincoln Park (N07): An airport barely outside the Class-D airspace for Caldwell. One narrow landing strip. Passed over it on almost every flight out of Caldwell, but somehow never had occasion to land there. Went there once during my Private Pilot training to do some touch-and-goes to get some experience landing at an unfamiliar airport.
- Sussex (KWFN): Probably the airport I’m most familiar with after KCDW. Used it a lot when training for the Private Pilot. A nice but short runway (though plenty for a Cessna), with a narrow and front-gear-jarring taxiway. The hills on the approach end of runway 21 creates and approach that is quite different, and much more “interesting,” than KCDW. The approach going the other way passes over much flatter geography, but the winds rarely blow in that direction.
- Hackettstown (N05): No offence, but... This is an airport!?! Flew to it for diversion training when training for the Private Pilot. Flew over it twice, and finally found it on the third try, and only because I noticed a handful of planes parked next to what had appeared to be a dirt road. Actually, I never landed there, so perhaps, this doesn’t count...
- Andover-Aeroflex (12N): Flew there once as part of the Private Pilot training. Interesting layout with ponds at both ends of the runway. The runway itself has a gentle rise and fall. My only experience of soft-field take-off (take off in ground effect) over water.
- Solberg-Hunterdon (N51): Went there also as part of diversion training for the Private Pilot. Did a few touch-and-goes, but never came to a full stop. So, perhaps this doesn’t count either?
- Somerset (KSMQ): Landed there as part of the Private Pilot check ride. Two soft fields, one paved runway.
- Atlantic City (KACY): Went there as part of the instrument cross country. So, I didn’t really get to see much of the surrounding area. The approach over the coastline for runway 31 is supposed to be quite nice, but never got to look since I was under the hood the whole time. (And my return trip there was at night, so, not much better visual wise.)
- Greenwood Lake (4N1): Flew over this airport almost every time I went north from KCDW. And it serves as a useful land mark to remind me of when I am getting close to the boundaries of the Class-B airspace (except at night, when the beacon is all but useless). But oddly enough, never had occasion to land there. Finally landed there well after I got my instrument rating. Was not a particularly windy day, but the narrow landing strip on top of the hills, with gusts coming off those hills, made for the most challenging landing I’ve experienced to date. Had to really work to get her down.
- Ocean City Municipal Airport (26N): Tiny airport 10 miles or so south of Atlantic City. 4 blocks from the beach. Outdoor showers on premises to rinse off after a day at the beach. Friendly staff, nice diner on airport. (Hours are a bit short during the off season for both the FBO and the restaurant.) Given its proximity to the shoreline, the winds can be a bit tricky.
- Linden Airport (KLDJ): Small area just a few miles south of the busy Newark Airport (KEWR). The “conga line” into KEWR passes almost directly overhead. Ceiling is 800 feet, with the KEWR surface area just a few miles north. Pattern is 800 feet. A great little airport---convenient into NYC---with not a whole lot of traffic (perhaps the proximity to KEWR scares people off?). Lots of helo traffic---a lot of the local news and sightseeing choppers seemed to be based there.
- South Jersey Regional (KVAY): Sandwiched between the Philadelphia Bravo and the McGuire Air Force Base Alert Area. Just a hop and a skip from FLying W (N14). Easy to confuse the two if unfamiliar and not careful. Visited once to pick up Angel Flight supplies. Nice restaurant on field.
- Central Jersey Regional Airport (47N): Cheapest AvGas for miles. Interesting layout. Narrow undulating runway. And a meandering taxiway that crosses the single runway in multiple locations. A lot of training traffic, so caution is required.
Remaining:
- 13N Andover: Trinca Airport
- KBLM Belmar/Farmingdale: Monmouth Executive Airport
- 19N Berlin: Camden County Airport
- 1N7 Blairstown: Blairstown Airport
- 00N Bridgeton: Bucks Airport
- N50 Bridgeton: Li Calzi Airport
- 17N Cross Keys: Cross Keys Airport
- N81 Hammonton: Hammonton Municipal Airport
- 2N6 Jobstown: Redwing Airport
- N12 Lakewood: Lakewood Airport
- 2N7 Little Ferry: Little Ferry Seaplane Base
- N14 Lumberton: Flying W Airport
- KMIV Millville: Millville Municipal Airport
- KMMU Morristown: Morristown Municipal Airport
- KEWR Newark: Newark Liberty International Airport
- 3N5 Newton: Newton Airport
- 3N6 Old Bridge: Old Bridge Airport
- 7N7 Pedricktown: Spitfire Aerodrome
- N40 Pittstown: Sky Manor Airport
- N85 Pittstown: Alexandria Airport
- 39N Princeton/Rocky Hill: Princeton Airport
- N87 Robbinsville: Trenton-Robbinsville Airport
- KTEB Teterboro: Teterboro Airport
- KMJX Toms River: Robert J. Miller Air Park
- KTTN Trenton: Trenton Mercer Airport
- N73 Vincentown: Red Lion Airport
- 29N Vineland: Kroelinger Airport
- 28N Vineland: Vineland-Downstown Airport
- 31E West Creek: Eagles Nest Airport
- KWWD Wildwood: Cape May County Airport
- C01 Williamstown: Southern Cross Airport
- KOBI Woodbine: Woodbine Municipal Airport
