Twin Pine Airport

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Twin Pine Airport (closed)
IATA: none – ICAO: none – FAA: N75
Summary
Airport type		Public-use
Owner		William E. Weasner
Serves		Pennington, New Jersey
Elevation AMSL		230 ft / 70 m
Coordinates		40°18′35″N 074°45′35″W / 40.30972, -74.75972
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
12/30	2,200	671	Turf
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations			12,000
Based aircraft			15
Source: Federal Aviation Administration^[1] Coordinates from WikiMapia^[2]

Twin Pine Airport (FAA LID: N75) was a privately-owned public-use airport located two miles (3 km) southeast of the central business district of Pennington, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States.^[1]

The airport, registered in 1945, was considered historic, and was home to many deteriorating aircraft, such as a low-wing tandem-seat trainer, an L-17 Navion, a Cessna 310, and some local aircraft such as former Pan Am pilot Gerald McAlinden's Cessna 150 with Pan Am markings.

Twin Pine Airport was owned by William Weisner since 1956. The property was valued at $500,000 in 2005, but after the county ordered revaluations it was assessed at nearly $2,000,000. This caused a property tax increase from $17,000 to more than $36,000 per year, which in turn caused the owner to sell the airport. In 2006, the towns of Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Hopewell and Pennington applied for $2 million in grants from Mercer County to turn the airport into athletic fields.^[3]

Some people associated with the airport consider the actions of the local governments "stealing" by use of taxes. Costs of keeping the airport (including tax increases that peaked at a 220% increase in one year for the airport) left the Weisner's no choice except to sell the land.

The airport's official closing ceremony was held on April 6, 2008.^[4] EAA Chapter 176 was based at Twin Pine and is planning a fly-by celebration for the airfield. After the last aircraft has left, soccer field stripes will be painted on the runway.^[5]

[edit] Facilities and aircraft

Twin Pine Airport covered an area of 52 acres (21 ha) and contained one runway designated 12/30 with a 2,200 x 100 ft. (671 x 30 m) turf surface. For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 12,000 general aviation aircraft operations, an average of 32 per day. At that time there were 15 aircraft based at this airport: 73% single-engine, 7% multi-engine and 20% ultralight.^[1]