Teterboro Airport

I fly my Warrior into KTEB frequently, but it's always from the north -- from that side, you can drop below NY approach airspace, and it's just a matter of calling up KTEB like any other towered airport. From the south, you might have to negotiate more-complex airspace, or make a big loop around. When you're leaving, if you're VFR, tower will often let you cut ahead of the long line of bizjets and take an intersection departure. Gas is expensive, but that's life near NYC. Call your FBO of choice first, and make sure you ask about *all* fees. I was surprised by a new customs fee on my last visit this past summer (since I was coming from Canada), but Atlantic very kindly and quickly refunded it.

thinking about VFR from Norfolk to teterboro...first time into teterboro. bad idea? any recommendations on route?

Reply to @ptomblin: 8 gallons usable (10 total) in a Warrior is almost double the minimum day VFR reserve even at 75% power and ROP. Personally, I normally land at TEB with about 26 gal usable (28 total), but that's because I'm flying alone and take off from Ottawa with full tanks. When I fly to NYC with my whole family this summer, I'm going to have to keep the tanks a lot lower for W&B, and I can see touching down in TEB with only 10-12 gal usable if it's good VFR. IFR or night VFR is a different story, of course, as is flight over mostly-uninhabited terrain like Northern Quebec -- I like to land with 2 hours in the tanks in those situations. As you know from your Archer time, another advantage of the Cherokee line is that there's no "both" fuel switch. My rule (which, fortunately, I've never had to invoke) is that if I ever do unexpectedly run one tank dry, I will treat it as an emergency -- something went wrong with my fuel system or my calculations -- and I will use the other tank only to make a precautionary landing at the nearest airport (or on a road or field if there's no airport within 15 minutes). A Cessna's "both" position doesn't give you that kind of warning: when you're dry, you're dry.

Reply to @prattsoplenty: If I put 40 gallons of fuel in a Warrior, I'd think I was doing a piss poor job of fuel management. Maybe people who do a lot more flying than I do like to get down that low, but I don't.

Reply to @david: Jet Aviation charges a ramp fee, for a single-engine Piper, $170 which can be waived if you purchase 40 gallons of 100LL (today's price was $9.34/gallon). So glad somebody else pays for my fuel!

Reply to @prattsoplenty: thanks for the tip. When I first started using TEB a few years ago, I ruled out Jet for some reason (high fees? no 100LL? don't remember). I'll take another look. I am happy with Atlantic's quick response, though.

Reply to @david: The other option is to use Jet Aviation at the south end of the airport. There is a Customs office right next to their building. I have been using them for the past few years until I starting working for another company who used Atlantic. But now they have switched to Jet as well since Customs moved to the new location. This is because fueling is not allowed on the Customs ramp and that can delay us. As well, at Jet, it is just a quick walk to the FBO so our passengers can be in the car quicker than at Atlantic. Check out the fees and prices but Jet might be the solution you are looking for.

I sent a note to Atlantic, and their regional manager, Joe Fazio, got back to me within the hour. They will refund the $200 customs handling fee from my last visit, and are working to come up with an arrangement more suitable for small, single-engine aircraft (they don't see very many of them, unfortunately). I recommend that anyone planning to clear customs at TEB call first to confirm the fee structure, but hopefully, this problem will soon disappear. In the meantime, I'll just plan an extra customs stop at Massena or Watertown on my way down. I do recommend Atlantic @ TEB: aside from this one issue, they've provided excellent service to me and my family over the years on our visits to NYC, and even though their gas is expensive, it doesn't add up to all that much of a difference for, say, 22 gallons in a small plane. As for TEB itself, as long as you can depart VFR, tower will almost always let a small plane cut in ahead of the lineup -- yesterday morning, I barely had time to put on my brakes at the hold-short line before I was cleared for takeoff ahead of several bizjets. An IFR departure will be another story, but that's true of any NYC-area airport, because the clearance has to come from NY Approach (I once spent 25 minutes idling at Republic waiting for my IFR release).

