Free Airport Tours All Summer Long at this NJ Airport

If you ask any kid or adult what is something that amazes them, flight is usually at the top of most people's lists. Be sure to visit this airport to get a great behind the scenes tour of planes and helicopters. 

What airport offers free airport tours?

The Princeton Airport

Where is the Princeton Airport located?

The Princeton Airport is located at 41 Airpark Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.

 

What kind of airport is the Princeton Airport?

It is a privately owned airport but it is for public use. This means that anyone can land at the airport. There are only 17 of these types of airports in the country. It has 88 T-hangars of varying sizes with plans in the works for 10 more and over 40 Tie-down parking spaces. 

When are the tours offered?

The airport tours are offered every Tuesday at 10:30 am from July 9th until August 27th. 

Do I need to make a reservation?

No reservations are needed. Call 609-921-3100 with any questions. 

Who can go on the tours?

Anyone! This tour is for all ages. I went with a friend of mine when both of our daughters were a year old. This year I went with my kids who are now 5 and 7 years old. 

Would kids like the tour?

Yes! What kid would not like sitting inside a plane and seeing planes and helicopters taking off? 

Be sure to have your kid also pick up a coloring sheet before they leave. 

Are there bathrooms?

There are bathrooms inside the building so arrive early if you need to use the facilities. 

Can you take flying lessons at this airport?

Yes! Anyone can take flying lessons as long as their legs are long enough to reach the pedals. Find out more information here: Princeton Flying School. 

These make a great gift as well. My husband had gifted me a flying lesson when we were living in Maryland, and it was a surreal experience. Now I have my first hour towards a pilot’s license already as well! 

Our Tour Experience

We have actually been on this tour twice. The first time we went a friend of mine had gone with me and we had both taken our daughters that were one year old. They really enjoyed sitting on the Cessna and were wide-eyed at seeing the planes take off near them. On that tour we were told a lot about pilots at the airport and the different types of planes that were there. 

I just took my kids on the tour who are now ages 5 and 7. When we arrived I appreciated that their awning was the colors of the Princeton Tigers. The other members of our tour all had kids with them as well. Steve was an engaging tour guide who was great at answering kid and adult questions. My son loved taking pictures of the planes with his new camera. My daughter loved seeing the planes take off and seeing the instruments in the cockpit of two different planes. During our entire tour we got to see multiple different Cessna’s taking off and landing. We even saw a helicopter a few times as well.

We started by learning a bit about the airport and seeing where planes can get fuel. They have self-serve fuel at this airport for planes. We then headed to sit inside a Cessna 172, the most popular plane in production. Steve demonstrated to us how to jump up in order to fill the fuel tanks. There were two 40 gallon tanks on each side of the plane inside of the wings. All the kids and adults then loved taking turns sitting inside of the Cessna.

After that we headed to see a helicopter. We were lucky enough to be allowed to peek inside a black Agusta 109. These have twin engines and are made in Italy. They are used for corporate and VIP events.

Next we ran into Marty who was nice enough to let us see his plane and even go inside. He had a Springbok Classic Air, Douglas DC-3C, N353MM plane. This was a WWII plane from 1936 and was the type that troops dropped down from during the war. This was previously parked in Bermuda and had just arrived at the airport recently.

After we all finished seeing the inside of the plane we headed to the 1st hangar ever made at the airport in 1963. Currently this is used for plane maintenance and in the past this was used for events such as weddings and Santa flying into the airport. It was interesting to see the plane engines being worked on. After that we finished our tour and headed back into the main building to pick up coloring sheets before leaving.

Interesting Facts we Learned

The Princeton Airport was first established in 1911. As of 1985 it is now owned by Princeton Aero Corp. To learn more about its history go here: Princeton Airport Early History and the History of Princeton Airport. 

In planes pilots usually sit on the left hand side while in helicopters they usually sit on the right hand side. 

Windsocks are a useful way for pilots to see the wind direction. 

There are usually Cirrus planes, Cessna planes and helicopters flown out of the airport. 

Planes are tied down since they can lift up in 40 to 50 mph winds. 

Planes have to be inspected every year and flight school planes are inspected every 100 hours. 

Planes with a nose wheel are trickier to fly but take off quicker than planes with a tail wheel. 

To learn more awesome facts be sure to take a tour yourself! 

Find out more information here: Princeton Airport Tours. 

To learn more about the airport and subscribe to their newsletter go here: Princeton Airport.

Stay tuned for more articles on places to see planes.

Are there videos I can see of the place?

Yes! Here is a video showing a glimpse of our airport tour: Princeton Airport Tour.

Here is a video showing planes and helicopters landing and taking off at the airport: Princeton Airport Planes and Helicopters.

Are there educational things that I can do at home to relate to my visit?

This is a worksheet I made that can be purchased for kids to label parts on a plane. Plane Parts Worksheet

Another fun activity is trying to make different types of paper airplanes. You can even conduct experiments such as seeing which model of plane made flies the furthest, if adding a paperclip to the plane helps and more.

This Pilot Yearbook below helps your kid get interested in being a pilot. We also enjoy reading this book Rosie Revere, Engineer.

What should I do next in Princeton?

The Fountain of Freedom is a great spot to visit in the summer. Learn more about it here: Fountain of Freedom. 

Be sure to make some time to visit the Princeton Airport this summer. It is a great opportunity to learn about flight history in the area and to learn about aviation as well.