Greater Rochester International Airport
I am pleased to present you IFATC at Home, featuring a less-known airport. If you’re not from the US Northeast, I’d be seriously impressed if you’ve ever heard of this airport. However, there’s more to this small Class Charlie than meets the eye - let’s take a look.
Rochester is a small airport serving primarily the US Eastern Seaboard
Greater Rochester International sits at 558 feet MSL and is the fifth busiest airport in New York State, third busiest discounting New York City Area airports, moving over two million passengers each year before the virus. These days, the airport moves approximately thirty scheduled flights every day, and many more general aviation flights, down from 100 daily scheduled flights just a year ago. Despite the name, the airport is no longer an “international” one ever since Air Georgian retired the Beech 1900D.
Rochester is a three runway airport, but functions more like a single-runway airport
KROC features three runways, none of them parallel and two of which intersect.
Note: Runway lengths are taken off AirNav and are marginally different from those shown in Infinite Flight.
Runway 4/22 is the primary runway
The vast majority of the airport’s operations will use this runway due to its length and alignment. This runway measures 8001 feet / 2439 meters and is equipped with ILS capability on both sides. Prevailing winds in the area mean that a majority of the time, aircraft will be able to access a direct headwind using this runway. Assuming normal wind circumstances, all commercial and cargo traffic will use this runway, as well as larger general aviation traffic such the Citation X. Small propeller aircraft doing patterns will likely take off and full stop on 7/25, but will use 4/22 in the pattern.
Runway 10/28 is the rarely-used secondary runway
When prevailing winds are disturbed or have too high of a crosswind component to land 4/22, smaller aircraft may be relegated to 10/28. The runway measures 6401 feet / 1951 meters, which is enough to handle all regular traffic except the FedEx 767s and A300s. It is equipped with an ILS on the 28 side but not on the 10 side. Once again, unless absolutely not possible aircraft will still prefer to land 4/22.
Runway 7/25 is the runway for light general aviation
At just 4000 feet / 1219 meters, 7/25 is not fit to land commercial aircraft. However, its close proximity to the general aviation ramp makes it the runway of choice for most aircraft doing pattern work to take off and full stop on (although, as stated above, they will most likely be doing their patterns on 4/22, because the orientation of the runway means that an aircraft in the pattern on 7/25 will overfly 4/22 at very low altitudes). The largest aircraft I’ve seen take off from 7/25 is a Challenger 350, but do not bring any Infinite Flight jet to this runway.
You can find an airport diagram here, the most common approach for Runway 4 here, and the most common approach for Runway 22 here.
Rochester currently serves just fifteen airports with six passenger airlines and three cargo airlines, but has served much more in the past
Regular Airline Flights (Outbounds, all returns are the same aircraft and flight time)
Bold denotes a pre-COVID aircraft
Italic denotes a COVID substitution
() denotes the most suitable replacement for the aircraft directly preceding it, due to Infinite Flight not having the aircraft or livery.
| Airline | Route | Aircraft | Flight Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegiant | KROC - KSFB | A319 (A320) | 2:20 |
| American | KROC - KCLT | CRJ9 / A320 | 1:30 |
| American | KROC - KDCA | CRJ7 | 0:45 |
| American | KROC - KORD | CRJ7 | 1:20 |
| American | KROC - KPHL | E145 (CRJ2) | 0:45 |
| JetBlue | KROC - KBOS | E190 / A320 | 0:50 |
| JetBlue | KROC - KJFK | E190 | 0:50 |
| Southwest | KROC - KBWI | B737 / B738 | 0:40 |
| United | KROC - KIAD | E145 (CRJ2) | 0:55 |
| United | KROC-KORD | E175 / E145 / A320 / B738 | 1:20 |
Past and Seasonal Airline Flights (Outbounds, all returns are the same aircraft and flight time)
() denotes the most suitable replacement for the aircraft directly preceding it, due to Infinite Flight not having the aircraft or livery.
| Airline | Route | Aircraft | Flight Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Express | KROC - CYYZ | B190 (DH8D) | 0:35 |
| Allegiant | KROC - KPGD | A319 (A320) | 2:35 |
| American | KROC - KBOS | E145 (CRJ2) | 0:50 |
| Delta | KROC - KATL | MD90 (B712 / B738) | 1:40 |
| Delta | KROC - KDTW | CRJ9 / A319 | 0:55 |
| Delta | KROC - KJFK | CRJ9 | 0:50 |
| Delta | KROC - KLGA | CRJ9 | 0:45 |
| Delta | KROC - KMSP | A319 / B712 | 1:45 |
| Southwest | KROC - KFLL | B738 | 2:45 |
| Southwest | KROC - KMCO | B738 | 2:20 |
| Southwest | KROC - KMDW | B737 / B738 | 1:20 |
| Southwest | KROC - KRSW | B737 | 2:30 |
| Southwest | KROC - KTPA | B738 | 2:20 |
| United | KROC - KEWR | E145 (CRJ2) | 0:45 |
Cargo Flights (Outbounds, all returns are the same aircraft and flight time)
() denotes the most suitable replacement for the aircraft directly preceding it, due to Infinite Flight not having the aircraft or livery.
