Tønsberg Airport , Jarlsberg Tønsberg Airport , Jarlsberg ( ; ) is a general aviation airport located at Sem in Tønsberg , Norway . It consists of a asphalted runway and a taxiway . Jarlsberg is used for a variety of activities , including glider pilots , light and microlight aircraft , radio - controlled aircraft , parachuting and the annual air show Wings & Wheels . The airport is owned by Thor Solberg Aviation and operated by Jarlsberg Luftsportssenter . The airport opened in 1937 and was taken over by the Luftwaffe in 1940 . It was at first used as a dummy airfield , but from 1944 the Luftwaffe carried out upgrades . These were not finished by the end of Second World War . Jarlsberg was from 1947 to 1959 used by the Royal Norwegian Air Force ( RNoAF ) , although the functions were eventually taken over by the near - by Sandefjord Airport , Torp . Braathens SAFE operated scheduled services from 1952 to 1959 , and later also Thor Solberg and Fred . Olsen Airtransport also operated scheduled services . Activity has been limited to various general aviation activities since the late 1960s . History . Establishment and the Second World War . Tønsberg Modellflyklubb was established in 1936 and Tønsberg Flyveklubb was established on 18 May 1937 and incorporated on 29 May . The latter immediately purchased a section of land , on which they established a primitive air strip for both clubs . They organized Vestfold ' s first air show on 4 June , where a parachuter lost his life after his parachute failed to deploy . The aviation club bought its first aircraft , a Taylor Cub in 1938 . Tønsberg Seilflyklubb was established the following year , and the municipality stared looking into the possibilities of building a commercial airport at the site . Following the German occupation of Norway in 1940 , Jarlsberg was taken over by the Luftwaffe in August . It initially established a dummy airfield by installing runway lights and decoy aircraft and fuel drums . Plans were made to establish a real airport at Jarlsberg , with construction commencing in early 1944 . The Luftwaffe expropriated of land from surrounding farms and used a combination of Norwegian and Soviet prisoners of war for labor . The farmhouse at Fyllpå was requisitioned and used for offices , and the runway was planned to measure . By the German capitulation on 8 May 1945 the leveling work was nearly competed . The value of the work was ca . half a million Norwegian krone ( NOK ) . Military use and scheduled flights . The airport was taken over by the Ministry of Transport and Communications , and the work was stopped . A military airport in Vestfold was considered , either at Jarlsberg or at Torp . By 1947 Jarlsberg had been sufficiently renovated to be used for taxi flights . By 1948 the airport was being considered as an alternative airport to Oslo Airport , Fornebu , and from 1949 an aviation school was established and there is an increased amount of military activity at the airport . Sem and Tønsberg Municipalities took over ownership and operation of the airport . By the last years of the 1940s the military regained some of its interest for the airport . A decision was made in 1950 to expand airport , initially to a runway length of . It was approved for heavy aircraft the following year . Jarlsberg was one of seven air stations which the RNoAF targeted , and built to serve Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Vampire . However , the investment was quick reconsidered with the order of the Republic F - 84 Thunderjet . Investments were soon halted , although Jarlsberg was used until the completion of Rygge Air Station and Torp Air Station . It also acted as a backup when Fornebu and Oslo Airport , Gardermoen were closed . The RNoAF moved its Commander Wing from Fornebu to Jarlsberg in 1953 . It consisted of a Noorduyn Norseman and two Fairchild PT - 19 , which were mostly used for transport and surveying flights . They only remained at Jarlsberg until 15 November 1954 , when it was moved to Gardermoen Air Station . The military continued to use Jarlsberg as a point of access for the aviation workshop at Karljohansvern in Horten , which carried maintenance on some of the air force ' s smaller aircraft . By 1957 there had been invested NOK 7 million in Jarlsberg , most of which had been paid for by the state . Braathens SAFE started considering commercial flights to Tønsberg in 1951 , as part of its proposed network for its newly acquired de Havilland Heron aircraft , and applied for a concession to operate a route from Fornebu via Jarlsberg to Stavanger Airport , Sola . The permits were issued on 28 July 1952 and the first scheduled flight took place on 18 August . Braathens SAFE replaced its Herons with the larger Fokker F27 Friendship in the late 1950s . The new aircraft were too large to operate at Jarlsberg and Braathens therefore terminated its flights to the airport from 1958 . Thor Solberg Aviation established an aviation school at Jarlsberg in 1955 , the same year as Fred . Olsen Airtransport commenced regular cargo flights . The aviation club sold their lot to the owner municipalities in 1956 , on the condition that the airport would remain open . For this Tønsberg Municipality paid NOK 62 , 500 . The same year Jarlsberg became was designated as a national center for sailplane s . The airport set a record 18 , 000 aircraft movements in 1958 and Thor Solberg started a regular taxi route to Notodden Airport , Tuven . Trial flights were carried out the following year on the route