Best airport in NJ with access to NYC?

eMKay

eMKay

Pre-takeoff checklist
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eMKay
One of the first places I want to go when I get my certificate is NYC. I have friends in Princeton NJ and there are lots of airports in between there and NYC, so which one is best for fuel prices and close to the Tracks? Trenton? Linden?
 
Princeton or Central Jersey (47N) are both good choices. I wouldn't land at Linden if I were on fire.
 
Closest thing to tracks is going to be KPHL (Philadelphia Int'l). I can't think of any airport in NJ close to NJ Transit or PATH.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Closest thing to tracks is going to be KPHL (Philadelphia Int'l). I can't think of any airport in NJ close to NJ Transit or PATH.
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Well I'm avoiding the hassle of class B airports, their overpriced fuel and services, otherwise I'd just land at EWR, they have a station in the airport, linden is walking distance to linden station IIRC, Trenton is a couple miles.
 
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Republic at Farmingdale NY (KFRG) is closer NYC to than PHL, and Sheltair will drive you to the LIRR station. That said, the FBO's at TTN will probably do the same for Amtrak. And PHL is south of Princeton, not on the NYC side, so if you're going to do that, you might as well land right at Princeton (39N) and let your friends drop you at the RR station. As for Linden, between the airspace, NY TRACON, and the traffic, you'd best be on your "A" game, but it's not anything a competent Private Pilot shouldn't be able to handle. Just study and use the NY Terminal Area Chart, read the A/FD, mind your P's and Q's, and stay alert.
 
Ron Levy said:
Republic at Farmingdale NY (KFRG) is closer NYC to than PHL, and Sheltair will drive you to the LIRR station. That said, the FBO's at TTN will probably do the same for Amtrak. And PHL is south of Princeton, not on the NYC side, so if you're going to do that, you might as well land right at Princeton (39N) and let your friends drop you at the RR station. As for Linden, between the airspace, NY TRACON, and the traffic, you'd best be on your "A" game, but it's not anything a competent Private Pilot shouldn't be able to handle. Just study and use the NY Terminal Area Chart, read the A/FD, mind your P's and Q's, and stay alert.
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Thanks, Princeton will probably be best, plan is to fly down with my wife, meet up with friends, give a couple scenic rides, then my wife and I will go into the city for some sightseeing. I'm there so often for work my wife gets jealous because she's never been there. I'm actually trying to plan this for around our anniversary as a surprise trip.
 
Teterboro is what the jet guys use, im there weekly leaving from KIAG.

We used Kteb with our columbia as well.

Use meridian and the fuel is cheaper than Prior's and there is good access to the city.

A new ppl with little class b experiance will probably get your lunch eaten though. Its a whole different world down there and its about 10x busier than Buff appch on the worse day, with alot of instrument jargen used.
 
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Linden has a "handling fee" and zero service. They won't take you the one mile to the NJ rail terminal.

I'd look at this map and determine where you're going, the service in the NJ light rail lines/buses are pretty good.

http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/Rail_System_Map.pdf

Going to Trenton I'd definitely stay away from the Bravo even IFR. Going to NYC, I had very good luck last weekend, with JFK Jr's airport, Avantair @ KCDW. Fuel is $5.62 which isn't bad esp in metro NY. They take you to the Willowbrook Mall station, where every 30 minutes, an a/c Coach bus takes you direct e.g, nonstrop to the Port Authority Terminal, $7.50.

They come to get you as late as 10:00 p.m. Check out the schedules on the bus page at NJTransit.com http://www.njtransit.com/hp/hp_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=HomePageTo; put Willowbrook in the top box.

Advantair hustles. A line guy waited for me to arrive at 11:00 PM from Bangor, and got me to the station. That was worth an Alexander Hamilton in his pocket to me.

SheltAir at Republic's price is in the $6.80s and for $35+10 (ramp+ Handling) they will take you to the LIRR station about a mile away.

So, go to Caldwell for Manhattan access.....
 
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Princeton would be a short cab ride to the train station, Trenton too.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
If you can get one.
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Like I said, I have friends in Princeton, don't need a cab ride if I fly there. I'm very familiar with the NJ transit route as well so it works out for me, was just wondering if that or airports near it are a good choice
 
eMKay said:
Like I said, I have friends in Princeton, don't need a cab ride if I fly there. I'm very familiar with the NJ transit route as well so it works out for me, was just wondering if that or airports near it are a good choice
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Princeton's nice- I used to fly out of there. I'm surprised at the community support for the airport. Remember the noise-sensitive areas when you leave. It's probably the best choice for your mission (NYC, trains, local friends).
 
FlySince9 said:
LMAO...

You can't appreciate this post unless you've been there....
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I've had a business partner lie to me and steal a large chuck of my life's savings. I've got an ex-wife that took half of everything. Heck, my dad was killed by an incompetent cardio guy. And in all my life, I've never felt the betrayal and vile insult that was experienced by my lone visit to Beelzebubs FBO called Linden airport. Maybe it's because my experience at literally hundreds of other airports of all sizes all over the country left me with a naiveté that airport people are generally helpful and nice and that bubble was burst at Linden. Or maybe this is where the Sopranos dipped their toe into the aviation business. Whatever. This airport doesn't need or want private GA visits and you'd be well served by the choice to go elsewhere.
 
Just to show you how things never change. The first time I went there was as a CAP cadet in 1968, in an Champ... They were mean then too.
 
I flew in there last year over the July 4 weekend and had no issues at all. Not sure what your problems were but I can say I had no problems with people or airspace.
 
I'm seeing a mass POA fly-in the Linden. I'd like to see them turn their nose up at a Cri-Cri! We need to track that guy down.

I'll take three pints of 100LL to go please!
 
I keep hearing such godawful stuff about Linden, but FWIW, first time I set foot on the property the old FBO building was still in place- I was shopping for flight schools. Was greeted warmly enough, but I was not keen on the prices (which were not ridiculous, just higher, as you typically see closer to major metro areas). Years later, I wandered into the FBO looking to buy a sectional... again, nothing unusual. Next time was for a fly-out with a club that bases half their fleet there (was thinking of joining, and they invited me)... None of the members grumbled about the airport staff or management, and I was surprised to see plenty of "typical" light singles on the ramp (even a Tri-Pacer). The security procedures were the same as other area airports, and no byzantine departure/approach procedures.

Never flew in there myself as a transient looking for fuel, though... maybe that's when the "ugly flip side" shows?

FWIW, if there is some bias against visitors, I'd wager a lot of it has to do with pilots blundering in there without bothering to first look at how the pattern is set up, and how important it is to comply, given that it's wedged under the 800-ft shelf of a busy Bravo airspace, just a few miles from the thresholds of Newark's main runways.... and there's a ton of chopper traffic sharing the pattern. I would imagine their relationship with KEWR is tense at best, and that sort of thing would only make it worse. True, any knee-jerk reaction is irrational and bad for business, but there are many, many small airports where there is some popular bias held by the locals... there always seems to be something.

But KLDJ's just not very inviting if you're not used to flying a slightly lower pattern, right under a very busy glideslope used by hundreds of heavies every day, with nothing but buildings and fuel storage tanks all around the field. No restaurant, and not even a place to sit and watch airplanes. And it is crazy that they have not made it easier to access mass transit, seeing as how the only thing that brings transient business in is the proximity to the NY metro area and the big airports. I'm sure, though, that the pilots based there could tell you which cab company to call, even if the airport staff isn't eager to share that info.
 
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