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I am originally from Montgomery County and I never knew this part of Bucks County existed (other than trips to New Hope as a "teenager with a car" in the 60's). In 1972, after serving as a helicopter pilot in VIetnam and then Germany, I joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as a helicopter pilot based at Indiantown Gap, PA. I discovered this incredibly beautiful part of the world by flying up the Delaware River low level in the 70s, seeing these beautiful tiny bridges in towns like Uhlerstown and Upper Black Eddy and Reiglesville, almost one lane bridges connecting small villages, and it looked like Europe. I was immediately in love.

With my wife and our two children, we bought a 1740's house in Hunterdon County, NJ, near Frenchtown, in 1978, just a few miles in from the Delaware. We moved into Erwinna, in Bucks County, in 1998, just a mile from the Delaware River on the PA side. I now live only a mile from one of the most lovely little grass airstrips in the country, Van Sant Airport, just outside of Erwinna. Van Sant is owned by Bucks County and will remain a small grass airport in perpituity. The county bought the airport, saving it from large developers who wanted the property for a high-end housing development. Van Sant is a national treasure in my mind. It is the only place in the country where one can learn to fly and then rent a WWII Stearman biplane, the primary trainer that every US pilot in WWII was trained in, and the British made Tiger Moth, the primary trainer every other allied pilot in WWII started out in.

I hope the pictures give a sense of the priivilage it is to be able to fly in these vintage old airplanes and the privilage it is to live in such a beautiful area. The Delaware River, Bucks County, PA and Hunterdon County NJ are spread out below the two old flying machines, very close to the Uhlerstown/Frenchtown Bridge.

-- January, 2009

Me in a Tiger Moth

David Pitcairn in his yellow Stearman

Van Sant Airport is the long field in the upper right with white dots in the field, or parked aircraft.

Landing at Van Sant in the Tiger Moth

Azhur trained in the Tiger Moth as a young aviator in the Pakistani Air Force. Today, he runs the airport for the county.

Stearman, Tiger Moth and the venerable Piper Cub.

Uhlerstown/Frenchtown Bridge across the Delaware. Bucks County on the bottom, 3 miles from Van Sant Airport as the crow flies.

My first solo flight in the Stearman about 2003 at Van Sant. The airport has 9 Stearmans as well as numerous other vintage airplanes in residence.

A couple more shots of Erwinna. I have two photos that I put text pointing out the Rolling Hills Estates on the Hankin Farm outside Erwinna. We've been living here since 1998 and have had the opportunity to walk the woods and hills behind our house, all part of the old Hankin Farm. The Twp did a decent job of keeping the number of houses down (over 200 in the original application - now restricted to around 40, I think). The woods had incredible walking paths, I think originally roads, with old stone bridges, and granted, this is private property, but I would love to know what those old roads and bridges were. It is now part of the Rolling Hills development and I believe the residents have access to them, which is good, but it was such a beautiful part of the community and now McMansions dot the hill sides.

--January 2009

Rolling Hill Estates. From the bridge, McMansions can be seen on the Hankin Farm, just outside of Erwinna.

Walk through the Erwinna Covered Bridge and this is your view up the hill. Rolling Hills Estates. I have friends in this development (who are great people who contribute to the community), but they admit themselves, it was a shame to develop such a beautiful, huge farm.

It's amazing how we simply don't see the [powerlines and wires everywhere. I drive across the bridge to Frenchtown every day (going downtown in our neck of the woods) and I simply see a beautiful little river town, but it is covered with wires and road signs (both of which are very important and probably necessary). We're just used to it.