Since the customs move to Hangar 1, there is now a $200 ramp fee for customs clearance, even for small private planes. It's not clear whether it's Atlantic charging the fee. Atlantic ramp staff said that someone is working to get the fee reduced or removed for small planes -- it's really designed for bizjets -- and that a lot of people have been caught by surprise and angry about it.

Reply to @willymopit: yes, the landing fee from TEB is annoying, and it's especially a pain for me in Canada, since I have to go to the bank and get a U.S. money order to pay it, then put it in an envelope and mail it to them (they won't accept a credit card). I don't mind the $17, but I wish I could just pay it through the FBO while I was there. I also suspect that billing me and processing the money order probably costs them several times the $17 they collect from me.

Reply to @david: Thanks for the input. Speaking of the port authority, I got a bill for $17 several weeks after visiting. I have no idea why, didn't think there were any other use fees except what the FBO was going to charge. btw, I love this site, so simple, straight-forward, and has been a great resource for creating a large wall map I now keep in my home.

Reply to @willymopit: I've always been treated well at TEB too (I use Atlantic), but I agree about cost of a taxi. There is a bus that stops near the airport and goes to the Port Authority; alternatively, maybe it's possible to take a cab just to the nearest NJ Transit rail station, and get into Manhattan that way. I'll look into it on my next visit.

Landed here to take a couple people residing in Manhattan on a Hudson River flight. First Aviation treated me well, and with the purchase of 20 gallons of fuel, waived the ramp fee. Looked kinda silly parking a C-152 next to all the executive jets, but they gave me first rate service and parking regardless. Cab ride to Manhattan is exorbitant, need to find a better way!

Exclusive Charter Service has great service out of here, suggest calling them for a Jet, flow with them for years now and always on the ball! MIke D

Been here many times and first off make sure you print off the VOR A approach if the weather is VFR and you are going in IFR. They give that one all the time to sequence the traffic inbound IFR for visual approaches. There are many hotels close by but the Holiday Inn Hasbrouck Heights is literally behind the airport and can be walked too in about 15 minutes (that includes waiting 10 minutes to cross the highway:). There is shuttle service from Atlantic and also crew cars available for short term use. When I stayed at the Holiday Inn I asked the driver to take me to the bus stop to go into Manhattan. It is also pretty close and is only a 30 minute ride. 6 bucks gives you a round trip bus ticket to downtown and back. Close to the Holiday inn within 10 mins walking distance are Subway, Starbucks, Fast Food joints (to the west), to the east are a grocery store, mcdonalds, and a liqour store (important stuff for last :). Lots of traffic so be prepared...IFR make sure you go over the departure procedure in your head many times to make sure you know what your doing once you are unleashed into some of the worlds busiest airspace. Enjoy.

We have flown to Teterboro the past few years on our annual trip to Manhattan. While we feel out of place landing in our four-seat plane surrounded by business jets, it's very convenient to get into NYC. The staff, from the ground crew to the desk people are universally kind and attentive (even the customs officers were friendly!!!). They make us feel like royalty. My kids love the toiletries in the women's bathroom. It's only a 30-minute cab/car ride to Manhattan (depending on time of day and where in the city you are headed).

The forth airport I ever landed an airplane at ... long before I was a licensed pilot but flying with my surrogate father, Eddie Gorski. (too bad we don't have away to add "fallen flags", the airports of our youth now gone forever ... who remembers Towaco and Totowa-Wayne?) Among many other things Eddie was the manager of Teterboro from the mid-30's until WWII forced all General Aviation operations west of the Delaware River. If you zoom in you'll see a large building at the northwest corner of Malcolm and Industrial Ave's ... this is the site of what was in my youth the "Bendix hangar", named for the owner of Teterboro for many years, the Bendix Corp. but originally the site of Tony Fokker's US manufacturing facility. The Borough of Teterbor in which the airport sits in had a population of 25 in the last US census and was known as the Borough of Bendix during the years 1937 through 1943. A fascinating place. If you fly in there take the time to visit the NJ Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame just east of the field.

Customs is pretty easygoing about arrival times (since they're always on the field), but they'll meet you only at Jet or Atlantic, not at the other FBOs.