Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New Jersey: Trenton area

Forrestal Airport (revised 10/2/08) - Mahalchik Airfield (revised 7/13/08)

Phillipsburg Airport (revised 4/19/08) - Princeton Nassau Airpark (revised 10/26/08) - Somerset Hills (revised 10/29/08)

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Princeton Nassau Airpark, Princeton, NJ

40.31 North / 74.67 West (Northeast of Philadelphia, PA)

Nassau Airpark, as depicted on the 1947 USGS topo map.

This short-lived little general aviation airport was located on the south side of the town of Princeton.

The Princeton Nassau Airpark was evidently constructed at some point between 1940-47,

as a 1940 aerial photo did not depict any sign of an airfield.

The earliest depiction which has been located of the Princeton Nassau Airpark was on the 1947 topo map.

The earliest photo which has been located of Princeton Nassau Airpark was a 1947 aerial photo (admittedly very low-contrast).

It appeared to depict the field as having 2 unpaved runways,

with a single light aircraft just to the east of the runway intersection.

A history of events by Princeton Alumni

reported that “Nassau Airpark” offered half-hour flying lessons for $5 in 1949.

However, Princeton Nassau Airpark was not yet depicted at all on the 1950 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Princeton Nassau Airpark

was on the January 1955 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

The Aerodromes table described the field as having 2 runways, with the longest being a 2,400' turf strip.

The July 1955 Philadelphia Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Princeton Nassau Airpark as having a 2,400' unpaved runway.

A 1957 aerial photo depicted Princeton Nassau Airpark as having 2 unpaved runways.

A closeup from the 1957 aerial photo, showing 2 planes at the southern end of the Princeton Nassau Airpark.

The 1957-58 Aviation Week Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described Princeton Nassau Airpark as a public-use field,

having 2 unpaved runways: 2,100' north-northwest/south-southeast & 1,900' northeast/southwest.

The field was said to offer storage, minor repairs, fuel, and charter,

and the manager was listed as Thomas Savidge.

A circa 1957-59 business card for the manager of the Princeton-Nassau Airpark, Whit Savidge (courtesy of Bill Ward, via Tom Kramer),

with a picture of a Piper Super Cruiser & PA-12 on the back side of the card.

The last chart depiction which has been located of the Princeton Nassau Airpark

was on the 1959 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Bill Ward, via Tom Kramer).

It depicted the field as having a 2,400' unpaved runway.

According to Bill Ward (who got his private license at Princeton-Nassau Airpark in 1959),

the airport closed in late 1959.

By the time of the 1960 NY Sectional Chart (according to Tom Kramer),

Princeton Nassau Airpark was no longer depicted.

A 1963 aerial photo showed that housing had covered the eastern portion of the former airport,

while the western portions of the 2 former runways were still evident.

By the time of a 1970 aerial photo, a golf course had covered the western portion of the site,

erasing any trace of the former Princeton Nassau Airpark.

As seen in a circa 20012-2005 USGS aerial photo,

the site of the former Princeton Nassau Airpark has been covered by a golf course & a shopping center,

with no recognizable trace remaining of the former airport.

The runway layout of Princeton Nassau Airpark,

superimposed over a circa 2005 street map by Tom Kramer.

A 2005 aerial photo by Tom Kramer,

looking northwest at the site of the former Princeton Nassau Airpark.

The site of Princeton Nassau Airpark is located west of the intersection with of Route 1 & Emmons Drive.

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Mahalchik Airfield, Chambers Corners, NJ

40.03 North / 74.73 West (Northeast of Philadelphia, PA)

Mahalchik Airfield, as depicted on the 1949 USGS topo map.

Scott Roberts recalled, “This was a small privately-owned field started after the war [WW2] by John Mahalchik,

who went on to become a county resident of some note.

John Mahalchik was a B17 & B24 instructor pilot during WWII,

and earned the nickname 'Lucky' by being the sole survivor of an aircraft crash, I think it was in South America.

I remember him telling stories about flying there for booze & beef runs!”

According to Doug Wright, “John Mahalchik was a hermit & collector of military junk

who ran for Congress & backed up his convictions with a shotgun.

There is a magazine called 'Weird New Jersey' that did an article about John.”

Mahalchik Airfield was evidently established at some point between 1945-49,

as it was not yet depicted at all on the 1945 NY Sectional Chart.

The earliest depiction which has been located of the Mahalchik Airfield

was on the 1949 USGS topo map.

It depicted the field as having two 1,900' runways, intersecting in an “X” shape.

A single small building was depicted on the west side of the field.

Scott Roberts recalled, “He populated the airport with small military surplus trainers.

