Departure
95%
vs 95%
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Bradley International Airport lies at Windsor Locks, Connecticut, roughly midway between Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts, and is New England's second-busiest airport after Boston Logan. For the visiting VFR or IFR pilot it offers a full set of hard-surfaced, lit runways with ILS approaches and Class C air traffic control, all within reach of the historic New England Air Museum on its northern boundary.
Bradley International Airport (KBDL) is a large, tower-controlled international airport at Windsor Locks, Connecticut, owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority. It is Connecticut's busiest airport and the second-largest in New England, handling scheduled domestic and international airline traffic alongside general aviation movements. For a simulator pilot it presents a substantial Class C environment with long, lit runways and full ILS coverage, making it a useful destination for practising airline-style approaches or transiting the busy Hartford-Springfield corridor.
Bradley sits within Class C controlled airspace, reflecting its status as a customs and landing-rights facility with regular airline service. The airport is located in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, about 20 minutes' flying time from downtown Hartford, and lies between the major traffic flows of New York and Boston. The adjacent New England Air Museum sits on airport property, forming a notable landmark for pilots orienting themselves in the local area.
Bradley has three physical runways. Runway 06/24 is the longest, at 9,495 feet, hard-surfaced, lit, and equipped with ILS in both directions. Runway 15/33 is 6,832 feet, hard-surfaced and lit, with ILS available on runway 33. Runway 01/19 is a shorter hard-surfaced, lit runway, with runway 01 measuring 3,787 feet and runway 19 measuring 4,267 feet. Field elevation is 167 feet.
Bradley Tower operates on 120.3 MHz, with Ground on 121.9 MHz and Clearance Delivery on 121.75 MHz. ATIS broadcasts on 118.15 MHz, and Approach and Departure Control both work on 123.95 MHz. Unicom is available on 122.95 MHz. The airport is fully equipped for instrument flying, with ILS approaches serving runways 06, 24 and 33.
The New England Air Museum, situated immediately adjacent to the airport, serves as a prominent visual landmark for pilots inbound to or departing Bradley, useful for orientation relative to the runway complex.
Bradley's origins date to early 1941, when the State of Connecticut acquired 1,700 acres of farmland from the Town of Windsor Locks, with the field initially known as Bradley Field. Civilian operations began in 1947 under the name Bradley International Airport, with Eastern Air Lines operating the first commercial flight and international cargo operations also commencing that year. By the late 1940s American Airlines and United Airlines had transferred their services from Hartford-Brainard Airport to Bradley. In 1979 the Windsor Locks tornado struck the eastern part of the airport, causing severe damage to the neighbouring New England Air Museum, which reopened in 1981. Terminal A and an on-site hotel were completed in 1986, alongside construction of a cargo terminal, and a major terminal improvement project begun in 2001 expanded Terminal A and added a new international arrivals facility. In July 2007 Northwest Airlines launched the airport's first nonstop route to Europe, to Amsterdam.
Bradley International Airport is operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, which was established in 2011 to run Bradley alongside five general aviation airports in the state. It remains Connecticut's busiest airport and continues to serve as the principal gateway for the Hartford and Springfield region, offering full ILS instrument approach capability and Class C air traffic services suited to both airline and general aviation operations.