| Airline | Route | Aircraft | Flight Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx | KROC - KBWI | A306 (MD1F) | 0:40 |
| FedEx | KROC - KEWR | A306 (MD1F) | 0:45 |
| FedEx | KROC - KMEM | B763 (MD1F) / A306 (MD1F) | 1:40 |
| Kalitta Charters II | KROC - KCVG | B734 / B722 (DHL 752) | 1:00 |
| Kalitta Charters II | KROC - KBDL | B734 / B722 (DHL 752) | 0:40 |
| Wiggins | KROC - KELM | C208 (Fedex C208) | 0:30 |
General Aviation Flights (Outbounds, all returns are the same aircraft and flight time)
Note: General aviation traffic is unpredictable, these routes seem to be the most popular.
() denotes the most suitable replacement for the aircraft directly preceding it, due to Infinite Flight not having the aircraft or livery.
| Operator | Route | Aircraft | Flight Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| NetJets | KROC - KHPN | C56X (C750) | 0:45 |
| NetJets | KROC - KRUT | C680 (C750) | 0:45 |
| NetJets | KROC - KSWF | C56X (C750) | 0:35 |
| Private | KROC - KBED | E55P (C750) | 0:50 |
| Private | KROC - KCKB | SR20 (SR22) | 1:25 |
| Private | KROC - KHEF | TBM8 (TBM9) | 1:05 |
| Private | KROC - KIAG | LJ60 (C750) | 0:20 |
| Private | KROC - KLKP | DA42 (TBM9) | 0:45 |
| Private | KROC - KZZV | TBM8 (TBM9) | 1:10 |
| Quest | KROC - KSYR | PC12 (TBM9) | 0:20 |
Rochester has one terminal, two concourses, two cargo ramps, and a general aviation ramp
In Infinite Flight, this results in 50 spawnable locations.
Note: Air Canada Express did not park at the concourses due to the small size of the aircraft, but it did park near them. There is no spawn in Infinite Flight to reflect this so just spawn wherever.
Concourse A
American, JetBlue, and Southwest park at this concourse, which features eleven gates in an inverted U configuration.
Concourse B
Allegiant, Delta, and United park at this concourse, which features ten gates also in an inverted U configuration.
Pilot Freight Services / DHL Express Ramp
Located in the northwest corner of the airport, this ramp is home to 3 spawnable locations for Kalitta and their cargo operations in Rochester.
FedEx Cargo Ramp
Located along the south edge at the east side of the airport, this ramp has two heavy spawns as well as three general aviation spawns. FedEx and Wiggins conduct their cargo operations here.
General Aviation Ramp
Along the south side of the airport is the general aviation ramp, which features 16 spawnable locations for small aircraft.
Military Ramp
There are five spots allocated for military aircraft at the southwest of the airport. While Rochester is not a military hotspot by any means, we do have the occasional C130 or P-8 Poseidon here, as well as some helicopters.
Note on size restrictions: as far as I know, the largest plane that has landed at KROC in the last few years is a 767-400(ER). There are spawns in game which can accommodate aircraft up to 747-400 in size, but for realism sake I ask you do not bring anything larger than a 767-300(ER), and do not park anything larger than a 757-200 at the concourses.
Times TBD
ROC Logo courtesy of https://www.rocairport.com/
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Buffalo Niagara Airport
KBUF is a Class Charlie located approximately 50 NM west of KROC. It is the third busiest airport in New York.
KBUF features two intersecting runways, 05/23 and 14/32. 05/23, at 8829 feet long, is the primary runway in use for all commercial traffic and some General Aviation. 14/32 is 7161 feet long and serves primarily small General Aviation aircraft.
KBUF can accept aircraft as large as a 747-400. However, most traffic is A320 or smaller. Occasionally, the Buffalo Bills charter a Delta 757/767 or Atlas 747.
Southwest flies their 737 and 738 to DEN, BWI, MCO, TPA, and MDW.
American flies their E145 to PHL and DCA, their A319 to PHL, their 738 to DFW and CLT, their E175 to ORD.
JetBlue flies their A320 to BOS and both their A320 and E190 to JFK.
United flies their 738 and E170 to ORD, and their CRJ7 and E145 to IAD.
Delta flies their 712 to ATL, and their CRJ9 to DTW.
Frontier flies their A320N to MCO.
Viva Aerobus flies their A320 (seasonally) to CUN.
UPS flies their 752 to PHL and their A306 to SDF.
FedEx flies their A306 to MEM and YOW.