Things To Do After Landing In Great Barrington

This year-round hub for vacations and weekend getaways is especially well-suited to general aviation travelers

Jonathan Welsh

Friday, July 01, 2022 at 07:55 AM ET

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The view from Monument Mountain in Great Barrington, Massachusetts [File photo: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Great Barrington Airport (KGBR) is known as "the friendliest airport in the Northeast" due to its welcoming atmosphere, lack of fences, and helpful staff.
A key amenity at KGBR is the availability of crew cars, allowing visiting pilots easy access to downtown Great Barrington for dining, shopping, and exploring.
Great Barrington offers diverse attractions, including the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Guthrie Center, W.E.B. Du Bois National Historic Site, and Monument Mountain.

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As I approached Great Barrington Airport in the 172P earlier this week, I was happy to hear other airplanes in the pattern for the same runway that I was planning to use after checking wind direction on the AWOS (automated weather observation system).

Over the years, I have found the wind to be rather fickle at this field, also known as Walter J Koladza Airport (KGBR), named for a World War II test pilot who used to own the place. I didn’t want to be the pilot who, from 10 miles out, declares “inbound for Runway 29” only to hear that 11 is the active. Darn—did that wind shift again?