HPN, Boston

[Flymu2]

I have to pick someone up at HPN and fly to Boston on Saturday, back on Sunday.

 

Any preferences for FBO at HPN? Three have avgas listed on Airnav - Million Air, Signature, and Panorama.

 

Any preferences for BED vs OWD? BED is a little more convenient for my ground destination.

 

Thanks,

 

Dennis Wolf

[aviatoreb]

I usually go to Million dollar.  Some of the others are too jet-centric.  Million is more likely to give me a ride to the train station without asking and making me feeling like I am bumbing a ride.  One time I went to Signature with my airplane which at the time was a Diamond DA40 - all white.  They had parked me right behind a big jet.  When I came back the next day, the jet was gone and my airplane was covered in black soot - enough rough black soot to steal several knots of cruise speed on the way home. 

 

I have been to OWD many times as it is most convenient for the ground destinations in Boston and I like it fine.  I have never been to BED so I have no comment.

[Bob_Belville]

You might consider Minuteman 6B6 a small friendly strip just inside 495 near route 2. Nice little restaurant. I'll bet fuel is $1 less than BED. AOPA site seems to always have negative comments on BED.

[bd32322]

You might consider Minuteman 6B6 a small friendly strip just inside 495 near route 2. Nice little restaurant. I'll bet fuel is $1 less than BED. AOPA site seems to always have negative comments on BED.

I believe minuteman has a rough runway .. so I avoid the place until I am taking a fixed gear rental. Fuel however is very cheap.

BED has very expensive fuel .. If you are fine with that .. Go for it .. It has an ILS approach.

OWD fuel is $2 per gallon cheaper. It does not have an ILS but has a WAAS LPV approach.

[Bob_Belville]

6B6 more like $2.50 per gallon less and probably no fees.

[Flymu2]

Thanks for the replies.

 

After calling around it looks like the best deals on ramp/parking fees and fuel prices will be at Panorama and OWD. Also looks like the car rental will be a little better at OWD. 6B6 sounds like a good idea, but I think it's a little further out than I want to be. This will be the first ride in the plane for my girlfriend. I want it to go smoothly and easily.

 

If anything unusual happens I'll let the group know.

 

Dennis Wolf

[jdrake]

I use Panorama frequently.  Never a problem and most reasonable when it comes to fees.  No experience with the BOS suburban fields other than one trip to BED where the nose gear truss was damaged even though clear instructions were left at the desk not to tug the plane.  They did, however, make repairs at their cost.

[N201MKTurbo]

I've only been to HPN once and I parked at Panorama. They treated me very well and the prices were very good considering how close to NYC you are.

[GaryP1007]

Dennis,

 

Signature at OWD is convenient too....right where the rental cars are.  However, any FBO there will be fine as it's a small place.  Also, BED charges a landing fee wheras OWD does not.

[Seth]

Watch out for the landing fees/takeoff fees late at night at BED - I got hit with quite a bill from the automated service for detapring at 11:15 instead of 10:59.  NO one in the FBO told me about it either, whcih bothered me.  It was either $40 or $72 or something like that - just to depart after the tower closed.

 

-Seth

[carusoam]

Makes Norwood look like a walk in the pahrk!

-a-

[Bob_Belville]

My daughter live a couple of miles from Minuteman. She has been told by local flyers and operators that BED is avoided if at all possible.

[Flymu2]

I used Panorama at HPN and went to OWD.

 

Panorama was fine. I bought 10 gal of fuel at about $6.90 to avoid the ramp fee. They fueled the plane quickly and I was on my way, both in and out.

 

OWD worked out well also. We rented a car from Avis, uneventfully. Again bought 10 gal of fuel to avoid ramp fee.

 

The only thing that bothered me about OWD was the 8 PM curfew. The fees to get the plane out after hours are draconian. I asked the guy at the counter (whom I recognized from visits a couple of years ago) why it's like that. He said it's for security reasons imposed by Massport, and that they have no control over it. To me this is security paranoia. I just don't see how the threat level (exceedingly low in my view) justifies what I believe to be unreasonable restrictions. I guess if I want to leave later I'll have to go to BED, although I understand from other posts that a post 2300 departure incurs the same draconian charges. Makes one think about avoiding the area entirely.

 

Dennis Wolf

[bd32322]

I used Panorama at HPN and went to OWD.

 

Panorama was fine. I bought 10 gal of fuel at about $6.90 to avoid the ramp fee. They fueled the plane quickly and I was on my way, both in and out.

 

OWD worked out well also. We rented a car from Avis, uneventfully. Again bought 10 gal of fuel to avoid ramp fee.

 

The only thing that bothered me about OWD was the 8 PM curfew. The fees to get the plane out after hours are draconian. I asked the guy at the counter (whom I recognized from visits a couple of years ago) why it's like that. He said it's for security reasons imposed by Massport, and that they have no control over it. To me this is security paranoia. I just don't see how the threat level (exceedingly low in my view) justifies what I believe to be unreasonable restrictions. I guess if I want to leave later I'll have to go to BED, although I understand from other posts that a post 2300 departure incurs the same draconian charges. Makes one think about avoiding the area entirely.

 

Dennis Wolf

Wow thats lame! Had no idea. I used to be based in worcester KORH and thats another massport operated airport. They had no curfew but they were just ultra painful to deal with.

Went to fitchburg KFIT. No massport, nice restaurant and decent fuel prices. There is no rental car on site, but enterprise can deliver the car to you.