Doylestown Airport
Encyclopedia
Doylestown 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) north of the central business district
of Doylestown, Pennsylvania
. The airport is home to a single fixed base operator
, Leading Edge Aviation, as well as a Civil Air Patrol
squadron, flight training, and aircraft rentals.
in Pennsylvania
and founder of the Van Sant Airport
. The airport is currently run by the Bucks County Airport Authority (BCAA).
of 394 feet (120 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 5/23 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,004 by 60 feet (916 x 18 m).
For the 12-month period ending August 21, 2008, the airport had 42,000 aircraft operations, an average of 115 per day: 93% general aviation
, 7% air taxi
and <1% military
. At that time there were 174 aircraft based at this airport: 92% single-engine
, 7% multi-engine and 1% helicopter
.
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) north 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 Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
. The airport is home to a single 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...
, Leading Edge Aviation, as well as a Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
squadron, flight training, and aircraft rentals.
History
The Doylestown Airport was dedicated on December 24, 1964. Between the years of 1957 and 1960, the airport was owned and managed by John Van Sant, a popular aviatorAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in 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...
and founder of the Van Sant Airport
Van Sant Airport
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...
. The airport is currently run by the Bucks County Airport Authority (BCAA).
Facilities and aircraft
Doylestown Airport covers an area of 200 acres (80.9 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 394 feet (120 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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...
designated 5/23 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,004 by 60 feet (916 x 18 m).
For the 12-month period ending August 21, 2008, the airport had 42,000 aircraft operations, an average of 115 per day: 93% 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...
, 7% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
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 174 aircraft based at this airport: 92% 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...
, 7% multi-engine and 1% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
Expansion
Proposals to extend the single runway at Doylestown Airport are currently being debated. The BCAA wants to extend the runway by 800 feet to prepare for the expected increase in safety of airport activity. Along with the runway extension, more hangars are recommended to accommodate the increase in traffic. Many residents nearby are against such expansions, as they fear it will encourage more jets and unwanted noise. If approved, the 800 foot extension, 94+ aircraft hangar spaces, and other improvements will total a cost of $26.9 million.External links
- Bucks County Airport Authority
- Doylestown Airport at Leading Edge Aviation
- Doylestown Airport webcam
- Doylestown Airport (DYL) at PennDOT Bureau of Aviation