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Solberg–Hunterdon Airport

Coordinates: 40°34′49″N 74°44′08″W / 40.5802°N 74.7355°W / 40.5802; -74.7355
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Solberg–Hunterdon Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic use
OwnerSolberg Aviation Company
OperatorSolberg/Nagle family
ServesReadington Township, New Jersey
LocationHunterdon County, New Jersey
Elevation AMSL189 ft / 58 m
Coordinates40°34′49″N 74°44′08″W / 40.5802°N 74.7355°W / 40.5802; -74.7355
Websitewww.solbergairport.com
Map
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4/22 5,598 1,706 Asphalt/turf
10/28 2,010 613 Turf
13/31 3,444 1,050 Turf
Statistics (2022)
Aircraft operations (year ending 6/24/2022)23,005
Based aircraft47

Solberg–Hunterdon Airport (FAA LID: N51), also known as Solberg Airport, is located in Readington Township, New Jersey, United States.

History

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Founded in 1941 by Norwegian-born and -raised aviation pioneer Thor Solberg, Solberg Airport is a small general aviation airport located in central New Jersey. In 1985 Solberg was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame.[2] He is also considered a major aviation pioneer in his native country. Norway's oldest airport, Jarlsberg, is dedicated to his memory, and today operates as a major general aviation airport and parachute center near the ancient city of Tønsberg in southeastern Norway.[3]

Solberg's son and namesake, Thor Solberg Jr., died on December 16, 2017. The airport is currently run by two generations of Thor Solberg's heirs. His children, Lorraine Solberg and Suzy Solberg Nagle, maintain day-to-day operations with the help of four grandchildren.[2]

Facilities and aircraft

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Solberg Airport is situated on 744 acres in Readington, and contains three runways. The primary runway is 4/22, measuring 5,598 x 50 ft (1,706 x 15 m). 3,735 ft (1,138 m) of this runway is paved with asphalt, and 1,863 ft (568 m) is turf reserved as a displaced threshold, and 10/28, measuring 2,010 x 100 ft (613 x 30m). The third runway, 13/31, is turf measuring 3,444 x 200 ft (1,050 x 61 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending June 24, 2022, the airport had 23,005 aircraft operations, an average of 63 per day: 64% local general aviation and 36% transient general aviation. At that time there were 47 aircraft based at this airport: 39 single-engine, 5 multi-engine, 1 helicopters, and 2 gliders.[1]

Balloon festival

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The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2007.[4] That year, the event was the largest summertime hot air balloon festival in North America,[5] and was run by Howard Freidman and Sally Mazzochi.[5]

Presidential temporary flight restrictions

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Solberg Airport is within a 10-mile radius of the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. During the former presidency of Donald Trump, the airport was subject to FAA flight restrictions whenever Trump was in Bedminster.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for N51 PDF, effective 2023-09-07
  2. ^ a b "Airport History". Solberg Airport Website. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  3. ^ "Jarlsberg flyplass" (in Norwegian). 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2014-11-04.
  4. ^ Seidel, Bobbi. "Up, up and away", Asbury Park Press, June 13, 2007. Accessed June 15, 2007. "The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, in association with PNC Bank, is offering the free balloon ride and a bottle of champagne as part of the festival's celebration of its 25th birthday."
  5. ^ a b "Quick Chek Festival of Ballooning celebrates 25th year with three days of family entertainment". Independent Press. 2007-05-23. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-06-15. Today, the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in association with PNC Bank is the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America, attracting upwards of 175,000 people over the three-day weekend.
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