Van Sant Airport
Encyclopedia
Vansant Airport or Van Sant Airport is a public use airport
located in Bucks County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
and owned by the Bucks County Airport Authority. It is two nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of the central business district
of Erwinna, Pennsylvania
.
and flight training
. Since then the airport was sold then resold to the Bucks County park system. Now the airport is a landmark for Classic Biplane rides and vintage airplanes.
After World War II
, John Van Sant founded and owned Van Sant Airport. His family sold it to Bucks County
in 2003, and it was designated as a National Historic Landmark
. The 198.5 acre
(0.8 km²) piece of property was sold to the county for almost US$3 million. The Bucks County Airport Authority currently maintains the airport, and facilities on the field are leased to Sport Aviation, Inc, a fixed base operator
(FBO).
of 390 feet (119 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
s with turf
surfaces:: 7/25 is 3,058 by 120 feet (932 x 37 m) and 5G/23G is 1,340 by 200 feet (408 x 61 m).
For the 12-month period ending June 17, 2008, the airport had 25,695 aircraft operations, an average of 70 per day: 100% general aviation
and <1% military
. At that time there were 53 aircraft based at this airport: 75% single-engine
, 23% glider
and 2% ultralight.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located in Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and owned by the Bucks County Airport Authority. It is two nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Erwinna, Pennsylvania
Erwinna, Pennsylvania
Erwinna is an unincorporated community in Tinicum Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a zip code of 18920. It is located approximately 40 miles north of Center City Philadelphia and has an area code of 610 It is named after Colonel Arthur Erwin , who was a leader in the Bucks...
.
History
In 1944, John Van Sant (born 1912) bought the Silver Star Airport, renamed it to The Old Star Airport, and started his own business, Van Sant Flying Service. The business offered crop dustingAerial application
Aerial application, commonly called crop dusting, involves spraying crops with fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides from an agricultural aircraft. The specific spreading of fertilizer is also known as aerial topdressing....
and flight training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
. Since then the airport was sold then resold to the Bucks County park system. Now the airport is a landmark for Classic Biplane rides and vintage airplanes.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, John Van Sant founded and owned Van Sant Airport. His family sold it to Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
in 2003, and it was designated as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. The 198.5 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
(0.8 km²) piece of property was sold to the county for almost US$3 million. The Bucks County Airport Authority currently maintains the airport, and facilities on the field are leased to Sport Aviation, Inc, a fixed base operator
Fixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
(FBO).
Facilities and aircraft
The airport covers an area of 167 acres (67.6 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 390 feet (119 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s with turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
surfaces:: 7/25 is 3,058 by 120 feet (932 x 37 m) and 5G/23G is 1,340 by 200 feet (408 x 61 m).
For the 12-month period ending June 17, 2008, the airport had 25,695 aircraft operations, an average of 70 per day: 100% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and <1% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 53 aircraft based at this airport: 75% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 23% glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
and 2% ultralight.