an aerial view of an airport with solar panels


Sanford is a tidy non-towered airport located about 60 miles north of Boston. It can be very busy on weekends, so it pays to listen to the CTAF on 123.075 on the way in.


In fact, flying to Sanford on a summer Sunday morning was one of the few times I have turned away from a pattern to let it settle down. Heading in, it looked about as much fun as flying into a wasps nest. So I turned away to tour the countryside for a little bit. But in the end it was easy- a couple of 360s north of the field and things settled down enough that I could get in without trouble.

a fish eye view of an airplane parked on a runway


The ramp at Sanford

a lobby with a lot of tables and chairs

The FBO is Southern Maine Aviation. They have a spacious waiting area, and pilot supplies are available at the desk. They can fuel your plane for you, or you can use the self-serve pumps.

Sanford has been a mainstay of New England pilot food-flights since basically forever. I think this is for two reasons. First, it’s a nice airport that’s close enough to Boston that going there on a weekend morning isn’t too big a deal. And second, the restaurants at Sanford have always been really good. The new restaurant, open for the last year or two, is the Pilots Cove Cafe.

the inside of a restaurant with tables and chairs


The Pilots Cove is bright and airy, with a modern feel. The guy in the picture- and others on this site- is Harry, who has been my flight instructor for as long as I have owned my Tiger. He’s come along on many of my flying adventures as a welcome companion and excellent teacher. We both like the Pilots Cove.

The menu has a modern feel to it, too, with all of the usual suspects, like eggs and burgers, but with a menu expansive enough to include everything from avocado toast or a maple granola bowl at breakfast to paninis and lobster rolls at lunch. And if you come in after 4PM, there is a full dinner menu featuring steaks and seafood, as well as craft drinks for your passengers!


One more thing- they also sponsor music and art events, as well as family-friendly community events at the airport. There used to be drag racing at Sanford many years ago, so maybe this is the latest in a long line of community events reaching beyond the Sanford airport boundary. I think it’s pretty cool.