Sometime in the late 1940's (I think he said 1949) a hurricane struck NJ,

and most of his aircraft & his hangars were destroyed.

While the airport remained in place,

John Mahalchik came to create a name for himself in the county for his surplus militaria scrapyard -

he collected anything & everything.

One side of the runway was soon bordered by 1940s staff cars,

there were trucks, Navy K-type blimp cars (one of which is now restored & in the National Museum of Naval Aviation)

and even 2 locomotives!”

The 1950 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

depicted Mahalchik as having a 2,000' unpaved runway.

The earliest photo that has been located of the Mahalchick Airfield was a 1956 aerial view.

It depicted the field as having 2 unpaved, very sharply-defined runways, with John Mahalchick's scrapyard on the west side of the field.

A closeup from the 1956 aerial photo appeared to depict one aircraft, at the bottom-center.

Scott Roberts recalled, “He had a bit of a hard time from the late 1950s, battling with the township & county,

and allegedly the mafia, whom he said burned his house down when he was in jail for taxes one time,

because they wanted his land to build a race track.

I can't corroborate these stories, but that's what he told me!”

According to Doug Wright, “This guy lived inside a jumbo teepee after the locals torched his house.”

Scott Roberts recalled, “When he was in jail

(county, for taxes I believe - although someone paid his taxes every year, anonymously!)

and his house was burned down, he got out, and had nowhere to go.

His wife had left at that point, I think.

So he went to the township, and got a look at building codes, as they refused to let him rebuild his house

(he had all sorts of 'disagreements' with local officials).

Finding what he needed to know, he spent a few days assembling materials,

both from his own stockpile, and the local dump.

At 5 pm that Friday evening he started constructing the 'tin teepee' out old 2x4s & scrap metal.

He finished just before 8 am on the following Monday morning.

The township building inspector showed up almost immediately,

demanding he remove it, because it didn't meet building codes.

Mahalchik then challenged him to show exactly where this building was illegal -

it seems this type structure was completely outside of the written codes, so a legal loophole!

The township corrected this error soon after, but the building, such as it was,

was not subject to it, being preexisting!

John Mahalchik lived there the rest of his life.

I actually was invited in once or twice – as you might expect, it was a true hermit's dwelling.

No interior walls, heat provided by one small woodstove,

whatever rubbish at hand used as fuel, no running water, and only minimal electricity.

While most of the place was in disarray, I do remember quite clearly one piece of artwork -

a framed pencil drawing of a pair of USAF wings about 6 inches across.

Despite all else he was, he was a pilot.”

Scott Roberts recalled, “I do know the field was usable through the 1950s -

a friend of mine, another military aviation nut -

landed there one day, jumped out & asked him (about the surplus he was accumulating),

'This #### for sale?' with a big grin.

Apparently Mahalchik enjoyed his enthusiasm, because he got a good laugh from him.”

The last chart depiction which has been located of the Mahalchik Airfield

was on the January 1958 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted the field as having a 2,000' unpaved runway.

Scott reported, “My friend, Steve Roberts landed there.

He said he landed there in about 1958-59, flying a PA-11 Cub on one of his student pilot cross country flights.

John Mahalchik signed his logbook as having landed.

He said the runways were meticulously maintained at the time,

grass cut well, and clearly identifiable from the air 20 miles away.

He remembers a 'very distinctive' tetrahedron, and the runway markers were beautifully made -

he seems to recall them being cut in half & painted 55 gallon drums.

The rest of the property was in well maintained shape -

with the beginnings of the junk collection in well defined areas, well off the runways.

But no other aircraft seemed to be present.

But it was so beautiful he was compelled to land.

He also remembers the 2 locomotives, and lots of military motorcycles - Harleys, Indians, etc.”

The Mahalchik Airfield was evidently closed at some point between 1958-63,

as it was no longer depicted at all on the January 1963 NY Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

A 1963 aerial photo showed that the 2 runways were considerably decayed –

they were no longer the sharply-outlined strips as seen in the 1956 aerial photo.

The Mahalchik Airfield was no longer depicted at all on on the 1969 topo map.

A 1970 aerial photo showed that the large building (hangar?) just west of the runway intersection

had been removed at some point between 1963-70.

The northeast/southwest runway was sharply-defined,

but there was no longer any recognizable outline of the former crosswind runway.

“

A 1970s aerial view by Rich Kolasa (courtesy of Scott Roberts) looking southeast at Mahalchik Airfield,

showing the 2 grass runways & remains of numerous aircraft, trucks, etc.

Note the infamous “Tin Teepee” midway along the road.

Scott Roberts recalled, “You can see why I loved to hang out there when I was younger!

