Tracking Caribou In The Wild Woods Of New Jersey

Located at the southernmost tip of New Jersey is Cape May Airport, a quiet, backwater kind of place. Not too many people pass this way as it's a long way down and a long way back...but there is an alternative. Making use of the Lewes to Cape May ferry, the former Wildwood Naval Air Station is just a few miles cycle ride from the ferry terminal, after a pleasant 90-minute ride across the mouth of the Delaware.

The reason for the visit was the large collection of DHC-4 Caribou owned by Pen Turbo Aviation, many of which have been stored here for almost 20 years.

photo: One of the ex-Spanish Air Force examples, still in its original camouflage.

Pen Turbo bought a bunch of surplus Spanish Air Force Caribous in the 90s, with the intention of converting them with turbo engines, but the program never really got going.

photo: This example shows its old Spanish AIr Force code on the nose.

Pen also bought eight ex-Indian Air Force DHC-4s, which arrived crated, and remain dismantled even now.

photo: 4 of the 8 ex-Indian Air Force Caribous.

There are also a bunch of ex-civilian examples stored here, amongst the former military examples, all of which are fading and showing their age.

photos: some of the former civilian examples

The conversion program goes on though, and one turbo-conversion inside the hangar was reportedly nearly ready to fly away....but it looks as though most of these aircraft have only one fate awaiting them, as they sit among the weeds....

photo: a line-up of former Spanish Air Force Caribous await their fate in New Jersey.

Cape May Airport though has some other interesting inmates in the form of the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum. Below is a selection of some of the exhibits.

photo: an F-14A Tomcat in VF-103 markings

photo: this UH-1 'Huey' currently sits in the museum car park.

photo: an F-5E Tiger in VMFT-401 markings.

photo: MiG 15bis in Soviet markings, formerly operated by the Chinese Navy

photo: one of two TBM-3 Avengers in 'Wildwood'

photo: one of two ex-Yugoslavian Air Force T-33s in the museum's collection.

All photos by Nigel Howarth. Thanks to the Airport Operations Office at Cape May Airport for their invaluable assistance.