Laurence G Hanscom Field
BED · KBED · Bedford, Massachusetts · Middlesex County · map
Laurence G Hanscom Field is a public-use airport owned by Mass Port Authority in Bedford, Massachusetts, 132 feet above sea level. It has 2 runways; the longest, 11/29, is 7,011 feet of asphalt. It has a control tower, fuel (100LL avgas, Jet A) and about 222 based aircraft. The FAA counts about 121,381 takeoffs and landings a year. About 18,163 passengers boarded flights here in the FAA's fiscal year 2024.
Weather right now KBED · observed 5:51 pm EDT (21:51 UTC), 62 minutes ago
VFR good flying weather
- Wind from the west-northwest (290°) at 10 knots
- Visibility 10 miles or more
- Temperature 57°F (14°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter 29.98 inHg
The forecast issued Tue 4:30 pm EDT (20:30 UTC), good until Wed 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC)
- From Tue 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
- From Tue 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
- From Tue 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
- From Wed 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The codes as issued (METAR and TAF)
METAR KBED 062151Z 29010KT 10SM CLR 14/M02 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP165 T01391022 $
TAF KBED 062030Z 0621/0718 29012G22KT P6SM SKC FM062200 29011KT P6SM SKC FM070300 VRB04KT P6SM SKC FM071500 22009KT P6SM SKC
From the National Weather Service's aviation weather service, refreshed every few minutes; times are local to the airport with UTC in brackets. For a flight, get your briefing from Flight Service or an approved provider.
The airport
- Codes
- FAA BED · ICAO KBED
- Kind
- Airport · open to the public · publicly owned
- Owner
- Mass Port Authority
- Elevation
- 132 feet above sea level
- Control tower
- A control tower · 7:00 am to 11:00 pm
- Attended
- around the clock
- Lights
- runway lights see the remarks below; beacon sunset to sunrise
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas, Jet A
- Repairs
- airframe: major repairs; engine: major repairs
- Parking
- hangar, tiedown
- Notes
- landing fee · certified for airline service (Part 139)
- On the chart
- New York sectional
- Magnetic variation
- 16W
- In the FAA's files since
- April 1943
Runways 2
For understanding the field, not for navigation.
| Runway | Length × width | Surface | Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/29 | 7,011 × 150 ft | Asphalt, good | High-intensity lights |
| 05/23 | 5,107 × 150 ft | Asphalt, good | Medium-intensity lights |
- Runway 11: ILS with DME, PAPI, four lights on the left, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR), hill 120 ft high 1,050 ft from the end
- Runway 29: ILS with DME, PAPI, four lights on the right, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR)
- Runway 05: PAPI, four lights on the left
- Runway 23: PAPI, four lights on the right
Radio frequencies
| Common traffic advisory (CTAF) · Tower | 118.5 | Hanscom |
| UNICOM | 122.95 | |
| ATIS (recorded airport information) · Bed and automated weather (ASOS) | 124.6 | Hanscom |
| Clearance delivery | 121.85 | Hanscom |
| Ground | 121.7 | Hanscom |
| Approach and departure · Dreem and star · Zelka and star | 124.4 | Hanscom |
| Emergency | 121.5 | Hanscom |
| Bed and vot | 110.0 | |
| Dreem and star | 119.0 | Hanscom |
Automated weather (ASOS), by phone 781-372-5512.
Based aircraft as counted for the FAA, fiscal year 2024
Takeoffs and landings a year about 121,381, the FAA's fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024)
Local flights stay in the traffic pattern or nearby, often practice; travelling flights arrive from or leave for somewhere else. Counts at airports without a tower are the FAA's estimates.
Wind map live wind over the area, from Windy.com
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction; drag the time bar for the coming days. Map and forecast by Windy.com.
Aircraft registered in Bedford from the FAA register
27 aircraft are registered to owners in Bedford, Massachusetts: 10 business jets, 8 piston singles, 7 helicopters, 1 piston twin, 1 drone. Not every one of them is based at this airport; the based-aircraft count above is the FAA's figure for this airport alone.
Companies and organisations in town with two or more aircraft:
Individuals are counted, never named. All aircraft registered in Massachusetts.
Accidents and incidents at or near this airport NTSB records · 24 since 1982, 5 fatal
Cases the NTSB recorded with this as the nearest airport, newest first. Each opens the full report in plain English.
Nearby within 30 nautical miles
The FAA's remarks as written in the airport file
- Activate approach lights (MALSR) runway 11 and 29; runway end identifier lights runway 05 and 23; high-intensity runway lights runway 11/29; medium-intensity runway lights runway 05/23; taxiway lights - 118.5.
- Surcharge for each landing and departure 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. Commercial and transient landing fee.
- 1000 feet above ground level fixed wing; 1500 feet above ground level turbojet; 1800 feet above ground level heavy jet aircraft.
- No plas/tgls for aircraft 12500 pounds and ovr.
- Noise abatement procedures in effect - helicopters operg WI cntld asp are required to mntn hist psbl altitude.
- Birds and wildlife on and in the vicinity of airport.
- Be alert for small aircraft parked on ramps.
- (A23) runway 29 right traffic aircraft ovr 12500 pounds.
- Taxiway C, F, J, north, R, south, T, taxiway M south of taxiway east and taxiway G between runway 11/29 and runway 05/23 closed to aircraft gtr than 118 feet wingspan. Taxiway R closed to air carrier OPS-GA use only.
- No plas/tgls for aircraft under 12500 pounds between 11:00 pm to 7:00 am.
- SVC-TRAN alert: operates 1200-0400Z++ wkd; 1400-2200Z++ Sunday; prior permission required OT and holidays dsn 845-5589/5592. DE-ICING available FR vendor.
- AF: comd post dsn 845-6960/6961, C781-225-6960/6961.
Facts from the FAA's airport file effective October 1, 2026, written out in plain English; weather from the National Weather Service's aviation weather service; registered aircraft from the FAA register as of October 5, 2026; accidents from the NTSB's public database. Owners are shown only when they are an organisation; no person is named. Check the official sources before a flight: this page is for understanding an airport, not for planning one.