Solberg–Hunterdon Airport , also known as Solberg Airport, is located in Readington Township,

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History

Founded in 1941 by Norwegian-born and -raised aviation pioneer Thor Solberg, Solberg Airport is a small general aviation airport located in central New Jersey. In 1985 Solberg was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame. He is also considered a major aviation pioneer in his native country. Norway's oldest airport, Jarlsberg, is dedicated to his memory, and today operates as a major general aviation airport and parachute center near the ancient city of

Tønsberg Tønsberg (), historically Tunsberg, is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tønsberg Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located about south-southwest of the capital city of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near ...

in southeastern Norway. Solberg's son and namesake, Thor Solberg Jr., died on December 16, 2017. The airport is currently run by two generations of Thor Solberg's heirs. His children, Lorraine Solberg and Suzy Solberg Nagle, maintain day-to-day operations with the help of four grandchildren.

Facilities and aircraft

Solberg Airport is situated on 744 acres in Readington, and contains three runways. The primary runway is 4/22, measuring 5,598 x 50 ft (1,706 x 15 m). 3,735 ft (1,138 m) of this runway is paved with asphalt, and 1,863 ft (568 m) is turf reserved as a

displaced threshold A displaced threshold or DTHR is a runway threshold located at a point other than the physical beginning or end of the runway. The portion of the runway behind a displaced threshold may be used for takeoff in either direction and landings from t ...

, and 10/28, measuring 2,010 x 100 ft (613 x 30m). The third runway, 13/31, is turf measuring 3,444 x 200 ft (1,050 x 61 m). For the 12-month period ending June 24, 2022, the airport had 23,005 aircraft operations, an average of 63 per day: 64% local general aviation and 36% transient general aviation. At that time there were 47 aircraft based at this airport: 39 single-engine, 5 multi-engine, 1 helicopters, and 2 gliders.

Balloon festival

The New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning celebrated its 40th anniversary at Solberg Airport in 2023, but was cancelled in 2024 and 2025 due to various issues.Deak, Mike
"NJ balloon festival grounded again in 2025. Here's why"
''

Courier News The ''Courier News'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey, that serves Somerset County and other areas of Central Jersey. The paper has been owned by Gannett since 1927. Notable employees *John Curley, former presi ...

'', December 19, 2024. Accessed June 7, 2025. "“We have always strived to deliver the best experience possible to our fans and after much consideration and evaluation we have decided that it’s best to take another year to re-evaluate, rejuvenate and hopefully re-emerge bigger and better than ever," Freeman posted. "Therefore, we will not be presenting our three-day celebration in 2025.” Among the factors that Freeman cited were spiraling costs, including concert talent which puts pressure on independent producers, logistical challenges and increasingly unpredictable weather. In 2023, the festival celebrated its 40th anniversary. The event grew over the years from a small-scale production to the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in the country. In December 2023, Freeman announced this year's festival, traditionally held at the end of July, was cancelled." In 2007, the event was the largest summertime

hot air balloon festival Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing hot air balloons operators to gather- as well as for the general public- to participate in various activities.They can include races; evening "night glows", ...

in North America, and was run by Howard Freidman and Sally Mazzochi.

Presidential temporary flight restrictions

Solberg Airport is within a 10-mile radius of the Trump National Golf Club in

Bedminster, New Jersey Bedminster is a Township (New Jersey), township in Somerset County, New Jersey, Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 8,272, an increase of 107 (+1.3%) from the 201 ...

. During the former presidency of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, the airport was subject to FAA flight restrictions whenever Trump was in Bedminster.

References

External links