AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021 - 40

BRIEFING
A IRPORTS /
Aeroflex-Andover Airport, New Jersey
Time for tailwheel
training
BY DENNIS K. JOHNSON
S H I MMER I NG L A K E S , rolling
hills, tailwheel airplanes,
and all only 43 miles from
New York City. That's a
combination that makes
Aeroflex-Andover Airport
in rural New Jersey a bigcity
pilot's dream. Nestled in
a valley with small lakes at
each end of the runway, it's
a field many consider one of
the prettiest airports in the
East. A pilot's first landing
on Andover's modest-length
runway seems more challenging
than it really is, especially for pilots who
are not accustomed to flying low over water on
final approach. With lakes at both ends, pilots
often say it's like landing on an aircraft carrier.
Aeroflex-Andover Airport (12N) is located
two miles from Andover in Sussex County, New
Jersey. The airport is owned by the New Jersey
Forest Fire Service as a base for aerial firefighting,
so you'll often see their Bell UH-1 Huey helicopters
parked on the ramp. The runway (3/21) is
1,981 feet by 50 feet of asphalt with a parallel grass
strip for tailwheel aircraft. There may be space
for transient aircraft in a communal hangar, but
don't count on it, although there's always tiedown
space on the grass. The airport has 100LL fuel
and restrooms, but no other on-site facilities, so
perhaps bring your lunch or fishing pole.
The airport lies within Kittatinny Valley
State Park, which offers numerous hiking and
mountain biking trails for pilots to exercise their
legs after a long flight. Fishermen and paddlers
can launch small boats on the park's lakes and
ponds, which are stocked with trout. If you'd
like to stay overnight, there are campsites, picnic
tables, and grills. Hunting is even permitted
in some parts of the park. Bring what you need,
because there are no shops closer than 1.5 miles.
It's a friendly airport community, with a
high percentage of tailwheel airplane owners
who share the hangars. On a busy flying day,
it's likely you could find a ride into Andover for
40
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
lunch or antique shopping, for which the
town is known.
Aeroflex-Andover Airport is the place in
the East for tailwheel training. Nationally
known instructor Damian DelGaizo has
been training pilots in the art of flying tailwheel
aircraft there since 1987. Pilots come
from all over the world. Airline pilots with
stopovers at Newark Liberty International
or John F. Kennedy International will often
drive out to fly with DelGaizo. On those rare
Jersey winter days when the snow is right,
DelGaizo bolts on the skis and trains pilots
in ski flying.
You can earn your tailwheel endorsement
in a classic, hand-propped Piper J-3
Cub, in which you'll fly from the back seat,
or a modified Super Cub that is also used to
teach bush flying and ski flying techniques.
Blow your hair back with a flight in a classic
1943 Stearman biplane, in which you can
take advanced tailwheel training, aerobatic
and spin training, or just go for a scenic ride.
As one pilot said, " you always learn something
new every time you fly with Damian. "
Before scheduling flight time, view
one of DelGaizo's instructional DVDs,
Tailwheel 101, Tailwheel 201, or Ski
Flying 101, available from Amazon.com.
Dennis K. Johnson is a private pilot and
frequent contributor to AOPA publications.
If you go /
Aeroflex-Andover Airport
(12N)
Aeroflex-Andover Airport is
two miles north of Andover,
New Jersey, about 43 miles
west of Manhattan. Runway
3/21 (3 right pattern) is 1,981
feet of asphalt, with a parallel
grass airstrip, at 583 feet msl.
Lakes lie at each end, so avoid
landing long and go around early
if needed. The airport offers
100LL fuel, tiedown space, and
possibly hangar space, but call
ahead. CTAF is 122.8 MHz.
aopa.org/destinations/
airports/12N
Andover Flight Academy
andoverflight.com
Kittatinny Valley State Park
state.nj.us/dep/parksand
forests/parks/kittval.html
New Jersey Hiking
njhiking.com/
kittatinny-valley-state-park

http://www.aopa.org/destinations/airports/12n http://www.aopa.org/destinations/airports/12n http://www.andoverflight.com http://state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/klttval.html http://state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/klttval.html http://www.njhiking.com/kittatinny-valley-state-park http://www.Amazon.com http://www.njhiking.com/kittatinny-valley-state-park

AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021

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