John Mahalchik was a very guarded person by the time I met him.

He would typically be somewhere on the property, and you'd have to honk to get his attention.

He would come to the front gate, and ask what you were looking for,

and if he thought he had it, he would guide you in, sell it to you, and then guide you out.

If he didn't have what you needed, or if he just plain didn't like you, he'd send you on your way.

I had the privilege of being able to stop by, and once he knew I was there, have free run of the place.

I could wander where ever I liked, and look at whatever stuff I wanted. It was really neat close up, too.”

A 1970s aerial view by Rich Kolasa (courtesy of Scott Roberts) of components of some unidentified jet aircraft.

A 1970s aerial view by Rich Kolasa (courtesy of Scott Roberts) of the control cars from 7 WW2-era K-type Navy airships.

However, according to Scott Roberts, “John used to fly his Cessna 150 out of there, long after he stopped being listed as an airport.

For several decades until his passing in the late 1980s this personal scrap drive continued.

Afterwards all he had accumulated was sold off - mostly to recyclers probably,

but a lot of neat things went all over the world - including a CG4A Waco glider.

One thing many people failed to notice when touring the yard during the auction were the little white pyramids,

the remaining markers of the runway.

His airplane was also sold at the auction.”

According to Doug Wright, “The great irony is that his collection of what was considered to be trash

eventually fetched something like $3 million after his death.”

In the 1995 USGS aerial photo,

the outlines of both former runways were still recognizable.

Scott Roberts observed, “Also noticeable are all the interlocking paths on the property:

for years there was all sorts of machinery, vehicles, etc. piled along them.

Most of it is gone - but the traces still remain.”

As seen in a circa 2001-2005 USGS aerial photo,

the outline of the former northeast/southwest runway was still barely recognizable.

However, no recognizable trace remained of the former northwest/southeast runway,

nor of the buildings & scrapyard which previously sat on the west side of the runways.

Scott Roberts reported in 2005, “The land remains undeveloped.”

The site of Mahalchik Airfield is located on the east side of Route 206,

north of its intersection with Monmouth Road.

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Phillipsburg Airport, Phillipsburg, NJ

40.7 North / 75.15 West (West of New York, NY)

Phillipsburg Airport, as depicted on the January 1950 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

This general aviation airport apparently dated back to prior to 1930,

as the Phillipsburg Municipal Airport was listed

in the 1930 "Rand McNally Standard Map of New Jersey With Air Trails" (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

The operator was listed as W. E. Lifer,

and the field was described as being "L"-shaped, measuring 1,500' northeast/southwest x 1,250' north/south.

Phillipsburg Airport may have been temporarily closed during WW2

(due to wartime security concerns,

like many other small civil airports along the coasts during the war),

as it was not depicted at all on the 1945 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Norman Freed).

Phillipsburg Airport was evidently reopened at some point between 1945-49,

as it was depicted on the 1949 NY Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

It described the field as having a 1,900' unpaved runway.

Ron Titus recalled, “In 1955 there was a bad flood of the Delaware River between Phillipsburg & our sister city in Easton PA.

All the bridges were knocked out.

The Phillipsburg Airport was used as a staging area to fly people & supplies back and forth to Braden's airport in Easton.”

The only photo that has been located showing the Phillipsburg Airport while it was open was a 1956 aerial view.

It depicted the field as having 2 grass runways,

with 2 buildings (hangars?) on the south side of the field.

There were not any aircraft visible on the field.

Phillipsburg Airport, as depicted on the July 1957 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

The 1958 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Norman Freed)

described Phillipsburg as having 2 runways, with the longest being a 1,900' dirt & turf strip.

Ron Titus recalled, “I remember it as a 12 year old Civil Air Patrol cadet back in 1958.

We stored our old L-4 there then.

Our Cmmanding Officer of the Phillipsburg unit back then was Captain Ed Martino.

There wasn't much there at that time.

There was the Airport Bar & Hotel & a small cement block building out on Route 57.

The road that went behind it, Strikers Road, had some old wooden T-hangars on it.”

The date of closure of Phillipsburg Airport is unknown.

It was apparently closed at some point between 1958-60,

as it was not depicted at all on the 1960 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

In a 1996 report by the New Jersey General Aviation Study Commission's Subcommittee on Airport Closings,

reasons were given for the closing of 13 New Jersey general aviation airports.

According to the report, Phillipsburg Airport was closed after 10 years of litigation with a township school board,

which wanted to build a school on the airport land.

The courts ruled the township had the right to condemn the land & build a school.

Ron Titus recalled, “The Township that closed it up with condemnation was Lopatcong Township.

They wanted it for an elementary school.