Tønsberg – Fornebu – Notodden – Hamar Airport , Stafsberg . Solberg take - over . The air force withdrew entirely form the airport in 1959 , which spurred discussions between the involved parties regarding the ownership of the airport . A settlement was reached in 1960 , where the municipalities of Sem and Tønsberg bought the airport for NOK 1 million from the state . The following year they sold it for NOK 850 , 000 to Thor Solberg Aviation , on the condition that the company continue to operate the airport . The first Norwegian championship in radio - controlled aircraft was held at Jarlsberg in 1962 . Thor Solberg retained operations at the airport until 1967 . The company then attempted to sell the airport , first to Øyvind Skauenfeldt in 1969 , then to Sem and Tønsberg Municipalities in 1970 and then to Skauenfeldt again in 1972 , but neither were interested in paying the quoted price . The lack of use caused the airport to start dilapidating . The aviation club commenced renovations in 1974 and from the following year started organizing an annual air show . Thor Solberg Aviation defaulted on its requirement to keep the airport operational for private flights , and a five - year lease was signed with the aviation club . Their air show in 1979 drew 10 , 000 spectators and the following year they stated building a new hangar . Tønsberg Fallskjermklubb , a parachute club , was established in 1981 . Thor Solberg Aviation attempted to remove the aviation clubs as tenants and users of the airport in 1983 . The issue was brought before Tønsberg District Court , but the issue was dismissed . Øyvind Skauenfeldt started leasing the airport from 1984 , forwarding the lease to Skylift , which established a helicopter school at Jarlsberg . Sem Municipality attempted to resolve the issue by applying its right of first refusal to buy the airfield in 1985 , and the following year launched plans to upgrade it to a runway and establish it as public regional airport . The proposal was dismissed by Thor Solberg Aviation , who stated that the airport was not for sale . Sem Municipal Council abandoned the plans in 1987 . Helifly established itself in 1989 , the same year as Skauenfeldt ' s lease expired and Solberg failed to renew the operating license for the airport . Solberg attempted to get the Civil Aviation Administration ( CAA ) to deny the aviation clubs from using the airport , but the CAA dismissed the case . Jarlsberg Luftsportssenter . Jarlsberg Luftsportssenter ENJB was incorporated on 7 March 1991 with the intention of renovating and potentially taking over the airport . The following year Solberg reported the aviation club to the police for illegal use of the airfield , but the issue was rejected . Solberg followed up by not renewing the operating certificate after it expired at the end of 1992 , causing the airport to be closed . The runway was in this period used as a go - cart track . Jarlsberg Luftsportssenter received a building permit for new facilities , including an extension of the runway to , on 19 June 1993 . The municipality therefore announced on 9 December that it would attempt to expropriate the airport . The closing ended in litigation , and a settlement was reaching in June 1994 , although the airport was not reopened until 19 October . A series of upgrades were carried out , and the airport received a five - year regular operating license from August 1995 . The involved parties started negotiations in 1997 regarding the sale of the airport and Solberg put up the airport for sale . Investigations carried out by the CAA concluded with that the airport needed upgrades for NOK 5 to 6 million to meet regulations . The airport operating company made an agreement with a local farmer to make a joint bid for the lot , whereby the farmer would receive agricultural land and the operating company the airport facilities . The lot was at the time valuated at NOK 2 to 3 million , while Solberg was asking for NOK 10 million . The company withdrew the offer to sell the airport in 1999 . A long - term lease was agreed upon in 2000 . The airport received NOK 4 million in subsidies from the CAA , which were used to upgrade the runway and drainage system . The airport reopened on 11 August 2000 . Helifly terminated its operations at Jarlsberg from 1 July 2001 . Two simulators were installed in April 2002 and the first street legal car show was organized by the American Car Club later that year . The following year the municipality started again working on expropriation of the airport and the first Wings & Wheels show was organized . Tønsberg Municipal Council voted with 47 against 2 votes on 10 November 2004 to expropriate the airport . At the same time a new hangar was opened . A complaint regarding the expropriation was rejected by the Vestfold County Governor in 2006 , resulting in Solberg suing the municipality . Facilities . The airport is owned by Thor Solberg Aviation and is operated by Jarlsberg Luftsportssenter . The airport has an asphalt runway aligned 18 – 36 ( north – south ) , which measures . To the west is a taxiway . Five clubs are based at the airport : Tønsberg Flyveklubb ( aircraft ) , Tønsberg Seilflyklubb ( gliders ) , Tønsberg Modellflyklubb ( radio - controlled planes ) , Tønsberg Fallskjermklubb ( parachuting ) and Jarlsberg Mikroflyklubb ( microplanes ) . In addition there are three hangars , owned by the operating company , a privately owned hangar and one owned by Warbirds of Norway . JSL Sim operates a facility with simulators .