Departure
92%
vs 95% ▼ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Worcester Regional Airport lies on high, often fog-prone ground three miles west of downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, and is the primary airport serving Central Massachusetts. Operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority, it offers a long ILS-equipped main runway alongside a shorter crosswind strip, making it a useful destination for both general aviation and limited scheduled airline traffic in the simulator.
Worcester Regional Airport (KORH/ORH) sits atop Tatnuck Hill, three miles west of the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, straddling the municipal boundaries of Worcester, Leicester and Paxton. It is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and combines light general aviation activity with a small amount of scheduled airline service, making it an interesting field for simulator pilots wanting a mix of airline and GA traffic at a modest-sized regional airport.
The airport is in Worcester County, Massachusetts, on elevated terrain at the borders of Worcester, Leicester and Paxton. Approach and departure control in the area is provided by Bradley Approach/Departure. The airport has an operating control tower, with Ground and Tower frequencies listed separately from the CTAF that applies when the tower is closed.
Worcester Regional Airport has two paved runways. Runway 11/29 is 6,986 feet long, hard-surfaced, lit, and equipped with an ILS. Runway 15/33 is 4,990 feet long, hard-surfaced and lit, but without an instrument landing system.
Bradley Approach/Departure works arriving and departing traffic on 119 MHz. The ATIS broadcasts on 126.55 MHz. Clearance delivery is on 128.65 MHz. Ground control operates on 123.85 MHz, and Tower on 120.5 MHz, with the same 120.5 MHz frequency serving as the CTAF when the tower is not active. UNICOM is available on 122.95 MHz, and a remote radio outlet (Bridgeport Radio) can be reached on 122.2 MHz. Runway 11/29 is served by an ILS approach.
Worcester's aviation history began with a 1925 city study into potential airport sites, which considered land in North Grafton owned by Whitin Whitall; Whitall opened his own two-runway airport there independently in 1927. As traffic grew, a second study concluded the Grafton field was too small, and attention turned to Tatnuck Hill on the Worcester-Leicester-Paxton boundary, despite concerns that its 1,000-foot elevation made it prone to fog. Construction began in 1944, and the new airport opened ceremonially on May 4, 1946, with scheduled passenger service starting a week later on May 10, 1946, when Northeast Airlines flew Douglas DC-3s nonstop to Newark, Boston and Lawrence, and via one stop to Portland, Maine. The Grafton airport closed in 1951 and was redeveloped as housing, while the small private Leicester Airport nearby remained active into the 1970s before falling into disuse. Worcester saw jet service grow through the 1960s and 1970s with Northeast Airlines DC-9s and Fairchild Hiller turboprops, followed by Delta Air Lines, which by the late 1970s was flying Boeing 727s nonstop to New York, Boston, Houston, Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami before withdrawing in the early 1980s. Commuter carriers such as Bar Harbor Airlines and Precision Airlines maintained services into the 1980s, and a rebuilt terminal with jetways accommodated mainline jet service from Piedmont, Northwest, Continental and USAir through the mid-1980s and early 1990s, as well as smaller jet operators including New York Air and Presidential Airways. Later years brought further changes in scheduled service, including Pan American Airways Boeing 727 flights to Orlando/Sanford in 2001, Allegiant Air service from 2005 to 2006, and Direct Air flights announced in 2008. The city sold the airport to the Massachusetts Port Authority in June 2010.
Worcester Regional Airport remains owned and operated by Massport and continues to host limited scheduled airline service, with Delta Air Lines resuming Delta Connection flights in 2021 and JetBlue and American Airlines also serving the field. As of 2023 the airport recorded 24,376 aircraft operations and had 55 based aircraft, reflecting a mix of general aviation and light commercial activity that simulator pilots can expect to encounter in the local traffic pattern.