Welcome! This site is here to assist local pilots, transient pilots, potential student pilots, as well as the general public in learning more about the Canandaigua Airport (D38) at 2450 Brickyard Road in Canandaigua, New York. We are happy to address any issues or concerns you may have regarding the airport or answer any of your aviation related questions. Email us at: d38@ows.net.
We strive to keep the community informed concerning any events held at the airport along with news concerning the runway expansion taking place over the next year or so. There’s a lot to look forward to so keep visiting us here and on facebook and twitter.
Airport Services to Pilots
Services available at the Canandaigua Airport include Aircraft Repair, Flight Training, Car Rental (Hertz), Jet A and 100LL fuel (call for fuel service). For contact information regarding the FBO or any of these services, please click here. Visit the Pilot’s Lounge page for other information.
Runway Expansion at the Airport
Click here for updates concerning the airport expansion.
Noise Abatement and Calm Wind Recommendations
Pilots are encouraged to depart runway 31 (which points away from the city) whenever possible such as during calm wind situations. We also ask pilots when departing runway 13 (which points toward the city) to turn 085 degrees upon take off as to avoid flying over the city as much as possible. We ask pilots to be responsible and to use sound judgement, FAA regulations and safety as their guide in the airspace around Canandaigua. However, transient pilots flying in the area may not be aware of these concerns and we ask the same from them as we do pilots based out of Canandaigua. We wish to be good neighbors and ask all pilots to be as well!
NEW – Microsoft FSX Files Scenery Files of D38
You can now fly the expanded runway (before it’s made) in Microsoft Flight Simulator X thanks to the new scenery files created by Barry Orlando in Airport Design Editor. Click here to download the .zip file. This zip file contains 2 new BGL files that need to go into the NEW SCENERY folder in FXS. In our case we created as “scenery” folder in:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Addon Scenery New Fields
We then then set the priority of this folder in the “Scenery Library” to #1 and restarted Microsoft Flight Simulator X. Enjoy!
Don’t Let the High Fences Fool You – It’s Your Airport too!
The FAA mandated the high fences around many airports, but don’t let that keep you from visiting the airport. Your airport is meant to be used by everyone and needs to be allowed to prosper like any other community asset. Please visit our “Aviation” and ”Media” sections to learn more about why General Aviation is important to you and your community.
Webmaster Information
This site is not affiliated with Ontario County, the Ontario County IDA, the Town of Canandaigua or any operation located at the airport. The FBO (Canandaigua Air Center) is generally the point of contact regarding operations such as fueling or tie-downs. Questions about this site should be directed to:
Barry Orlando, Private Pilot / Advanced Ground Instructor / 1st. Lt. Civil Air Patrol Pilot
Email: d38@ows.net
AOPA Airport Support Network Representative
Online Survey
New FBO and Main Hanger?
About Canandaigua Airport (D38)
Canandaigua Airport (D38) is a 3200 x 75 ft paved airstrip located just northwest of Canandaigua Lake in Central New York State. The runway orientation is 130 and 310 degrees with CTAF/UNICOM on 122.8 and field elevation is 814 ft. You can fuel up here with 100LL at a self service pump located mid-field near the FBO.
The field is in a wonderfully scenic location that is surrounded by picturesque hills and the tranquil lakes of the Finger Lakes. This field can go from calm to being full of activity from flight training, Mercy Flight Central departures to the critically injured, or an occasional twin-engine plane or small business jet. For a small field, there are many repair services for aircraft owners and flight training for anyone interested in learning to fly. When things warm up you can catch an occasional pancake breakfast here, but come early since attendance seems to be growing each year.
Presently the current runway is undergoing an expansion and is being increased from 3,200 ft to 5,500 ft and widened to 100 ft from 75 ft. There will be construction all around the airport between November 2011 through 2012 and perhaps into 2013. In some cases there WILL be airport runway closures due to the expansion.
This airport is open to the public and is publicly owned by the Ontario County Industrial Development Agency (IDA).
If you would like an informal tour of the airport, we would be happy to escort you on to the ramp and show you around. Please email d38@ows.net to schedule a time in the evenings during the week or on weekends.
Canandaigua Airport (D38) History
The Canandaigua Airport was first carved out of 50 acres along Brickyard and Thomas roads in 1948. By the early 1980s, Paul Yarnall and some partners had purchased the grass-strip, seasonal airport and soon struck up a friendship with fellow aviator George W. Hamlin IV, an attorney and president of the Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co.
Together, they led a campaign to convince Ontario County officials to create a county airport. What ensued was more than a decade of controversy surrounding where the airport should be located, whether the Board of Supervisors should fund a feasibility study and if the airport should even be a county project at all.
Some citizens and county supervisors objected to it on the grounds the airport would benefit a select few. This always seems to be a re-occuring theme and the main objection in the airports creation and growth. As taxpayers we pay billions for Amtrak and don’t seem to mind even though there is no benefit or access to passenger rail service in Ontario County.
Despite opposition, Hamlin had the political connections to make it happen. That included trips to Washington to meet with officials with the Federal Aviation Administration. With help from politicians including then-Congressman Jack Kemp, they came up with a plan that worked. They sold the idea to the Ontario County IDA, qualifying the airport for FAA funds to create a year-round, full-service airport.
In late 1993, the Ontario County IDA acquired property from Chris Pritchard and Yarnall to create a 200-acre airport. Groundbreaking on the $6 million project took place June 16, 1994.
Today the airport that would benefit the “select few” benefits many around our region. From flight training and aircraft repair services to Civil Air Patrol Cadet orientation flights and both fixed-wing and helicopter emergency medical services, our airport has more to offer than what many people realize. What was once a grass strip is now a community giving everyone in our area access to general aviation…instead of only a select few.
If you have more information or history about the Canandaigua Airport, please feel free to forward your information to contact us for inclusion on this site. (Click Here)
