Embattled Airport Boss, Dan Walker, Issues An "S.O.A." (Save Our Airport!)

Somerset Airport (SMQ) has been a family owned and operated public use airport since 1946, currently offering a full range of quality aircraft services as well as a flight school, an on-demand charter operation, and a maintenance facility. They hope to keep doing so, but litigation by local land-owners makes that a question yet to be resolved.

Somerset's Dan Walker explains why...

Dear Fellow Pilots,

For the past two years, Somerset Airport has been in conflict with the Township of Bedminster in an effort to be the host to New Jersey's Finest, The NorthStar Medevac Helicopter Unit. In the beginning, we thought that our central location would be a benefit to the population that reside in, or travel through, the northern part of our state. It is everyone's good fortune that over this past year our thoughts have proved to be correct.
The response times for the NorthStar team have been dramatically reduced. In most cases, the reduction was as much as 75%. We all know that the critical time in trauma cases is that first "golden" hour.

With that said, we find ourselves under attack by a small, but wealthy, group of individuals who's NOT IN MY BACK YARD attitude has prevented us from the opportunity to even present our proposed Hangar/ramp project, which would house the NorthStar unit on our field. At every turn, we face a feeding frenzy of attorneys, seven so far, throwing lawsuit after lawsuit at us. One of those lawsuits claimed that Somerset Airport, by Bedminster Ordinance, could not allow helicopters to takeoff: land, or be based on the field, even though we are licensed by the State of New Jersey and able to accommodate any and all aircraft that meet the performance capabilities to operate from a twenty-eight hundred foot runway.

We now find ourselves fighting, not just for the NorthStar Unit, but for our continued existence. One of our opponents has said "I have more money than Dan Walker will ever have and I will sue until his grandchildren are dead."

It is obvious that their agenda is not just to stop the Northstar Unit, but to force the closure of Somerset Airport thru endless litigation.

We are asking for your help. The law is on our side. This is a fight we CAN win, as long as we have the money to fight it. Please make a donation to the Somerset Airport Legal Defense Fund, at the address below, in whatever amount you can. The outcome of this litigation will no doubt affect the NIMBY'S ability to close other airports throughout the country, let alone in our state of New Jersey.

Thank you in advance for any support you can give.

Sincerely, Dan Walker
Somerset Airport, POB 1007, BEDMINSTER; N.J. 07921, 908-722-2444

FMI: www.somersetairport.com