OurAirports: Comments on Essex County Airport

[KCDW] "new website" by Anonymous Flier

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:37:25 -0400

Comment by an Anonymous Flier on Essex County Airport, United States:

flycdw.com

[KCDW] "re: Don't depart IFR on a VFR day!" by david

Fri, 22 May 2009 11:53:19 -0400

Comment by @david on Essex County Airport, United States:

Normally, a control tower will put your IFR clearance on request with center, then clear you to taxi to the active while they're waiting for the clearance to arrive for them to relay to you.

[KCDW] "re: Don't depart IFR on a VFR day!" by ptomblin

Fri, 22 May 2009 11:53:02 -0400

Comment by @ptomblin on Essex County Airport, United States:

In my case, I taxied without the IFR clearance because that was what I was instructed to do when I called for a clearance.

[KCDW] "re: Don't depart IFR on a VFR day!" by Anonymous Flier

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:51:21 -0400

Comment by an Anonymous Flier on Essex County Airport, United States:

Reply to @david: I don't understand this. Why would you begin to taxi before getting your clearance. Just wondering

[KCDW] "re: ATIS, communication with CT" by Anonymous Flier

Sat, 16 May 2009 13:43:18 -0400

Comment by an Anonymous Flier on Essex County Airport, United States:

Thanks for the info....it's not that I was in a hurry, I was in the plane on the ramp getting ready to taxi. and later inbound for landing. Kind of tough to see the phone# on the gate from either location. ;-) Good to know where I can find it though. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[KCDW] "re: ATIS, communication with CT" by Anonymous Flier

Sat, 16 May 2009 03:38:25 -0400

Comment by an Anonymous Flier on Essex County Airport, United States:

Reply to @CathyV:

CDW towers phone number is posted right at the front gate, near ops all numbers are listed you cant miss it. You must have been in a hurry if you didnt catch it.

RobG

[KCDW] "ATIS, communication with CT" by CathyV

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:20:52 -0500

Comment by @CathyV on Essex County Airport, United States:

I have been flying at CDW since sometime in the summer and have been baffled by the rapid fire communication from the Tower. I can't even think that fast never mind copying key information. I just heard the ATIS ... it is currently 11/16/098 1020 EST and all I could make out was the runways in use....28 and 22. From my perspective it was supersonic. There is a lot of flight training at CDW, in fact I'm at one of flight schools on the field, and I can just imagine the frustration and intimication for students when the ATIS is in 'fast forward'....not to mention communication in general, which I've also found to be exceptionally fast. Repeated 'say again' is very inefficient and ultimately a risk to safety.

For most of my prior experience I was based at MMU, and it was a rarity when I wasn't able to get the ATIS or any other communication on first shot. I have wanted to provide this feedback for months and today's ATIS was the last straw. Since i couldn't find a phone# for the tower The information must not only be disseminated but it has to comprehensible to the intented target for it to be useful.

Thank you!

Cathy Vajtay

[KCDW] "Fuel Prices at Mac Dan Aviation" by swinger

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:58:50 -0400

Comment by @swinger on Essex County Airport, United States:

Thankfully, Avant Air moved out of their leaded office space at Mac Dan to give appropriate fuel competition! Mac Dan's confidential fuel discounts are rediculous. Some people/companies/flight schools/flying clubs nearly receive 20% discounts on Avgas & Jet A, the data sheets area behind the front desk in the main lobby of Mac Dan.

-That kind of discount can add up to thousands of dollars quite fast!

-Anyone wonder why their fuel trucks are always empty or why a service call for fuel takes up to thirty minutes?

[KCDW] "re: Don't depart IFR on a VFR day!" by david

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:23:59 -0400

Comment by @david on Essex County Airport, United States:

I had exactly the same experience at Republic in spring 2004, right down to sitting on the runway (as instructed by tower) and holding everyone else up. Same lesson -- if you can take a VFR departure out of a NY-area airport, do. It's the controller's error putting you on the runway before your clearance is ready, but why invite trouble in the first place?

[KCDW] "Don't depart IFR on a VFR day!" by ptomblin

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:54:39 -0400

Comment by @ptomblin on Essex County Airport, United States:

I must have tied up traffic for 30 minutes of more waiting at the entrance for my IFR clearance. I'd taxied out after being told to, but there were 4 or 5 planes waiting behind me and by the time I suddenly realized that I could depart VFR and pick up a clearance later, the clearance had actually come. I felt like a complete dick.

[KCDW] "Work and fly from here" by Anonymous Flier

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:26:13 -0500

Comment by an Anonymous Flier on Essex County Airport, United States:

CDW is indeed tough to spot especially when MMU is only 5 miles away and practically visible from space. The AFD also gives you a super long list of rules and noise abatement procedures that often scare new pilots away. Just ignore them. The airport is surrounded by industrial parks and a golf course. And who cares about golfers right? Runway 9/27 recently renamed 10/28. Lighting at night could be stronger...and don't feel bad when a controller who sounds like a man turns out to be the scariest woman alive...other than that...GREAT AIRPORT.

[KCDW] "FBOs" by david

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:05:31 -0400

Comment by @david on Essex County Airport, United States:

This airport has two FBOs:

Mac Dan 130.55 MHz

(973) 227-8339, (888) MACDAN8

http://www.macdan.com/

Caldwell Air Service

(973) 808-9047

I've used both -- as I remember them, Caldwell Air Service is less expensive, but a bit run down and with so-so service. Mac Dan is a bit more expensive, but has a nice facility and much better service. If you need help (e.g. limo bookings, etc.), Mac Dan's probably your best bet; if you just want to park, Caldwell Air Service may be fine.

[KCDW] "Hard to find" by david

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:00:14 -0400

Comment by @david on Essex County Airport, United States:

For some reason, I always find this airport hard to see from low altitude when I'm a couple of miles away. There are buildings around it and a low hill on one side. When I first visited here I was a fairly new pilot, and I wonder if my not seeing it now is just a throwback to that first visit.

[KCDW] "JFK Jr.'s last departure" by david

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:58:47 -0400

Comment by @david on Essex County Airport, United States:

This is a nice airport for visiting northern New Jersey (a bit too far for Manhattan) -- I've stopped here a few times to visit a customer almost within walking distance. Unfortunately, the airport is most famous as the one John F. Kennedy Jr. departed from in his Saratogo on his last flight.