There were 2 large farms in the mist of being sold for a major development back then

and the airport land would be right in the middle off to the side.

No one knew that though, back then, when it was being grabbed up.”

The 1970 aerial view no longer showed any sign of the runways,

and the hangars had been removed, with construction proceeding for the school

which would be built on the southern portion of the former airport property.

The 1981 USGS topo map still labeled the outline of the Phillipsburg Airport,

even though the airport had been closed for over 20 years by that point,

and it also depicted the school which had been built over the site.

Phillipsburg Airport was still depicted on the 1994 USGS topo map.

As seen in a circa 2001 aerial photo, not a trace of the former Phillipsburg Airport remains at the site.

The site of Phillipsburg Airport is located northeast of the intersection of Routes 22 & 57.

Thanks to James G. for pointing out this airfield.

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Somerset Hills Airport (N64), Basking Ridge, NJ

40.69 North / 74.53 West (West of New York, NY)

A 1932 postmark commemorating the dedication of the Somerset Hills Airport (courtesy of Ed Drury).

This general aviation airport was dedicated on October 23, 1932,

according to a postmark commemorating the event (courtesy of Ed Drury).

The 1934 Department of Commerce Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy)

described Somerset Hills Airport as having three sod runways, with the longest being a 1,900' east/west strip.

Somerset Hills Airport, as depicted on the 1935 Regional Aeronautical Chart.

An aerial view looking north at Somerset Hills Airport,

from The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).

It described Somerset Hills as having a total of three sod runways,

with the longest being a 2,600' east/west strip.

The aerial photo depicted several hangars along the north side of the field.

According to a historical sign commemorating Somerset Hills Airport,

it served as an Army Air Corps flight training facility starting in 1941.

The 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).

described Somerset Hills as having a 2,200' runway.

According to a historical sign commemorating Somerset Hills Airport,

the Army Air Corps' use of the field ended in 1945.

A 1956 aerial photo depicted Somerset Hills as having 3 unpaved runways,

and a hangar on the north side of the field, near which were parked over 25 light aircraft.

A 1957 aerial photo depicted the field in the same manner.

Paul Downing recalled, “Regarding Basking Ridge, as Somerset Hills Airport was more commonly known back in 'the day',

I soloed there on my 16^th birthday & got my Private license one year later on my 17^th.

This would have been July, 1957 & 1958.

At that time the airport was owned by Harry Calvin, a 707 flight engineer with Pan Am based in New York.

Rick Decker operated the airport, having moved up there when Westfield Airport closed.

Rick's brother in law, Richard 'Brick' Karl came with him as mechanic.

There was always a carnival atmosphere around the airport, always something going on.

The towns people would come out in droves,

filling up the parking lot waiting for the impromptu airshow that would always take place, Ed Mahler usually starting it.”

Paul continued, “Rick had an old fashioned bicycle - 5' front wheel, 1' rear wheel - that he kept at the airport.

We found several rolls of theater tickets in the attic of the tiny office as well as an old PA system that still worked.

We set up the PA, someone played a guitar & sang, I rode the bike up & down the line

and we sold airplane rides for a penny a pound, made a lot of money,

kids were coming back 3 & 4 times, couldn't believe it.”

Two 1959 aerial photos of Basking Ridge Airport by Paul Downing.

Paul Downing recalled, “There was a farm house & barn just to the south of the approach end of the west runway

with power lines running from the street, across the end of the runway to the house.

The farmer refused to bury the lines which subsequently snagged aircraft over the years, though none fatally.

I think the lines were finally buried after I left.”

A 1959 photo by Paul Downing of a Meyers OTW at Basking Ridge.

Paul Downing recalled, “Harry Calvin was transferred to Pan Am's SFO base,

Rick & Brick went down to run Kupper Field in Mansville, NJ

and Jimmy, Harry's son, took over operations at Basking Ridge for awhile.

Harry was killed in an F4F accident on the west coast, I believe his wife sold the airport.”

The 1961 NY Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe)

described Somerset Hills as having three turf runways, with the longest being 2,400'.

Somerset Hills Airport was described in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory

as having with three turf runways (the largest being an 1,800' east/west strip).

and the operators were listed as Lawrence Tokash & James Stanley.

A 1963 aerial photo depicted Somerset Hills as having 3 unpaved runways,

and a hangar on the north side of the field, near which were parked over 20 light aircraft.

Kern Buck reported, “The best description of Somerset Hills Airport in the 1960s

appears in a book written by my brother, Rinker Buck, 'Flight of Passage'.

The flight described in the book began at Somerset Hills Airport.

Both Rinker & I made our 1^st solo flights there, mine in 1964, Rinker's in 1966.”

