Moving to Connecticut HFD info

[manac]

Moving to the Hartford area somewhere between East Hartford and Middletown east of the river.
Looks like HFD is going to be my new airport. Any other suggestions? Anything good/bad about Hartford?
Thanks for the help.

 

[comanchepilot]

Well, the good news is that you're close to NYC and BOS -

The bad news is that you're gonna live near Hartford.

BDL approach runs the area- very easy and good service. No problems getting practice or other approaches. There are no hangar rentals at HFD - they condo-ized them. Tie downs are readily available but the problem is snow. And wind. If you don't dig out your airplane then you'll get plowed in.

Has a tower and purportedly has a cross wind runway but its all but useless since its got an obstacle approaching 29 [a dike] and its only 2300' long I think. No ILS - u get a GPS and a LDA to runway 02- decent enough mins - BDL has ILS's on 3 runways and is 20 min away by car, tops - so getting diverted is not a major hassle.

Atlantic Aviation has the fuel truck and they are the only game in town I think. With slightly better than Atlantic rates.

BAF - Barnes - in Westfield is only 30nm away and has the cheapest fuel next to Westerly in RI - but RI has a landing fee - sometimes you have to pay it - sometimes not. Going to eat and get cheap fuel at Westfield [BAF] is always a nice trip -

 

[manac]

Thanks, sounds like what I am used to at KASH in Nashua, NH. Outside in the snow. $6.14/gal fuel. Flying after work, worth it!

 

[jspilot]

I've flown into HFD a few times. It's a nice little airport right by the city so it's really easy to find in the air. It is a slightly strange approach because of the dikes that are right next to the runway that is used most often. The major runway has a pretty big displaced threshold if I remember correctly. The few times I was there it was busy with traffic.

 

[weilke]

Look at Robertson Field in Plainville,CT. Pretty straight shot on Rt9 from where you are aiming to live. It used to be family owned, I remember reading something that either the local pilots or the town bought it out to ensure its future. No instrument approaches though but with Bradley up the road and Brainard for diverts it may be a good option.

Brainard is more of a corporate place.

Hartford itself is not much to look at. Between E Htfd and Middletown, I would aim for Cromwell or Glastonbury, the southern end of Whethersfield and some areas of Rocky Hill are also good.