Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport is a joint civil-military airport in

Hampden County, Massachusetts Hampden County is a non-governmental county located in the Pioneer Valley of the state of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, Hampden County's population was 465,825. Its traditional county seat is Springfield, the Co ...

, three miles (6 km) north of Westfield and northwest of

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

. It was formerly Barnes Municipal Airport; the

National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. NPIAS was developed and now maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It identifies existing and proposed airports tha ...

for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

'' facility. Westfield-Barnes is one of Massachusetts' largest airports with a strong flight training, general aviation, and military presence. It is also known as Barnes Air National Guard Base.Barnes ANGB at GoANG.com
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History

Camp Bartlett was a summer training facility of the

Massachusetts Army National Guard The Massachusetts National Guard is the National Guard component for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, it contains the oldest units in the United States Army. What is toda ...

Westfield, Massachusetts Westfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. Westfield was first settled by Europeans in 1660. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield metrop ...

from 1905 to around 1918. It later became a mobilization camp for the 26th Division for

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. July 13, 1914 can be the date upon which

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...

came to Westfield. Jack McGee of

Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Falls ...

flew a Wright biplane over Westfield and the flight originated on a strip of land near Southampton Road and the Holyoke Rail Bridge. McGee was hired by local merchants to drop tickets from his airplane which could have been claimed for prizes. After the United States entered

the expansive plain was heavily used by the federal government in August–September 1917 as Camp Bartlett, a mobilization and training camp for the 103rd and 104th Infantry Regiments of the 26th "Yankee" Division, prior to deployment in France. In 1923 citizens of Westfield, and nearby

Holyoke Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...

set out to build an airport. A group of influential local businessmen was charged to convince the owner of the land where the airport is now, Vincent E. Barnes, to sell his land to the City of Westfield for an airport. Barnes agreed to give up his land and he didn't ask for any money from the city or the businessmen. The plot was named Westfield Aviation Field and was dedicated on October 12, 1923. As the field gained in popularity, Vincent Barnes leased the city another plot, with a fee of $1 per year starting in 1927. In 1936 Mrs. Barnes and her daughter Saddie Knox donated an additional 297 acres (1.2 km²) to the city of Westfield; shortly thereafter, the City Council voted to name the airport after the family that made it possible. In 1939-40 the administration building, hangar, and the beacon light were built with grant money totaling near $90,000. Soon a passenger service started: on October 28, 1937, a 10-passenger tri-motor Stinson began weekly flights between Westfield and

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

s operated out of Westfield 1938 to 1950 and Mohawk DC-3s 1953 to 1959. The January 1951 chart shows 4970-ft runway 2, 3970-ft runway 9, and 5000-ft runway 15; same nine years later except runway 2 was 7000 ft. In the last 50 years the airport has expanded to 1,200 acres and added a

VORTAC Very high frequency omnirange station (VOR) is a type of short-range radio navigation system for aircraft, enabling aircraft with a receiving unit to determine its position and stay on course by receiving radio signals transmitted by a network ...

and an ILS. In 1974 the Air Traffic Control Tower opened. A $7.6 million construction project started in April 2020 to rebuild runway 15–33. The last reconstruction of this runway was completed in 1970's. As of 2020 the

Massachusetts Air National Guard The Massachusetts Air National Guard (MA ANG) is the aerial militia of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States of America. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard. As common ...

base is the home of the 104th Fighter Wing.

Facilities

The airport covers 1,200 acres (5 km²) at an elevation of 270 feet (82 m). It has two asphalt runways: 2/20 is 9,000 by 150 feet (2,743 × 46 m) and 15/33 is 5,000 by 100 feet (1,524 × 30 m). The airport recently opened a new administration and terminal, replacing a terminal that housed the original control tower. It is also the site of a major

fighter jet wing and support installation.

Aircraft

In the year ending May 31, 2010 the airport had 57,031 aircraft operations, average 156 per day: 89%

, 10% military, and 1%

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) an ...

. 155 aircraft were then based at the airport: 72.9% single-engine, 3.9% multi-engine, 11.6% jet, and 11.6% military. Occasionally the airport will service charter flights for the University of Massachusetts Amherst sports teams such as by Sun Country Airlines using

Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...

aircraft.

Fixed-base operator and Maintenance Facilities

Barnes Regional Airport has one

fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, ...

(FBOs) and one G A Maintenance Facility.

Rectrix Aviation Rectrix Aviation was a jet charter and commuter airline service that primarily served New England, Florida and the east coast of the United States. Its commercial operations were primarily based at Nantucket Memorial Airport and Barnstable Muni ...

is the newest FBO, operating in the new terminal building which includes a conference room, weather facilities, and comprehensive pilot services. They sell Shell fuel and provide typical FBO services. In late 2015, Rectrix bought out Five Star Jet Center, a former competitor and previously longest standing FBO on the field. Rectrix is now the sole FBO at Barnes. Aero Design Concepts / Aero Design Aircraft Services is a maintenance facility offering maintenance and repair services, including interiors and upholstery to all G A aircraft. Established in 1984, Aero Design is the sole G A maintenance facility on the airport. Aero Design also offers daily and extended tie downs on its ramp. Aero Design is located at the intersections of taxiways Alfa and Bravo, right below the Tower.

Flight schools

Barnes Regional Airport has three FAA-approved flight schools. The largest program is an official part 141 flight school named Westfield Flight Academy. The flight school offers instruction in four

Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.

s, a Cessna 172 Cutlass RG, two Piper Cherokees, and a

Piper Seneca The Piper PA-34 Seneca is a twin-engined light aircraft, produced in the United States by Piper Aircraft. It has been in non-continuous production since 1971. The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying. Development The Senec ...

. It is run by a current

JetBlue Airways JetBlue Airways Corporation (stylized as jetBlue) is a major American low cost airline, and the seventh largest airline in North America by passengers carried. The airline is headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of the New York ...

pilot and a

attorney. In addition, AD-UP Aviation operates a part 61 flight school out of the new terminal building. The school is run by a Master Certified Flight instructor, one of fewer than a dozen in Massachusetts. Instruction is given in high-wing, tail-dragger, and spin training.

Restaurant and bar

The former Flight Deck restaurant was replaced with The Runway Restaurant and Lounge when the new terminal opened. The Runway was operated by the owner of the now-closed B'Sharas Restaurant of West Springfield. It featured a full menu and bar. The Runway, like most of the terminal, was open to the public. The Runway restaurant closed in early 2015 and became occupied by Papps Bar. Papp’s closed after approximately 2 years in operation and became Sok’s which offered high end cocktails and Asian Fusion type fair. Sok’s closed after another 18-24 months. Since early 2020, the restaurant portion has been taken over by a pair of partners, one being the head chef, and is called Tobiko, which translates to “Flying Fish”. They offer an extensive sushi and sashimi menu, as well as true ramen, and many other house made Asian fare. They have also utilities deck and open bar space for a first hand view of the tarmac and the surrounding scenery, the boisterous dual Pratt and Whitney afterburners of the F-15 are almost part of the allure if the 104th scrambles or is involved in training.

References

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...

The National Map ''The National Map'' is a collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the effort is to prov ...

'' * * {{MA Airport Westfield, Massachusetts Airports established in 1923 1923 establishments in Massachusetts Airports in Hampden County, Massachusetts Closed installations of the United States Navy