Nestled between the city of Boston and the birthplace of a nation, Hanscom Field is 20 mi outside of Logan Airport in Boston, located at the apex of 4 towns, Bedford, Concord, Lincoln and Lexington. A fighter training base in WWII, Hanscom Field made its name as a computing and radar development base for the Air Force, and is still active in that capacity, though in a much smaller way than it used to be. Centered in the Technology Belt around Boston, it has been home to organizations such as MIT Lincoln Laboratories, Draper Labs, Raytheon and many other companies. With two runways 7000 and 5200 ft in length, it can easily handle aircraft as large as the C-5, and was a base of operations for the US Air Force Military Airlift Command along with Westover Air Base for a time.
Now that the US Air Force has reduced it's operations here, it is also the largest General Aviation airport in Massachusets, and is considered a feeder airport for Logan airport. It has hosted scheduled airline flight operations off and on since the '80's. Southern Airways decided to switch operations from KYHA Hyannis to KBED and KACK as of the end of May, 2021. As an Air Force base close to Boston, it often hosts the President of the United States and many other luminaries, such as the Beatles in 1964 when they played the old Boston Garden for their first tour in the United States. You'll note the "red carpet" on the US Air Force portion of the ramp at the end of the taxiway.
I absolutely LOVE seeing all the live air traffic at this airport now, try flying between morning and 7 Eastern time and you should see a bunch of live traffic if you turn Live Traffic option on.
A brief history of Hanscom Air Force Base
This is a pretty major update. I've updated the taxiways to the latest configuration as shown on the current charts, updated the taxi signs as best I can without visiting yet, fixed up all the taxiway lines to the latest images, including adding a facsimile of the new Customs/Fire Station building and parking by the tower. I've added more parking, updated the configuration of parking on the East and West ramps as it is today, added lights as best I can figure out, and redid the taxi lights as well. I didn't find any taxilights on the tarmac, but, essentially E, G, and R taxiways had no lighting in general. Got rid of the building on the cargo "hot run up" pad and added the blast shields to it. I've added some eye candy and spruced up the surrounding area a bit. I also added the Jet Aviation hangar to the southwest side of the West Ramp, as well as the taxiway markings on Echo and Tango around Sierra and Juliet.
I've taken this as far as I can from Google Earth. For those who fly out of Bedford, let me know if you find any other discrepancies. I'll be visiting soon, my mom still lives in Bedford, East Coast Aero club has a PA28 there I'd like to rent, and I work nearby. I'm sure after I visit I'll figure out a lot more details I'll want to add.
To install this scenery just copy scenery-ma-flyingscool-kbed directory contained in this zip-file into your Community directory. You can also install the z_scenery-flyingscool-livingworld-medapt package if you'd like to see more realistic traffic at this and other GA airports. Problem is, this package will affect ALL your airports, so if you like seeing Bus and Firetruck and Loader traffic at your airports, DON'T install the separate Living World Config package. The Airport package does not depend on it and it's totally optional. Play with it, see how you like it.
v0.2.0 6/2/2023 - Pretty big update.
- Corrected the content of the taxiway signs on the west side of the West Ramp.\r\n
- Fixed some issues introduced with SU5
- Updated for SU12
- Added a Heliport at the Boston Med Flight hangar
- Tons more detail added. I haven't said it before, but got the taxiway lighting done. Opened up taxiway N. Added more detail to the parking including listing many of the airlines that visit KBED at the gates and Signature ramp parking spots to get flights to park there. I removed the Living World Config setup that used to be in the package and created a separate package for it so users can install it separately if they so desire. Cleaned it and the Services config file up. See separate Readme on installing the LivingWorld Config package.
v0.1.3 7/11/2021 - Added Jet Aviation hangar and surrounding area and removed the hangar that was removed in 2016 (so some of the pictures here are a little out of date). Continued to add more detail to the West Ramp. Added taxiway direction markings to Central Echo and Tango around Juliet and Sierra and Customs. Added more detail to East Ramp
v0.1.0 7/9/2021 - Initial Release
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Most additions to the scenery are default objects delivered by ASOBO with the MSFS package.