“At that time, the field still had grass runways.

The main runway, 9/27 was about 2,500' long, with a very small hill at the east end,

the grade of which was no greater than the normal descent path of a light airplane.

Approaching from the west, one also descended over a declining grade,

with trees underneath & 25' wires over the threshold at Maple Avenue.

Runway 15 had a flat approach over open field,

but 10' wires over the dusty road leading from Maple Avenue to the airport parking lot.

The approach to Runway 33 was also relatively flat,

but there was a small housing development near the threshold,

and one of the houses had a TV antenna atop the roof.

The antenna was a factor for such a short runway.”

“The original operations building was still being used in the 1960s.

It was about the size of a child's playhouse, and had about 125 square feet of space inside.

The hangar was larger. It could hold four light airplanes, if they were positioned correctly.”

“At any one time during that era, the field was home for from 15-30 airplanes,

including civilianized World War II AT-6s, PT-19s, a PT-23, and a rare Meyers OTW.

There was also an assortment of Cubs, Aeroncas, Taylorcrafts, etc.”

“It was a great airport, somewhat unruly.

I recall Ed Mahler, who was a well known aerobatic pilot at the time,

flying his AT-6 on the deck toward the hangar at a speed approaching 300 mph before pulling straight up.

I was the only one looking at the time. I guess he was practicing.

He built his famous biplane, the PJ-260, in the hangar at Basking Ridge.”

A 1970 photo of Somerset Hills Airport by Pete Galligan.

One runway at Somerset Hills was apparently paved at some point between 1962-70,

as Pete recalled that "at that time there was just one paved runway, and one grass."

Somerset Hills Airport in 1970, by Pete Galligan.

A 1970 aerial view depicted Somerset Hills' newly paved runway.

It also showed the field perhaps at its zenith of popularity,

with a total of over 37 light aircraft were visible parked on the north side of the field.

The 1972 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Somerset Hills as having a 2,300' paved Runway 10/28 & a 2,200' unpaved Runway 15/33.

A ramp on the northern side of the field had a single building along its northern edge.

About Somerset Hills Airport, Dennis Sandow recalled "I've lived under its traffic pattern since 1976.

The proximity caused me to become aware of GA & want to take up flying.

Between 1976 & about 1980, I don't ever recall seeing more than 6-10 based aircraft there."

Jan Wolitzky recalled, “I once visited the airport with my Grumman Cheetah N9734U during the late 1970s,

but with the surrounding trees I felt the field was too short for comfort.”

The 1979 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

showed that the crosswind grass runway was "Closed until further notice",

leaving the field's sole runway as the 2,300' paved Runway 10/28.

Two buildings were depicted on the north side of the field.

Somerset Hills was still depicted as an active airfield on the 1979 NY TCA chart (courtesy of Bill Suffa),

and described as having a single 2,300' paved east/west runway.

Dennis Sandow recalled, "The legal issues started when a pilot landed short & hard (stalled turning final?)

on the athletic field of the high school about half mile west of the runway - about 1980.

The town quickly turned negative, and everything was downhill from then on."

As depicted on the 1981 USGS topo map,

the airfield consisted of 2 paved runways (the largest was 2,400' long) & several taxiways.

Dennis Sandow recalled, ""The AT&T operating Headquarters was located less than 2 miles away,

but the official corporate Headquarters was still in NYC.

In April 1982, I last flew out of the field in a charter helicopter,

which regularly used the field to pick up & deliver AT&T execs flying into NYC.

At that time, the FBO was closed & there were no based aircraft left on the field."

In a 1996 report by the New Jersey General Aviation Study Commission's Subcommittee on Airport Closings,

reasons were given for the closing of 13 New Jersey general aviation airports.

According to the report, in its final 16 years of operation,

Somerset Hills Airport saw its taxes rise 500%, from $2,000 / year to $10,000 / year.

The report also pointed out that litigation costs for development of small airports

had become enormous, discouraging airport growth.

At one point late in its existence, the owners of Somerset were trying to build 20 T-hangars,

but found their litigation expense equaled the expense of the improvements they were intending to make.

Somerset Hills Airport was apparently closed at some point between 1982-83,

as it was not listed among active airfields in the 1983 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy).

By the time of the 1986 USGS topo map, it was labeled "Airfield (Abandoned)".

A 1987 aerial photo showed that housing had covered the site,

with not a trace recognizable of the former Somerset Hills Airport.

As of the above circa 2001 aerial photo,

the site of Somerset Hills Airport had been completely redeveloped as a condominium complex,

with not a trace recognizable remaining of the airfield.

A December 2006 photo by Daniel Berek of the site of Somerset Hills Airport, now covered with housing.

