This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2024)
Hangar No. 1, on the National Register of Historic Places
The airport started in 1941 as NAS Rio Grande, named for its location near Rio Grande, New Jersey. Due to confusion with Rio Grande, Texas, the name was changed to NAS Wildwood in 1943. Following the end of World War II, Naval Air Station Wildwood was deemed excess to U.S. Navy requirements. It was subsequently deeded to the local government for transition to a civilian airport which is still in operation today as Cape May County Airport.
The airport was the headquarters and homebase for United States Overseas Airlines (USOA), a supplemental air carrier that operated in Cape May from 1950 through 1964 and at one point employed over 500 people. In 1977, a dozen derelict USOA aircraft were still present at the airport being cut up for scrap. USOA operated both charter and some limited scheduled flights, including across the Pacific Ocean to Okinawa.
The County of Cape May owns the land. As of 2024[update]Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) operates the airport under a lease. This lease does not automatically renew itself.[12] Representatives of the County attended a DRBA meeting and stated that they felt the DRBA board did not give them good treatment, so Cape May County Board of County Commissioners head Leonard Desiderio stated that he was looking for a different agency to manage the airport.[13]
Facilities and aircraft
Cape May County Airport covers an area of 996 acres (403 ha) at an elevation of 21 feet (6 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways with asphalt surfaces: 1/19 is 5,252 by 150 feet (1,601 x 46 m) and 10/28 is 5,000 by 150 feet (1,523 x 46 m).[1]
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2022, the airport had 40,075 aircraft operations, an average of 110 per day: 99% general aviation and 1% military.
At that time there were 40 aircraft based at this airport: 38 single-engine, and 2 multi-engine.[1]
FlightLevel Aviation is the current fixed-base operator (FBO) on the field serving general aviation traffic. FBO services include full and self-serve 100LL Avgas, and full-service Jet A fuel.[14]
On-field services include Flight Deck Diner and Kindle Car Rental.[15] Locations off-field include Cape May National Golf Course (2 miles), Lobster House Restaurant (3 miles) and the Wetlands Institute (10 miles).
On December 12, 1976, an Atlantic City Airlines De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter operating as Allegheny Commuter Flight 977 crashed short of the runway.[19] Of the two crew members, one died and one sustained serious injuries. Of the passengers, two died and six sustained serious injuries. One seriously injured passenger died one month after the accident, but was counted as a survivor by the National Transportation Safety Board report, because it defined fatalities as individuals who died within seven days of the accident.[20]
On August 27, 1993, F-16A 82-0990 (call sign MAPLE 91) of the 134th FS, 158th FW, Vermont Air National Guard, USAF was written off when it crash landed and skidded off the runway at the Cape May County Airport. The pilot ejected and landed in a drainage ditch
According to the following extract (albeit redacted/censored) from the official USAF inquiry into the incident:
"On 27 August 1993, (MP) was scheduled as flight lead of a two-ship cross country flight from
Burlington IAP, VT to Langley AFB, VA. The flight was to-include air-to-air refuelling followed by
Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics (DACT) with F-15 Eagles and landing at the unit's Alert Detachment
Base.
The flight departed Burlington IAP, VT at 08:58 local EDT with the call sign of Maple 91. Refuelling
with a KC-135 Tanker and DACT with F-15's in MOA (Military Operating Area) W-105 was as
scheduled.
During the recovery to Langley AFB, VA, a descent was accomplished from FL 410 to FL 310. Upon
levelling out at FL 310 and advancing the throttle the Mishap Pilot (MP) experienced a compressor
stall. The MP turned west toward land and accomplished a Unified Fuel Control (UFC) airstart which
was successful and gave him idle thrust at 20,000 ft. When the MP again moved the throttle, a
second stall occurred passing 17,000 ft. Another UFC air start was accomplished giving the (MP) idle
thrust.
The MP concentrated on flying a Simulated Flame Out Approach (SFO) into Cape May County Airport,
NJ. The SFO was flown with touchdown at 200 knots IAS, 500 feet from the approach end of runway
01. The total length of the runway is 4,998 feet and the MP was unable to stop the aircraft and
initiated a successful ejection prior to the aircraft leaving the paved surface of the runway.
The aircraft continued straight ahead, proceeded across a road, and came to rest in an abandoned
landfill approximately 950 feet from the departure end of the runway. The aircraft was destroyed
by breakup and post-crash fire".
Note that, as the report is redacted/censored, the pilot involved is not named, and is only referred to as "MP" = "Mishap Pilot".
^"Airport Operations." Cape May Airport. Retrieved on August 15, 2018. "Cape May Airport (WWD) 507 Terminal Drive, Bldg. 102 Rio Grande, NJ 08242"
^Linehan, Mary. "Air station looks to solve identity crisis"Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, The Cape May Gazette, April 30, 2013. Accessed May 4, 2013. "According to the DRBA maintained website for the Cape May Airport, 'this well-maintained 1,000-acre general aviation airport' is located in Rio Grande, New Jersey, approximately five miles from Cape May. The site does list the airport’s address as being in Erma. Rio Grande is part of Middle Township and Erma is in Lower Township."
![[icon]](File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small}