I often use objects from the following libraries and you will want to install the following object library packages. The ones I've starred are used in this package (though I may have forgotten I've used others):
*FISD - https://files.fsnordic.net/fisd-library-for-msfs2020
*Windy Things - https://flightsim.to/file/14024/windy-things
*SDR Scenery Pack V1.1 - https://flightsim.to/file/6072/sdr-scenery-pack-v1-0
*colin J's object library - https://flightsim.to/file/16007/msfs-object-library-with-150-models-ranging-from-towers-hangers-terminals-to-cones
*Delta Tango's Camper Library - https://flightsim.to/file/12386/camper-library
*Cede69's static aircraft library - https://flightsim.to/file/14422/static-aircraft-library
*Wombiiactual ENxx Asset pack - https://flightsim.to/file/12208/wombiiactual-enxx-asset-pack
*Emerald Object Library - https://flightsim.to/file/8824/emerald-object-library
*Mikea.at AssetPack - https://flightsim.to/file/1923/mikea-at-assetpack
*dantesmante's Reno Stead Airport - https://flightsim.to/file/11837/reno-stead-airport-krts-reno-air-races
EGOV RAF Valley custom built - https://flightsim.to/file/9361/egov-raf-valley-custom-built
totof aircraft library - https://flightsim.to/file/17182/totof-aircraft-library-v1-1
*totof object library - https://flightsim.to/file/17179/totof-library-object-v1-1
JHScenery Master Library - https://flightsim.to/file/8157/jhscenery-master-library
TurtleTank's Objects Library - https://flightsim.to/file/13290/turtletank-s-scenery-developer-objects-and-material-library
*Dave's Hi-res Library - https://flightsim.to/file/15769/dave-s-higher-res-crooked-library
Dave's Crooked Library - https://flightsim.to/file/4696/dave-s-crooked-library
Dave's Seaplane Object Library - https://flightsim.to/file/5806/fisherman-dave-s-seaplane-base-object-library
Dave's 3D People Library - https://flightsim.to/file/5452/dave-s-3d-people-library
EDHK Lights and Objects - https://flightsim.to/file/2549/edhk-lights-pack
BostonElf
iimexicanlaw
FlyingsCool author
8 months ago
jc200200
FlyingsCool author
12 months ago
BostonElf
My hometown... any chance you could recompile this for SU11+ ?
FlyingsCool author
It should be working fine, I haven't noticed any issues. Let me know if you have any issues. It just so happens I have just started to get back to updating my airports, but it'll be a bit before I get to KBED. Working on KASH first. And I have a bunch of airports around the White Mountains I'm hoping to release next.
1 years ago
ccarr.flights
where is the signature flight located? is it in the big parking lot?
FlyingsCool author
If you follow taxiway Juliet into the west ramp and keep going straight, Signature is the small building to the left of the large building facing the west ramp on your right, IOW, the small building straight ahead.
2 years ago
StardustCamellia
I'm really hoping this gets updated for SU7. This was where I went up with my father when he got his PPL when I was little and was my first intro to flying.
ccarr.flights
Hi question. I have to download all the extensions listed to use this add on ? Is that the parking lot and cars etc or is that all included ?
FlyingsCool author
The parking lots and cars are from base scenery and textures I created. The hangars are all base scenery. The extra libraries, while highly recommended, are not "necessary", but you'll be missing a bunch of details such as tractors and other things. With that said, I'm not the only person who uses these libraries. I highly recommend you install them.
3 years ago
BostonElf
Will this be certified SU5/WU6 soon 😊 ? I cross my fingers, I grew up here and had all sorts of airshows roaring over our house come summertime.... F4's in formation -yes-- the Thunderbirds!
