Laurence G Hanscom Field (BED)

Reply to @david: No longer an issue now that we've moved to Leaflet and ESRI satellite imagery.

I notice that Hanscom has airline service now -- great alternative to (overcrowded) KBOS. I've updated the record.

I was back and Hanscom yesterday, and was charged the $14 ramp fee for a 4-hour stay as well -- it doesn't have to be overnight. Gas was a bit over $7.00/gallon.

I notice that Google has pixelated the satellite view (as of 2008-02-15), probably because Hanscom is a U.S. military base as well as a public airport. Unfortunately, they've pixelated the civilian side as well, so you can't see the FBO, terminal, etc. very well.

I didn't see anything military when I visited, but I certainly heard it -- there were regular bugel calls coming over hidden intercom speakers, which was a bit funny, including (I think) reveille at 7:30 am on Valentine's day. Do soldiers really sleep in that long these days?

I parked at Signature for three days during a business trip to the Route 128 corridor, and it wasn't too bad. The airport was friendly, and while gas was expensive (over $6/gallon), I didn't need too much of it. I think parking was $14/night. The FBO wasn't willing to brush snow off my plane for any price when I called -- they said they're not allowed to touch the planes (!!) -- but they were fast to give me a forced-air preheat when I had trouble starting in cold weather for departure on Valentine's day (and the line guy, Jeff, was very friendly). I don't know what, if anything, the preheat cost, because it hasn't shown up on my credit card yet. Excluding that (and the landing fee, which the airport will charge), my total bill was about $160, including 22 gallons of 100LL and three nights' parking. That's about in line with what I'd pay at Teterboro (TEB), which is a similar bizjet-style GA airport for New York City, though much busier.