A 2008 photo by Jan Wolitzky of a historical sign which commemorates the site of Somerset Hills Airport.

The site of Somerset Hills Airport is located

southeast of the intersection of Maple Avenue & Lord Stirling Road.

Thanks to James G. for pointing out this airfield.

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Forrestal Airport (N21), Princeton, NJ

40.34 North / 74.61 West (Southwest of New York, NY)

A 1956 aerial view depicted Forrestal Airport as having a single unpaved northeast/southwest runway.

This small airport was operated by Princeton University for aeronautical research.

It was located along the east side of Route 1, two miles east of Princeton University.

Dan Sayre, a mechanical engineer at the University, started the aeronautical engineering department in 1942,

and Cortland Perkins, an aeronautical instructor who later became chairman of the department,

convinced the University to acquire the property on the east side of Route 1 in 1950.

Barry Nixon came to the Princeton University aeronautical engineering department in search of a master's degree in 1952,

just as the facility at the Forrestal Research Center was being put together.

When he began working for his master's degree in 1952,

not only did Barry Nixon have to take classes & attend lectures,

he had to help convert greenhouses into hangars & build the quarter-mile long airstrip.

The earliest depiction which has been located of Forrestal Airport was a 1956 aerial view.

A 1957 aerial view depicted Forrestal in basically the same manner.

After a stint in the Navy, Barry Nixon came back to Forrestal in 1959

and resumed working at the research center as both an instructor & flight researcher.

By then, "things were really humming," he said.

For the next 25 years, he worked in flight research on airplanes,

helicopters, gliders, blimps, balloons, windmills & even model birds,

but perhaps most impressive were the ground effect machines, or hovercraft.

Nixon worked under Tom Sweeney & Ed Seckel, both instructors in the aeronautical department.

Sweeney was his immediate boss at the flight laboratory & was the creative mind behind the ground-effect machines.

The size & range of uses for these machines varied widely.

The laboratory created several ride-on air scooters that hovered a few feet from the ground,

and even an air version of the wheelbarrow.

The Airbarrow - an 8' x 4' ground-effect machine - was built in the mid-1960s & designed with a 5 hp engine

to be pushed & carry small cargo on construction sites.

They also built the AG-GEM, a medium-sized, 43 hp hovercraft

that was flown in the mid-1960s to test the concept of spraying crops.

It was taken to Toms River & used successfully on a cranberry bog, Nixon said.

The AG-GEM was last flown in the 1970s

and was on display at the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame in Teterboro

until it was left outside & destroyed by the weather, he said.

But the largest ground-effect machine built was the P-GEM,

a 20' diameter circular hovercraft with a 180 hp lift engine & 43 hp tail engine.

The third generation of this machine was built in the early 1960s

and even got the distinguished opportunity of being escorted down Route 1 by police.

"Route 1 was quite a challenge.

Cars were pulled over to the side & there was only a couple feet of clearance,

but it never hit anything," Nixon said.

The P-GEM was last flown in the 1980s & has since been bulldozed & discarded by the University, he said.

Forrestal was not yet depicted on the 1961 Philadelphia Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

The earliest directory listing which has been located of Forrestal Airport

was in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory.

It described Forrestal as having a single 3,000' blacktop Runway 4/22,

and the operator was listed as "Engineering Department, Forrestal Research Center".

It included the note, "Caution: Closed to the public."

Forrestal Airport was still not depicted on the 1963 Philadelphia Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe),

which is odd, even for a private airfield.

A 1963 aerial view showed that Forrestal had gained a paved runway at some point between 1957-63.

A circa 1965-68 photo of the 12' Princeton AgGem hovercraft,

seen in front of the old Forrestal hangar (courtesy of Albert Newton, via Steve Sweeney).

The craftsman most responsible for the construction of the AgGem was Albert Newton.

The AgGem evidently reused the cockpit bubble from a Hughes 300 helicopter.

A significant amount of material about Forrestal was sent in by Steve Sweeney,

whose father worked at the hangar at Forrestal for many years,

and who was privileged as a child to spend most of his Saturdays with him there.

In Steve's words, "Forrestal was a really neat place.

Most of Princeton's engineering schools were located there,

including 2 active flight test laboratories, Flight Dynamics & Advanced Flight Concepts."

An undated view of the Princeton P-GEM hovercraft.

An undated photo of the Princeton 20' P-GEM hovercraft,

flying over over a pond at Walker-Gordon farms, adjacent to Forrestal (courtesy of Albert Newton, via Steve Sweeney).

They simply flew it over there for over water trials.

Unfortunately, both the AgGEM & the PGEM were lost to the scrapper.