FlyingsCool author
It works. I don't know how to check that it is. I will be posting an update, however in the next couple weeks. But, in the meantime, there's no issue with it.
BTW, I grew up over on Jeffrey Cir... ;)
I think I've still got a signed brochure from when they were flying F-4's :)
I got my picture in the Minuteman as a Cub Scout standing on a ladder into the cockpit of one of the Globemasters... Good times!
3 years ago
FPFalcon
I work at KBED at the Ross/Rectrix FBO I can give some info if you want
Ernie
Repeted big and slow downloads of "scenery-ma-flyingscool-kbed_Udi9X.zip" are just containing a number of jpgs and the "Marketplace.json" file, no scenery....???
FlyingsCool author
I'm so embarrassed, I have no idea how that happened. Jeepers creepers (I'd rather have said something else, but that's frowned upon in social circles like this).
Upload has been corrected. I'm so sorry everyone.
3 years ago
FlyingsCool
So, the dependencies are for objects here and there. You can still use the airport without them. Most of the objects I use were standard in FSX, hopefully, Asobo expands their library of objects to AT Least what FSX had someday. They seem to use most of their talents on single use buildings and haven't really expanded the object library at all, except for some different light posts it seems.
Sorry Flightsim.to is having issues tonight. I didn't realize libraries was an issue. Sadly, I haven't figure out how to model or create libraries of objects for myself yet.
ThatsDirty
Looks like a wonderful scenery! But not sure if it's a flightsim.to network issue or what but this airport and the Emerald Object Library is having an 8+ hour download time. Hoping the download speed can resolve itself soon so I can hop in here and fly around in this scenery!
Update: Seems like the download speeds have been resolved, managed to grab the airport scenery and Emerald Object dependency, the airport is beautiful! Took the JustFlight PA-28R Arrow III for some circuits and it's great! Way better than the default scenery.
daver4470
I think it's a Flighsim.to issue. I've had bad download rates all day from this site.
3 years ago
gryper
Again. Too many dependencies, unfortunately. A couple of these are taking all day to download.
daver4470
Thank you so much! I was hoping you'd work your way down to KBED eventually. I drive on 128 under the approach to RW29 every time I go to work, and like to try and ID what's landing (in the 10 seconds I have before I'm past it on the highway). Now if only someone would do Logan properly...
My one gripe is using other airfield mods as required asset sources. I have approximately one gazillion mods, so for memory management purposes I have all my airport files segregated by region, with subregions for the US. So if I plan to fly in the Boston area, I'll only load the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic folders (and probably the South as well, to finish the coast). Having a Reno airport as a requirement kind of screws that up for me, as I'll have to add the Mountain folder (where I put Nevada files) if I want to fly out of Bedford, which I do quite a bit. Ditto for the UK airport, which I already had, but which I'd never load when flying in MA. Maybe you could ask the other mod-makers for permission to include the assets directly in your mod? (It's a nitpick I know, but I just got through basically dismantling my laptop to add another stick of memory, because two of the DIMM slots were on the underneath side of the mobo, which was... inconvenient. So I may be a bit prickly today, sorry....)
FlyingsCool author
I may not actually be using Reno. I wasn't sure, and I usually do use some of his stuff. But I'm not sure I did this time. I added it because I figured I eventually would. Same thing with FSID, for the weather station parts.
3 years ago
bwilly11
Looks great. I fly here IRL for work all the time. Can you incorporate Jet Aviation FBO ramp and hangars? Thanks for this, great job!
FlyingsCool author
Eventually. I'm going to have to redo the road that's through where the hangar is and redo that parking lot, add the new parking lot, etc.. It's on my list of todo's, including getting rid of that hangar that's incorrect there, now. I need to change ground and clearance to Hanscom as well. On my system, anyway, it's called Boston Ground. There is parking there for the time being. I need to stop by and get some pictures of the whole airport. For instance, I don't know what the taxi signs coming out of the West Ramp onto Sierra say.
3 years ago