Aerohaven

[bobpbx]

Never knew about this site. Another landscape scar to be repaired. Plan is 21 years old. Never materialized?

Evesham orders new Aero Haven plan

www.tauntonlake.org

 

[Beach&Barrens]

Interesting. I didn't know there used to be an airport back there.

 

[stiltzkin]

Ah, Aerohaven. This one I'm quite familiar with; I've been going back there for a long time.

You can find some more info and a lot of historic aerial photos here - and I'm sure also on Boydsmaps.

The southern end, where the aircraft hangars used to be, is, or was, a Superfund site. Apparently during the 1960s and 1970s, the runway around that area was extended and in-filled with waste from a glass manufacturing company. Unfortunately, the waste turned out to be asbestos (p. 102). I believe the southern end was dug out originally for soil remediation, and the ponds that resulted are now being used as retention for sewage processing for the township. This is all fenced off and you wouldn't really want to go near it anyway. Since then, there has been some talk of putting a solar farm there as well - I'm not sure if those discussions have gone anywhere.

The more interesting side to me is the northern end, which is still an open, unpaved sandy clearing where the runway used to extend. It makes for an interesting landscape. Here are a couple of photos from back in January.

 

[Teegate]

I remember when the planes were flying there. I explored the woods across the road for years starting in 1974.

 

[Beach&Barrens]

Is this close to Black Run Preserve?

 

[bobpbx]

Is this close to Black Run Preserve?

Somewhat, yes.

 

[bobpbx]

Ah, Aerohaven. This one I'm quite familiar with; I've been going back there for a long time.

You can find some more info and a lot of historic aerial photos here - and I'm sure also on Boydsmaps.

The southern end, where the aircraft hangars used to be, is, or was, a Superfund site. Apparently during the 1960s and 1970s, the runway around that area was extended and in-filled with waste from a glass manufacturing company. Unfortunately, the waste turned out to be asbestos (p. 102). I believe the southern end was dug out originally for soil remediation, and the ponds that resulted are now being used as retention for sewage processing for the township. This is all fenced off and you wouldn't really want to go near it anyway. Since then, there has been some talk of putting a solar farm there as well - I'm not sure if those discussions have gone anywhere.

The more interesting side to me is the northern end, which is still an open, unpaved sandy clearing where the runway used to extend. It makes for an interesting landscape. Here are a couple of photos from back in January.
View attachment 18192
View attachment 18194

I'm suprised the vegetation is so sparse. I wonder why it's held back.

 

[stiltzkin]

I remember when the planes were flying there. I explored the woods across the road for years starting in 1974.

Okay, you got me - I don't go back that far!

 

[c1nj]

Also was used for illegal drag racing. They eventually cut perpendicular ditches in the runway to stop it.

 

[MuckSavage]

Correct! I was guilty of drag racing there.

 

[Boyd]

Used to drive past there frequently when I lived in Medford back in the 90's, it had already been shutdown by then. It's shown as the "Camden-Burlington County Airport" on the USGS 24k Topo (good indication of just how old those maps are).

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.822019/-74.893561/legacy24k/0.00/0.00

Looks mostly intact on the 1980's aerials

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.822019/-74.893561/njgin1980/0.00/0.00

It's shown on my 2020 topo here. The green-shaded areas are public openspace.

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.822019/-74.893561/pines2020/0.00/0.00

 

[smoke_jumper]

I remember as a young kid my parents taking me there to see the airplanes. A lot of my friends went there drag race when I was older but I never went. We used to drag race on chew road until one of my friends wiped out going over the tracks.

 

[c1nj]

We used to "drag race" on Rt. 70 in front of the Marlton Burger King in the early 90s. Drag Racing is still alive and well on Weatherby Road in Port Elizabeth.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I've never heard of this place. Super interesting.

 

[c1nj]

Locals claimed it was also used as a secret drug smuggling airport.

 

[TommyP]

It’s a cool place. I found a “remembering forgotten regional airports” site when I was looking it up, and I wrote about it here:

The Ruins of an Abandoned Airport in the Pines

And the Lost Dream of a Supersonic JetPort

thomaspluck.substack.com

 

[bobpbx]

It’s a cool place. I found a “remembering forgotten regional airports” site when I was looking it up, and I wrote about it here:

The Ruins of an Abandoned Airport in the Pines

And the Lost Dream of a Supersonic JetPort

thomaspluck.substack.com

Very interesting article you wrote Tommy! You know, digging up that sand to place on the runway like that is almost criminal. Changed the habitat very negatively. Are those rectangular pits where they dug the sand from?

 

[smoke_jumper]

Very interesting article you wrote Tommy! You know, digging up that sand to place on the runway like that is almost criminal. Changed the habitat very negatively. Are those rectangular pits where they dug the sand from?

Those rectangular pits are a result of the clean up. Owens corning dumped asbestos there and is/was a superfund site. Basically the asbestos is still there just covered over so it’s not disturbed.

 

[Teegate]

I was going though my collection and found this.