A circa early 1960s photo of the smaller single seat "Airscooter" hovercraft (courtesy of Albert Newton, via Steve Sweeney).

This machine was scrapped at Princeton,

however an older sister machine survives today at the American Helicopter Museum in Brandywine, PA.

Additionally, a 3^rd similar airframe belongs to the Smithsonian.

Sweeney continues, "There was considerable work done with Ground Effect Machines [hovercraft],

from about 1958-70, I believe.

This research, both theoretical & applied, resulted in four man carrying machines, built at Princeton.

The largest of these, circular machines, at 20' in diameter, did fly on US Route 1,

in order to travel to a local farm for trials over potatoes.

This was to see how crops would react to the intimate nature of an air cushion vehicle."

A circa early 1960s photo of the variable-stability Princeton Navion

on the taxiway at Forrestal (courtesy of Albert Newton, via Steve Sweeney).

Steve Sweeney recalled, "The aeronautical engineering department owned several aircraft over the years.

In addition, there were other aircraft that were loaned, or sent to Princeton for evaluation.

At the end of the laboratories life there were 4 airplanes.

There were 2 Ryan Navions, one was extensively modified as a variable stability aircraft,

the other was stock, used for pilot proficiency.

The blue ship was the Variable Stability Navion.”

Sweeney continues, "Lastly there was a Lockheed LASA.

That LASA was one of 2 airframes designed & built by Lockheed for construction abroad.

The LASA was donated to Princeton, after Lockheed was done with it."

The LASA 60, short for Lockheed-Azcarate & the year of completion,

was a utility plane built for the Mexican market.

Two were built by Lockheed in Georgia, and small numbers were eventually produced in Mexico & Italy.

Steve continues, "There were several other aircraft,

and other interesting machines that were either built at Princeton, or wound up there over the years."

"Forrestal Airport, and the entire Forrestal Campus was very much alive & hitting it's stride during the 1960's.

It was with the early demise of the Apollo program that ended most of the research at Forrestal,

and directly impacted the work at the hangar.

I would say that active flight testing was about over with by the late 1970's."

"It was a rare day when there were no visitors on the flight line.

Beavers, Cubs, Luscomes, Yankees, T-34's, a Porter & assorted Turbo Porters, Helio Couriers, Mohawks,

Hueys, JetRangers, 47's, Hillers, Hughes 300 & 500's, a twin Navion, a twin Bonanza,

assorted Cessnas including the then new Citation demonstrator, Pipers & Beechcrafts including King Airs,

Grumman S2's, an Albatross, a touch & go by a Navy blimp, and a Lake Amphibian."

"The original hangar was replaced with a new building in 1968, I believe.

The old hangar was then used as a garage for the motor pool.

So, there was only one active hangar."

An undated photo of the Goodyear Inflatoplane, tested at Forrestal (courtesy of Albert Newton).

Former Forrestal Lab employee Albert Newton relates the story

of another unusual aircraft tested at Forrestal - the Goodyear Inflatoplane.

The Army & Navy had several of them built in the 1950's.

Their fuselage & wings were inflatable, made of a material similar to what Goodyear

used to construct their blimps, rubber impregnated fabric, probably Dacron.

It was inflated to about 5-7 PSI to make it semi-rigid.

When it is deflated, it was folded up & stuffed into a 5 sq-ft. box.

The only rigid parts were the engine & pedestal & landing gear assembly.

They were intended to be parachuted down to a stranded pilot that had been shot down behind enemy lines.

The pilot was supposed to pull it out of the box, inflate it with a small air compressor (also in the box),

start the engine (hand crank), get into the cockpit & fly back home.

Newton says, "The airplanes did fly, but it was not easy to get it started & airborne.

The Army did some flight tests but they had some fatalities & abandoned the whole idea.

In the early 1960's, Tom Sweeny got the idea to try to get one of these planes

and do some flight testing on it at Forrestal.

There was never any real documented information obtained on their flight characteristics

and it would be worthwhile for student research."

"There were three Navy pilots here that were doing the flight testing

and I installed the test equipment & maintained the aircraft & cranked the engine.

It was difficult to attach things because it was flexible.

Some items had to be mounted on the landing gear structure.

Other sensors had to be fastened with duct tape.

At the speeds we were flying at, It held up pretty well.

After several months, the testing was more or less completed.

One of the test installations was a 16mm movie camera mounted on a outrigger.

When our Department Chairman saw the film of the fuselage bending & twisting,

he said "Stop flying this airplane & get it out of here."

We deflated it & put it back in the box & shipped it to Goodyear to put in their museum.

I believe it still exists & is kept inflated."

