Van Sant Airport

Vansant Airport[1][2] or Van Sant Airport (FAA LID: 9N1) is a public use airport located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States and owned by the Bucks County Airport Authority.[1] It is two nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of the central business district of Erwinna, Pennsylvania.[1]

Van Sant Airport
(Vansant Airport)
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorBucks County Airport Authority
LocationErwinna, Pennsylvania
Elevation AMSL390 ft / 119 m
Coordinates40°29′03″N 075°05′59″W
Websitewww.VanSantAirport.com
Map
9N1 is located in Pennsylvania
9N1
9N1
Location of airport in Pennsylvania
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5G/23G 1,340 408 Turf
7/25 3,058 932 Turf
Statistics (2022)
Aircraft operations4,515
Based aircraft52 (40 single engine aircraft, 12 gliders)

History

In 1945, John Van Sant (born 1912) bought the Silver Star Airport in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, renamed it to The Old Star Airport,[3] and started his own business, Van Sant Flying Service. The business offered crop dusting and flight training. (This airport closed about 1973 and housing development has since obliterated its existence.) Van Sant dealt in aircraft and also bought US government surplus parts. In 1957, he moved his business to Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In 1960 he again moved to Erwina, Pennsylvania where he founded and owned the Van Sant Airport.[4] Now the airport is a landmark for Classic Biplane rides, vintage airplanes, and sailplane operations. It is part of the Bucks County park system.[4] The 198.5 acres (0.803 km2) piece of property was sold to the county for almost US$3 million.[5] The Bucks County Airport Authority currently maintains the airport, and facilities on the field are leased to Bird Of Paradise[6] a fixed-base operator (FBO). The Soaring Tigers sailplane nonprofit gliding club operates from the airport and provides glider flight instruction to club members.

Facilities and aircraft

The airport covers an area of 167 acres (68 ha) at an elevation of 390 feet (120 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways with turf surfaces:: 7/25 is 3,058 by 120 feet (932 by 37 m) and 5G/23G is 1,340 by 200 feet (408 by 61 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending 10 May 2022, the airport had 4,515 aircraft operations including 15 military operations. At that time there were 52 aircraft based at this airport: 40 single-engine, 12 gliders[1]

As of late 2022 a glider club bases three sailplanes at the airport including a Schweizer SGS 1-34, Schweizer SGS 1-26B, and a two-place Schweizer SGS 2-33A. The airport provides glider aerotows.[7]

References
  1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for 9N1 PDF, effective 1 December 2022.
  2. Vansant Airport at Bucks County Airport Authority website
  3. Freeman, Paul. "Silver Star Airport/Old Star Airport". Abandoned and Little-Known Airports. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. Dorfman, Marjorie (24 August 2005). "Van Sant Airport: Tribute to Aviation". HappyNews.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
  5. Heuckroth, Sandy (21 August 2003). "County preserves historic Tinicum airport". Doylestown Patriot. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  6. "The Bird of Paradise at Van Sant". AirNav.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  7. "Soaring Tigers - Our Fleet of Sailplanes". Soaring Tigers.com. Soaring Tigers, Princeton, NY. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
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