Hanscom Field facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurence G. Hanscom Field
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USGS 2006 orthophoto
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / military | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Bedford, Massachusetts | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | June 26, 1941 | ||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | Tailwind Air Service | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-05:00:00) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-04:00:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 132 ft / 40 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°28′12″N 071°17′20″W / 42.47000°N 71.28889°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www.hanscomfield.com | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
 FAA airport diagram as of January 2021 |
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| Runway | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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Laurence G. Hanscom Field, also known as Hanscom Field, is a public airport in Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. It is about 14 miles (22 km) outside Boston. The Massachusetts Port Authority runs the airport.
Hanscom is mostly a general aviation airport. This means it handles private planes, business jets, and flight training. It is the biggest general aviation airport in New England. Both of its runways are long enough for jets. The airport is also used by Hanscom Air Force Base, which is a research facility next door.
Many people learn to fly here, with over 40 planes available to rent. There are two flight schools at the Civil Air Terminal building. Large private planes can get services from three companies called Fixed Base Operators (FBOs).
Sometimes, sports teams like the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and Boston Red Sox use Hanscom Field. They fly in and out for their away games instead of using Logan International Airport.
In 2017, over 10,000 passengers flew from Hanscom Field. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sees it as a non-primary commercial service airport. This means it has between 2,500 and 10,000 passenger flights each year.
Planes of all sizes use Hanscom Field. This includes small Piper Cubs and large Gulfstream V jets. After the events of September 11, airport security changed a lot. Hanscom Field added new rules like security fees and special ID cards.
Contents
Airport Facilities and Aircraft
Hanscom Field covers a large area of about 1,125 acres (455 hectares). It is located 132 feet (40 meters) above mean sea level.
The airport has two asphalt runways:
- Runway 11/29 is 7,011 feet (2,137 meters) long and 150 feet (46 meters) wide.
- Runway 5/23 is 5,107 feet (1,557 meters) long and 150 feet (46 meters) wide.
In the year ending September 2021, Hanscom Field had almost 100,000 aircraft movements. This is about 274 flights per day. Most of these flights (81%) were general aviation. About 18% were air taxi flights. A small number were military or scheduled commercial flights.
As of April 2022, 252 aircraft were based at the airport. These included 146 single-engine planes, 20 multi-engine planes, 75 jets, and 11 helicopters.
Hanscom Field is a very busy airport. It often handles the second-highest number of flights in New England, after Boston-Logan. On busy weekend days, the air traffic control tower might get so busy that it only allows planes to land fully.
The airport mainly handles business jets and private planes. An FAA control tower helps guide planes. It operates from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. If planes take off or land outside these hours, Massport charges a special fee.
Airlines and Destinations
Massport rules from 1980 limit scheduled flights at Hanscom Field. Only aircraft with up to 60 seats can offer regular passenger service.
In the past, several airlines offered flights from Hanscom:
- From 1999 to 2004, Shuttle America flew to places like New York and Philadelphia. They used planes like the De Havilland Dash 8-300.
- Boston-Maine Airways, also known as Pan Am Clipper Connection, started flights in 2002. They flew to New Hampshire and New Jersey. Later, they added flights to Ithaca, New York. This airline stopped flying in 2008.
- In 2011, Streamline Air started flights to Trenton, New Jersey. They used 30-seat Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia planes. Streamline stopped operations in 2012.
In the spring of 2021, Southern Airways Express began new scheduled passenger service. They started flights from Hanscom Field to Nantucket. This was the first regular passenger service from Hanscom in almost ten years.
Cargo Flights
Hanscom Field also handles cargo flights.
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| AirNet | Baltimore-Martin State, Buffalo, Cleveland–Cuyahoga, Cincinnati, St. Louis–Spirit |
Notable Events at Hanscom Field
Hanscom Field has been part of some interesting events:
- On August 8, 1962, a U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker plane crashed while landing. All three crew members died.
- In September 1964, the famous music group The Beatles arrived at Hanscom Field. They were on a concert tour in America. They chose Hanscom instead of Boston-Logan to avoid huge crowds.
- On May 31, 2014, a private Gulfstream IV business jet crashed after trying to take off. All seven people on board died. An early report suggested the plane's flight controls were locked.
- On June 2, 2017, actor Harrison Ford landed at Hanscom. He was visiting Boston for the weekend.
Movies Filmed at Hanscom Field
Several movies have filmed scenes at Hanscom Field:
- What's The Worst That Could Happen? (2001)
- The Pink Panther 2 (2009)
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
- Edge of Darkness (2010)
