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By Chrysa Smith
Airplanes are time machines,” says Joe Perry, pilot and owner of The Doylestown Airport. This is especially true for private aviation. For many of the region’s residents, the planes that call this place home, serve as transportation to work, vacation or just the joy of sightseeing around Bucks and its surrounding regions. Pilots and their passengers can fly up and down the coast, as far away as Minneapolis and Memphis, or just to New Hope and back.
Marcel Bisschops, President of Leading Edge Aviation, the company responsible or flight training, private charters, fuel and maintenance services, says commercial air travel is much more time-consuming, not to mention frustrating. Between the commute to the airport, clearing the security checkpoint and waiting for the flight, private aviation is a much more efficient and pleasant way to travel. With Covid private aviation has also turned into a welcome, unmasked, uncrowded adventure—for two, maybe four people.
With a 3,000-foot runway and accompanying taxiways, the Bucks County Airport Authority (BCAA) maintains and owns the hangars, which are leased by plane owners. An older building houses the authority and flight school, where Bisschops and Perry sit and talk about the day’s line-up, the weather and other things. Currently home to 92 private airplane hangars, with about 150 airport-based planes, the airport is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and on-demand during other times. It serves as home to small two and four seat prop model planes, as well as two helicopters and two turbo-prop aircraft for local charter flights.
According to Bisschops, during good weather, the airport sees hundreds of operations (take offs and landings). “Over the course of year, we do about 100,000.” Their local weather system lets pilots call in to find out the latest conditions. Those who are on a visual field opt for days when they can fly beneath the clouds. Instrument-rated pilots have more options.
Located on Old Easton Road in Buckingham Township, the Doylestown Flying Field has come a long way since its opening in 1928. Originally owned by a man named Bill Webb, it served as an airfield for a handful of private planes. But in 1942, John Van Sant (Local Aviator and founder of the Van Sant Airport), turned it into a more substantial operation. It was later taken over by The Bucks County Airport Authority (BCAA)—which has owned it ever since.
As you might expect, the airport has undergone major changes over the years. It offers most everything a pilot, potential pilots and area residents might need, including private charters, flight training, fuel and maintenance. But perhaps of more interest to the recreational flyer are the Discovery and Adventure Flights offered throughout the year. Their Discovery flight is a half-hour tour; the Adventure, a one-hour flight. They’re both a great way for area residents to gain a new perspective on the landscape and expose potential aviators to the skies
With an aggregate 47 flying years between them, Bisschops and Perry make the airport come alive for the community. From letting preschoolers sit inside a plane, to hangar concerts, an annual open house, aviation seminars and Old St. Nick arriving on helicopter for the season, there’s plenty of fun for the family. Kids of all ages are provided with both picnic tables and a ring-side view of a line-up of flying activities during events. And there are summer camps where middle school age young adults get the opportunity to learn about aviation, do pre-flight checks, map a flight plan and take to the skies. According to Bisschops, one-hour flights have taken them down to Cape May, NJ for a tour of their aviation museum, lunch and then back to town.
It was a bit surprising to learn how young a new aviator can be. Bisschops’ daughter was 11 and Perry’s was 13 when they embraced the high-flying spirit. With a fleet of 12 planes for flight school training, the Discovery and Adventure flights count toward certification hours. To be a fully certified private pilot, one needs anywhere from 40-60 hours. “It’s an availability thing,” says Perry. “Younger people tend to go through the process quicker, as they generally have more time to spend on it.”
Operated with a total of 33 full and part-time employees who do everything from flight instruction to maintenance, line and office staff, the Doylestown Airport is not only a friendly place, but also been instrumental in a secret service training mission and served as a resting spot for presidential helicopters. Whether for function or fun, for somewhere between $140-$180 per hour, you too can learn to fly. As Leonardo DaVinci said long before man took to the sky, “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
The Doylestown Airport is located at 3879 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA. For more information, call 215-340-0707 or visit www.doylestownairport.com.