An undated photo (courtesy of Jeffrey Hoch) of a Jeep previously used as Forrestal Airport.

For 25 years, Barry Nixon worked for Princeton University's aeronautical engineering department in flight research,

testing many kinds of experimental flight vehicles.

Among them were ground-effect machines, commonly known as hovercraft.

Many of these machines looked like they could have come from outer space.

In the late 1950s & early 1960s, they often stopped traffic

while being tested at the University's flight research facility at the Forrestal Research Center.

Since the test area was only about 50 yards from Route 1,

"you could often hear brakes squealing," Mr. Nixon said,

"and people would stop to see what was going on.

I think some actually thought they saw a UFO descending on the airfield."

The earliest chart depiction of Forrestal Airport which has been located

was on the March 1966 NY Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

It described Forrestal as a private field with a single 3,000' asphalt runway.

A 1972 aerial view depicted Forrestal as having a single paved Runway 2/20.

A 1977 photo by Jim Hann of radio-controlled model aircraft being operated from the runway at Forrestal.

Jim recalled, “I didn't take any of the hangars or tetrahedron or the glider I remember being there.”

A 1979 aerial view showed that at some point between 1972-79,

Forrestal's Runway 3/21 was replaced by a new Runway 2/20, which was also located somewhat father south.

The reason for the runway replacement has not been determined,

as both runways were the same length – 3,000'.

Forrestal was still depicted as an active airfield on the 1979 NY TCA chart (courtesy of Bill Suffa).

It was shown as having a single 3,000' paved northeast/southwest runway.

Nearby resident Douglas Wright indicates that the

airfield was used by a local soaring club in the late 1970s,

apparently with permission of the Forrestal center.

On the 1981 USGS topo map,

the runway was still depicted, but was simply labeled "Landing Strip".

The airfield was depicted as having a 3,600' runway,

taxiways, a ramp, and 2 small hangars west of the runway.

The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)

described Forrestal as having a single 3,000' asphalt Runway 3/20.

The 1983 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Forrestal as having a single 3,000' paved Runway 2/20,

and a ramp on the west side containing an office & 2 other buildings (hangars?).

The remarks said: "Caution: Autos, gliders, balloons. Prior permission required.

Limited to university business only."

The University disbanded the flight laboratory in 1983.

Jim Hann recalled returning to Forrestal in 1983 for a radio-controlled model aircraft competition.

“The runway was still in really good shape, as it had to be for the models.

I remember walking across the runway and into the woods at least once to help a fellow competitor retrieve his wreckage.

I'm not sure if the glider was still there that time, I was focused on competing!”

A circa 1980s aerial view looking southwest at Forrestal Airport by Philip Kineyko.

Erik Mann recalled, “I arrived as an undergraduate student in 1984,

and by that time most (if not all) of the flight research had been suspended.

There were still projects going on in the hangar, including various ultralights,

some automobiles, and assorted other modes of transport.

But, the Navions & a couple of other aircraft were in mothballs.”

The last photo which has been located showing Forrestal Airport was a 1986 aerial view.

The runway was still intact.

The outline of the former Runway (on a slightly different alignment, 3/21) was still perceptible.

Erik Mann recalled, “The airport was active as a glider operation through 1988 & into 1989.

The Soaring Society of Princeton University operated 3 gliders & a Piper Supercub towplane.

At one point, there were more than 70 members in the club.

On a good weekend, we would have about 40-50 takeoffs & landings,

with some additional activity on weekdays, including launches behind an old Buick station wagon.

But, by 1988, the handwriting was on the wall,

as the University saw the value of land along Route 1 going through the roof,

and there wasn't much justification for a $10 million gliderport.

So, the club moved from Forrestal (I think it was in early summer of 1989) to Van Sant airport in Bucks County.”

The date of closure of the Forrestal Airport is unknown.

Erik Mann recalled, “About half of the runway was still around in the early 1990s (we flew a touch & go in a J3 for nostalgia's sake).”

By the time of the 1995 USGS aerial photo, the 2 hangars still remained standing,

but the runway & taxiway pavement had been removed,

with an open field in their place.

Erik Mann recalled, “The last time I overflew it in 2000, it looked like most of the pavement was gone.”

The airfield was no longer depicted at all (even as an abandoned airfield) on recent aeronautical charts.

In the circa 2001 aerial photo, the runway & taxiway had been removed,

but the 2 hangars still existed.

The property is now used as the Rockefeller Medical Research Center.

A 2005 aerial photo by Tom Kramer, looking southeast at the site of Forrestal Airport.

Tom observed, “To the middle right, the hangars are still there but now a building under construction occupies where the runway used to be.”

Thanks to Tom for pointing out this field.