Community Corner
Philly Airport FAA Backup Found In Horsham
The former Navy base is the home of the backup system for Philadelphia International Airport, Horsham Township officials said.
HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — Many residents and passers-by wonder what goes on at the former U.S. Navy Base off Horsham Road and Route 611.
The spacious base is targeted for mixed-use development down the road. While the base closed in 2011, some activity is still taking place.
One section of the base is used for reserves on some weekends. Meanwhile, herds of deer run free throughout the 862-acre base off Route 611 and Horsham Road.
Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
And then there is the tower.
It's tucked in a corner of the base where Norristown Road spills out onto Horsham Road.
Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The tower looms large and mysterious, spinning round and round. But many residents wonder why that tower is active.
You can hear the theme of the "X-Files" and ponder if that tower is tracking alien activity.
Instead, that tower is tracking airplanes.
The tower is the Federal Aviation Administration backup for Philadelphia International Airport, Township Manager Bill Walker said.
But even Walker knows little about how the FAA uses the tower.
"What type of radar it is and what it tracks, I do not know," Walker told Patch recently. "For many of us, that radar has been there for so long we just drive by without even noticing it. It is kind of nice to have as part of the history and a reminder of the former airfield. As new radar technology develops in the future, I don’t see this radar being operational long-term. It is not causing an issue in the township and it provides a benefit for the safety of air traffic in the region."
Philadelphia International Airport served 30.8 million passengers annually in 2024, making it the 21st-busiest airport in the United States. The airport has 22 airlines offering nearly 500 daily departures to more than 130 destinations worldwide.
How long the tower will remain on the base is unknown.
The township plans a mixed-use development for the base that includes a town center, office park, regional recreation center, and some housing.
In late June, the council unanimously adopted an ordinance to rezone the base from industrial to residential.
(Photo by Dino Ciliberti/Patch)
(Google Maps)
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
