[TheseGoTo11]

One of the most heavily used flight paths into Boston is the Inndy2 Arrival, which crosses the shoreline at Branford at 24,000 feet, and takes planes directly to Norwich. At no point during the descent are the planes under 11,000 feet while over Connecticut though.

The "LaGuardia One" departure takes planes right over Bridgeport airport in Stratford, but planes take off at a much higher angle than they descend, and are usually 15,000 feet + by the time they hit the CT shoreline.

Only kinds of planes I ever hear on the shoreline are small planes and those little props that fly over Hammonasset carrying adveristing banners.

[grandmallie]

I dont mind the planes, I love planes, and airports, except for landing and taking off
Anyway we live in central connecticut right near the river, and at night especially when I was recouping from surgery could lie in my bed and count the planes flying over, I think I counted about 75 in a span of a couple of hrs, seemed ever 35-40 seconds they would fly, especially at night..
I really enjoy this, I am wondering if they are flying from JFK, Laguardia,and either going to Boston or oversea's. would love to find out what the flight pattern is to look it up on line

[Cambium]

Well, in CT I assume they are flying over 15,000 feet unless it is a plane heading to Bradley, Danbury, Sikorsky, or White Plains.

Here's a look at where the planes are right now. Its possible what you saw was coming from Boston or NYC.

You can download this link into GEarth here. Google Earth Gallery

[AntonioR]

The airplanes on final to White Plains fly very low over Stamford. You can even tell what airline they belong to all with the naked eye.

To me it is great to fly in them, since I get to see my city from the air relatively "up close", at least most of the time I use White Plains. You have to sit on the left row of windows in the airplane (looking towards the cockpit) in order to get the nicest views of not just Stamford, but also all of Connecticut's Gold Coast.

When arriving from the south, the planes tend to fly out over Bridgeport, then go inland and follow along the Merrit Parkway towards the southwest. You know you're over New Canaan when you start to see the palatial mansions that look like mini-palaces, they are stunning from the air. Then over North Stamford the airplane turn slightly southwestern, you will see the Westhill High School campus, then follow Long Ridge Road, then Lord and Taylor's department store will come into view. The whole Bulls Head area, the Ridgeway Center and the Fish Church also are clearly visible. Then you fly right next to downtown Stamford, then along the western coast of Shippan. Once over Long Island Sound, the airplane makes a massive right turn, the NYC skyline becomes visible in the horizon, then pass over the Port Chester/Greenwich line and are able to see I-95 and highway 287, and then the tiny White Plains skyline is popping out of the woods to the northwest.

Before you know it, you've landed.

Awesome experience for people that live in the towns along the landing path and enjoy seeing those places from the air!

[JViello]

Originally Posted by grandmallie

I dont mind the planes, I love planes, and airports, except for landing and taking off
Anyway we live in central connecticut right near the river, and at night especially when I was recouping from surgery could lie in my bed and count the planes flying over, I think I counted about 75 in a span of a couple of hrs, seemed ever 35-40 seconds they would fly, especially at night..
I really enjoy this, I am wondering if they are flying from JFK, Laguardia,and either going to Boston or oversea's. would love to find out what the flight pattern is to look it up on line

You were hearing Bradley. They change flight patterns depending on several factors including weather conditions. I'm up 1000' in Manchester and directly under a bad weather pattern. They puts them at only 1500 when they go over my house. It feels like I can throw a rock and hit them. While cool, I live far from the airport and shouldn't be experiencing this.

[KaoCT]

75 planes flying to/from Bradley in couple of hours? Seems like a lot.

When I'm in East Hartford (usually after a softball game at Pratt & Whitney's fields - we hang around afterwards) and it's a really clear day/early evening I can count several planes wayyyy up heading east. I always assumed they were coming from NY/Chicago/Detroit, etc. and heading to Europe.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by KaoCT

75 planes flying to/from Bradley in couple of hours? Seems like a lot.

I have a feeling it wasn't that many...it can be every 10-15 minutes over my house in bad weather. Boston and NY also divert to Bradley at times in bad weather as Bradley can handle large planes.

[mels]

When I was living on the CT shoreline, my work took me to Bloomfield. I didn't know the Hartford area at all back then, and NY was my flying home base so I never realized where exactly Bradley was. With my car windows down, I was just starting to drive out of a parking lot in Bloomfield and heard such a loud noise I thought for a brief second my car was going to explode. It was then that I looked up and saw a Southwest plane screaming above me at an alarmingly low altitude. I then learned just how close Bloomfield was to BDL!

[grandmallie]

the planes I am talking about aren't going into Bradley,I see them also but they follow river up to Windsor, The ones I usually see are pretty high up so I am thinking out of JFK,LaGuardia,or Newark, and either on there way to Boston or beyond,they are flying if my direction is right- North East,
thanks for all the info and , when I saw all those planes and counted them, it was I think weekend evenings when they were flying one right after the other..Next time that happens I will check time and date

[willow wind]

Can somebody explain about the Blackhawk helicopters that fly in groups of three over the shoreline / lower CT River Valley.

Is that Sikorsky testing their copters or the Air National Guard out of Niantic?

They come in right over the trees- you hear them coming but because of the terrain can't see them, then all of a sudden there's the group of them over your head.