Lakewood Airport

By Bert Albert 732-920-8959
July 18, 2006

With a view toward benefiting the town and attracting business, Township officials created the Lakewood Airport Authority by ordinance this year to run Lakewood Airport, oversee its development and generate revenue.

Lakewood Airport, originally built in 1945, was created for small single engine propeller-driven airplanes only. Because of its small size and its proximity to Allaire, Lakehurst and Miller airports, Lakewood will never become a primary airport; however, it has great potential to benefit Lakewood by adding revenue, catering to corporate needs, and expanding offerings to the residents of the town.

According to Richard Orne, chair of the Lakewood Airport Authority, any development has to be approved by the FAA since the airport was purchased with mostly federal and state money. By obtaining federal grants, improvements have already been made to the airport. It has a new 3400 ft. long and 60 ft. wide runway. It has a new taxiway, new turn-offs, and Unicom lighting, a state-of-the-art lighting package that can be activated from the air by the pilots when no one is present at the airport. By seeking additional grants, the Authority hopes to install nav-aids (navigational aids) to enable pilots to find the airport in all kinds of weather.
"We have some very, very exciting ideas, some of which will make Lakewood Airport a self-sustaining operation," says Orne. The Authority envisions business and corporate personnel having the option of flying to the township rather than flying to Newark and driving 60 miles. "We would like to see national firms and, perhaps, international firms headquartered here," says Orne.

"We would like to see a terminal at the airport with rooms for meetings and airport offices," says Orne. "The civil air patrol, a cadet function of the air force, would be housed there. One of the two airplanes that the civil air patrol has in New Jersey is currently here in Lakewood."

The Authority is also planning to build a restaurant on airport grounds for local residents to enjoy. "It would be an affordable family restaurant that would provide the pleasure of watching aviation up close and friendly," says Orne. "If we have a restaurant, people can fly in for dinner and fly back out."
Orne notes, "People will be drawn to the airport because it's going to be a place for township events. Nothing says that we couldn't have Lakewood's own air show where antique airplanes could be displayed. Airport grounds could also be used for a township fair," says Orne.

The operation of the airport will be divided between an executive director and an aviation director, who will both report directly to the Authority. The Executive Director Bert Albert will be responsible for the business side of the airport, such as leasing acreage to get revenue to develop the airport. The executive director would also be in charge of writing grants to obtain federal and state funds.

Ted Pichel, Robbinsville, who owns and operates Aviation Charters, has been managing the aviation side of the airport or 70 percent of the airport grounds, including the apron, the runways, the taxiways, the turnoff, the fuel tanks, aircraft take-off and landing, and the service repair, etc.
Orne says, "He's doing a tremendous job enhancing the reputation of the airport. A number of aviation clubs have returned to the Lakewood Airport."

Developing the aviation side of the airport will generate fees based on the level of service provided, such as tie-down spots, parking places for planes, and T-hangars to protect the planes from the weather. The more people who use the facilities, the more funds will be generated.

The Airport Authority is planning to form a community advisory group composed of business and corporate people, senior citizens, and local residents. "We encourage everyone to offer suggestions and opinions," says Orne. "The intent is to make Lakewood airport another one of the diamonds in the collection. We have some premier things going on in Lakewood. And we think the Lakewood Airport is going to be another one of them."

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