Cold, and Other Issues

Perhaps just a normal regional airport, Westfield-Barnes in Massachusetts, gives us more than its share of things to consider.

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Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 08:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (KBAF) has a rich history as both a civilian airport with passenger service and a Massachusetts Air National Guard base, currently hosting F-15s and slated for F-35s.
RWY 20 at KBAF features distinct approach procedures, including a complex "military" HI-ILS/LOC for higher aircraft categories (C, D, E) with specific altitude and RVR requirements, and a more typical "civilian" ILS/LOC approach for all aircraft.
Designated as a Cold Temperature Airport (CTA), KBAF requires pilots to apply altitude corrections to the final approach segment during cold conditions to prevent flying lower than indicated; these corrections must be communicated to ATC.

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Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (KBAF) is located on grounds that date back as far as 1905, when it was a summer training facility for the Massachusetts Army National Guard in western Massachusetts. Aviation arrived at Westfield in July 1914 when a pilot flew a Wright biplane over the town of Westfield, and the pilot was hired to drop leaflets to claim prizes from local merchants.

In 1923, the citizens of Westfield and nearby Holyoke convinced Vincent E. Barnes, the owner of the land, to sell the land to the City of Westfield for an airport. Instead, Barnes donated the land, and over the next 10 years, additional land was donated and leased by the Barnes family, amounting to about 350 acres. In 1923, it was officially named Westfield Aviation Field.